Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore was not only the richest woman in North Carolina, but she was notorious for being kidnapped as a child and found nearly a year later - oh, and she’s been infamously nicknamed Mrs. Killmore. Cam inherited Ruby’s wealth, but has barely touched it in the decade since she passed. Cam is persuaded by his wife to return and finds the well-known home has been neglected and needs maintenance. Cam’s wife quickly understands why he left and never looked back, but the longer they’re in North Carolina, they find there were other ulterior motives the family had for requesting his return. We follow Cam’s and his wife’s perspectives as they navigate the situation as well as letters told by Ruby telling her truth of what truly happened all those years ago.

Full of twists and secrets, this was truly a book that I could not put down!
Rachel Hawkins does it again in this juicy suspense tale that is full of family drama, secrets, and the unruly rich. Told from multiple POVs, unreliable narrators are definitely present and done amazingly well. Jules Brewster is finally going to get a chance to see her husband Camden’s famous family home, Ashby House, which was left to him by his even more famous mother, Ruby McTavish. Camden and Jules have been happily married for ten years, but like all good married couples in this genre, they each have secrets and some level of mystery surrounding their respective pasts. This is all made more sinister by what - otherwise - really does appear to be a fairly healthy relationship. Ten years is a long time to fake it, so it's fascinating to find out what each is hiding, how they have changed over time, and whether or not they'll be able to grow and shift together, While Camden wants to leave the family drama–and the entire estate–far behind him, Jules realizes that she wants to fight for Camden’s inheritance–a fight that threatens to leave death and destruction in its wake

The Heiress is told from multiple point of views: letters from Ruth (the heiress) to her adopted son; Cam, the adopted son; Jules, wife of Cam; and various newspaper and magazine articles. I love unreliable narrators and they were certainly present here.

Enthusiastically recommend!

I enjoy the writing of Rachel Hawkins; her self-named works are gothic, dark books and The Heiress is no exception. I would not call the book a suspense novel or a thriller but more of a slow reveal of secrets. I enjoyed the characters of Cam and Jules and how they're both keeping secrets from each other. I thought that the chapters of Ruby's letters helped us understand how twisted the McTavish family is and to what lengths they'll go to protect their fortune and family home, but not each other. This was a quick, enjoyable read with a satisfying ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of the book.

I read Reckless Girls (5 ⭐️’s) and The Villa (4 ⭐️’s) by Rachel Hawkins last year and both were good, solid reads! But this one was far superior. I really enjoyed the entire book. The characters were mostly unlikable and no one was perfect but that’s how life is! This story is the epitome of power and money hungry.

The story is about a woman named Ruby McTavish and her dysfunctional, extremely rich family. When Ruby died she left her fortune to her adopted son, Cam. He moves away and gets married and wants nothing to do with the fortune. The blood relatives are taken care of and live in Ashby House. They are not happy. Cam’s uncle dies ten years later and he returns home with his wife to tie up loose ends. Every single character in this book has secrets abound. Most of them are extremely unlikable, but it all works and you will be shocked by the surprise twist!

Read this book! You will enjoy it! I especially liked the letters that Ruby wrote telling her story, it was a nice touch to the book! Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Rachel Hawkins for providing me with an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. It was an absolute pleasure!

This was my favorite Rachel Hawkins-book yet. Perfect for fans of The Only One Left (Safer).and Evelyn Hugo (Jenkins Reid), but with it's own unique twists and turns. So enjoyable!

My first read of the year didn’t disappoint! So so good. So many twists. Sometimes, family thrillers can be predictable but this one was anything but. I’ll be recommending this one all year.

I’ve always been a fan of Rachel Hawkins and this does not disappoint!

It did seem to be more of a family drama with suspense added in as opposed to a thriller but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

This took longer than I hoped to become interesting.
I was nearly halfway through before I felt excited to get more.
The back half of the book is amazing and I wish the first half had matched.
I loved the letters slowly revealing the bits that don't really fit together till the end.
That was my favourite part.
Most of the characters were garbage examples of people, and while I usually love some hot garbage, they were not the fun kind.
Much love to St. Martin's Press & NetGalley for my ARCs.

I loved this book! It kept me guessing the whole way through as to who to trust. I loved Jules and Ruby. The pace was great jumping from present day to past and newspaper articles. I blew through it because I needed to know everyone’s secrets! And I thought the ending was great.

Short synopsis: Ruby McTavish was the wealthiest woman in North Carolina, with quite a history. She was kidnapped while on a picnic as a young girl, and her four husbands have died strange deaths. Her large inheritance and estate is passed on to her adopted son Camden who wants nothing to do with her wealth, but his wife has other plans.

My thoughts: I’m going to keep this somewhat vague to not ruin any of the big plot points. This family drama mixed with secrets, misdeeds, and so many twists and turns kept me engaged and questioning throughout the whole story.

We get different points of view, and alternating timelines to piece together the real story of Ruby’s life. The letters written by Ruby to an anonymous person was such a fun addition as we were able to unravel her secrets as the story progressed.

I’d definitely recommend listening to the audio for this. I’m a huge fan of full cast narration and they worked so well together telling this story.

Read if you love:
- Unlikable characters
- Wealthy families and inheritance
- Multiple POV
- Family drama mixed with mystery
- Slow burn

The Heiress is a compelling book that I read in one sitting! It's about a wealthy family in North Carolina. There are many layers to this story and they are told from various POV's. I found most of the characters in the book unlikable and greedy, but that just makes it more fun to read! I kept hoping the worst ones would get theirs in the end! Rudy McTavish was kidnapped as a young girl and the police weren't hopeful that she'd be found. Luckily, Rudy was returned to her wealthy parents after several months. She seemed different though.

Ruby was married four times in her life and each husband died under suspicious circumstances. Did Ruby have something to do with the deaths or did she just have very bad luck? Ruby adopted a son, Cameron, because she needed something good in her life. She loved him with all her heart and he brought joy to a joyless home. The other McTavish clan all hated Cameron because he was an outsider. Ruby loved that. She had a plan. When Ruby dies, she leaves everything to Cameron. The rest of the McTavish family is furious as they don't consider him a true family member! Cam wants nothing to do with the mansion and inheritance. He has found happiness with his wife, Jules, and they live in Colorado. Cam is a teacher and they live a normal life. Jules has a past that will come to light as you get towards the end of the book. Is she who she says she is or someone with an agenda?

The Heiress is an awesome book that will keep you thinking long after it's over. You can't pick your family, but after reading this you'll wish you could! You will read The Heiress way too fast because you won't believe what you're reading!! I rate The Heiress 4 stars with a high recommendation. I'd like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for a fair review. #TheHeiress

This book was so entertaining and fun! It’s like Knives Out meets The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and I’m here for those vibes. loved Ruby McTavish and all her antics. I love this one as much as The Villa and it’s a great mystery. Nothing too shocking or surprising but I still enjoyed seeing everything unravel.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 (Out January 9th)
Great Narrator
Bingeable (AKA Fast)
Some Funny Satirical Moments
Predictable Ending
Felt Similar To Other Thrillers I have Read Lately
Rachel Dropped 💣 On The IE Stereotype (I LOLd)

I paired this book with audio and it is Bingeable! 3.5 ⭐️

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

I’ve read a few of Rachel Hawkins’ books and this one was not my favorite. Overall, the story was well executed, but there was something missing for me — it never quite captivated me like my favorite thrillers do. Maybe it’s because all of the characters were so vastly unlikable.

The setting in the mountains of North Carolina was beautiful and I liked reading from the alternating viewpoints of the characters. There were a few twists I didn’t see coming, but some that were predictable as well. I read through this one quickly, and I did enjoy it, but it still fell a bit short for me. I would still recommend it if you want a light, quick thriller read.

Pub date: January 9, 2024

The super rich, secrets, and scandals, this book has them all. The story is centered around Ruby McTavish, The Heiress. She’s not only rich but quite famous, from being kidnapped when she was a child, to surviving 4 husbands, and inheriting everything from her father. Told in alternating POVs and timelines, the story moved along fast. My favorite was Ruby’s POV, how she revealed her secrets so matter of factly when those secrets were truly shocking. Everyone had a secret or two and all their lives are intertwined. I didn’t expect the ending but it was fitting.

This book releases on January 9, 2024.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley for this ARC.

I've been reading Rachel Hawkins' books since The Wife Upstairs and while there have been a few ups and downs this is definitely an up. The dual timelines are really well done and move the story along at just the right pace. Instead of waiting to get back to one pov they both held my interest and contributed to the overall tone and rising tension of the story. The Heiress has a the prefect amount of tension, twists, and deception. I also really enjoyed the setting, Hawkins is a master of describing a slightly claustrophobic and creepy house. A solid read that olds up to The Wife Upstairs.

My first read of 2024 was The Heiress which I ended up liking! There were so many elements in this book that I loved - the gothic and atmospheric vibes of Ashby House and the wealthy McTavish family, multiple POVs and dual timelines with letters from the past. This book was packed with all the family drama and suspense (I wouldn't necessarily refer to this one as a thriller!). There were a lot of twists and turns throughout the story which made it entertaining but I think I was still looking for something more out of this one.

Overall, I liked this one and rated it 3.5 stars. If you are looking for a slow burn domestic suspense book filled with a ton of secrets and family drama that is very atmospheric, check out The Heiress (out January 9!).

Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin's Press for the e-arc.

This was the perfect read to start off the new year! It was a quick, addictive read and I couldn't put it down. The mix of letters and newspaper articles within the book really added to the reading experience. It helped move the story along and I was never bored while reading. There were several good twists throughout the story and hints about those twists were expertly woven into the narrative. Like Hawkins other books, it was very entertaining and I highly recommend!

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.

Ruby’s adopted son (Camden) left all the riches behind to live a normal life. He and his wife (Jules) are called back to the Ashby House to deal with his inheritance, and the family who still lives there. The longer Camden stays, the more the walls can no longer hold the secrets. 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.

This book was a three star for me. This book was heavy on the family drama and karma, which is always a win for me. This book was a slow burn. I enjoyed this part because there was a lot of details to each character and they mattered.

The multiple formats (email, letters and news clippings), was confusing for me. If you enjoy multiple formats this is your jam to liven things up. I thought the twists were creative but still fell a little flat. I unfortunately expected more.

Thank you Net Galley for this ARC. This book arrives on shelves January 9, 2024

This book was full of family drama, secrets, and twists. I liked how this book was written, you got two stories in one through the POV of Ruby’s life through letters and present POV of Jules and Camden.

It took a little bit to get into the book but once Jules and Camden arrived at the mansion, I was hooked!

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!