Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an arc!

The Heiress is the story of The McTavishes, specifically Camden & Ruby McTavish. Ruby is the McTavish matriarch who is known in the area for having been kidnapped as a child and miraculously returning back home. That wasn't all though as all of her husbands passed away to various accidents and incidents. Camden has not been back to the estate in 10 years - and is called to come home. Camden has to unravel his own history with Ashby House as well as the motivations of her relatives who so desperately want every penny of of the McTavish estate.

We are able to learn about Ruby through letters and learn about Camden and Jules through their point of views. Hawkins did an excellent job of writing a book I didn't want to put down. It was such a good time trying to figure out what would happen next.

Camden was adopted as a young boy by an extremely wealthy lady named Ruby McTavish. Ruby has quite the history that included being kidnapped from her families woods at just three years old plus four marriages….and four dead husbands. Camden is the heir to everything and after ten years of being estranged from family him & his wife Jules return to Ashby house to settle the estates…..and LOTS of drama ensues. Full of twists and turns until the end! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

I loved the dual timelines of this book and the perspective of multiple characters. Definitely my favorite Rachel Hawkins book..............................................................................................................................................................................

What a great thriller! Family drama, secrets, and lies. Love the multiple POVs, past and present timelines. Just when you think you have it all figured out, wrong! Surprises around every corner! Definitely another hit for Rachel Hawkins!!

Ruby McTarvish is one of North Carolina's most notorious women. She was abducted and returned as a toddler, an heiress to a multi-million dollar estate, and a widow four times over. Upon her death, her family is shocked and angered to learn she's left everything to her adult adopted son Camden who wants absolutely nothing to do with the money or the infamous estate, Ashby House, where the McTarvish family had resided for 300 years. Camden's new wife Jules convinces him to go back to Ashby House to tie up some loose ends and instead find all the past dark secrets get unraveled.

So far I've yet to read a Rachel Hawkins book that I didn't LOVE. This story was so multi-dimensional and multi-layered but very well crafted. She seamlessly connected multiple events and viewpoints through use of emails, letters, newspaper articles in addition to current day storytelling. I never felt confused like I often can when there's this much disjoint to the plot as the book progressed. Although I never found any of the characters particularly likeable, I also didn't dislike them either. Overall the book and it's characters were soun out in such a way that the reader can't help but be both intrigued and curious. I was hooked from page 1! Rachel Hawkins continues to deliver unique and well crafted thrillers!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read in exchange for my honest review. It's a gem!

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins is a quick and addictive read! There are so many twists, turns, and secrets that it was hard to put down. I absolutely had to know what happened. The story goes back and forth between Ruby’s letters, which detail her past, and the present with her adopted son, Camden and his wife Jules as they return to his childhood home.

I do love Rachel Hawkins novels, but this one wasn’t my favorite. At times, Ruby’s letters and the newspaper clippings felt repetitive, and I did figure out the ending before I got to it. But, that being said, it’s still a great read and a solid 4 stars from me!

The Heiress ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A mysterious, gothic, southern family drama.

Ohhh this one was good! I might be a little biased because it was set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of NC but this story line was so interesting. It was fast paced and with short chapters. Told in the point of view of Jules and Camden, with letters left by Ruby, also magazine and new articles. Easy to read but keeps your mind wanting to piece information together to see if you can figure it out by the end.

It all started when Ruby went missing, at 3 yr olds, in her backyard of the Blue Ridge Mountains in 1943. The little girl of the famous McTavish’s lost. Thankfully, she is found months later, in a different state, but is safe. Brought back home to where she grows up in the Ashby House learning her roll as a McTavish. Becoming the richest woman in North Carolina and a widow four times over, when she passes, she leaves her inheritance to her adopted son, Camden.

Ten years later, Camden and his wife, Jules, return back to the Ashby House to deal with some family issues after his Uncle’s death. This is when all the secrets that money is so good at hiding comes to light. Is Ruby who she thought she was? Is Camden? What about his wife, Jules? Only time will tell what all unfolds under the roof of the Ashby House.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced readers copy. I enjoy this book and this is my voluntary, honest opinion.

Will be working on a more refined review to post on social medial - but overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to a friend!

I love how Hawkins can make creepy houses come to life. She did it in The Villa as well Even though not the primary focus here, the house really set the scene with its portraits and lavish mansion feel.. I didn’t except many of the twists and was interested to continue to read Ruby’s letters to hear about her rather interesting past and her truth.


Recommend to those who enjoy:
- Unreliable narrators
- Secrets
- Multiple POV
- Short Chapters

This story was absolutely brilliant. Rachel Hawkins has created such an incredible story that weaves secrets and twists and heart pounding moments. It will have you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out what is going on!!
Ruby McTavish aka “Lady Kill-more makes the whole story, she is successful, unstable, and you know she has authority. She has wielded such a powerful reputation that everyone does exactly what she wants. And believe me she knows EXACTLY what she wants.
The story covers Ruby, Camden (Ruby’s adopted son) and Jules (Camden’s unpredictable wife) as you plummet into Ashby house and encounter all its inhabitants you will have so many WTF moments that will leave you reeling.
This was a truly unpredictable story that I couldn’t read fast enough. Expect to find yourself staying up all night turning pages as quickly as you can.

Read an eArc courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher
My rating: 5/5 Stars
Pub Date: 19 January 2024

5 stars! Such a fun time! I loved reading it and devoured it in a day!

What happens when you throw character types that could have been taken from a Samantha Downing novel into a Kate Morton-esque story? This book! Subtle dark humour, in a slow and calm story all about dramatic family secrets and the good - or maybe bad - they leave in their wake!

This book is told through the two main POVs of Jules and Cam, in the present day. But the reader also gets to experience the events of the past through letters, with some emails and newspaper articles also sprinkled in.

I adored the writing style in all the different parts, but it stood out especially in the letters written by the book’s titular heiress. Ruby McTavish might not be a “good” person, but she’s an amazing and most definitely memorable character! I also immediately fell in love with Jules and Cam's relationship and was so intrigued (and worried!) to find out what secrets they might be keeping from each other. Shipping couples in thrillers is exhausting!

Overall, I had the absolute best time with this and was completely invested in the story from the first chapter! But, if you need your thrillers to be fast, full of action, with plenty of twists and turns throughout all of it and featuring protagonists that are actively searching for the truth, then this might not be the book for you! There are plenty of reveals, but this is a slower book, which is at times comparable to the type of dual timeline narrative often found in Historical Fiction.

I am absolutely elated that I was given the opportunity to read The Heiress because I adore Rachel Hawkin’s writing. I was expecting twists throughout but I still did not see any of these coming and was left with my jaw on the floor several times. When I first started reading this book I was a little confused because the timelines are different and not only are there multiple POV’s, there are also letters from Ruby, as well as newspaper articles. Although it took me some time to find my bearings, so to speak, it came together beautifully in the end and worked so well. I loved the character development and thought it was done so well, especially Ruby. I loved the plot twists surrounding Ruby as well as Jules. I could not get enough of Jules and her theory in the end about Ruby and the kidnapping. This may be one of the very rare books that I will re-read.

Like Sand through the Hour Glass these are....in this instance its the family in The Heiress.

Talk about Drama, mystery, the craziness but most of all the twists and yet I loved every bit of this story.

A fast paced story with beautiful imagery of the Appalachians, i definitely recommend this for family dramas and mystery fans!

Thanks Netgalley and publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own and aren't influenced by anyone else

For fans of Reckless Girls and The Villa…Murder, lies and family secrets- another twisty Hawkins thriller! A fabulously wealthy heiress Ruby adopts a boy and leaves him everything-the rest of the family is outraged. But Cam leaves the twisted hateful family, not wanting anything and intending to never go back. His only family now is his wife Jules- his soulmate and his everything. When his cousin Ben writes him to come home, Cam and Jules show up but the family hasn’t changed. Lies, twists and intrigue -discovering the truth might just kill them. I couldn’t read this fast enough and never guessed the ending! Thank you NetGalley for my advance digital copy!

“When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she’s not only North Carolina’s richest woman, she’s also its most notorious. The victim of a famous kidnapping as a child and a widow four times over, Ruby ruled the tiny town of Tavistock from Ashby House, her family’s estate high in the Blue Ridge mountains. In the aftermath of her death, that estate—along with a nine-figure fortune and the complicated legacy of being a McTavish—pass to her adopted son, Camden. But to everyone’s surprise, Cam wants little to do with the house or the money—and even less to do with the surviving McTavishes.”
I love every Rachel Hawkins book, I think they’re so mysterious and fun. They always make for an engaging quick read. While I like all the POVs from this book it did leave me feeling like there wasn’t a whole lot of character development. I didnt feel all that connected to Jules and Cam like I normally like in my main characters, however because it is only a 300 page book I do feel like it was done very well and edited to perfection. Is it a book I will be thinking about a week from now? Probably not. But I don’t think a great book needs to be, it was fast paced, had great dialogue and good humor so I’ll give it a 4.5/5
This book comes out in early 2024. Thank you to Netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy!

The Heiress is one of those books where you think you know what you're getting, but you have absolutely no idea. The first few times I picked up this book I didn't have much time to sit down and really get into it. Once I made it about 1/4 of the way through, I started making time for this by willfully ignoring household chores just to read a few more chapters. That turned into staying up well past my bedtime to the point of blurry eyes.

As readers, we are set up with a bit of a mystery. Camden has no desire to visit his childhood home, but after the passing of a relative, he receives contact from his cousin encouraging him to come home. With a little nudge from his wife Jules, he agrees to return to the family estate.

This was skillfully written, and I would be quite surprised if you are able to figure out exactly how this ends before you finish the book.

Love everything by Rachel Hawkins and the heiress didn't disappoint. Really good! Loved the plot and characters, highly recommend for a good summer thriller read! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

I could not put this book down! From the very beginning, I was drawn in. I needed to keep reading to find out what was really going on. Ruby had me fooled! Loved the twists and that the author kept me guessing. I would highly recommend this book!

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for an ARC of this copy, which I had the pleasure of reading.

When I first read the name of the main character, Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller, I was hooked and never disappointed . Ruby was known to be the wealthiest woman in North Carolina and, upon her death, her survivors emerged, some willingly and some not so willingly.
Hawkins is a gifted storyteller. I especially enjoyed her writing through the characters' various points of view. The zigzagging of their stories were so imaginative. The darkness and distrust that permeated these pages kept me reading with no stopping. Thrilling read!

Ruby Mc Tavish is "not only North Carolina's richest woman, she's also its most notorious." She was kidnapped from her rich family as a child but returned to her family about 10-12 months later. She was married 4 times and all the marriages ended in the death(s) of her four husbands. This earned her the title of "Mrs. Killmore." Was Ruby a murderer? She has only one child, her adopted son, Camden. who is set to inherit all of Ruby's fortune, but he doesn't seem to want anything to do with the riches he is set to inherit when she dies. Why would a lucky boy plucked from obscurity NOT want to become rich by the way of his adopted mother?
Camden lives a normal life with his lovely wife. He's an English teacher he and his wife, Jules, live a regular life in Colorado when Ruby passes and Camden's family urges him to come home and sort out her estate. Cam wants to ignore his adopted family but Jules has other plans...
The story unfolds from the POV's of Jules, Camden and Ruby (in the form of juicy tell all letters to Cam!) and I oved the way Hawkins revealed through these letters. It's an entertaining novel, for a light family drama. 3.5 stars. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC.

Another fascinating book by Rachel Hawkins! Mystery, greed, deceit, and lots of twists you don’t see coming. Even though I shouldn’t like Cam and Jules I really do.