This is my third book I’ve read by Rachel and it’s probably my favorite! The book is told in a dual POV and I loved the unreliable narrators. There were so many twists and turns and I couldn’t get enough of the secrets, lies and family drama! The letters mixed in throughout the book added to the mystery of the story and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to see what was going to happen next. Well done!

Is the McTavish estate worth killing over?

Ruby McTavish's life has never been easy. At three years old, she was kidnapped by the Darnells, being returned to her family less than a year later. Her life was full of love and losses when she became a widow four times over. Was everything as it seemed? Or was there something behind her nickname of Mrs. Kill-more?

Camden, the sole heir of the estate Ruby's adopted child, caused havoc with the McTavish family since he was not blood-related. However, Camden wanted nothing to do with all that was left to him. He found happiness as an English teacher at a boy's school in Colorado living alongside his wife Jules. However, his plan of not returning to the McTavish estate changes when he receives an email from his cousin after the death of his uncle.

Jules is eager for the trip to finally get to know Camden's family although she didn't know what she was in for or, did she? Once they reach the McTavish estate, known as the Ashby House, the truth comes to light when everyone has a secret or motive they are trying to keep.

I loved this book from the start! This is a solid 4 star rating! Outside of a few instances of predictability it was captivating all the way to the last page. I enjoyed the style it was written; from the character perspectives of Camden and Jules mixed with letters from Ruby of her past.

If you are in search for a fast-paced family psychological thriller and suspense, this book is for you!

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC!

this was my first Rachel Hawkins and it was good but it dragged a lot for me. I think it was marketed as a thriller but felt more like a family drama to me which wasn't what I expected.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy. all thoughts are my own.

The Heiress is an example of a low-stakes gothic that packs a big punch. It is compulsively readable. Rachel Hawkins is the queen of modern contemporary-themed Gothics. Short, strange, and often fast-paced, this author can take you on a whirlwind journey in under 300 pages; her latest is no different.

The book follows three different POVs, a married couple (Cam and Jules) and Cam's wealthy adopted mother, Ruby, as she tells her life story in a long letter. In the present day, Cam and Jules navigate the treacherous world of the ultra-rich, as Cam's family will do anything to prevent him from inheriting his mother's fortune. Think Evelyn Hugo meets Knives Out.

The twists and turns that connect Ruby and the couple's lives are nothing short of the over-dramatic and bizarre flair that any passionate fan of the gothic has come to expect from them, but casual readers may find themselves scoffing at the soap opera nature of The Heiress. If you like juicy drama, spiteful rich people, and twists stacked on twists, this very short and strange little story is for you.

An incredible thriller and it’s totally worth being called a page-turner. The characters are fantastic and when the author goes into detail about scenes it’s the perfect amount.

Always a fan of Rachel Hawkins, however, this was my least favorite of all her books. While it wasn't a bad book, I just felt like there was a little too much that seemed far-fetched. Also, none of the characters were very likable.

Is Ruby really Ruby?
When I started reading, I wasn’t so gung ho, but I kept turning the pages. Boy oh boy am I glad, learning about the upstanding, murderous, baby stealing, back stabbing McTavish family pulled me in.
Is everyone really who they say they are?
In many ways this book made me think of the VC Andrews series of children in the attic, the secrets and lies can be hard to keep up with.
Money is the root of a lot of evils, but there’s much, much more. Big houses have lots of room for a lot of secrets and lies. Is there an honest character in this story?
All of these questions have answers, and out of the ashes you’ll find yourself fully satisfied.

I absolutely adored this book! I was immediately engaged with the characters and the story is well thought out. I noticed that when i had to put the book down i would think about it during the day waiting to get back to it after work. Thats pretty rare! I 100% recommend this book and author!Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy!

Absolutely amazing and one of the best books I've read this year!

Rachel Hawkins is one of the best mystery/thriller authors. She knows how to captivate you from the very start and throw in twists that you never see coming (even the ones you can guess still throw you for a loop). Just do yourself a favor and read this as soon as possible, don't let this one sit on your tbr pile for long.

Twisty, exciting, and unpredictable! I loved every minute of this book and had no idea what was going to happen next.

This is the story of a man returning to his ancestral home for the first time since the death of his mother. His backstabbing, greedy, horrible family still lives there and don't exactly welcome him with open arms. He's there to settle the estate and brings his wife along with him, her first time meeting his family or seeing the home. The family has an unusual history as well as a lot of dark secrets.

This is the 2nd Rachel Hawkins book I've read and I've loved them both. I'm definitely putting her on my auto-buy list.

I was lucky enough to read this book as an ARC. From page one it sucked me right in! The plot and characters were so unique. Rachel's writing style keeps you so intrigued with the storyline, and is always leaving you wanting more. I would highly recommend this book to other readers!

This author writes great quick-read, popcorn-domestic-intrigue type stuff. I’ve generally liked them all… and really loved this one.

It’s about a rich family and their secrets, I guess, but I don’t know… I loved how it was written. Like, the dialog seemed natural, I liked the way some of the characters spoke right to the reader… The connection between the couple was great and their relationship felt real. I don’t know, those are weird things to notice, but I liked them a lot.

It’s not like it’s a super shocking, twisted book, but it’s great. And fun. I read it over the course of a few sittings, so it clearly had me hooked and interested.

Plus I got to read it early thanks to NetGalley. So that’s pretty cool too.

Ohhh such a refreshing book to get me out of a slump! I couldn’t out this book down! Would recommend- my favorite by the author to date.

Twisty tale… creepy old house vibes … generational wealth … Told through 3 viewpoints …

Camden - the “luckiest boy” has a VERY annoying and whinny vibe for most of the book. He eventually sounds less whinny once the plot begins to twist together.

Jules - the supporting wife with a clear alternative motive

Ruby - the infamous heiress… letters from her were the highlights for me. I couldn’t wait to get to the next letter and find out more each time that one finished.

Thank you to @netgalley and st martins press for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I’ll start off by saying, I did enjoy this book! I have not had much luck with this author in the past, but this one was great!

It started off slow in my opinion but once it picked up, I couldn’t put it down! I loved the story and there were many great twists. Love, betrayal, secrets, money and heartbreak sums up this book! I loved the multiple POVs…Camden and Jules, as well as Ruby McTavish. With these multiple POVs, it was hard to know the difference in the year in the beginning but once it got going, it was fine.

Definitely recommend reading this book!

Publication date: January 9, 2024

I devoured this book in one sitting - the constant twists and turns made me want to keep reading faster! There was such a unique storyline, with each character developing more and more mysterious traits as the novel progressed. I liked the mix of present and the past through Ruby's letters as this helped to further develop the plot and characters.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

2024 is going to be a good year because Rachel Hawkins has done it again. Indeed, I think this is her best novel yet! The Heiress is set in a small town in North Carolina called Tavistock that is essentially run by the snotty and very rich McTavish family. Hawkins takes us on a dark journey filled with passion, intrigue, adventure, love and of course, good old fashioned murder with some Gothic vibes and a creepy mansion thrown into the mix. I was glued to this book from page one and read it faster than you could say "The McTavish Family of Tavistock."

In addition to the excellent storyline, Hawkins writing is also brilliant. Essentially, there are 4 character narratives that we meet: Camden (the prodigal son) and Jules (his wife), both written in the first person narrative, Ruby (the heir of the fortune and head of the McTavish estate) written through letters and then snippets from news sources such as magazines and newspapers. These different narratives was riveting and kept the mystery flowing for me.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Thank you to the author, Rachel Hawkins, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC. This title is scheduled to be released on January 9, 2024.

Is being a girlboss nature or nurture? The world may never know.

The Heiress follows the story of four times widowed Ruby Mctavish, a woman who has been shrouded in awe and mystery ever since her infamous kidnapping as a toddler. Ten years after her death, her son Camden and his wife return to the family manor to face their relatives and discover the dark secrets surrounding Ruby's life and death.

Pros: I could hardly put this book down! Nearly every chapter left off on a delightful cliffhanger with just the right amount of suspense. Ruby was written in a very complex way, and it was fascinating to learn about her past. I liked how hard-working and driven she was, despite her wealth. I really enjoyed the use of Ruby's personal letters to tell readers about her past. It felt very intimate, almost like a conversation.

Cons: Camden and Jules could have been developed a bit more. It would have been especially interesting to learn more about what Cam's life was like growing up with Ruby as a mom.

Overall, this was a great book. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the whole story, and I found the ending very satisfying.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and the author for providing me with an ARC of this book. I was delighted to share my thoughts.

4/5 impressive paintings
🖼🖼🖼🖼

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. This publishes Jan 9, 2024!

ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!!!
I love Rachel Hawkins! She gets better and better with each and every book! This is a cross between a domestic drama and psychological thriller that I will now come to expect from the author!

Cameron and Jules are living their little life in Colorado when the call comes from Cameron's family to return to the familial estate which Cameron inherited and up until now, has chosen to ignore. Cameron is in the neighborhood of the Vanderbilts when it comes to crazy, mean relatives that own the city and the palatial mansion that has been handed down from generation to generation. Except that Ruby, who adopted Cameron, inherited it fully from her dad and bequeathed it to Cameron upon her death a few years back. The real, blood relatives hate Cameron and see him as an interloper and threat to what is rightfully theirs.

Cameron's wife, Jules, has known about Cameron's past and is infatuated by the wealth and cast of characters of Cameron's adoptive family. She encourages him to return and face the music and secretly, would love nothing more than to stay at the estate forever. How will this all work out?

The characters have depth and while I liked some, there were definitely those that I hated. There is so much going on here that I think I will need to reread this upon publication to see what I missed.

If you like messed up, dysfunctional, family drama, with suspenseful, psychological, twists and turns, put this one on your list!!

Highly recommend!

This was such a perfect summer read- one I devoured in two days. This was one of those family based thrillers that just got more twisted and turned around the further it went. It definitely kept me guessing, and while I don’t know like I loved the “money is evil” subtleties, it was a great read over all. Hawkins doesn’t disappoint!

The book was good. Rachel Hawkins writes pretty well on each character’s point-of-view. Reading this book explains about a family member’s notorious past, the estate, secrets and other things.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for a review.