Hawkins delivers another great domestic thriller that satisfies everything I want in the genre. Suitably creepy location? Check. In this case, a crumbling Southern gothic mansion. Dysfunctional family? Check. Hidden resentments are revealed and everyone has a motive to kill. An ambiguous death…check.

Recommended.

Things you need to know about me:
1. I loveee a wealthy family drama
2. I love Rachel Hawkins’s writing

This binge-able novel has generational rumors, an estate where EVERYONE has something to hide, multiple timelines featuring a woman with an “unlucky”, haunting past that is writing letters to tell her story?! Trifecta!

This was RIGHT up my alley. I loved hearing Ruby’s story through letters and her sarcastic tone was endearing with such a strong voice. Is Ruby my favorite character I’ve read this year? Very possible…

As with the Villa, I found myself stopping to try to google some of the stories in this novel as if they were real.

Overall an absolute delight!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I am so thankful for this ARC! Rachel Hawkins has done it again. I fell in love with The Villa last year and have been so excited to read the latest! Scandals and family secrets permeate throughout. I love how the entire book is directed at the reader and from the main character’s point of view. Highly recommend! Great read!

Rachel Hawkins has written another great read!. Having inherited her father's fortune, Ruby McTavish is the richest woman in the state of North Carolina, but she has hardly lead a charmed life. At the age of 3 she was lost in the woods or perhaps kidnapped during a family outing. Found 8 months later, she was returned to her family estate of Ashby, She was widowed 4 times and given the nickname "Mrs. Killmore" Unable to bear a child, she adopted a son, Cameren. Upon her death, she bequeathed the fortune and Ashby to to her son.
Cam wanted nothing to do with the estate of the money. He went to California and worked as a bartender, where he met Jules, who would become his wife. They move to Colorado where Cam is a teacher and the live off of the money they make, never touching a cent of the McTavish money. When his uncle dies, Jules convinces Cam it is time to go home to visit and settle things with his family. There they are greeted by Ruby's long disgruntled sister, Nelle and Cameren's cousins, Ben and Lilly.
The story is told through 3 POVs:
Jules, who can from a poor upbringing who sees Ashby as dream life come true, if she can only convince Cam to stay.
Ruby, whose story we learn through letters she wrote to an unknown recipient.
Cam, who wants nothing more than to be rid of the estate that brought nothing but torment to him throughout his life.
Be prepared for the secrets, lies and truths that will astound you as soar through the pages of The Heiress.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book.

This was a lot of fun. I didn't feel like it needed the "twist" of both members of the couple having secrets but I guess it went with the whole "do you ever know who you married" theme of the book.

My only quibble was that I wish we got more in the town that mansion was in. There was just enough---that it was basically a company town and we meet a few locals--that I wanted to know more but then they'd switch back to the letters and the current-day family drama. I think I would have rathered the author left the town stuff out if it wasn't going to be fleshed out more. There was a lot going on and it kind of got dropped.

This is my favorite Rachel Hawkins book yet! I loved the way the book was structured with chapters from different perspectives, letters, and news articles. The mix of mediums within the story made it feel like the book flew by while reading it. I found that this story had some twists and secrets that were relatively easy to pinpoint but I loved the unexpected twists that were revealed as the story went on.

Jules and Ruby were fantastic characters and I loved reading from their perspectives. Each characters POV had a distinct voice and it was easy to follow the story. I would recommend this to thriller or mystery readers who are looking for a captivating read that doesn't rely on gore or horror.

I was so excited for this ARC!
I really like Rachel Hawkins and especially loved Reckless Girls so I anxiously waited to see if I would get this one.
This book was twisty, full of secrets and a creepy isolated mansion. It was exactly what I wanted from a book.
It entertained me and kept me fully engaged the whole time. There were a few parts where the dialogue felt clunky, but I enjoyed this book otherwise.
If you love an unreliable narrator, a feisty woman and uncovering family secrets this one is for you.
Look for it January 2024.
received an advanced reader copy from NetGalley in return for my honest opinion.

Like Rachel Hawkins' other books, I think this will be popular! I didn't quite enjoy it as much as some of her other books, mainly because I pretty quickly figured all the things out, but I read it in a matter of hours none-the-less. Definitely will be recommending to the mystery/thriller crowd, which seems to be growing by the day.

This is now my favorite Rachel Hawkins book! it was an intriguing with a mix of expected and unexpected turns. She gave us a wonderful mystery without relying on being creepy or scary to be interesting.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ebook version of The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins. In exchange, I'm providing a free and fair review. The author chose to have each main character tell their own story; it felt like each of them was talking to me personally. The "news articles" and letters from Ruby, interspersed throughout, provided much insight into this family. An infamous heiress and very complicated inheritance see left to her adopted son, Camden. In addition, I found that I never quite knew what the truth of this family was, with Hawkins leading me to devour this book in 24 hours. I was kept guessing through much of the book, except for the "letters" Ruby wrote to Cam, which gradually laid things out for him. Each character had their own demons that haunted them. Many of them came to light eventually, with a few remaining secret. Along the way, I found Hawkins dropping subtle hints about each character and their role in this sordid tale. But, I never quite put it all together until she revealed the details when the characters were ready to share therm. Many times, the descriptions that Hawkins provides through her writing, made me feel like I was right there with the characters. Taking in the beauty of Ashby House and the mystique surrounding it. What twisted secrets do each of these family members hold? I have given this book 5 stars. One of the best suspense novels I've read this year.

Another banger from Rachel Hawkins! The Heiress kept me up late at night, frantically reading to find out what happened with Ruby, Camden, and Jules.

Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a digital arc! As always, Rachel Hawkins does not disappoint!

The Heiress follows Ruby McTavish, who goes missing as a child after being kidnapped and then is later miraculously reunited with her family. Ruby does not remember anything from her time away, so no one can be sure what truly happened to her. The mystery surrounding Ruby does not stop there though- Ruby is a four time widow, with rumors swirling about the circumstances of all of her husbands’ deaths.

If uncovering Ruby’s story wasn’t enticing enough, add in her crazy, selfish family who lived with her at the family estate, Ashby House. Upon Ruby’s death, the entire McTavish fortune, including the expansive Ashby House, was all left to Ruby’s adopted son, Camden,- which the McTavishes were very upset about, to say the least.

Cam is estranged from his family and wants nothing to do with them or the money, until a death in the family brings Cam and his wife, Jules, to Ashby House. During their time back, it is clear that Ashby House brings out something in its residents, and that no one is really as they seem.

This book immediately hooked me with the mystery of Ruby McTavish! I really enjoyed reading about Ruby’s whole life throughout the entire novel and was glad to learn about her and her family through letters and newspaper articles. The whole family (and Ashby house itself) are very intriguing, and I enjoyed the twists and surprises. If you like mysteries or novels about scandalous wealthy families, I definitely recommend picking this one up!

The Heiress is full of secrets and twists you won't see coming and it helps keep the book interesting! I enjoyed the different POV's and that Camden and Jules had each others backs. I especially liked that Camden and Jules each had their own little secrets. Ruby was a kick even from the grave and I thoroughly enjoyed the mess she made for everyone. The large and exquisite was a perfect setting for all the drama and the past leaping out to bite everyone's butts. Overall this was a really good read with some interesting and unforgettable twists!

This book felt like Blanche Deveraux does a Murder, She Wrote version of Auntie Mame. The duplicitous main characters were likable and forgivable because they had one another. And the rest? Like The real life Murdaughs, you wish them all dead 😂

This book is just a fun ride--with all of the typical Rachel Hawkins twists and turns in the road.

Ruby McTavish disappears in the woods as a toddler, and is discovered almost a year later living with another family who have been calling her their daughter. Is she the "real" Ruby? This becomes one of the central mysteries to the story.

Fast forward, and Ruby's adopted son, Camden, who was estranged from her, comes with his wife back to the family estate to (reluctantly) claim his inheritance.

The novel toggles back and forth between the present with Camden, his wife Jules, the rest of the McTavish family, and the past, that is revealed through a series of letters Ruby left behind addressed to an unnamed person that tells the "real" story of her life.

Thank you so much for the ARC! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. Thriller/Rich Family Drama & Family Secrets/Murders/LARGE Inheritance/Creepy Mansion/Suspense. Once you think you know where it's going it takes a sharp left, leaving you wanting more with each page turned.

I just adore Rachel Hawkins. I loved the combination of letters, news articles and multiple POVs. This kept me reading late into the night!

Camden McTavish was not born into the McTavish name, but was given the name by his adopted mother, and heiress to the McTavish fortune, Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore. But once Ruby died, Cam took off, leaving the family, fortune, and mansion behind. Told in alternating POVs and letters describing Ruby's past, Cam returns home with his wife. The reader, along with the family, unravel the past, in order to decide who will have control in the future.

***

This was SO, SO close to being a 5 star read for me. Hawkins knows how to tell a story, and Ruby's was absolutely captivating and jaw dropping. The kind of flawed character that you cannot help but love. I loved listening to her unravel her past.

Meanwhile, in the present day back at Ashby House, tension builds. Everyone has secrets and ulterior motives that are slowly, but masterfully revealed. Thriller writers can take note how Hawkins makes reveals from different POVs without having to constantly rehash the plot.

My only gripe is that the ending fell flat for me. I definitely predicted some of the twists, but I would have loved something a bit deeper. Everything came at you fast, and then it just ended.

<spoiler>It was the Jules twist that just didn't work for me. It was all too nice and sweet in the end. </spoiler>

Definitely one of Hawkins best and a worthy follow up to The Villa. I cannot wait to see what she puts out next.

Rachel Hawkins tells a good story I liked this book way better the last. She seems to be growing as a writer and I look forward to future books. This for sure is a great beach read

I am a huge fan of Rachel Hawkins. I loved her book Reckless Girls, so I was very excited to read The Heiress! This book was so good.

Jules and Camden have been married for 10 years when they end up heading to his estate that he inherited when his mother passed, The Ashby House. The story is told from split POV’s of Jules and Camden, along with letters from Ruby (Camden’s mother) and newspaper articles. The book is filled with family secrets, drama and greed. Ruby was famous because she was the infamous missing baby Ruby who disappeared in the woods. She then is found and returned to her family where she ends up having 4 husbands who all have mysteriously died while all married to Ruby. Could there be a connection or just poor luck? Camden and Jules soon learn a lot about Ruby, the house and each other. Will they be able to make it through this trip? I could not put down this book and it was full of twists. I definitely was not expecting the ending at all.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.