Ruby McTavish disappeared as a child and is returned home after almost a year. In her 40's, four times widowed she decides to adopt a young boy, Camden. That's pretty much all I want to say. There were twists and turns and secrets revealed right up to the very end. Ashby House in North Carolina while not as majestic as the Biltmore Estate it can still be described as impressive. The characters other than Camden are just so deliciously twisted with so, so many secrets. It was a quick read and it's all I could have wanted in a mystery/thriller.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital copy.

THE HEIRESS was the perfect snowy weekend read. Gossipy and scandalous with rich people doing horrible things — it all made for a fantastic page-turner while I was hunkered down in full on cozy mode.

Ruby McTavish, the richest woman in North Carolina — and the most infamous — has passed. A celebrity from infancy: when Ruby was a toddler, she was kidnapped, not returned to her parents until a year later. Newspapers across the country were full of headlines about Baby Ruby. As an adult, a string of four marriages (each ending in the husband’s death) earned her a notorious nickname. Now her own death leaves behind a nine-figure fortune — and the sole inheritor wants nothing to do with it.

What follows is a fast-paced, highly entertaining read that kept me glued to the page. Cam, Ruby’s adopted son, and his wife Jules alternate POVs here, with letters from Ruby sprinkled throughout. The letters serve as her confessional, promising the truth behind each marriage, each husband’s untimely death.

If you’re on the hunt for an excellent snow day read, look no further. THE HEIRESS was full of twists and turns, long-held secrets are finally revealed, and so much messy family drama!

Thank you to NetGalley for this early read. I love a good Rachel Hawkins novel and this one did not disappoint. I wasn't sure when I started if this was going to be a thriller or a romance or something in between. I loved the back and forth in time and different characters point of view. She did an amazing job of making sure you couldn't get lost in the story telling, while weaving in plenty of mystery and quite a few plot twists. Along the way I had my own hunches - some paid off, some didn't - but overall I was a great read that came full circle and made it all worth it in the end. Makes you wonder who might have a secret past they're hiding ... time to order that 23andme kit to find out who you really are.

Rachel has woven a great Southern Gothic novel with The Heiress. It's inhabited with interesting characters who all have their own secrets, which are slowly revealed with clever timing. Of course the most interesting is the heiress herself, whose story is mostly told through a series of letters to an undisclosed recipient. Gone missing and miraculously recovered as a child, there's always been some question as to her true identity. Married (and widowed) four times, mother of an adopted son, she reveals her truths slowly and on her own terms. The repercussions are devastating for some, satisfying for others, and keep coming all the way to the end. Told from three points of view and on multiple timelines, it's a fascinating and atmospheric read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I had both the ebook and the audiobook, and I mostly listened to this one. The narrators of the audiobook were all excellent and definitely added to the story.
Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for providing copies for an unbiased review.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

Published: January 9, 2024
St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 281
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Rachel Hawkins (www.rachel-hawkins.com) was a high school English teacher before becoming a full-time writer. She lives with her family in Alabama, and is currently at work on the third book in the Hex Hall series. To the best of her knowledge, Rachel is not a witch, though some of her former students may disagree....

Holy buckets. This book was deliciously twisted. I could not stop reading the last half of this book- it sucked me in and didn’t let go.

The twists! The secrets! Oh, my stars! The family drama! Oh, goodness. The tea is scalding, my darlings. The characters are beautifully written. The character's arcs are done so well, and each character will give you a reason to love and hate them.

I loved how this story was told. The alternating narrators and timelines were clever. This was such a fantastic read. If you want a story that will captivate you, look no further.

Rachel Hawkins' "The Heiress" is a gothic thriller with all the twists and turns you'd expect, but it left me wanting a little more in the end.

The story dives into the dark and complicated legacy of Ruby McTavish, a notorious heiress with a past shrouded in mystery. Ten years after her death, her estranged adopted son, Camden, is pulled back into the fold when his uncle dies at Ashby House, the gothic mansion that holds its own share of secrets. As Camden delves deeper into the family history, he uncovers a web of deception, jealousy, and even murder. Hawkins expertly captures the chilling atmosphere of the sprawling mansion and the unsettling presence of the past.

The mystery itself is well-paced and keeps you guessing, with revelations sprinkled throughout that make you question everything you think you know. However, some plot points felt a bit convenient, and the final resolution didn't quite satisfy my craving for a truly explosive conclusion. While I enjoyed the journey, the destination fell short of its thrilling potential.

Despite its shortcomings, "The Heiress" is still a captivating read for fans of gothic suspense. The eerie setting, complex characters, and unpredictable plot twists make for a page-turner you won't want to put down. Just be prepared for an ending that might leave you with a few lingering questions. 4 out of 5 stars for the chilling atmosphere and engaging mystery, with a slight deduction for the uneven resolution.

I found this book fascinating. It was told in the POV's of Camden, the adopted son of Ruby McTavish, Jules, Camden's wife and Ruby McTavish (in the form of letters). Ruby McTavish was wealthy. She had millions of dollars. Upon her death, Camden inherited the money along with the house called Ashby House. The true McTavish cousins are not happy but they are allowed to live in the house with their grandmother Nelle. Camden wants nothing to do with the money or the house. His cousin puts out a request to Cam to please come and help fix some of the things in the house and after much discussion with Jules, they decide to go the Ashby House. Jules is thrilled because she would really like to live there and enjoy some money. Did I mention that Ruby was also known as "Lady Kill-more"? She was married 4 times and all of her husbands died in mysterious ways. There are so many twists and turns in this book that by the time you get to the end your head is spinning. But it was such a fun read with all the family drama. I especially liked the letters that Ruby had written describing the deaths of her husbands. I would highly recommend this great read.
Thanks to #netgalley, #stmartinspress and @ladyhawkins for an ARC of the delightful read.

One of the most fast paced, additive thrillers I’ve read in awhile 😳 I turned the pages SO fast and couldn’t put it down!!

Initially, I didn’t quite understand the narrative and I got a bit confused at the ending. Then, in the middle of the night after mulling over the finale, that “Aha” moment happened. What started out to be a four star review has now evolved into something much better.

There are quite a number of characters. And in true Hawkins’ style, her characters are enigmatic and engaging. I did get a little lost on the relationships between the characters, but that confusion disipated as soon as I put some added thought into the family tree. Having done that, the novel became an immersive read.

The story unfolds through multiple points of view and dual timelines. Full of plot twists and mini cliffhangers between chapters, the narrative kept me on my toes and guessing till the end. The Heiress was a complex novel as it involved multiple characters, timelines, and plot lines. But after pondering the finale and encountering that “aha” moment, The Heiress became a rewarding mystery worthy of five solid stars.

I received a DRC from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

Review will be posted on 1/27/24

Ruby McTavish is famous throughout North Carolina for being an heiress and also surviving a kidnapping as a young child. Years later, she has blown through four husbands and managed her family's fortune. Her sole heir is Camden, her adopted son, who as an adult moved to California and is now a teacher. After Ruby's death, Camden has to return home to deal with Ruby's will and his inheritance. He is met with much resistance from the McTavish clan and a can of worms opens. Camden brings his wife, Jules, home to Ashby House, the expansive McTavish estate, and while there sorting things out, the two learn more about Ruby, her intentions for Camden, Ruby's former husbands, and long kept family secrets. The story is told from Cameron and Jules's point of view, but through Ruby's letters in which she unloads a lot of family secrets. The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins is a family drama filled with twists and turns that kept me flipping the pages.



Ruby McTavish is such a fun character in The Heiress. Simply put, she is a bit of a sociopath, but also extremely entertaining. I couldn't help but be drawn to her story as well as her snarky letters. The entire time I was curious as to who she was writing these letters to and as the story unfolded, it definitely took me by surprise. It starts with her kidnapping, which is questionable to begin with. A lot of plot holes surrounding this, but they are intentional, and as the years go by, readers move on from that to Ruby's adulthood and her many husbands. I felt for Ruby, especially all the things she had to deal with regarding her first husband, but slowly readers realize how questionable her intentions and behavior are as the years go on. Then comes Cameron, her adopted son, who I felt bad for immediately as I am sure it wasn't easy growing up in that house. However, the entire McTavish clan is a bit like the Roys in Succession--cunning and morally bankrupt half the time.



Then there's Jules, Cameron's wife, and readers know she is also questionable right from the start as she admits she is hiding secrets from Cameron. So, there are many balls in the air in The Heiress with a lot of big question marks floating throughout the story. A few twists and turns took me by surprise and I wasn't sure which characters could be trusted.


So, if you enjoy a family drama filled with a lot of twists and turns, check out The Heiress this winter. I like it more than Hawkins's other thrillers as this one sucked me in much more! Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and if you have plans to read this book.

uby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore has died, and a huge fortune is about to be left to her adopted son, Camden. Shockingly, Cam wants nothing to do with the estate left to him, not even the millions that Ruby left.

Years previously, Cam left the glory of a rich life behind. He became a teacher, married Jules and started anew. What Cam was not aware of is that Jules is hiding a dark past, a past that just might come to light when Cam returns home.

As this latest book by Rachel Hawkins unfolds, the story is told from three points of view. This style made this book truly mesmerizing. Motives and secrets abound. But what made this book really work for me was the series of letters written by Ruby before her death and these letters being read aloud as part of the narrative of the book. Quite brilliant, actually. With a bevy of characters, this book proved to be a very compelling read.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

The Heiress was a really fun family drama with a thriller-esque ending. I haven't read many of Rachel Hawkins's books but this was a winner for me. The people in this book were messy and psychotic. Not a single one of them was normal and I would not be their friends. My favorite chapters were Ruby's as she was especially unhinged.
Read for lots of people murdering each other!! Mostly for money!!

If you have read other books from Rachel Hawkins, this one won't disappoint! It's full of plot twists and has an exciting end, just like her other mystery/thriller books. I also really enjoyed the characters, some of whom I hated to love and others who I loved to hate. The setting was great, too. The feel of the Appalachian mountains as almost an additional character added to the ambiance. I can't wait to read more from Rachel Hawkins in the future!

This is my 2nd book by Hawkins, and I loved it even more than "The Wife Upstairs." I was in a bit of a reading slump before picking this up, but "The Heiress" had me hooked from the very first page. I couldn't put it down and finished the book in 2 days.

I really enjoyed the atmospheric setting of Ashby House and reading Ruby's letters (her sarcastic personality was so fun to read). There were also multiple twists that I didn't see coming!

Read this if you like:
✨ Family drama
✨ Multiple POVs
✨ Atmospheric setting
✨ Twists

I thought this was the author’s best yet! It was such a fast and engaging read. The twists and turns were such a fun tangled web! It was hard to put down!

I was totally thrown off by the twist in this book. I was not expecting the events to unfold the way they did, which makes this a winner in my book. This is my second favorite Hawkins book behind Reckless Girls.



I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

4.5 stars

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins is a psychological thriller about a man who reluctantly returns to his ancestral home.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher St. Martin’s Press  (and in particular Marissa Sangiacomo  for sending me a widget), and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Camden McTavish returns to Ashby House in the Blue Ridge mountains with his wife of ten years, Jules.  Even though he owns the estate, and the money that goes with it, Cam has never wanted it, or anything to do with his remaining relatives.  When his adoptive mother Ruby died, she left a rather complicated legacy.  He may own everything, but he wants nothing to do with it, or his "family".

Ruby was rather famous.  She was kidnapped when she was only three, and found a year later.  She was married and widowed four times, and had a rather strange reputation for one of North Carolina's richest women.

Ruby's younger sister Nelle, and Cam's cousins Libby and Ben still live in the mansion....and they are not a family that Cam wants to re-unite with.  They have never accepted Cam, and were mortified when he inherited everything.

Jules, however, can hardly contain her excitement at the thought of moving to this fabulous estate, and Cam wants to please his wife....if only for a few weeks while he finishes some repairs.  Jules, however, has other plans.

Even in death, Ruby is still pulling the strings.


My Opinions:
The story is about secrets, lies, and manipulation, but overall, it is about family.  Yes, a rather dysfunctional and strange family, but a family.  I wouldn't want any part of them.

Told from different perspectives, including that of Cam and Jules, it is also told through news articles and letters.  This was done quite well, and although the "truths" came slowly, it made the plot more interesting.  There were a number of twists, most of which I was expecting, but they were good!

I absolutely loved the characters, flaws and all.  Ruby, even from the grave (no this is not a ghost story), was the most intriguing woman!  The house itself became a character.

It was also a fairly fast read, although I'm not sure that it was the pace, but more the fact that I really wanted to know what happened before, and what the future held.

Bottom line...I loved it!

The Heiress is filled with suspense and family drama. Rachel Hawkins is an author to add to your auto buy list. I highly recommend her books.

Thanks to St,. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. This is another solid book by the author of The Wife Upstairs and Reckless Girls.. I was drawn into the story immediately and it kept me on edge throughout. I'll definitely read more by Rachel Hawkins in the future!

What a tangled web of lies, scandals, and rich b*tches! My first Rachel Hawkins book and boy was this good!!!

I absolutely devoured The Heiress. I thought it was the perfect mix of family drama, scandals, betrayals, mixed with a great gothic mansion setting, and a historical fiction vibe with a mystery plot. It sounds like a lot and it is, but it is cleverly plotted!

I loved the letters from Ruby and thought it was a fun touch. This has something for everyone in it! A love story (well, kinda, at least learning about her husbands....), historical fiction vibes with the chapters in the past, and then of course plenty of family drama.

There is twists and turns a plenty, with one very clever detail that is making me round this to 5 stars!