Ruby McTavish was notoriously known, and for more reasons than just her ast name. A member of the deeply wealthy McTavish family, Ruby spent her life living in Ashby House, the sprawling estate among the Carolina mountains. Ruby’s life was lavish, but far from easy. When she was three, she was abducted from the very land her family owned, only to be miraculously found states away, almost a year later. Ruby’s fascinating story did not stop there, as later the suspicious deaths of all four of her husbands kept her name in onlookers’ lips.

Ruby never had children of her own, just an adopted son Camden, who is the heir to the entire McTavish fortune - much to the dismay of Ruby’s sister Nelle, and her own lineage. Ten years after Ruby’s passing, Camden and his wife Jules head to Ashby House to help the remaining family sort out the estate. While Camden is skeptical, Jules is intrigued: will seeing the notoriety and wealth that Camden left behind lead then to a brighter future? Or will the McTavish family and Ruby’s dark legacy taint everything they’ve built on their own?

I’ve yet to meet a Rachel Hawkins book I didn’t enjoy (and one I didn’t almost finish in 24 hours). Her stories are always like onions, with many layers you have to peel back. It takes awhile, but the twisted web of the plot is not typically impossible to unravel. Figuring out the truth is always half the fun in her stories. The reader can make the connections, but then the rest of the hidden truths unfold and you’re left bewildered. While this story is very unique, fans of Riley Sager’s “The Only One Left” will enjoy the similar themes.

The Heiress is my second of Rachel Hawkins’s books and definitely my favorite. I loved the historical fiction and epistolary elements woven into the modern love story and family drama. I thought I saw where this was going but definitely did not see all of those twists coming! This was a quick read and a great option for someone who doesn’t like gotcha thrillers but enjoys a slow burn mystery.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance reader’s copy.

Thanks NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

This. Book. Full disclosure, I was approved for this months ago, and I HIGHLY regret waiting as long as I did to read this. It’s got mystery. It’s got wild family dynamics. It’s got murder. It’s got generational trauma. This book is WILD in the best way. I love the way it is written, with the flashbacks being letters from Ruby. Between that and the multiple POV’s it would be easy to lose the mystery of the book, but I truly didn’t see everything that happened at the end coming. All the stars.

Posted on Instagram, Goodreads, and StoryGraph 1/7

"I had gotten away with murder, and I was glad for it."

This fast paced, gothic suspense thriller, is about an infamous heiress and the complicated inheritance she left behind…insert family drama here. This story is full of lies, deceit, scandals and a whole lot of dysfunctional family drama where money truly is the root of all evil.

It is written from multiple POVs and uses letters and multimedia sources which help tell the backstory and the family’s history. I thought the use of these sources was a unique approach and made the story flow smoothly and made it more interesting. It was a little confusing at first due to the story having so many layers and, because it is multigenerational, there are several characters introduced or mentioned throughout the story. But it picks up real quick once you start to figure out the family tree.

It was a very engaging read and was hard to put down, I read it in one day. It is one of those that keeps you reading to find out what in the world is going on, like driving by a bad car wreck and not being able to look away, it’s a little chaotic and leaves you with missing pieces of information and questions, hence what makes it an addictive read.

I was fortunate enough to have an epub and audio version and appreciated having both. I listened to the entire story but was thankful to have the kindle version to look back on different characters and to see and understand the different forms of media that was being used to tell the backstory.

Rachel Hawkins’ books are always quick, entertaining reads and The Heiress is no different. Full of sly, untrustworthy characters and family feuds over fortunes. I enjoyed the North Carolina setting and the jumping between timelines, perspectives and formats.

If you’re looking for a good vacation, check this one out.

Cam is the only son *cough* adopted *cough* son of the notorious heiress that goes by many names - Baby Ruby, Mrs. Kill-more, and just plain Ruby McTavish. When she dies of old age (or does she?) and leaves her vast fortune to her adopted son, the pure-blood McTavishes are frothing with anger. When Jules, Cam's wife, encourages him to head back to the Ashby House estate we see that it wasn't just Ruby hiding secrets, because everyone's got them and most lead to death.

This story is reminiscent of "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" if it took place at the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina. Hawkins threw me for a loop with the page about changelings before the narrative leading me to think there would be some magical realism popping into the story. Unfortunately that did not happen, but the real story of what happened to missing Baby Ruby was probably just as weird as a fae switching her out. Overall there were no really likeable characters in this entire story, save for Ruby herself who was more just a product of her circumstances. There are so many twists and turns in true Rachel Hawkins suspense form. If you liked "The Villa" (of which there was a nod in this book) and "Reckless Girls" then you'll probably like this one too as it follows the same topsy turvy time turning and POV narrative changes.

This book is all about secrets, lies, and how far a family will go to keep their wealth and notoriety. The multi POV & dual timeline kept me on the edge of my seat and I loved how the letters and news articles were incorporated to support the storyline of the characters. I was completely enthralled by the life of Ruby, and the experience Camden and Jules have when returning to Ashby House.

Although I wasn’t surprised by most of the twists, I couldn’t imagine the story going any different and 100% recommend.

A huge thank you to @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own!

Rachel Hawkins newest book is a gothic thriller that delivers twists and turns. Many years ago Cam left home to escape his family who are as dangerous as the secrets they keep. He never planned to return, but when his uncle dies, his wife urges him to go home. The estate and wealth all belong to Cam after his adoptive mother Ruby died years before, but Cam hasn't wanted to strings attached to that inheritance. His family does not welcome his return and he is met with animosity. In his time there, deep kept secrets are revealed and not everyone will escape the home alive.

While somewhat of a slow burn, the story will keep you turning the pages as the plot is told through Ruby, Cam and Jules' perspectives. Everyone has secrets and they aren't always what you expect. I didn't really like any of the characters. They all are sullied by greed and self interest that can often be expected of dysfunctional families with this kind of wealth, but that makes a great murder story!

🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯
Idk how to feel right now

What a huge mind f#ck this book was & I loved every minute of it . Perfect example of Mo Money Mo insane Problems 😂
& The grass isn't also greener .

I feel going into this book you have some knowledge what it's about from the title page & dedicated but oh man there's so much more!!!
I know at the end of this book we're suppose to be like damn that ain't right .... But idk I see both well all sides & idk what is right here . Either way you look at it , this situation is MESSED up !!!
Incredible story that keeps u wanting more & more !! I devoured this book . Brilliant !

Thank you #NetGalley for an incredible first Arc of the year ❤️

3.5 stars. This book was a quick read. It was a fast paced suspense and filled with family drama & secrets with a very interesting premise.

This story follows the McTavish family, specifically Ruby McTavish (the richest & most notorious woman in NC- a kidnapping victim & widow 4 times over), her adopted son Camden (who just wants to leave the family behind) and his wife, Jules. Ruby McTavish gave Evelyn Hugo vibes- but if Evelyn Hugo had a darker past & was rumored to have killed all of her ex husbands. Everyone in this family is awful (more money, more problems I guess) and they all have their own secrets that are slowly revealed through the multiple POVs.

That said, none of the twists in this story were very shocking and I tend to prefer a thriller that keeps me on the edge of my seat guessing!

Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy of the book in exchange for my honest review!

BOOK REVIEW: THE HEIRESS

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Drink rec: Dom Pérignon🍾

THIS BOOK!!! I was absolutely hooked straight from the beginning! It was like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (which y’all know is my fav book) but wayyyy darker!

Ruby McTavish is North Carolina’s richest and most notorious woman. Back in the 1940s, she was kidnapped at age 4 and then miraculously found and returned to her family a year later. Ruby ruled the small NC town where she lived, and when she passed away she left her family fortune and the esteemed Ashby House to her son Cameron, who didn’t want anything to do with the money or the McTavish family. 10 years later, Cam and his wife Jules are drawn back to Ashby House due to the passing of his uncle.

I loved how the story was told with 3 POVs: Camden, Jules, and a series of letters written by Ruby. Multiple POVs allowed the reader to really get in the mind of each of these characters. The atmospheric setting, pacing, and layers of the story will have you staying up all night to read more! I could not put this one down!

If you’re looking for a slow burn featuring lots of shady characters with ulterior motives, twists and turns, family drama, and murder, this one is for you! Out 1/9/24!

This book kept me engaged from the very beginning. I loved the variety in storytelling formats (different character POVs, letters, and newspaper clippings) to tell the story. I kept finding myself trying to figure out what the twist was going to be, and it had my guess changing every few chapters. The more you found out, the more interesting and interconnected everything came to be.

The characters were well developed and had their own little quirks. Ruby and her reasoning for doing the things she did had me laughing at times and gasping at others. I loved the mystery of learning the truth little by little as the letters got revealed.

I have read other books by Rachel Hawkins before, so I knew that there would be mystery and intrigue, but I was not expecting it to be as much fun as it was! This is probably my favorite one of hers yet! A book that is going to keep you guessing until the end. 4.5/5

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

In solidarity with Readers for Accountability, I will be withholding my review here and on social media until an agreement is reached.

THE HEIRESS is the latest suspense novel by Rachel Hawkins and it is my favorite of hers yet. At only three-years-old, Ruby McTavish, a little girl from a very wealthy family, disappears in the woods near her North Carolina home. Eight months later, she is located with a couple in another state and returned home. Ruby grows up in Ashby House, her family’s mountain estate. Decades later, after four husbands who have all died mysteriously, Ruby herself dies, leaving her estate and most of her vast fortune to her adopted son, Camden. But Camden wants nothing to do with the inheritance or the other living McTavishes. He is living a modest life in Colorado with his wife, Jules, who has also escaped a troubling past. Ten years later, when his uncle dies, Cam is summoned back to Ashby House. Jules convinces a reluctant Cam to go back and soon they are embroiled in a family drama full of secrets, lies and betrayals. The story is told from the viewpoints of Cam, Jules and Ruby. The tension rises as all is slowly revealed. The story is full of twists and turns right up to the shocking ending. I enjoyed this cleverly-plotted and fast-paced book and highly recommend it. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review and early copy.

Reading this book was like reading a gothic novel by VC Andrews because they share a lot of the same components. Deep sick secrets, a depraved warped family, and a house with a personality all of its own.
The only person I liked for most of the book was Camden. All the others were miserable lots. I figured out the interconnecting puzzle pieces fairly early on.
Ruby was a sinister witch who deserved what she got and the rest of the family were just despicable.
Although most of the characters were unlikable, it’s an engrossing story of power, greed, wealth, and murder.

I don't read many thrillers, but when I do I want one with twists and turns where you can't easily guess the mystery. The Heiress did not disappoint and I loved the gothic theming. The setting was believable and felt like you were immersed in the mountains of North Carolina. What I enjoyed most was the mixed media of newspaper clippings, letters, and different points of view that slowly weave all the mysteries together. Thank you NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book for an honest review.

Rachel Hawkins never let's me down. The Heiress is no exception. Talk about a eating the rich book. GIIIIIIRL. The Saltburn crowd going to be eating good. I loved it. 10 out of 10. Thanks for the galley!

Thank you net gallery and Macmillan for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis: camaden left his family years ago but now is called back to the family mansion in the blue ridge mountains. This family has years and years of family drama to unpack.

What I liked: Rachel Hawkins writes thrillers that are clever and smart. This one was a slow burn where you learn about the family history and drama while dealing with the current crises. The characters are all flawed and very questionable but you do get sucked into their drama. She presents such interesting characters and really writes about the wealthy in a way that makes you root against them. Ruby was the matriarch and she had a very sorted past. It was interesting to see her arc throughout the book. Jules was the newest addition to the family as Camaden’s wife. However she is not as innocent as she seems. Camaden starts out as the outsider and you feel sorry for him but then you learn more. That’s what I like about her writing style is that each of the characters have great arcs that you get to experience. The ending did surprise me especially with a slow burn book but was worth the wait.

This book was so interesting and fun. I loved the different perspectives, the hidden surprises around every corner, from the beginning until the end. Some of the book was written in letter form, the chapters were short and engaging. I loved the way the book was written. I really enjoyed the different characters - they were dynamic and they were all hard to trust. It was dramatic and engaging from the first page - the story telling switched between the past and present and it was done seamlessly and enjoyably. I was able to predict the ending, but it did not stop me from loving this book and continuing to read. I wanted to know how it would play out in the end. I really enjoyed the ever changing dynamics of the book!

Thank you Netgalley from my advanced reader copy.

My review as posted on Goodreads and Instagram:

Thank you to the publishers for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy of this book. This was another great twisty novel by Rachel Hawkins! Camden and his wife Jules return to his childhood estate after he has spent many years trying to put his past behind him. He grew up as the adoptive son of the infamous “Baby Ruby,” the richest woman in the county who had been abducted as a toddler from the woods around their property. As he returns to his childhood home, he is confronted by his money and power hungry cousins who have nursed a grudge for many years. What follows is a twisty story told through the viewpoints of Jules and Camden, as well as letters from Ruby, articles, and newsletters. It definitely kept me guessing all the way to the epilogue! I’d highly recommend this book if you enjoy psychological thrillers with lots of family secrets and bad guys you will totally root for