This is a twists-on-twists-on-twists multi-POV story about the ultra wealthy McTavish family. The McTavish clan lives in the beautifully rotting Ashby House, on a North Carolina mountainside above Tavistock, the town that sprung from the family's industry. The decrepit house is a metaphor for everything about the family: stunning on the outside, full of secrets, and rotten to the core.

At the center of it all is Ruby, the deceased, four-times-a-widow oldest McTavish daughter, and her adopted son, Cam. Upon Ruby's death, Cam has gotten as far away from Ashby House as he possibly could, meeting his wife Jules and settling down into an unassuming suburban life in Colorado. But now, his uncle's death means he has to return to Ashby House to finally things with the family.

When Cam and Jules return to Ashby House, old hurts are unearthed and Cam is reminded of why he's stayed away for so long. But there are still so many questions about his family, and about his mother, Ruby.

This story was so well-crafted. There are several different storylines that are woven together in a way that makes each one stand on its own, but if/when later they intersect, it makes perfect sense. And, each of the characters had a distinctive voice so this helped each of the POVs stand.

The characters are richly painted and totally believable, especially the obnoxious Libby. We all know someone like her - when you look too closely things just aren't right.

Two things in particular that I really liked were:
- using different modes to move the story along. the author inserted newspaper articles or magazine clippings from different events in Ruby's life to share an outsider's perspective. This also gave an opportunity to show an outside perspective of Ruby. And, having another voice in the story was another opportunity to have each characters voice stand up on its own. I think this was a clever device that was NOT overused, and part of why it worked so well was because the characters had such rich voices on their own. The publications used were also good clues about where geographically or socially Ruby was at the time.
- the pacing. WOW. the core action in the story takes place in less than a week, but the backstory is decades long. it is all covered so nimbly and I never felt bogged down while reading it.

Fantastic. Rachel Hawkins expertly wove a great tale, different timelines and different perspectives. It was a bit of a slow start but really picked up a quarter of the way through.

I always love a good Rachel Hawkins book, this is no exception.

This is a story about Ruby McTavish, a wealthy woman and soul beneficiary to her family's abundant wealth. Her bitter younger sister and her family are upset that not only did she get the key to the kingdom, but the beautiful mansion as well. When Ruby was three she went missing for almost an entire year. Her sister, clearly a replacement child until Ruby was found, hated her for most of her life and was convinced the family she was found with was actually her biological family, she was not actually a mctavish. So when Ruby adopts a small child and raises him to be the soul heir, her sister once again finds a reason to hate her..

But that is just backstory, the real story lies when her son returns to North Carolina and all the secrets start to come out. Ruby and the unfortunate deaths of four husbands, secrets between cousins, aunts, and even his wife.

There were a lot of twists and turns in this book, everyone in the family had one secret or another. A couple of them were a bit obvious, but a few really stunned me. If you enjoyed other Rachel Hawkins books, this is right up your alley. I was so excited to read it that it went to the top of my TBR pile immediately.

Thank you to netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was hesitant to read this book since I didn't really enjoy her last two novels, but I am so happy that I did because I absolutely loved it! This story was literally bursting with dirty secrets, devious plot schemes, and several unexpected twists that blew me away. It's a short read with mostly short chapters and very fast-paced. I finished in like six hours, I just couldn't put it down! My favorite parts of the book were the letters from Ruby, who gave off major Evelyn Hugo vibes. Her no-nonsense words laced with humorous sarcasm were fun to read. The ending was bittersweet and I was pleased with the outcome. There are quite a few interesting characters here that you will love to hate and you simply can't trust any of them. In my opinion, this is Hawkins' best book to date. I highly recommend it!

Thank you to the author, St. Martins Press and NetGalley for allowing me digital access in exchange for my honest review!

I started this book yesterday and plowed through it. Rachel Hawkins books are must-reads for me, so when I saw the chance to get an ARC of her upcoming book (thank you, @netgalley 🙌🏼), I went for it.

The Heiress follows the perspectives of Camden and Jules, as they head back to Ashby House, Cam’s inheritance. His extended family harbors much resentment about him being sole heir, and many secrets are being kept.

I really enjoyed the alternating chapters with Cam and Jules, as well as the past news stories and letters from Ruby that slowly parsed out little nuggets of info. This is a fast-paced slow burn if that even makes sense: I read it quickly, but the details roll out slowly. Add it to your TBR!

This was an interesting and engaging read about a couple's trip back to the husband's estranged home to settle some issues with his rich and awful family. It has a few different layers and stories to tell: his own, his adopted mother Ruby's, his wife Jules's. It's a thriller with a pleasing dash of Southern Gothic.

There were small hints about the twist throughout the novel, and when it was revealed, it was satisfying. This is the third book that I have read by Rachel Hawkins, and at this point, I think I am a big fan of her writing style and intriguing plots! Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC,

Hawkins killed it! I want to say so much yet fear I’ll give stuff away. I’ll say everything unfolds masterfully all the way to the closing of the book. You’re like well, dang! It’s witty and so so bad at the same time. I love a Hawkins book and she did not disappoint with this latest one!

Ruby McTavish was just a little girl when she was kidnapped and later found. Her story was well known due to her wealthy and powerful family. After being widowed four times and never having children of her own, she adopts a little boy and names him Camden. Ruby ruled over the town of Tavistock in North Carolina, and her family estate, Ashby House. When Ruby dies, she leaves the estate as well as a nine-figure fortune to Cam. But Cam doesn't want anything from the family at all. So he ends up settling down in Colorado and marries a woman named Jules. Ten years later, when his uncle dies, his cousin Ben asks him to come back to Ashby House. Jules is all too excited to go. But when they arrive, Cam remembers why he left in the first place. Soon after, secrets are revealed and shocking discoveries are made.

THE HEIRESS was an enticing story. I really enjoyed the newspaper articles written about Ruby and her letters that she had written to someone throughout the story about her life. I thought I knew who the receiver of the letters was, but I was later proven wrong. The family members were of course all horrible people and none of the could be trusted. The secrets revealed were quite shocking and I loved every minute of it. I would recommend grabbing a copy of THE HEIRESS, as it was very entertaining and different than Rachel Hawkins' other books.

4.5 stars rounding up to 5 stars!

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for my gifted ARC.

This review will be shared to my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews) close to or on publication date.

4.75 ⭐

In the mountains of North Carolina, the wealthy McTavish family has ruled over the town of Tavistock for generations. Four-time widow Ruby McTavish has been heading the family for the last fifty years, but when she dies, she leaves the family's vast fortune including their mountain top estate Ashby House, to her adopted son. Camden has never wanted the McTavish money and the McTavish's have never wanted Camden - at every opportunity his adopted aunt, uncle and cousins have let him know that he's nothing but "Hillbilly trash" ever since the day Ruby brought him home from orphanage. But after his uncle Howell dies, Camden and his wife Jules are reluctantly dragged back to Ashby House and the ghosts still lurking within.

Holy cow - this book! I could not put this story down; the twists and turns Rachel Hawkins takes you on had me turning the pages as fast as I could. I was sucked into The Heiress from the first page and I loved that it's told in both Camden and Jules's perspectives with letters from Ruby and newspaper articles sprinkled throughout, which really helped build the suspense. This is one of those thrillers where all of the characters are a little morally grey and while you can't really trust what you're being told, you're still rooting for them to succeed. I know Ruby was a manipulative, sneaky old woman, but I actually really liked her character. She gave me Evelyn Hugo vibes, but if Evelyn lived in a creepy mansion on the top of a mountain and had more secrets than a wig could hide.

Definitely pick this one up if you're in the mood for a propulsive read that will keep you guessing to the end!

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

For all that I wouldn't really (or perhaps only barely) consider this a thriller, it managed to be pitch-perfect for whatever it actually is. The ending is a smidge too tidy for me, but that is legitimately my only complaint.

THE HEIRESS by Rachel Hawkins had me hooked from the first page and kept me squirming on the end of the line throughout. What a whopper of a story!
In 1943 Ruby Anne McTavish disappears and is miraculously returned eight months later. Four years later she is blessed (cursed?) with a baby sister, Nell. Ruby Anne grows into a four time widow whose husbands all die suspiciously but her wealth grows with each death. Her adopted son, Camden, a teacher, however, disavows the family, its money and all of its toxicity and is living a peaceful life with his wife Jules in Colorado. When Camden is summoned home after the death of an uncle regarding his inheritance, he grudgingly goes in the hopes of completing his exit from the family. His cousins, Ben and Libby and their mother, Nell have different ideas however.
When Jules sees the house, she begins to fantasize about being the lady of the manor. Everyone has secrets. Although we never actually meet Ruby Anne, we read her letters about her life as an adult and her secrets are explosive. And the ending just blew me away! I did NOT see that coming!
This is my first Rachel Hawkins novel but it will definitely not be my last. I like her writing style and the way she makes all of the pieces so smoothly slide into place to create the big picture. I loved how she gave me whiplash as each different secret was revealed. I had to keep jumping up and walking around to expend some of the building adrenaline. The perfect kind of book!

Jules and Cameron are happily married and living in California. They have established themselves as a married couple, and working and living in the daily grind of life. Cameron finds out that his estranged family needs him immediately in North Carolina for a family emergency. Much to his dismay, they pack up for a few weeks and travel across the country to see what his family needs.

Jules is secretly excited to finally meet her husbands wealthy family. Cameron warns his wife of the family dangers and hints towards dark family secrets. Upon arrival at Ashby, the large family estate, secrets of the McTavish Family begin to unravel. Not only does Cameron hold seccrets to his past, but the reader soons learns the connection of Jules to the McTavish family.

This is a story of family secrets, betrayal, and death. Hawkins has woven a story so intricately that the reader will be surprised of all the twists and turns. This novel is full of plot twists and turns that the reader will not be able to put it down.

A light thriller - it took awhile for The Heiress to really get going. In the last 40% of the book is where the current drama starts to unfold. I personally love a thriller set in an old house, so I was slightly disappointed that the house wasn't more of it's own character, since it's built up to be so mythical.

Overall a quick and easy read, but I was hoping for a little more depth to the story and characters.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a multigenerational story about the lies, secrets, and scandal surrounding the McTavish family of North Carolina. The story is told from multiple perspectives and with letters and newspaper articles detailing the significant events in the family. The plot begins with the kidnapping of the daughter of a prominent lumber magnate in town and the story unfolds from there bringing many more characters to life and their ultimate deaths as greed and betrayal drive everyone in the family to do unspeakable things. The central character in the story is Ruby McTavish who sends a series of letters to a mysterious person telling the story of her life and the redemption she sought after committing heinous crimes. She wants the next generation of her family to be better and she adopts a son who will inherit the entirety of the family’s wealth after she passes away. The story is about how he and his wife return to North Carolina to finally return to a life he walked away from many years before after the death of his mother. Every character in the book has a secret and every secret someone connects. By the end of the novel every missing thread of the story is connected.

This was a great suspense novel. I turned each page anxious to see how the plot would unfold. I both loved and hated Ruby McTavish, but she was the perfect example of what money and greed can turn a person into over a lifetime. The story was well written and easy to follow. Even though the plot alternated between past and present, it was easy to keep up and understand what was going on during each time frame. This is probably one of my favorite novels by this author. It reminded me a lot of “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid, but it stood out in its own right and will be one that everyone is talking about. Solid 5 star read.

EVERYONE HAS A SECRET TO HIDE! This has been one of my favorite authors since reading "The Girl on the Train" and actually helped cement my love for the thriller genre. In this book, there are a lot of characters, but our main characters are Camden, Jules and Ruby. This book is told in different POVs and Ruby's POV is told in the past timeline. It was so well executed that it wasn't difficult to follow, which sometimes is the case with multiple timelines and multiple POVs.

Camden is trying to get as far away from Ruby's family and legacy, while Jules (his wife) encourages him to go make peace with his past. The supportive wife, or is she? Jules has her own motives for wanting Camden to return to his past. Everyone is hiding something in this family, and there are truly so many good twists and turns. Ruby's POV is told through a series of letters and they were quite honestly the best and most suspenseful part of this book. Very well done!! Can't wait to see what this author releases next!


Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC!

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC!

Rachel Hawkins just gets better and better! I had the opportunity to read The Villa as an eARC through NetGalley as well and loved it and thought at that point that she could do no wrong. Hawkins has outdone herself with The Heiress. Incredibly atmospheric, set in the misty and sometimes ominous Blue Ridge Mountains, the woven twisty tale pulls the reader in right away. I loved reading Ruby's letters and thought the twist employed through the later letters was pure perfection. But that wasn't the only twist that Hawkins incorporated expertly. The viewpoints of Camden and Jules kept me guessing all the way until the end. I almost completely finished this book in one day due to the rollercoaster the plot had me on. Highly recommend to those who have read Rachel Hawkins before and to those who are new readers to her. So so good!

I’ve read many of Rachel Hawkins books. I’ve come to expect a top notch thriller from her. I figured out the twist in this one fairly quickly. I think the characters are well developed but the story moves really slow. It doesn’t really get exciting till just past the halfway point. Most of the good stuff is contained in the old letters and that really takes from the suspense that I’ve come to expect from Rachel’s books. I still enjoyed the book and would recommend it.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. It was an easy vacation read for me. I did get slightly confused by all of the family connections and what actually happened with the kidnapping, so I was glad for the recap at the end and the “investigation” Dora had done to potentially find Grace and Ruby.

This was a darker book than I expected. I was definitely rooting for the main protagonists, and very curious about the other characters.

At one point I thought there was a plot hole, but it was quickly addressed right at about the time I was going to take a note about it.

I did feel it wasn't necessarily believable that Ruby would have pulled off all she did, even given the power and money involved.

I was lucky to receive an ARC from Netgalley! I couldn't believe my luck bc I am a huge Rachel Hawkins fan and this was her best! Easy 5 stars from me! I loved the Wife Upstairs but this is my new favorite from her!

Thank you for the early ebook! I have a feeling this will be her biggest accomplishment to date!