This book was a little slow in the beginning but it sort of picked up around the halfway mark. The twists at the end weren’t super shocking and there were so many hints toward the twist that I had guessed one of them early on. Overall the book was okay.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Rachel Hawkins for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I've read all of Rachel Hawkins other books and this might be my favorite one so far! I really enjoyed all the twists and turns and the family drama was so on point! I couldn't put this one down and I can't wait til she puts out another one!

4 stars for me!

3.5 fun, twisty, secretive stars! This family drama was reminiscent of Knives Out and Evelyn Hugo mashed together. Some of the story, I really loved (like the relationship between Cam & the cousins) but the ending left me a bit underwhelmed. Rich people behaving badly in this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Darling, darling, darling. Rachel Hawkins writes the perfect mix of scare you a little, but not scare the sh*t out of you thrillers and I would give this one a solid four stars.

Ruby McTavish gained notoriety for being recovered in an infamous kidnapping allegedly conducted by a worker on her family's sprawling estate, Ashby House in the hills of North Carolina. Later dubbed, "Mrs. Killmore" after all four of her husbands died under unusual circumstances, Ruby was the richest woman in North Carolina at the time of her death and leaves everything, including, Ashby House, to her adopted son, Cam.

Our story is set against this dark and luxurious backdrop and only gets richer as you discover the secrets and lies that all the McTavish's are harboring. From Cam, a teacher in Colorado who wants nothing to do with his family, Ashby House, or Ruby's fortune, to Jules, Cam's wife, who pushes him to go to Ashby House and face his family, to Nell, Ruby's sister, who always felt one step behind Nell and Libby, Cam's cousin, who can't help but hide her distaste for Cam and Jules. Everyone has a hidden secret in this well thought out and twisty book.

Some of the twists were tied up really quickly or explained very briefly, which left me wanting more. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend the audio version.

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

I have enjoyed many of Rachel Hawkins’s previous novels but I’m pretty sure The Heiress is my favorite so far.

When three year old, Ruby McTavish went missing from a family picnic in 1943, the nation was gripped by her disappearance. Part of the interest was likely due to the fact that Ruby’s father was one of the wealthiest men in North Carolina. Thankfully, a year later, Ruby was found safe and sound living in Alabama with the Darnell family.

This wasn’t Ruby’s only brush with notoriety. She was given the nickname, “Mrs. Kill-more” as she had been married (and widowed) four times. Of course, the nickname was usually whispered behind her back. Ruby lived for many years on the family estate, Ashby House which was located high in the Blue Ridge Mountains. After she passed, her estate and her fortune was left to her adopted son, Camden McTavish. But Camden had no interest in the home or the fortune. Instead he moved to Colorado and eventually married Jules.

Married for a decade, Cam and Jules have led very private lives. They live in Colorado. He’s an English teacher and she works at a living history museum acting as a “pioneer woman” playing the part of a farmer’s wife.

When Jules comes home from work one evening she is surprised to see that Cam is already home. He usually tutors Wednesday evenings. Immediately she knows something is up. Cam seems distracted. Then he tells her something that will change their lives forever.

“It’s my family. They want me to come home.”

When Camden McTavish left Ashby House he swore he’d never look back. Now Cam and Jules are heading back to the Blue Ridge Mountains AND Ashby House.

Cam hasn’t told Jules much about his family. Just like his mother, Ruby, Cam also has secrets. But as it turns out, his wife may be keeping secrets too.

Will coming back to the Blue Ridge Mountains be a huge mistake for Cam and Jules?

I had both The Heiress audiobook and ebook and both were terrific!!

The majority of the story is told from Jules and Cam’s point of view. We learn more about Ruby as letters from her are interspersed throughout the book. There’s also newspaper and magazine articles which help tell the story.

I was completely engrossed in this domestic suspense novel. Rachel Hawkins has written another intelligent and clever story with interesting and complex characters. I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read more from this talented author.

I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

Separate from her work as Erin Sterling, The Heiress is now my favorite Hawkins' novel. I loved hearing about all of Ruby's ex-husbands and how they ultimately met their respective demises. I also enjoyed the current day storyline with her heir returning to the Ashby House with his wife but having to deal with his other family members and their drama. Even with the different POV's and timelines, I was able to easily follow it all while listening to the audiobook version. The narration by Dan Bittner, Eliza Foss, John Pirhalla, Patti Murin was great.

Special thanks to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press for the digital advanced readers/listeners copy!!

Wow! This book did not disappoint! So much family drama for days! I absolutely devour all of this authors books and hate that it took me so long to read it! Lesson learned for sure!!

Not my favorite novel by Rachel but an enjoyable gothic suspenseful read nonetheless. Will still carry and recommend.

3.25 for me. I enjoyed the writing in this and how the story kept making me want to know all the juicy details of these characters secrets. The whole time I was reading this, it felt like I was enjoying listening to a bunch of people gossiping. Did I think this was jaw dropping and surprising in the end? No, but I didn't mind the ride. I honestly wouldn't even categorize this as a true thriller, but more of a family drama.

I think what fell flat to me was the characters. There was a lack of development which made me not care too much about what happened to any of them. I've read about unlikable characters, but with the right drive I can still want to see the outcome and either get their dues or their tragedy. I felt none of that and it left me feeling a little wanting on that department.

All in all, I had an okay time and would recommend this to most people especially if their new to suspense.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this!

This was a wild ride through a rich family behaving badly. I think this could be great for fans of We Were Liars, if you want the drama and the thrills, it is the right book. Everyone was so...awful, in the most twisted, entertaining way.

You go to Rachel Hawkins for a good time. This book was no different. So much family drama and snakey little twists, I really enjoyed it.

Rachel Hawkins is a very safe author for me and this book was no exception. I am typically very neutral with this author and ultimately settled on a 3 star. What I did enjoy about this book is the gothic elements of it and I love a plot line with a very wealthy, extravagant characters with shady pasts. Of all the Rachel Hawkins books I have read, this is the one I enjoyed the most, but I can honestly say that it didn't blow me away. Although this plot line was very different from other Hawkins titles, I still found it to be predictable and almost formulaic. I will always read a new Rachel Hawkins when they come out, but I honestly don't expect to ever provide higher than a 3 star.

A lovely, gothic tale by the author of The Villa. Told from three expertly drawn POVs, including Camden, Ruby, and Jules. Love this southern family drama that keeps you guessing until the very end with its twists and turns and whiplash moments. Already looking forward to the next book by this author!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book. Wow! I was so impressed by Rachel Hawkins and her spinning a tale of gothic intrigue and moneyed mystery! The character was interesting and of course just a tad unlikable, which always makes for a clever study of human behavior. Will definitely read again!

I will say listening to the audio in the beginning with the different character's names and the switching of POV and timelines it got slightly confusing. I think reading it, in the beginning, would have been slightly easier to connect the dots to everyone.

However the story itself was really interesting almost like Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo but darker and with murder, or I guess I should say murders.😈 There is always something so interesting about hearing stories of old money families and the secrets they keep.

I loved hearing Ruby's stories of her husbands and their past. I was very interested to see what role Jules played. Whether she was an innocent person caught in this tumultuous family or if her secrets were connected to the infamous McTavish family. Camden's secretive and blasé attitude towards his family and their (his) wealth added intrigue to the story as well. I couldn’t quite figure out his or Jules’s roles to play. So many unreliable narrators left me as a reader questioning everyone and everything!

I loved the Gothic thriller feel this book had. Set in the Blue Ridge Mountains it gave this haunted rural vibe, unlike her last thrillers.

I definitely suggest this one if you’re looking for a bingeable mystery.

3.5 stars

This was a really quick read that kept me on the edge of my seat! I figured out most of the twists somehow so maybe that took the shine off a bit but it was still a very much enjoyed read.

This was a compulsive sly readable thriller with massive wealth, muster and intrigue.

Told partially in letters from deceased heiress Ruby McTavish its really engaging to keep reading what the heiress will confess next. The other POV’s included are Cam the adopted son of Ruby and heir to the McTavish fortune and his wife Jules: who are both also keeping secrets.

This novel takes you on a twisty path brimming with foreshadowing of what’s to come. I will say that at times it’s a bit predictable but that doesn’t take away from the fun of reading it.

4 stars
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for sharing this book with me in exchange for my honest feedback!

If you’re from North Carolina, you’re very familiar with the name Ruby McTavish. Not only is she one of the wealthiest women in the state, she was also the victim of a kidnapping as a child, AND has four ex-husbands that died under very unusual circumstances.

When Ruby suddenly dies, she leaves her estate and entire fortune to her adopted son Camden. He wants nothing to do with the inheritance and moves across the country to get away from his family’s notoriety.

A decade passes and Camden and his wife are summoned back to the family estate when his uncle passes away. They are met by Cam’s estranged family who live on the property and don’t exactly hide their feelings towards the son that inherited everything and then deserted his family.

There are so many questions left unanswered that this trip back home might just bring to light - who really was Ruby McTavish? What happened to all of her husbands? Was something nefarious going on as a child that might have resulted in her kidnapping? And lastly, why does Camden refuse to take the money and the property from his mother?

I really enjoyed the way that this book was written, with the different character POVs, old news articles about their family, and the tell-all letters from Ruby, it created an intriguing and fast paced mystery that I was dying to figure out! Unfortunately I did see about 90% of the plot twists before they happened so I wasn’t exactly thrilled but I still did enjoy reading it nevertheless.

Solid 4 Stars
A quick and fun thriller with lots of twists and really great characters!

Wow! and Wow again!
The MacTavishes are quite the family!
Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore (4 time widow) is the matriarch. She knows what she wants and knows how to get it too! Kidnapped at the young age of three, her life had been one mixed with intrigue and heartbreak.

Ruby McTavish is one of the richest women in North Carolina.
Upon her passing she left the family home Ashby House and her fortune to her adopted son, Camden, much to the ire of the rest of the family.

Camden and his wife Jules live a simple life in Colorado. Camden wants nothing to do with the family, the house, or the fortune. However, Camden returns to Ashby House to wrap up the will and attend to the maintenance of the house. Once Camden reenters the gates, he is sucked back into the menacing world of Ashby House.
In his return visit the history of both Ruby and Camden are revealed and we fully realize why Camden wants to stay far away from this family of vipers.

The novel takes us on a tumultuous journey of love, wealth, and family, but what sets it apart is the unique approach of presenting the protagonist Ruby's life through her letters.
Ruby slowly reveals her secrets in life and the lies she has told the world.

It makes the reader wonder, it is nature or nurture that propels a person?
Is everyone who they seem to be? No.
Does everyone have secrets? Oh yes, and plenty of them!

There’s nothing like a death to bring out the worst in a family!
And just when you think you have it all figured out, the plot takes a surprising twist at the end!

This was an addictive read and one that kept me so engrossed in the story that hours passed as if they were minutes.

Thanks Rachel Hawkins, @stmartinspress, and NetGalley for a gifted Arc of this enticing tale.
All opinions are my own.

Rachel Hawkins has a knack for the modern gothic thriller, her new novel The Heiress continuing in the tradition of her previous books The Villa and The Wife Upstairs. The Heiress follows Cam and Jules, heirs to the Ashby Estate after the death of Cam’s adoptive mother, Ruby. Notorious for the mysterious deaths of her four husbands, and her past as “Baby Ruby,” who went missing for a period as a toddler, Ruby’s remaining family and estate leave Cam and Jules in an eerie and precarious position as they come to claim what is rightfully theirs.

The story is told through the present tense from the perspectives of both Cam and Jules, as letters from Ruby to her adopted son preceding her death, and as newspaper and journal clippings. If you enjoy multiple timelines and perspectives, gothic settings, and family drama, you will enjoy The Heiress.