Mystery

Overall - this novel was very good. Interesting plot, good pacing and multiple characters with secrets and hidden agendas.

Camden is the adopted son of a wealthy family, when the matriarch dies, he inherits everything. The rest of the family - the true blood relations - are very upset by this. Camden has not gotten along with them really his whole life, so he leaves and relocates to the other side of the country; leaving the money, the mansion and all the ties that go with it behind.

He gets called back home to solve some issues after his uncle dies. He and his wife pack up their home in Colorado and head to North Carolina. All the tension with the various family members is still there and it has only gotten worse as the resentments have had a chance to really simmer.

The story is told from different POV's along with letters from Ruby - the heiress.

Ruby wandered away from home as a child and was found a year later. There has always been suspicion surrounding her and whether she is the real Ruby. She has had 4 husbands, whom have all died, which has added to the speculation about her.

All the stories melded very well together. If I have a complaint, it's that the author may have gotten too caught up with having lots of twists/secrets/reveals. Some weren't necessary or weren't surprising.

Definitely worth the read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this novel.

What a wild ride! Growing up in the Blue Ridge Mountains, I automatically knew this book was going to be right up my alley. There is nothing I love more than a good family drama. I thought the premise of the book was extremely well executed with numerous twists and turns. I truly had no idea where this book was going! The character development was amazing and there were certain ones that I both loved and hated. I ate this book up and can't wait to read more by this author!

Rachel Hawkins definitely impressed and surprised me with THE HEIRESS. About 30% or so in I just thought this was going to be another run-of-the-mill gothic/gothic-adjacent thriller. I was getting a little tired of the narrative flipping with cliffhanger bait and then flashbacks to handwritten letters for family history, etc. All the characters are a-holes. And I could just imagine how it would all end. THEN around 50-55% in we get a break in the Fourth Wall and I mean my jaw dropped. It was not even THE biggest reveal that would come, but it was just enough to reignite my senses and fuel my thirst for the truth. So many twists and turns and bombshells dropped. And then I was able to start seeing all these characters for more than they were as presented on the pages. All of them are so snakelike, twisted, deceitful, selfish... and wickedly clever.

But who would come out on top? Would the scorpion finally sting the frog on its back?

I really enjoyed The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins! It was gripping and kept me wanting to read more to find out what would happen. Rachel weaves a really great story line that makes you wonder how each person is connected and their part of the scheme to get Camden back to the Ashby house. I liked how the novel contained news clippings, letters from Camden’s mom, and the story itself. It broke up the story enough to keep you interested and added suspense. I read this so fast once I started and was so shocked at the ending. I did not see the story ending like it did.

I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone looking for a thriller that is fast paced!

The Heiress
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Author: Rachel Hawkins

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley, St. Martin’s, and Macmillan Audio and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she’s not only North Carolina’s richest woman, she’s also its most notorious. The victim of a famous kidnapping as a child and a widow four times over, Ruby ruled the tiny town of Tavistock from Ashby House, her family’s estate high in the Blue Ridge mountains. In the aftermath of her death, that estate—along with a nine-figure fortune and the complicated legacy of being a McTavish—pass to her adopted son, Camden. But to everyone’s surprise, Cam wants little to do with the house or the money—and even less to do with the surviving McTavishes. Instead, he rejects his inheritance, settling into a normal life as an English teacher in Colorado and marrying Jules, a woman just as eager to escape her own messy past. Ten years later, Camden is a McTavish in name only, but a summons in the wake of his uncle’s death brings him and Jules back into the family fold at Ashby House. Its views are just as stunning as ever, its rooms just as elegant, but coming home reminds Cam why he was so quick to leave in the first place. Jules, however, has other ideas, and the more she learns about Cam’s estranged family—and the twisted secrets they keep—the more determined she is for her husband to claim everything Ruby once intended for him to have. But Ruby’s plans were always more complicated than they appeared. As Ashby House tightens its grip on Jules and Camden, questions about the infamous heiress come to light. Was there any truth to the persistent rumors following her disappearance as a girl? What really happened to those four husbands, who all died under mysterious circumstances? And why did she adopt Cam in the first place? Soon, Jules and Cam realize that an inheritance can entail far more than what’s written in a will––and that the bonds of family stretch far beyond the grave.

My Thoughts: Happy Belated Publishing Day! This was creepy, captivating, gripping, atmospheric psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of seat. Hawkins outdid herself on this, it was brilliantly written and pulls you in, keeping its grip on you until the very end. It has been awhile since I have read a book so captivating and keeps me invested for the entirety of the book. The claustrophobic Ashby House is the perfect setting to draw you into a mystery that is both atmospheric and claustrophobic. The secrets, betrayal, lies, facade, and of course, the flawed and heartless residents of the house brings the novel to another level. Then of course, we have the lovely Ruby McTavish, who is sarcastic, unreliable, and puts forth a level of intimidation to others that adds to the enrichment of the storyline. Hawkins had me a dedicated reader starting with Wife Upstairs, and I have read each of her novels since, patiently awaiting the new one every year, but this one really stands above Reckless Girls and The Villa. I love how Hawkins piles mystery upon mystery and providing little puzzle pieces for the mystery, until they all tangle together, urging you to read forward to uncover the lies, secrets, and betrayals.

The story is narrated by a few characters, first we have Camden (Cam), the adopted son of Ruby McTavish. He has severed ties with the money and the house, even though both have been left in his care. He has a normal job as an English teacher and is married to Jules. Then he gets a call from Ben, who used to bully him to no end, that his father has passed and Camden needs to come home to deal with some house issues. Our next person is Jules, wife to Cam. Jules has been dying to experience Ashby House in all of its glory and is ecstatic when Cam decides to return. Jules grew up with nothing and has always yearned for wealth and having the lifestyle she so deserves. Lastly, we have Ruby McTavish, through letters she wrote detailing on why she murdered her previous husbands, as well as some other tantalizing secrets.

The estranged Ashby House members is an eclectic group of people, who are selfish, self-centered, and all about how they can put themselves above anyone, and everyone else. Ben, is an estate lawyer that always seems to have a fake smile on. Then his sister Libby, who is unbelievably spoiled and so cunning, that you don’t see it coming. Lastly is Aunt Nell who has always been resentful and jealous of her sister, Ruby. The characters were well developed with depth, mystery, are flawed, most unlikable, and were intriguing. The supporting characters really do elevate the book to the next level. Each character has one or more secrets, is lying to another, or betraying another. The sense of “family” does not stand in this house. The author’s writing style was complex, multifaceted, suspenseful, twisty, and just BRILLIANT. The characters are built up, the plot is delivered into twisty layers, and the ending was an explosion of WOW with twisty happenings!

I had the pleasure of having the digital and audio versions of the book. I mostly listened to the audio. G O P I C K UP this book NOW! This will be one of the best books for 2024 and it is a must read for all thriller lovers out there.

The Heiress is quite the whirlwind of lies and murders. Rachel Hawkins makes the reader look at the way traditional family is defined by delving into the McTavish Family. Wonderfully crafted, The Heiress pulled me in and didn’t let me go until the last page was read.

Ruby McTavish dies as a very wealthy woman and a 4 time widow. Much to her sister and nephew’s dismay, she leaves everything to her adopted son, Camden. Camden has distanced himself from the family since college. He lives in Colorado with his wife, Jules, and works as a teacher. He has not used any of the family money. However, once his uncle dies, the family asks him to come to Ashby House in North Carolina and straighten out the family finances. He and Jules drop everything and come to NC only to find the family greedy and unwelcoming. In the meantime, we get to read Ruby’s story through letters to Camden. I thought this was the most interesting part of the book. This was a fast-paced read, but overall a mediocre thriller.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an ARC.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Readers Copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley!

A mysterious disappearance. An even more mysterious life. How well do you know the ones you love? What are you truly inheriting when your parents die? When the ties that bind tighten and family secrets upend life as they know it, Camden McTavish and his wife must confront haunting questions...and reckon with the devastating answers they bring about. These consequences are shown with ferocity in "The Heiress," a wonderfully twisted new novel by Rachel Hawkins.

"The Heiress" by Rachel Hawkins starts with the death of Ruby McTavish, a woman of great influence and importance. Being the richest woman in North Carolina at the time brings with it a certain allure for family and outsiders alike. Beneath this powerful reputation lies a grim mystique, for Ruby is a woman as captivating as she is infamous. Kidnapped as a little girl, Ruby also had the misfortune of being a four-time widow. One of these marriages brought about an adopted son named Camden, who--upon his mother's death--is supposed to inherit everything, much to his chagrin. Despite effectively being American royalty, he wants a normal life. Wanting more for them, his wife Jules attempts to convince him to take what's his...with disastrous consequences. As they soon find out, taking on this inheritance means taking on the estate's dark history--a dark history with Ruby McTavish herself at the center of it. As things escalate, questions begin to bubble to the surface. What really happened all those years ago when Ruby was a child? Did all of her husbands die naturally, or was something more sinister afoot? What kind of woman was Ruby McTavish, and what other skeletons did she leave behind for her son to unearth?

I really enjoyed this book! I've always wanted to read a Rachel Hawkins book, but I've never had the chance to before this. When I saw this ARC on NetGalley, it was an opportunity too good to pass up. I had a feeling I was going to love this, and I'm happy to say that I was correct! This story was utterly engrossing--a thriller full of twists and turns that left me stunned. It's been a while since I've read a truly great thriller, and this book really hit the spot. The characters were all so interesting, I was truly invested in Camden and Jules as characters, and I loved being able to rea about their journey together. I also found myself tantalized by the ominous legacy of the titular Ruby, a complex character with an equally complex history. I thought that Hawkins' writing was strong and assured--her ability to weave an effective narrative apparent with each page turn. I really have no complains about this book. This is thriller writing at its best, and it's a book that can speak for itself.

Overall, this was a strong start to my reading year! Rachel Hawkins and her book were everything I hoped for and more. With riveting characters and a twisted mystery at its center, this delicious slow-burn is a tale that kept my interest from beginning to end. A book of skin-tingling thrills and surprising heart, "The Heiress" places Rachel Hawkins as a true modern-day master of her craft--a rejuvenating breath of fresh air in a genre infamously oversaturated and often underwhelming. She will certainly be on my "Anticipated Releases" list from now on. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a thriller that packs a mighty punch--one that lands a direct hit to the gut. This is a must-read, but beware! You won't be able to put it down!

Rating: 5/5

I loved the twists and turns that this book took. The dual perspectives along with letters and news articles used to tell the story really worked for me. Highly recommend.

I received an ARC from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

This was my first book by Rachel Hawkins and I’m kind of mad I’ve deprived myself from her works!
I heard and read a lot of mixed reviews about past books that I wasn’t sure when I’d get to them (I have them from BOTM) but I had a huge interest in this one mostly because it was labeled as gothic fiction (not sure about that maybe it was the time period? It’s definitely a thriller!) and I’ve heard a lot of good things! Let’s just say I already have the others lined up and read to go right now!

The Heiress gave me some The 7 husbands of Evelyn Hugo mixed with some murder!
This family is messed up, like crazy!!!
I’m OBSESSED with when a book includes letters for the characters to read and discover because it makes me feel like I’m in on the mystery along side them trying to figure it out!

There was soooooo much going on but in a good way! There were only a couple times I had to stop to re-read a line or two to make sure I was understanding and following. There were definitely times I was like “ how is this going to play out?! I don’t see a resolution!!! This is wild!!!”
Literally my face in emojis while reading:
🤔🤨🧐😳😳😳😱🤯🤯🤯😱🤨😳😳🕵️‍♀️

Just all the twist and turns this book had took me for a ride!!!!! I devoured it in one sitting!

Highly recommend picking this up!

If you like to be reminded that the idle rich don't necessarily have better lives than the rest of us, then you will probably enjoy this saga of an incredibly rich but extremely dysfunctional family. Trouble follows this crazy clan. Kidnappings and mysterious deaths are just the tip of the iceberg. Driven by petty jealousies and a sense of entitlement, these characters are mostly unlikeable and yet oh-so-fun to read about. The more you read the crazier it gets and the more you'll be hooked.

A story of money and power corrupting people as told by an outsider who was brought into an old and wealthy family in North Carolina. It's a fascinating story that's full of twists, if not quite surprises, and a lot of very realistic and troubling character studies.
One of Hawkins' greatest strengths as a writer has always been her ability to write characters that feel completely real even when they're doing things that aren't necessarily relatable, so getting to hear the story from three very different personalities fleshes out the situation and events rather satisfactorily.
A lot of the revelations aren't actually revelations because the hints are pretty obvious if you've ever read this kind of story, but getting to them is a fascinating trip that kept me glued to the story. There's something about the characters and the way Hawkins plays things out that made it impossible to put down.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the wonderfully twisty read!

I didn't know what to expect from this book because I was not a big fan of her last book, The Villa. But this book, The Heiress, will not disappoint; It is full of turns and twists you will not see coming. I enjoyed Ruby’s letters. The book is engaging and easy to follow. I definitely recommend this book!!

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for this ARC.
#NetGalley #St.Martin’sPress #RachelHawkins

I was so excited to get an ARC from NetGalley for this book after really enjoying Reckless Girls and The Villa by the same author. I love the lush settings and multilayer mysteries she writes.

The Heiress tells the story of a super wealthy, super dysfunctional family in a small town in the mountains of North Carolina. It's told from multiple POVs across two different generations, and every family member has mysteries and secrets of their own. Even the historic family house feels like a character of its own, revealing secrets of its own while the two branches of the family feud over inheritance and ownership.

I have read most of Rachel Hawkins' books, and this was by far my favorite. In the past, I was able to guess all of the twists and turns before they were revealed. With this novel, I was on my toes. That may have been that I was so enthralled by the plot itself and the character developments, but I don't care because it was such a fun ride! Who doesn't want to peel back the curtain and see how the other half lives and how they keep their status; what secrets they hide in their mansions? That along with the crime element made for a wonderful thriller. This was one of my favorite reads of 2023; I couldn't put it down!

Camden McTavish has been living quietly in California, renting a small place and tending bar. That’s where he met Jules, there for the cheap wings. They fall in love and get married, moving to Colorado, where Cam gets a job teaching at a boys’ school and Jules works for a museum, teaching visitors about how the pioneers would churn butter while wearing period costumes.

And then, Camden gets an email from his cousin, saying that he’s needed back at the family home. The place has fallen into disrepair, and they need Cam’s help to fix it. Cam is the one with all the family money, after all. His mother had made sure he was the one to inherit her millions along with her estate, although his mother had made sure her sister Nelle could continue to live there until she died.

Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore was Cam’s mother. She had adopted him after the deaths of her four husbands. She had known a lot of grief and sadness, and Ruby had wanted something good in her life, wanted something good to continue the McTavish line after she was gone. So she chose Camden as a son, and then she chose him as her sole heir.

Ruby had lived a difficult life, starting with a kidnapping when she was little more than a toddler. She had been outside of the family home, Ashby House, when a miscommunication between her mother and the nanny left her alone. She’d had time by herself to wander into the woods, to find danger. After long searches, where none of the family or police had found the young girl, finally her father found the man who had taken her. He was an itinerant worker on the estate, and said he’d nabbed the girl to take home to his wife, who had been heartbroken after losing a child of her own. But he quickly gave the child back to McTavish, so he could take Ruby back home where she belonged.

But she’d always wondered where she really did belong.

Camden hadn’t been back to Ashby House since she’d died, back when he was in college. He’d grown up around Ruby and her sister Nelle, Nelle’s alcoholic husband, and their two kids, and Cam had always felt like an outsider. He’d been bullied and slighted, and when he had the chance to leave, he never wanted to go back.

But now Jules knew about Ashby House, and she wanted to stay. She didn’t want to stay in their tiny Colorado rental when there was a gorgeous family home, a mansion, where she could live and not have to struggle. And Camden wanted Jules to be happy. But could they make it work, her happy and him miserable? Ashby House had always hidden secrets and lies, cruelty and isolation. Would Cam and Jules be able to overcome the McTavish family curse, or would those lies envelop them and choke the life out of them too?

The Heiress is the latest gothic thriller by the Rachel Hawkins, a master of twists and chills. These characters are masterfully complex, with layers of secrets that push the story forward into unexpected corners. Told as a narrative interwoven with magazine articles and personal letters, this story unfolds slowly and intensely, a path of delicious bread crumbs that take you through the history of Ruby and her family while keeping you guessing what could possibly come up next.

I will be honest. I wasn’t sure I’d like this book. I’ve read Hawkins’s books for several years, and I thought The Villa was about as perfect as a novel could be. I just didn’t think she could repeat that genius. And while I will still love that one a little bit more, I have nothing to complain about with The Heiress. It is tightly plotted and fascinating to read. It’s an absolute pleasure, and I’m afraid Hawkins’s is just going to have keep writing at this exceptional level for me to stop saying that one of her novels is that much better than the others. The Heiress is an amazing story, pure fun for thriller lovers, and definitely not to be missed. And now, I’m already waiting impatiently for her next book.

Egalleys for The Heiress were provided by St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley, with many thanks.

When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she’s not only North Carolina’s richest woman, she’s also its most notorious. She was the victim of a famous kidnapping as a child and a widow four times over, giving her the nickname Lady Kill-more in the tiny town of Tavistock. In the aftermath of her death, her adopted son, Camden wants nothing to do with the house, money, or the surviving McTavishes. Instead, he rejects his inheritance, settling into a normal life as an English teacher in Colorado and marrying Jules, a woman just as eager to escape her own messy past. Ten years later, his uncle’s death forces Cam to return to Ashby House. As Ashby House tightens its grip on Jules and Camden, questions about the infamous heiress come to light. Was there any truth to the persistent rumors following her disappearance as a girl? What really happened to those four husbands, who all died under mysterious circumstances? And why did she adopt Cam in the first place? Soon, Jules and Cam realize that an inheritance can entail far more than what’s written in a will––and that the bonds of family stretch far beyond the grave.

The book is told through two different POV's - Camden's and his wife Jules, as well as letters and articles from Ruby. There are several twists throughout the book that you will not see coming, and there will be so many questions you have, but they all get answered by the end. There are so many secrets that get spilled during this book, that this reads almost like a soap opera or a Bravo show at times - nice and juicy, and something you are not going to want to put down. This is my new favorite of all of this author's books. I highly recommend it!

This book was captivating, but I felt like I predicted a lot of the main twists. I was interested because I hoped that it wouldn’t be all the twists and there was one or two that I didn’t see coming. This also didn’t have a nice and clean ending and almost lends itself to a sequel but I’m not sure how they could do a sequel for this. Sadly it just didn’t live up to what I thought this would be. Everyone has secrets in this twisted family.

Rachel Hawkins has definitely become an auto-buy author for me and I loved her return to a Southern setting with so many places that are familiar, even if partially fictionalized. Ashby House definitely was its own character, and Jules was easy to connect to as a narrator. I typically don’t love letters as a writing device but this did them well!

The Heiress is short and sweet with stellar pacing, and it was my first time reading a book in one sitting in quite a while! The chapters were propulsive and the rolling reveals never left me feeling like the suspense was too artificially drawn out. I would have liked a little more time to get to know the other characters, and it’s a credit to the story that I actually wanted more as I have been really loathing books that seem more focused on page count than content lately. Jules was the most compelling narrator for me in the story as opposed to the others. Still, my only major gripe is that the ending left me a little too surprised with so many things going on. I also need to know what happened to one character.

Easy recommendation for a quick and suspenseful read here!

"The Heiress" by Rachel Hawkins is a Mystery-Thriller and Family Fiction Story!

"HEIRESS, PHILANTHROPIST, ONETIME KIDNAP VICTIM, RUBY MCTAVISH CALLAHAN WOODWARD MILLER KENMORE DIES AT 73." ~ The Asheville Citizen-Times, April 2, 2013

Ten years ago when Ruby's entire estate, immense fortune, and newsworthy family history, were passed to her adopted son, Camden McTavish, he turned his nose up at his inheritance and the entire McTavish Family.

Until now...

Now the home and family Camden ran from after Ruby's death are calling him back. The fifteen-bedroom mansion, Ashby House, is in serious disrepair and the tangled mess of Ruby's will makes it next to impossible for the family to request funds for maintenance without Camden's help.

Camden and his wife, Jules, decide together to travel from their home in Colorado to Tavistock, North Carolina, to see the condition of their estate for themselves...

"The Heiress" was a twisty ride and the first book I've read by Rachel Hawkins. I fully understood Camden's desire to flee the old homestead ten years ago. The McTavish clan was a despicable, disturbing, and dysfunctional family that resulted in a barrel of nasty fun for this reader.

Without a doubt, the most entertaining part of this tale was Ruby's story told through letters written to an unknown recipient. Jules' folksy point-of-view was interesting and enlightening, too, but poor Camden was a major stress case making his narrative no fun at all.

This was an immersion reading experience through the gifted Digital Reading Copy and Advanced Listening Copy. The audiobook has four narrators: Dan Bittner, Eliza Foss, John Pirhalla, and Patti Murin. Either format will deliver a great experience but if you have a choice, pick the audiobook. The voices of Ruby and Jules should NOT be missed.

"The Heiress" was a fun read/listen that I recommend to readers who enjoy mystery-suspense stories about complicated, messed-up families!

4.25⭐

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and Rachel Hawkins for a DRC and an ALC of this book through NetGalley. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review.