4.5 stars

Rachel Hawkins never disappoints. This is a perfect family drama/thriller. Lots of good twists, lots of little reveals and clues along the way. I read it in a single sitting. She just can’t write fast enough for me 🤭

What a gem of a book! The Heiress is a story of abduction, murder and scandal in the south. There’s also rich people behaving badly. Unreliable narrators. Toss in some family drama and you’ve got the best book Rachel Hawkins has written to date! The dark humor in this book was done so well. I loved the parts from Ruby’s point of view the most but I was never once bored! Flew through this one in two sittings! Thank you #netgalley and #stmartinspress for the ARC of this novel.

Thank you NetGalley for an early copy of The Heiress in exchange for an honest review. Infamous heiress Ruby McTavish the victim of a kidnapping left her fortune to her adopted son Camden much to the displeasure of the rest of the family. This was a slow burn of a thriller but it kept me engaged. At times the style was difficult to follow shifting between letters from the past, newspaper excerpts and then chapters from the point of view of the two main characters. The twists were satisfying and made me want to keep reading. It just goes to show money can make people do crazy things especially when it comes to family.!! Another great read form Rachel Hawkins.

When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller—Kenmore, North Carolina’s richest woman—dies, her adapted son, Camden, wants nothing to do with his inheritance. Neither Ashley House or the money. And nothing is going to change that . . . or is it?

Just when I would figure out where the story was going it would turn out to be going in an entirely different direction. It was full of surprises, right up to the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy in return for an honest review.

The best Rachel Hawkins book I’ve read! I enjoyed all of the twists and characters in this book. It kept me guessing the whole way through.

5 *****

Secrets within secrets within secrets, right up until the final page. Family drama! All very well crafted, well built on solid foundations, so no revelation sounded a false note. And the character (mettle?) of the characters was nicely revealed in bits and pieces of action and dialogue.

The main characters were well drawn and their actions always consistent, even as they layers peeled back faster and faster. We could empathize with their actions and choices, most of the time, given their upbringing.

I liked the structure, with the point of view alternating between the two main characters along with correspondence.

I’ve only previously read one other book by this author, and for me this one was much better, and I read it in two sittings.

My thanks to NetGalley for a free preview copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rachel Hawkins delivers a gripping and atmospheric thriller in "The Heiress." From the very first page, readers are drawn into the complex world of Ruby McTavish and her wealthy, notorious family. The story follows Camden, Ruby's adopted son, who has distanced himself from his inheritance and the McTavish name. However, circumstances bring him and his wife, Jules, back to Ashby House, where they confront the dark secrets and mysteries surrounding Ruby's life.

Hawkins masterfully crafts a narrative that keeps readers guessing until the very end. The twists and turns are unexpected, and the pacing is relentless, making it difficult to put the book down. The setting, with its Blue Ridge mountains and the grandeur of Ashby House, adds a palpable sense of atmosphere and adds depth to the story.

The characters are richly developed, and the dynamic between Camden and Jules is compelling. Jules, in particular, shines as a determined and resourceful protagonist. As the layers of Ruby's past are peeled away, the true extent of her plans and the McTavish family's secrets are revealed.

"The Heiress" is a thrilling and captivating novel that explores the lengths to which families will go to protect their legacies. Rachel Hawkins' writing is engrossing, and her ability to create suspense and tension is masterful. Fans of mysteries and psychological thrillers will find themselves fully immersed in this gripping tale.

Thank you NetGalley, Rachel Hawkins and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this novel.

This book was so good I was screaming (really loudly in my head since I was on public transportation)! Lots of money leads to lots of dark family secrets. So JUICY!!! I ate it up!

It would be an understatement to say Ruby McTavish has had an eventful life. Kidnapped as a young child, widowed four times over and she is the richest woman in North Carolina who residents in her lush family estate, Ashby House. When Ruby dies, her inheritance passes to her adopted son Camden, who wants nothing to do with the remaining McTavishes nor the family fortune. A decade later Camden has established a happy life for himself across the country with his wife Jules. After receiving messages from his aunt and cousin, he returns to Ashby House to make repairs to the estate and settle things with his family who see him as not a real McTavish. Jules is in awe of the family estate and is making plans to stay permanently but Camden begins to realize he should have never returned. Who was Ruby really? What happened all those years ago when Ruby was kidnapped? Are the rumors about her husbands' deaths true?

This book took over the past 24 hours of my life. It is so addictive and fast paced. The author did a fantastic job weaving the plot and leaving little hints on what was going to happen. Some hints so small I didn't catch them. I did figure out the big twist of the story but I kept thinking "if this is what happens, it is genius." When the reveal finally came, that was when I screamed! There is also another surprising twist at the very end that I was not expecting.

Thanks to my cousin for telling me about this book on NetGalley + thanks, NetGalley, for making this a free read!

3.75. I wouldn’t say that this one categorizes itself as thriller but rather as a family drama that includes a couple of twists. While I mostly enjoyed this one and appreciated Hawkins’ unique writing style this time around, I felt the pace was pretty slow and I got bored for the first half of the novel. The ending picked up and I enjoyed it, but I still didn’t love it because I felt like I hadn’t connected with any of the characters. I enjoyed this one overall and thought the concept was interesting but would’ve enjoyed more if it had a faster pace.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC!

I read this one in a day.
I was thrilled to be given this book, I did not have to request it.
I really like Rachel Hawkins and this book did not disappoint.
Captivating, the main twist was not predictable and I felt like it read a little bit like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, mostly because of the older lady finally telling her story.
My favorite character was Camden and being from NC, I loved the setting. It read a little like its own character.
Definitely recommend and over here anticipating Rachel Hawkins next thriller.
4 stars

I have read a few of Rachel Hawkins books and enjoyed most of them. This is a quick read and I enjoyed it overall. there is more family drama with some puzzles and plot twists thrown in. if you are looking for a book with lots of family dram this is for you. it felt as if they were speaking directly to the reader, and I enjoyed that aspect. This was a good read and thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC.

A modern Gothic, set in the world of a fabulously wealthy-- and completely depraved-- family living in the Blue Ridge Mountains? Sign me up. Rachel Hawkins knows how to write domestic thrillers that manage to be more atmospheric in their thrilling elements, more of a pervasive ominous feeling than on the nose terror, and this is her best effort since The Wife Upstairs.

wow...Loved this book!! In fact, I love a book that can keep me turning the pages, and not worry about anything else but the book. This storyline was fast-paced, and I couldn’t read fast enough.

R. Hawkins has been on a bit of a decline for me (LOVED The Wife Upstairs, Reckless Girls was okay, but The Villa was a boring confusing mess) ,so i wasn’t sure what to expect from The Heiress, but it ended up being a very pleasant surprise, and I definitely am back on the Hawkins train.

The story features a very well known widow who left her extreme wealth to an adopted son, including a massive mansion in the mountains of North Carolina. The will angers the immediate family but Camden, the adopted son is unmoved and stays away from the estate, beginning a life across the country. However, when another death occurs, Cam is forced to return with his wife. What they face is years and years of secrets and death as well as a very angry Aunt and cousins.

I am a big fan of Rachel Hawkins and I jumped at the chance to read her newest book. Each book seamlessly blends multiple character perspectives along with the stories from the past and the present to create a integrated novel with layers of secrets. I cannot put down her work and end of reading through the night and this new story was no exception. No spoilers from me but do yourself a favor and pick up this book as soon as you can.

Absolutely fantastic plot! Could not put the book down once I began reading it. Cannot wait for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

This twisty tale will hook readers from the start. Every time a reader assumes they have it figured out, they will discover more twists and turns.

Loved this read! There were lots of twists and turns that kept me guessing. I like how the chapters showed different points of view and included letters from the characters as well. The title is intriguing since the Heiress can be multiple people depending on how you look at it. The descriptions of the home and the relationships between the characters really brought it to life and I even found myself laughing out loud.

I am a huge Rachel Hawkins fan and The Heiress did not disappoint! Rich, brooding, secretive characters drive a slow burning gothic thriller.
Ruby McTavaish was as notorious as she was wealthy. Abducted as a three year old and returned to her family months later, tragedy seemed to follow her. She survived four husbands earning her the nickname, Mrs. Killmore. Wanting to keep the family fortune away from her hateful family, she adopts Cameron, a three year old from an impoverished situation. Now we find Cam, the heir to Ashby House and the McTavish fortune, and his lovely and spunky wife, Jules, returning to North Carolina to sort out the family fortune and correct the sins of the past. We meet his aunt Nelle, cousins Ben and Libby. They all are quite unlikeable and resent Cam, claiming he doesn’t rightful deserve to inherit as he isn’t a true McTavish. Nothing is at it seems! So many twists and an ending both discordant and satisfying.

I have read two of Hawkins books: The Wife Upstairs and Reckless Girls. Both of which were enjoyable for me. I was super excited to get a copy of this for that reason! And WOW this did not disappoint. The Heiress was so unique plot wise and delivered completely different from the other two books. I loved how we heard from three viewpoints via characters and written letters!

Camden & Jules have been happily married for 10 years. But as always, they have secrets! We find out that both are harboring things from their past. Camden is an adopted orphan of Ruby McTavish, who then becomes heir to their very wealthy McTavish family. But, to surprise he dismissed his inheritance completely. He couldn’t care less about the money, his ties, and even his remaining family. After receiving and email from his estranged cousin, Jules pushes for them to return to Camden’s family home, the Ashby House to make amends so that they can move on. At first it seems Jules may want to stay and make it their own, but soon the house starts spilling secrets.

One thing about this book was that Hawkins did a great job developing the characters. I felt like I really knew them. It was quite shocking when all these secrets kept pouring out. This was a fast paced page turner for me. If you are into a thriller with some unlikable characters, family backstabbing, and some southern gothic charm - this will be a great read for you!

A special thanks to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press, and the author for this Copy. I really enjoyed reading this one! Publication: 01/09/2024