The Heiress is a dark domestic thriller. I enjoyed the fast pacing of this book, and how the backstory is interwoven through the present day story in the form of letters and news articles.

This book is perfect for those who like dysfunctional families, unlikable characters, and nature vs nurture. I am giving this book 4 out of 5 stars because while it kept my interest, most of the twists were fairly predictable. For fans of other Rachel Hawkins book, there is a Villa reference!

Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin’s Press for the electronic arc. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I felt a little bit let down by this book. I have read another book by this author that I loved so I was expecting to feel similar about this one. I ended up liking this, but not loving it. Some of the elements of the book didn’t work well for me. I felt like this book was very slow up until the last quarter of the book. I also felt the events were very predictable, which took away from it for me. I also would definitely not call this a thriller, it felt more like a mystery to me.

This story set in the enthralling world of the McTavish family, set against the imposing backdrop of Ashby House in the Blue Ridge Mountains, captivated me from the start. This gothic mystery, unwinding after the death of the infamous Ruby McTavish, explores themes of family secrets, inheritance, and betrayal. The dual narratives of Camden, Ruby's adopted son, and his wife Jules, along with the insightful letters from Ruby, intricately weave the past with the present. The book's dark atmosphere and unexpected plot twists kept me on edge. Hawkins masterfully crafts a tale where wealth and legacy bring more than just riches, delving deep into the complicated ties that bind a family. It's a compelling, suspense-filled read, brilliantly blending mystery and gothic elements.

The Heiress completely surprised me. The novel is about Camden, an orphan and heir to a fortune, and his wife Jules, who is supportive but has her own secrets.

Camden’s adoptive mother Ruby was a very wealthy woman, and left her fortune to him. Ruby was notorious for having four dead husbands — victims to murders or accidents.

Camden has no interest in the family money, but is called back to his family’s mansion under mysterious circumstances.

I don’t want to say more, because this didn’t unfold how I expected.

The Heiress is short and quick, with chapters alternating between two narrators and a series of letters, newspaper clippings and interviews. I love this type of structure — it keeps things varied and interesting.

I recommend The Heiress for an addictive one-sitting read on a stormy night.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for my review copy of this book.

Family secrets, lies, and fortune create an entangled web of drama that felt underdeveloped and partially predictable. I rarely read a book where I consider all of the characters unlikeable, but these characters were so underwhelming that it was hard to care what the outcome of the story was. There were some clever twists at the end but overall, The Heiress, fell flat for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an Advanced Readers Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What an absolute delight this gothic slow burn thriller was. There were twists, there were turns, and it had me guessing until the last page of the epilogue. I am hesitant to give out too much information because it is best digested with no spoilers. I found it to be a look into family relationships, the power that money can have and to what extent some may go to keep both the money and the power. This was a perfect example of a book in which we learn about the characters motivations through their actions, not just be being info dumped by the narrators. I found the format to be fun, which the sprinkling of letters and new articles throughout the book giving us some much needed history, and broke up some intense moments. Overall, I very much enjoyed this book by Rachel Hawkins, and I look forward to reading future books from her!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

Rachel Hawkins is an auto-buy author. You don't have to read the description of the book because you know, without a doubt, it's going to be a great thriller. Because of that, I picked this one up not knowing a thing about it and dove right in.

As expected, hours later I emerged from the book. There are so many details that are well thought out, characters so well written, and the plot that moves along at just the right speed. I didn't care much for the setting as much as I did the relationships between the characters, but that's not unusual for me.

Anyone who enjoys thrillers will enjoy this book - but make sure you clear your schedule because you won't want to put it down!

It was an entertaining and fast read. I liked the build up but I felt like the reveal could have been different. Overall a fun book to read.

This was a solid 4 for me. This book kept me on the edge of my seating wondering what was going to happen next? Who was Ruby writing her letters to? Why did Camden run away from this life? Well no worries everyone- we get our answers and they are JUICY!

Camden and Jules have been married for 10 years. They live a quiet life where she reenacts making butter at a museum type place, and Camden is a teacher. All is well with them. They aren't thriving monetarily but they are doing well for themselves. Everything changes when Cam's cousin reaches out to see if he can come to their estate as there are repairs that need to be done. Cam has avoided going back to the Ashby House since he was 20ish and for good reason. He doesn't talk about this part of his life with Jules and secretly she wants to know more. She wants to see what he has walked away from. She wants to understand how someone can have access to millions and chose to ignore it.

Let me tell you does she get some insight. We are introduced to Cam's extended family who all still live at the estate. We have his aunt who is awful. His cousin who is worse and then his other cousin who is also bad. They all treat him like he is not family which technically he isn't since Ruby adopted him. At the heart of it is that this house changes people. Having this much wealth and influence changes people. It is up to you as a person if you are able to rise above it or stay with it. Most of his cousins have stayed with it but Cam chose to leave. Jules thinks she wants to stay but as more and more things become clear she realizes that money and this estate may not be the best decision for her and Cam.

The dynamics in this book were great! Ben and Libby and really Nelle made my skin crawl with how awful they were. I have to be honest that I also had a hard time liking Ruby (which I think was the point). I did really enjoy her flashbacks and learning more about her back story and have a little more understanding of why she did what she did. I wouldn't say this was a thriller but more of a family tragedy involving money.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I hope you enjoy it!

Overall a really good book. Fast paced with lots of twists and turns.
At one point I picked it up and then realized I'd been reading for an hour without even noticing.

The only thing that threw me off was randomly the characters would start talking to the reader.
It made sense during Ruby's letter, and the last letter in the book.
But it didn't happen often enough to clearly be written to someone or an interview or anything like that, but it did happen about every three or four chapters, confusing me.

Would be an excellent beach read.

his book is absolutely captivating - once you start, you won't want to stop. It revolves around a wealthy North Carolina family and is narrated from three different perspectives: Ruby (through letters), her son Cam, and his wife Jules. The story skillfully intertwines past and present, delving into the intricate dynamics of power, wealth, and familial greed across generations.

Hawkins excels at creating empathy for morally complex characters, and I found myself rooting for them even as new revelations came to light. The narrative is intricately woven, with all loose ends neatly tied up by the end. While the conclusion delivers satisfying surprises, the only disappointment is that the book wasn't longer.

Overall, this is another resounding success for Hawkins, and I highly recommend it to fans of her previous works and those who enjoy psychological thrillers. Many thanks to Netgalley for providing a review copy.

3.5: One year ago, I read The Villa and absolutely loved it! When I started The Heiress, I had a feeling it would be outstanding too, but I was wrong. While I enjoyed the book and the writing, it was an average read. Unfortunately, I didn't feel invested in the story.

I thought there were too many twists, but at the same time, all of them were predictable. I feel like the plot could have been way more unique and surprising.

If you like to read about unlikable characters, you should give it a try!

WOWZA!! Life of the uber rich is NOT what it’s cracked up to be.. with greed, revenge, lies + murder.. the McTavish family ARE ruthless psychopaths. To say I was highly entertained is an understatement. Rachel Hawkins has written an addictive story that had me hooked from the get go. I absolutely LOVED it!! The North Carolina setting was perfect.. so atmospheric.. with the remote McTavish “Ashby House” sitting amongst thick wooded forests and the rough terrain of the Blue Ridge Mountains giving this novel ALL the gothic feels. A fantastic mystery-thriller with a wild, surprising twist. A must read for thriller fans. 5 stars — Pub. 1/9/24

Much thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the gifted arc in exchange for an honest review.

I love that I can always count on Rachel Hawkins to take me on a wild and twisty ride with her thrillers and her latest, The Heiress, did exactly that! The Heiress is packed full of suspenseful and intriguing twists and turns, secrets and lies, as well as multiple POVs from unreliable narrators. Add to that a setting in the Blue Ridge Mountains with a distinctly southern Gothic vibe, and this became a book I could not put down!

Ruby was such a fascinating character and really stole the show for me. The confessional letters that were left behind after her death were truly jaw dropping at times and it was easy to see how she became so infamous in their small town. The rest of her family was quite a piece of work too. I could definitely understand why Ruby’s adopted son, Camden, wanted nothing to do with them or what he viewed as a tainted inheritance, and why he really did not want to come back even when he knew he had to.

I don’t want to say anything else for fear of spoilers but between Ruby’s letters and everything that happened once Camden finally returned to Ashby House and confronted the rest of Ruby’s family, I was absolutely riveted to this book waiting to see how all of the pieces of the puzzle that was Ruby’s life and inheritance came together.

If you’re looking for a twisty thriller that will keep you turning the pages late into the night, this is the one. The Heiress is my favorite book from Rachel Hawkins so far and it’s available now!

I love this author and I knew I would enjoy this book based off the description. This was a quick read for me. I am drawn to books about rich family drama filled with secrets. The book had lots of twists and turns. The characters were very unlikeable and they will do anything for the inheritance. Were all the deaths accidents? Is there a terrible curse or darkness following the family? Did fate bring the family together?

Jules and Camden meet in college and get married. Fast forward 10 years later and Camden's mother passes away, they go to tie up loose ends of the estate. The best part of the story was the flashbacks to Ruby and her undesirable marriages. She was a widow several times over. Everyone was after Ruby's wealth and prestige. A darkness follows this family and different families are intertwined. I do wish the ending could of continued, as to what would happen with married couple Jules and Camden. The family history is very complex and it intertwines with another family. The ending will leave you guessing.

A mystery-thriller with a few murders wrapped inside secrets, lies, and untruths.
Two time lines are well done. The first is told through letters describing the past, the second is the events unfolding in the present. The first mystery, who is the recipient of these letters?
The writing is hypnotic so you'll want to set aside an afternoon to read this one.
If you like tales that include 'black widows', dysfunctional families, and a nest of secrets, "The Heiress" is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Ruby, you naughty girl!! This book was twisty, juicy, delicious, and filled with drama drama drama. I loved the storyline, the characters, the twists, the outcome. Truly a wonderful read.

Aaaaammmmmaaazzzing. What a well connived, treacherously twisted, supremely demented multiple mystery. There were so many ways this could have gone and each time I saw a breadcrumb I travelled down that road until it branched, stopped, segued. You always have to be suspicious when you read the words “ I will tell him / her, I will, just not yet.” And there was a whole lot of that going on, like cotton candy being spun and pieces pulled off and tasted and spun some more.

Set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, the McTavish family is royalty on a hill and like many Royal families it is comprised of those who take charge, those who throw it away, those who believe they are entitled, philanthropists, dilettantes, some mean, some lost, some who need to be apart from it all. The chapters explore each and the character studies are really easy to admire and dislike in equal measure. The truly outstanding feature is that everyone has a secret or two and it is a chessboard of moves, counter moves trying to figure out who knows what and has the proof to use it. Once again it is about money, gobs and gobs of money and with that comes progeny, inheritance and when the matriarch who controls it all dies, there is a tangled mess that is going to draw the players together one last time. Look out, things are going to get confusing, interesting, convoluted with a few other similar issues.

I am so glad Hawkins gave Ruby a voice and some of the best one liners e.g. “A side note - one rarely finds salvation in Florida.” We get to hear her story from her and it is a heck of a tale. It sets the dynamic for what is to come. Remember, “The truth isn’t some finite thing, it’s what we all choose to believe.”

Loved it all. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy.

I really enjoyed how this story was told. It was thrilling and captivating. It was such a quick read as you get more into the story I found it harder to stop as I just wanted to know more.
As the story unfolds it’s actually told in three various points of view Ruby, Camden and Jules. Cam and Jules are husband and wife they meet in California and moved to Colorado. Camden is the adopted son of Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore. Ruby’s part of story is told through letters she wrote with confessions from her life and yes she is spilling all the tea! This thriller is filled with secrets, twists and turns that made the unfolding of the story such a fun read. Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

LOVED this book. I have really enjoyed all of Rachel Hawkin's books, but this is my favorite yet. Through the novel we got the POVs from deceased infamous heiress and wife of four men who all died during their marriages, Ruby McTavish (through her letters), her adopted son, Cam McTavish, and his wife, Jules. This was an addictive read and a page-turner from the very beginning.

Cam has grown up and distanced himself his North Carolina upbringing at Ashby house and toxic family, until his cousin writes him to return Ashby house and his wife is enthusiastic about the return. When they arrive, you're in for a ride as to what is to unfold and many of the McTavish family members have many secrets that they have tried to keep, and it keeps you guessing until the end. Highly recommend! I can't wait for her next novel.