Set against the backdrop of opulent wealth and high society, this book skillfully weaves together elements of suspense and intrigue, keeping readers guessing until the very end. And I loved that!

Cora’s determination was inspiring and motivating all at the same time! With every page, Hawkins expertly revealed the layers of Cora's character, portraying her as both strong-willed and vulnerable.

Hawkins showcases her talent for vivid descriptions, allowing readers to immerse themselves in the glamorous world of the early 20th century. From the lavish parties to the ornate ballrooms, the settings come to life, making the story all the more enchanting. The Heiress deftly explores themes of love, ambition, and societal expectations, delving into the complexities of relationships and the sacrifices one must make in pursuit of happiness.

While the novel was thoroughly enjoyable, at times, the pacing feels a bit uneven, with some sections dragging while others race by. However, these minor flaws do not detract significantly from the overall enjoyment of the story!

I do love a story with twists and turns that I can’t predict! I especially enjoyed the setting and getting to know Ruby through her letters. The other characters each added something to the plot and I quickly found myself fully immersed in the story. This was my first Rachel Hawkins book and I’m a fan!

I started this book with some hesitation, not having read a real mystery in quite some time. Within a few minutes I was all in - finding myself mad I couldn't read faster to see what would happen around the next corner. The setting is cozy until it's not. Colorado to the mountains of North Carolina, you can feel the story change as the characters settle in to the old money estate. Characters you like until you don't and characters you hate, until suddenly you don't.
While some surprises were predictable, most were a shock. And they just kept coming. While this was a quick read (tbh not sure if that was the actual length, or the speed at which I barreled through needing answers), it was a fun one.

In true RH fashion, she wrote another great one! Hooked me in instantly!!!!
I’ll 10/10 recommend this one!
Thank you, NetGalley!

A tantalizing blend of gothic themes with modern day slow burn vibes, The Heiress is a twisty suspense story that was a win for me.
Thank you St Martin's for this early copy of The Heiress... This is my favorite book from Rachel Hawkins so far, I loved the twisting gothic vibes, the use of a house as part of the setting/story, it was a character itself, and I loved how the twists dropped into place. Ruby's voice in particular was strong, sassy, and well written with her backstory/letters. This was a perfect read from a beach deck this past week and yet I can see this being a perfect beat the winter blues (or perfect winter vacation) read.

this was a page turner thriller i love rachels older books but this one was just as good I couldnt stop flipping the page to see what was going on, there was twists and turns. great read!

Thank you for the opportunity to read & review before the publish date.
I read Reckless Girls and didn’t like it that much so I was a little reluctant about this one. However, there were plenty twists, turns, and reveals up until the very end. This was a fun read.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC!
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❤️I’m pretty speechless…Hawkins created such a brilliant mystery that every page held a new piece of information as well as a new twist! I find it hard for me to really enjoy a mystery, but Hawkins always draws me in as you think you know what’s going to happen next but she throws you for a loop each time.❤️
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💎The Heiress follows a young couple, Camden and Jules, as they journey through Ashby house. It’s written mainly through letters from Ruby, Camdens mother through adoption. These letters hold all of Ruby's dark secrets and the truth behind her lies…leading Camden and Jules down a spiraling path of there own as they wad through the inheritance of the Ashby House and their own sin’s they have kept locked from eachother.💎
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🩸This was truly a marvelous read that will have readers questioning everything as they get to the last few chapters!🩸

I really enjoyed the latest outing from Rachel Hawkins, The Heiress. It's an intriguing mystery and family drama where an heiress dies, leaving her fortune and Ashby House estate to her adopted son Cam, who wants nothing to do with it. Years later when Cam's uncle dies, Cam and his wife Jules are drawn back in to dealing with his estranged family and Ashby House and uncovering long buried secrets from the past.

There is a mixed media element (newspaper articles, emails), letters from the heiress while she was still alive and then perspective chapters from Cam and Jules which help keep the pace of the story going. The reveals come often enough that they hold the readers interest and keep the pages turning as well. I enjoy Hawkins writing overall and this one was no different. She does a wonderful job of capturing the atmosphere of Ashby House and who doesn't love an old house full of secrets?

If you are a fan of mysteries, family drama and continuous reveals, definitely pick this one up in Jan 2024.

*Thank you to Net Galley for the advance reader copy.*

What a great book. I could not put it down. It reminded me of a mix of Evelyn Hugo and the disinvited guest. I loved the twists and how everything came together in the end. I enjoyed each character, the good traits and the bad. Each letter from Ruby had me wanting more! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Jules and her husband Camden go to his family’s home where he is the heir but he’s adopted so his family has always treated him like an outcast. There are secrets buried within the whole family. We get to hear letters from Ruby (Camden’s adopted mom) and read all about her husbands who have died tragically. Was it Ruby or a bad case of luck? We also get to see how the family acts, money and name is most important to them but what about what’s important to Camden?

Wow! This is the first book I have read from Rachel Hawkins but I do have her others on my list to read and now I definitely cannot wait to read them. I know some people have shared that her others are better and that they like them more so maybe it’s good that I started with this one first but I loved it!

I was not expecting.. any of what happened. Maybe it’s because it is my first book from Rachel but honestly, I really enjoyed reading it. It surprised me, there were letters written explaining things from the past that were important and while I thought they were written to one person, I was shocked to find out I was wrong. I liked the writing style and it felt tied up pretty nicely. I can’t wait until it’s out so I can add it to my bookshelf.

I really enjoyed this story! Complex dynamics in a wealthy North Carolina after the three year old daughter is lost one day during a picnic in the woods. She eventually makes her way back to her family, but rejoining her family is not going to come without problems or deadly costs. This book kept me turning the pages trying to figure out who was doublecrossing who and was there anyone who didn't have a secret to hide!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book!

Rachel Hawkins is an instant read for me, so I was very excited to be able to read The Heiress early. Like their other books, I was immediately pulled in by the mystery surrounding Ruby, her disappearance as a child, and the drama surrounding her family. The book has multiple POVs including Camden (the adopted son of Ruby), his wife Jules, and Ruby through letters from the past. I enjoyed how the characters seem to be telling the reader the story of what happened; it made me feel like I was part of the story and helped to pull me in quickly. The Heiress is heavy on family drama and dealing with the legacy of being a "founding family". I didn't know who to trust while reading, and that added to the fun and mystery we are trying to solve. Lots of suspicious characters and motives that obscure the truth. Has a similar feel Knives Out, and Hawkins' earlier release book The Wife Upstairs.

Such a fun read for thriller lovers! Maybe my new favorite Rachel Hawkins book. Loved the family drama and the twists and turns. Highly recommend!

Ruth McTaverish had a complicated past with four dead husbands and many secrets. She left everything in her estate in North Carolina to her adopted son, Cameron. Cameron wants nothing to do with the inheritance and the Ashby house. He is happily married to his wife, Jules, and lives in Colorado. Cameron and his wife got summoned back to Ashby House after his uncle died. The Ashby House is filled with secrets about his crazy family and his past that may have haunted him for years.

This story is told through two perspectives, Cameron and Jules, along with Ruth’s journal entries. Both perspectives were intriguing, and I was curious about why Cameron was adamant about leaving his past in the past and why Jules was so eager about having a permanent future at the Ashby House. The Jules chapters kept me flipping the pages faster. I was also immediately immersed in Ruth’s journal entries, which explained the deaths of her four husbands to an unknown person. Having Ruth herself reveal all of her darkest secrets was fun. Each chapter grew my curiosity, and the twists never hit me so hard. The story was more of a slow burn, but it was still easy to binge. Her Heiress is a gripping, twisty thriller about a crazy family, their messy drama, and how the darkness we all have buried is closer than what we believe.

Thank you to NetGallery and to St. Martin Press for giving me a copy of this book.

This book was EXCEPTIONAL.

Think Evelyn Hugo meets Daisy Darker in this twisted tale of how far a family will go to claim what they believe is theirs; and what happens if you stand in their way.

The ending DID feel a bit rushed but it didn't take away any stars for me. This is probably Hawkins' best book to date and it's definitely one you won't want to miss.

Rachel Hawkins is the best at slow burn thrillers that focus on characters rather than constant action. This one had some great characters but was filled with. a lot of suspense elements that were told to us by a character or letter rather than shown to us as it happened. Ruby McTavish was the wealthiest woman in North Carolina and before her death she was famous for being a widow four times over and for a situation when she was kidnapped as a child. We meet Ruby after her death, when she talks. about her life and the deaths of her husbands by gunshot, electric shock, poisoning and drowning. Ruby has an adopted son named Camden who turned his back on the McTavish family and their mansion after Ruby's death.

Camden and his wife Jules live a simple life, he is a teacher and she plays a pioneer woman for tourists. When Camden receives a letter from one of his cousins saying the family mansion is in disrepair, Camden and Jules decide to pay it a visit; after all he is the sole heir to the family fortune. Once they arrive they are given the cold shoulder by Aunt Nelle and cousins Ben and Libby. There are twists and turns that happen after Camden and Jules arrive at the mansion, but much of the action is described as happening by one of the narrators rather than playing out to the reader. Camden and Jules are narrators of their respective chapters, alternating with Ruby's letters. I liked the storyline and the characters but would have loved the book if we had a little more action. The best parts were Ruby's letters, she was witty if evil! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Good psycho suspense set in NC current day. . Each chapter was written by either Cam, his mother Ruby, or his wife Jules. Plot was based about inheriting the family mansion and all the evil that had occurred within the family. This is not a long novel so moves quick enough.

When the infamous heiress Ruby McTavish dies, her son Camden walks away from his inheritance and anything to do with the McTavish name. He makes a life for himself in Colorado as an English teacher with his wife Jules. Ten years go by and on the death of his uncle, Camden is asked to return to Ashby House. He is hesitant to go back, but his wife convinces him saying they can leave anytime. However, once back in North Carolina, Camden finds himself right back in the middle of all of the family secrets and drama. As a child, his mother Ruby was kidnapped and later return to her family. But rumors then and now hint at the fact that maybe it wasn’t Ruby who came back, There are also questions on the tragic deaths of Ruby’s four husbands. Family members come forward with accusations in hopes of claiming the inheritance left to Camden. But is there any truth behind these allegations? And what lengths will the other McTavishs go to? This was such a great novel. Lots of twists and a huge reveal in the end!!!!

This is my third read by Rachel Hawkins and by far my favorite, I really enjoy her writing style. I Love atmospheric writing, and in my opinion , Hawkins always delivers a story that takes hold of the reader and dosen’t let go until the very last page. This book is part Thriller, part family drama . Thriller readers will enjoy its dark , mysterious tone centered around an Old estate , a disappearance, and a family that hides secrets. Told in multiple points of view, this one will have you guessing and needing to know what happens next.