This novel was so good. Great characterization and dialogue, full of suspense and drama., entertaining and engaging. However, the last twenty percent was too far-fetched and the storyline was going in too many different directions. I still give it 5 stars though because the majority of the novel was extraordinary.

3.5. This book opens with a whopper. I couldn’t wait to dive in after the two-page introduction about missing persons. Sucked me right in.

A toddler goes missing while at a picnic and is missing for 8 months when she is found. This missing child is the sole heiress to a small fortune.

And then the plot begins to waiver a bit. I knew the characters weren’t who they said they were and there were a few surprises while reading it but I just wasn’t drawn in by any of them. The chapters are divided by characters and letters being written. I’m not a fan of books that address me as a reader and several chapters do that here and it just seems odd to address the reader. There were a few surprises which kept me reading the book to the end for sure.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel Hawkins and St Martins publishing.

Story about Cam and Jules. They are living a normal life in Colorado but then Cam is called home to North Carolina to deal with his family’s estate. He inherited everything 10 years ago when his mother died, but he walked away from the family and has not contacted them since. Jules thinks he should claim his inheritance and live on the property, but first they have to deal with his relatives.

I liked the start of the book. I was instantly intrigued to find out what secrets Cam and Jules were keeping. I also loved the descriptions of the remote house and North Carolina’s wilderness.

The story is told in the present day and also in newspaper articles about Cam’s mother, plus letters she wrote. I liked the use of these and thought it was a neat way to explain what happened in the past.

There are a lot of twists and turns in the story. I liked some of them but found others strained credulity. I also found the secondary characters a little one dimensional.

I loved The Wife Upstairs and Reckless Girls by the same author. I didn’t enjoy this one as much. The writing is still really good though and the plot has all the twists and turns you want in a thriller, so I’ll still be eagerly looking for her next book.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins
Just Finished this book and all I can say is WOW!!! If you’ve liked Rachel Hawkins other books, you will absolutely LOVE this one. It blew me away. Read it in 2 days. It was not your typical thriller but it worked and will immediately pull you in.
Ruby Mctavish is not your typical heiress. Born into a very well to do family, she’s kidnapped when she’s 3 years old and miraculously found 9 months later living with her kidnappers family. Now she’s not only rich but famous. She grows up and marries 4 different times, each marriage ending in each husbands death. This is her story of each of these marriages and her outlandish family. Her story will blow you away. Eventually she adopts a young boy, Camden (never having any of her own) and this too causes animosity among her family. In the end she leaves everything to Camden and he eventually is forced back to the famous Ashby House to settle the chaos.
The story is told in Rubys, Camdens and Jules (Camdens wife) POV’s. There is also snippets of newspaper articles about the many interesting aspects of Rubys famous life.

I enjoyed that the primary plot was interspersed with newspaper and magazine articles as well as journal entries from Ruby. I quite liked the plot of this one and the reveals. They weren’t unexpected, but they were written well, and their predictability didn’t detract from my enjoyment. The characters in the primary plot were written well enough not to detract from the book but weren’t anything special. I loved Ruby, though, and how her personality shone through the letters that were included. It honestly made me wish the whole book had been about her life rather than having it as the secondary plot. While the primary plot was the weakest, it was still enjoyable.

Part of what kept my rating from being higher is just how much swearing is present throughout the work. I don’t mind profanity, and I certainly use it in certain situations, but the way it was incorporated felt like the characters were preteens who just discovered dirty words for the first time. It was absurd. Also, yet again, this is not a thriller in ANY sense of the word. However, it’s an interesting family drama with some mystery and plenty of secrets incorporated, so adjust those expectations.

This was an easy and enjoyable family drama that kept me turning the pages until late into the night - it would be a great vacation read.

The inheritance of the vast estate demands that Cam, the adopted son of the notorious Ruby Tavistock, must return to Ashby House. After being repeatedly summoned by its current inhabitants, he unwillingly agrees to return, but only to repair the neglected property for a quick sale. Cam has not been in contact with his family for over a decade, and he only accepts the invitation at the insistence of his curious wife. Upon arrival, Cam and Jules are met by his vengeful aunt, dilettante cousins, and an overeager estate lawyer. Resentment simmers as his relatives attempt to nullify his claim to the estate since they assert that they are the rightful heirs. Ruby’s motive in her bequest is unknown, and the powerful matriarch had been mysteriously dubbed a “black widow” by the people who knew her. News clippings, emails, and letters are interspersed among the alternating narratives of Cam and Jules as they uncover the unscrupulous history of the whole Tavistock family. Hawkins explores themes that include: the corrupting influence of wealth, the contribution of heredity to human nature, and the damaging consequences of revenge. Filled with a corkscrew of twists, The Heiress attempts to slowly connect relationships between all the characters, an effort that becomes slightly unrealistic and contrived. The novel contains little overt action until the end, with most of its tension provided by interior revelations and flashbacks. Hawkins has gained a reputation for her clever sleight of hand and unpredictability, and this latest work will appeal to fans of complex plotlines enacted by a cast of despicable characters.

Thanks to the authors. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Overall, a great read. I liked the way letters were incorporated to give background. The dual points of view between Jules and Cam felt true. This is a four star read for me because it took me awhile to get through. I really enjoyed it, but read it when I had time. For be, a five star book makes me make the time to read it versus read when I have time.

Rachel Hawkins can do no wrong! The Heiress was an amazing thrill ride through the history of an affluent family in North Carolina, the secrets they hold, what brings them together, and what could tear them apart.

Firstly, I will say I am a huge fan of all of the author's books and this one did not disappoint. The book followed Camden and his wife, Jules, as they return to the family estate following the death of Camden's uncle. Camden has always been very secretive about his family, and upon arriving at the estate, Jules starts to understand why.

The narration jumps between Jules and Camden, and then delves into the past with letters written by Camden's mother, Ruby. Ruby herself was a well known public figure due to her disappearance (and reappearance) as a three year old, to the death of all four of her husbands under suspicious circumstances. The way Ms. Hawkins weaves all of these generational stories through different narration made for a fast paced book that I could not put down. The complexities of these characters allows you to cheer for them at some parts and shake your head in disbelief at others.

I highly recommend this book to people who love family dramas that keep you guessing! Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy and give my feedback!

A very fascinating read by Rachel Hawkins. It grabbed me from the start and was hard to put down. A story of family secrets and murder.

Another incredibly addictive and unique read from Rachel Hawkins!! The twists kept coming in this story of a mysterious and cunning heiress and her adopted son set in the massive yet claustrophobic mansion, The Ashby House. I had so much fun reading this and never knew exactly where it was going! A very engaging thriller that you won’t want to put down as you try to uncover all the family secrets!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the gifted ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Heiress was not at all what I was expecting! It’s a book that unfolds quite differently than anything else I have read recently, and it kept me compulsively turning the pages.

Camden and Jules arrive at the grand estate in North Carolina where he grew up, and where he has also refused to return ever since his adoptive mother, Ruby, died 10 years earlier. Because he inherited the family money from Ruby, his dysfunctional extended family, including cousins and an aunt, have compelled him to come home and help repair the crumbling parts of the estate. They also have some enmity toward him that serves as an undercurrent of all their interactions, and contributed to his desire to cut off his family and start a fresh life without them or his inheritance.

We find out that Ruby was a quite notorious figure, making the news for a variety of crazy circumstances throughout her life. First, she was kidnapped as a 3-year-old and then found again a year later, and then she went on to become widowed four times before her own unexpected death.

Alternating between past and present, inserting letter excerpts and archived newspaper articles, we learn the story of Ruby and find out what kept Camden away for so long.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for this ARC!

I enjoyed this book, and all of the twists and turns, especially in the beginning. The characters seemed likable, and you really emphasized with them, as the reader. The story line started off gripping,

However, as the book progressed, it became less believable and more predictable. I found myself not totally interested by the end, as the murders and drama increased.

Another great summer read by Rachel Hawkins! She never disappoints. Thank you for the opportunity to read

Five-Star read for me. Will be recommending this to those who love psychological thrillers with lots of plots twists.

This was a fascinating story with many great twists.
We meet Cam and Jules, a young couple living a simple life in Colorado. Cam is part of a very rich family in the mountains of NC (great setting with lots of atmosphere!) His adoptive mother Ruby McTavish was fabulously wealthy and known for having buried multiple husbands. Cam is her heir and controls the wealth of the rest of the family as well.
The secrets of the family are brilliantly revealed in the book. Even though dead when the story opens, Ruby gives her amazing life from her viewpoint. Shifting narrators is a technique very cleverly used.
I found the book very compelling and could not put it down. The ending did not disappoint!
Rachel Hawkins at her best in my opinion.
Great for readers who enjoy thrillers as well as family drama!.
Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the chance to read a great ARC and give an honest review.

5⭐️ Wow! I loved this! This book is full of action, mystery, and suspense! I can’t remember the last time I read a book in one sitting like this one!

It follows the drama of a very wealthy North Carolina family. The matriarch of the family and heiress was Ruby McTavish. She died 10 years ago, but when her nephew dies, Ruby’s son (Camden) is pressured by his wife to go back to North Carolina to settle the estate and mansion.

This book is told through 4 entertaining POVs - Camden’s, his wife Jules, letters from Ruby, and old newspapers/magazines articles.

Every character has secrets leading to multiple suspenseful plot lines that make this a fast paced read! Why did Camden leave NC in the first place? Why did Jules pressure Camden to come back? What happened to all 4 of Ruby’s husbands who died? What happened to Ruby when she was kidnapped as a baby?

This all weaves together to keep you turning the page.

The characters are well developed and a little morally gray. It took me a little way to get the characters and their relationships straight, but you can pick it up pretty easily. Jules’ chapters speak to the reader directly doing a great job “breaking the 4th wall” which was refreshing. It was fun to hear from Ruby through her letters. You got to hear from Ruby how she ended up with each husband.

Without giving too much away, I loved the ending and how everything came together and was explained. A little far-fetched, but a very enjoyable read.

I also enjoyed The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins, so I need to get my hands on the rest of her books!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and St Martins press for the ARC! To be published January 2024

Sometimes I wish I had a tail to wiggle when I got excited.

That’s bizarre, right?

Well if I DID have a tail it would be wagging right now.

I went on a book binge for the past week and would put one book down and pick up the best without even so much as a pee break .

I was lost in the pages and I couldn’t not quench my insatiable thirst for more and more thrillers. Deep down, subconsciously, I was searching for a book that would make me stop dead in my tracks.

Mission accomplished

The Heiress!!!!!!

Rachel Hawkins is the queen when it comes to delivering 5 star books and this book literally broke the 5 star scale.

Mesmerized by the cover, this was a book I just had to have. I wish I could whisper a warning in my naive little ear before I picked this one up as my day became completely consumed by Hawkins’ words. Yes, this book is THAT good.

My mind is blown…

I will be unable to pick up another book for a bit. I need to let this one settle in.

Here’s a bit of a teaser for you :

From New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins comes a twisted new gothic suspense about an infamous heiress and the complicated inheritance she left behind.

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. Instead, he rejects his inheritance, settling into a normal life as an English teacher in Colorado and marrying Jules, a woman just as eager to escape her own messy past.

Ten years later, Camden is a McTavish in name only, but a summons in the wake of his uncle’s death brings him and Jules back into the family fold at Ashby House. Its views are just as stunning as ever, its rooms just as elegant, but coming home reminds Cam why he was so quick to leave in the first place.

Jules, however, has other ideas, and the more she learns about Cam’s estranged family—and the twisted secrets they keep—the more determined she is for her husband to claim everything Ruby once intended for him to have.

But Ruby’s plans were always more complicated than they appeared. As Ashby House tightens its grip on Jules and Camden, questions about the infamous heiress come to light. Was there any truth to the persistent rumors following her disappearance as a girl? What really happened to those four husbands, who all died under mysterious circumstances? And why did she adopt Cam in the first place? Soon, Jules and Cam realize that an inheritance can entail far more than what’s written in a will––and that the bonds of family stretch far beyond the grave.

I didn't remember requesting to read this title through Netgalley, but man am I glad that it appeared on my shelf to read. While this wasn't my usual type of psychological thriller, Hawkins kept me engaged and guessing throughout the entire thing. The "twist" but a bit predictable, but I don't think that's a bad thing; I'd rather guess what's coming and have the plot set up in a believable way that just clicks than to be blown away by a surprise ending. Rachel Hawkins constructed things perfectly and truly fleshed out the characters. I loved that in each character perspective, you could truly "hear" their own individual voices shine through- there was a depth written into each perspective that I often feel is lacking in books written through various points of view.

Now I"m off to add The Wife Upstairs and The Villa to my TBR list!

Thank you to Netgally and St. Martines Press for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another great summer mystery by Rachel Hawkins! Took this one to the beach and finished it in a few hours! Couldn’t put this down!

A slow burn, twisty southern thriller about Ruby McTavish, a four-time wealthy widow and childhood kidnapping victim whose marriages and family have always been a focal point of good and (mostly) bad publicity. Indeed, her legacy seems to leave a tremendous amount of family backstabbing long after her passing. The alternating voices of her son Camden, his girlfriend Jules, and letters Ruby wrote to a mysterious recipient in her final years, creates a page turning family drama that is hard to put down. The twists really accelerate in the last quarter of the book and while I guessed a few of them, author Rachel Hawkins makes it tough to figure out the entire family puzzle until the final pages. A great read that will keep you up late into the night to finish. Highly recommend!