This was another twisty story from Hawkins with mostly awful characters. I think it was pretty typical of Hawkins's work. She uses a lot of foreshadowing where a character will drop a hint at something they did that will surprise you and it keeps you interested to find out the details later.

In this particular story, a lot of the past is told through letters written by the deceased woman. I found this to be a very interesting storyline. Since she is writing the letters to someone, it feels like she is speaking directly to you. There are two narrators of the more current timeline, Jules and Camden, and they will also speak directly to you, so you feel like you are in the story.

There are newspaper clippings dotted throughout the story filling in gaps and creating more questions. I felt this was done well and I enjoyed this addition to the story.

Overall, I found this to be an engaging, quick read. I think this will be popular with anyone that enjoys mysteries with a bunch of smaller twists along the way. As long as you don't have to love your characters, I would recommend this one.

I received an audio copy of this book in addition to the ebook. The audio was narrated by Dan Bittner, Eliza Foss, John Pirhalla, and Patti Murin. I thought they all did a wonderful job and that their voices suited the characters well. I appreciated the variety of narrators to fit the characters.

4+ stars

This book was a delightful surprise! While not my typical genre, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Rachel Hawkins was a new author for me, and after this, I'm eager to explore more of her works. The narrative reminded me of the atmosphere in "Saltburn," which I absolutely loved.

The story revolves around the fascinating Ruby McTavish, a wealthy woman who, as a child, went missing in the woods, only to be found eight months later in a different state and returned to her opulent home, Ashby House. Life moves forward.

In the present, Ruby has passed away. Before her death, she left behind letters detailing her life journey, including her four marriages and the deaths of her husbands. The tale unfolds through these letters, as well as from the perspectives of Camden, her adopted son, and Jules, Camden's wife. Camden, having distanced himself from the dysfunctional family, receives a letter from his cousin, prompting him and Jules to return to his childhood home and unearth the secrets of Ruby and Ashby House.

This family's dysfunction and unlikable traits reflect that money can't buy class.

It was a fantastic, swift read, and most of the twists took me by surprise! I'm definitely eager to dive into more of Rachel's work.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and the author for an ARC. All thoughts are my own.

The Heiress is a gothic domestic thriller that will keep you engrossed in the family saga as new secrets and lies are revealed. Rachel Hawkins does a superb job creating the isolated, creepy Ashby mansion setting as well as the rich character development This was an entertaining slow burn that told the tale of Ruby McTavish ,a wealthy North Carolina heiress from old money who has a tragic and complicated past. I loved the multiple POVs of Ruby (through her letters), Camden, her adopted son, and his wife Jules who helped unfold the various mysterious deaths of Ruby’s four husbands as well as her kidnapping as a toddler. I particularly liked Ruby’s letters and the learning about various decades she lived and experienced. There was plenty of sketchy characters, fighting over money, betrayals, toxic family dynamics and twists and turns, that culminated in a satisfying ending.

I give this thriller a 4 1/2 out of 5.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC that will be released January 9 2024.

I typically find Rachel Hawkins's books consistently entertaining and enjoyable, this book was no different.
I really enjoyed the descriptions of the Ashby House, it was like it's own character, and really helped get me into the world the author created. I enjoyed the mystery even if it wasn't groundbreaking. While I think this book falls short of exceptional, I think you can't go wrong with picking it up. It would be great to read on a plane, or the beach, or really anywhere for a quick bit of entertainment.

This was my first Rachel Hawkins read (even though I own a couple of her others and haven't gotten to them yet), and I think it was a good intro to her work. While it didn't entirely blow me away, it kept me intrigued enough to finish the book and then go and add all of her backlist to my tbr.

What I loved: The buildup was great. An atmospheric, secluded mansion setting is always my favorite. I enjoyed the chapters featuring the letters from Ruby and found them very interesting. While I don't think the twist involving her disappearance as a child was anything groundbreaking, I definitely did not see it coming. I always love twists that I don't see coming! I felt that the ending was wrapped up nicely though a little open-ended. I would have wanted to know for sure what happened with the nanny.

What I didn't love: The story felt very familiar and had vibes that reminded me a lot of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Daisy Darker, and The Resting Place. As such, it was easy to piece together Jules' secret. It's hard for me to stay invested in a mystery once I've figured it out and that kind of took away from the story here.

Overall, this was a solid, middle of the road read and I'd rate it 3.5 out of 5 stars (rounded up to 4 stars on here). I'm eager to check out more of Rachel's work!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Rachel Hawkins has taken us for a wild ride once again. Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore, the heiress of the McTavish fortune in a small North Carolina town. This story is just as complicated and long as her name. Told through letters written by the heiress and in the POV of her adopted son, Camden and his wife, Jules. Lots of money and lots of betrayal. If you enjoy gothic slow burn mysteries with a lot of disturbing family drama then this one is for you.

Thanks, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for the Digital Review Copy. Pub Date: 9 Jan 24

This was my first novel from the very popular Hawkins, and I understand her appeal. THE HEIRESS was a twisty family drama with plenty of backstories, lies, betrayals, and backstabbing. I was engaged in the story and empathized with Ruby, Camden, and Jules, having received much more character development than I expected in 281 pages. It kept me turning the pages late into the night.

I wasn’t a big fan of the “the story’s over, now let me tell you some secrets you didn’t know” part, but it was efficient and enlightening. Maybe that’s how Hawkins gets so much story into so few pages.

Summary: “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.

But in the aftermath of her death, her adopted son, Camden, 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, his uncle’s death pulls Cam and Jules back into the family fold at Ashby House.”

The Heiress-standalone
By: Rachel Hawkins 1st time author for me
Setting: NC
Publication date : 1/9/24, read 1/3/24
Rating: 5/5 ⭐

✔️ Gothic mystery
✔️ Family drama
✔️ Adult Fiction
✔️ Wealthy
✔️ Inheritance
✔️Small town

⚠️ physical abuse, kidnapping, death of parents, alcoholism, murder

This is the story of Camden's return to his childhood home Ashby House after ten years. He's living in Colorado with his wife Jules teaching English. His cousin Benjamin emails him that Howell- his uncle and Ben's father- has died. Cam has avoided contact with his family, especially after his adoptive mother Ruby McTavish left him the family home and business profits over $100 million. When they arrive secrets and lies are revealed that could mean life or death.

The world building is awesome. Ashby House is an old gothic place with the ghosts of past indiscretions and sketchy characters. There is a scary forest Ruby got lost in as a child and dangerous cliffs. The book follows Cam and Jules in the present and Ruby in the past told by her handwritten letters before her death ten years prior. The family dynamic is interesting to say the least. It starts with lumber magnate Mason McTavish and his wife Anna-Ruby and younger sister Nelle's parents. Ruby marries 4 times and goes into detail about each of her husbands. She didn't have any biological children(that we know of), but she adopts Cam as a single mother. She and her sister Nelle are always at odds because their father doted on Ruby. Nelle marries and has a son Howell-Ben's father. Howell is an alcoholic who dies in a car accident, leaving his children Ben and Elizabeth/Libby.

The characters: Cam and Jules marriage is one of acceptance. Sure, they both have pretty shocking secrets that they do reveal to each other eventually, but it is love. Ben and Cam have been adversaries since they were children. Ben beat Cam up and left bruises on him. Libby is the youngest and dislikes Jules at their first meeting. Libby and Ben have a sorted past as well and would never be just cousins. Ruby and Cam mother/ son relationship was very twisted. Ruby didn't shower Cam with affection. With all her power and influence she tried to force Cam to take her money. She would put him in moral dilemmas to see if he was a good person worthy of her fortune. She kept him from getting jobs to support himself because he didn't want her money. Cam wanted nothing to do with the McTavish name, but Ruby got her way in the end.

My Thoughts: This was a story with suspense and mystery that read like a movie. From the family secrets, the backstabbing, and betrayal it kept me guessing. It made me question what I would do if I was in Cam's position. Getting all that money comes with so many problems, I doubt I could deal with it.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC💚! I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

I really loved this book! It unfolded like more of a classic mystery, which is definitely my kind of thriller. Add in an ultra rich family fueled by money, a gorgeous estate, and lots of secrecy, and this made for quite a fun mix. The premise, reveals, and resolution all worked really well for me!

I listened via audiobook and really enjoyed the narration change, quick chapters, and cast of audiobook narrators. All were easy to listen to and definitely brought these three main characters of Ruby, Jules, and Camden to life. While, I have only previously read Hawkin’s The Wife Upstairs, which I also loved, after this one, I’m realizing that she is quickly becoming an auto-read author for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martins Press for this gifted ebook!

Rachel Hawkins did it again! This is more of a suspensful read than a mystery and definitely not a "gothic" mystery as I was lead to think. There are very few gothic elements to it (for example, there is no haunting or horror or even pervading fear). It's more of a "family members plotting against each other" kind of read, set in a mansion in North Carolina, named Ashby House. Camden, the only heir to the Tavishes family fortune, has turned his back to all of it a decade ago when he fled to California to finish college. After meeting the love of his life he has started a new, modest, life as an English school teacher in Colorado with his wife Jules but now he is summoned back by his cousin Ben to "straighten things up" once and for all. Now that Ben's father is dead Ben and his sister Libby feel they should be the legitimate heirs because they come from the Tavishes bloodline while Camden is the adopted son of their grandmother's sister, the late heiress Ruby who had married four times in her lifetime without giving birth to a heir. All her husbands died in strange and violent circumstances and there are rumors that Ruby was the cause. Ruby always had a dark aura around her because she was the victim of a kidnapping when she was only three years old. She disappeared during a picnic in the woods sourranding Ashby House but she was found safe 8 months later in Alabama, after a ex worker confessed to her kidnapping. Jules kind of convinces Camden to accept Ben's invitation so they pack their car and head to Ashby House. A lot of things happen in the week that Camden and Jules spend there (as you can imagine): long-kept secrets are revealed, somebody dies and we learn that both Camden and Jules are harboring secrets of their own. If there is something that I really appreciate in this kind of entertaining read is when you can still root for someone while hell breaks loose and Camden and Jules were two characters to root for (in particulr Jules). I also thought the pacing was very well done and while the twists and turns weren't of the mind-blowing variety there wasn't a single dull moment in the entire book and it was perfectly plotted. This to me is entertainment at its best and I can't wait for Mrs. Hawkins next work. I only give out 5 stars when a book changes me but in its own genre this is close to a 5 stars. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced e-copy of The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins.

What it’s about:
Camden McTavish has spent the better part of his adult life trying to distance himself from his past, specifically his family. He and his wife, Jules, have a small rental home in Colorado and are perfectly happy leading a quiet life without the influence and strings attached to his adoptive family, the McTavishes of Tavistock, North Carolina. In fact, Camden has ignored any attempt the McTavishes have made to communicate with him regarding his sizeable inheritance from his deceased mother, Ruby. Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore is quite a legend in Appalachia, having been kidnapped as a small child and having buried four husbands prior to adopting Camden. Luckily, upon Ruby's death, Camden has been free of the McTavishes for almost ten years. However, when his uncle is involved in a fatal car crash, his cousin Ben emails him one last time to implore him to come "home." At Jules insistence, she and Camden head across the country to the infamous Ashby House to attempt to tie up any loose ends so Camden can be free of the McTavishes for good. Once they arrive, Camden immediately remembers the lure and the danger of the beautiful estate, which has fallen into disrepair since his mother's death. He remembers the secrets that this house hides, and as he and his wife become ensnared by its walls, Camden wonders how far-reaching the bond of family can be and if those ties can ever be broken.

What I loved:
I could not put this book down and read it in 24 hours! Hawkins kept me on the edge of my seat for the entire ride. The McTavishes are HORRIBLE people. These characters are so easy to loathe, and the mystery of how they fit together is intricate and well-developed. Camden is a truly likeable character, so it is easy to root for him in the whole mess. Ruby's past is revealed through a series of letters which make the end that much better! Hawkins has written a true thriller that will keep you up late into the night to see what is going to happen.

god i loved this book. my favorite of hawkins to date. the multiple POVs were so well done and i’m obsessed with ruby. that extra little twist at the end was everything!! highly recommend to people that love domestic dramas & rich people problems!

I was pretty bored by this from the beginning, if I'm honest. There wasn't a big twist and it wasn't very thrilling. The narrators also were not great. This author's books are very hit and miss for me and this one was on the miss side. Hope you have better luck!

The Heiress comes out next week on January 9, 2024 and you can purchase HERE.

There should be some kind of warning when your life is about to change forever.
I
don't need a siren or blood-red skies or anything, but I still think there should be just the littlest bit of ...I don't know, a frisson. A feeling under your skin and inside your bones when something fundamental shifts, when the ground underneath your feet grows suddenly unstable.

And you should definitely not be wearing a fucking bonnet when it happens.

But that's exactly what I'm wearing the September evening I come home and Camden drops the bomb that's the beginning and the ending of everything.

I have enjoyed everything I've read by Rachel Hawkins so far and this story is no exception. I stayed up late to finish it.
Ruby is a wealthy woman with a lot of intrigue around her. As a toddler she was kidnapped. She was missing for long enough that there was no hope left of finding her. Then miraculously the man who kidnapped her confesses and she is returned home.
From there she grows into a young woman and is a happy new bride on her honeymoon...except the honeymoon ends in tragedy when her groom is shot during a robbery of their Paris rental.
Ruby eventually remarried, she marries 3 more times in fact. Each husband leaving her a widow.
Now, her adoptive son, Camden and his wife Jules, are called back to the family home for a funeral. Camden ran from the house and money he inherited from Ruby..he knows the family is tainted.
Jules is harboring her own secrets. As the story unfolds Ruby's confession is revealed through letters she wrote. By the end of the week Camden and Jules' future will be completely changed.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the opportunity to enjoy this e-ARC.

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Great start for 2024. And perfect timing since this one’s pub date is on the 9th. This is my first book by Rachel Hawkins and now I’m eager to bump up the other one that I have on my TBR shelf (The Wife Upstairs).

This was a quick read with a slow burn. I felt like at times it was dragging a bit to get to the “good stuff” but it never lost my interest. As far as characters go, those McTavishes are really a messed up family. I didn’t really like any of them. 😂. I guess Camden was ok but there were parts in his story that kinda bugged me (but I can’t go into detail without spoilers. Let’s just say he knew more than one would assume but still chose the life that he did. So in a way he seemed just as messed up to me as the rest of the family…if you read the book, you’ll know what I’m talking about).

I think my favorite thing about this book was the way the author described the Ashby House. Her descriptions made you feel like you were right there as you were reading it.

The reason for knocking off one star was as I mentioned earlier, it was a slow burn. The letters from Ruby were a nice touch but seemed to drag at times. Overall I really did enjoy this one and I do recommend picking up a copy if you like mysteries with messed up family drama.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

To see other reviews I’ve left. Check out my Instagram and Goodreads pages:
*Instagram - bookworm_traveler808
*Goodreads - Cherihy808

A very convoluted plot that left me feeling very confused. My son’s name is Camden so I’m not sure if that’s what kept me from becoming fully immersed or if my brain just didn’t compute in general.

I guess I have a wicked sense of humor because I was thoroughly entertained by The Heiress. It was not really what I was expecting in the best kind of way. I love it when I can’t wait to get back to a book I am reading and this was one of those books.

Everything centers around Ashby House, a mansion in North Carolina, owned by a wealthy family. Ashby House is located in the small town of Tavistock, named after one of the McTavish ancestors.

Ruby has died, but she is the main character in the story. To say her life has been interesting would be an understatement. Kidnapped as a toddler, then returned home (supposedly), Ruby grows up to become a very controversial woman.

Ruby has been married four times, but never divorced. When she dies, her entire fortune is left to her adopted son. Naturally, the rest of Ruby’s family is not happy with the will. They feel that only a relation by blood should own Ashby House and the fortune that comes with it.

The book never lagged, moving at a steady pace until the ending, which caused me to wonder if Rachel Hawkins may have a sequel in mind.

This is a book that will inspire some juicy discussion for book clubs and I highly recommend it to readers who love a good family mystery.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to offer an honest review.

Would you be able to walk away from a nine-figure inheritance? Cam McTavish did ten years ago. Now, it's time to return and hash it out.
Rachel Hawkins put together a fast-paced read of the ugly motives in Ashby House. There's nothing like money and power to bring out the worst in family. But who's really family?

Thank you to NetGalley and author Rachel Hawkins for allowing me to review this work.
In her newest book Ms. Hawkins takes us into the world of the rich and famous…or should we say infamous. Tavistock North Carolina is a lumber town built by the McTavish family. On a Sunday in September, 1943 tragedy struck when three year old Ruby disappear, and then reappeared almost a year later..
Present day Golden Colorado, Cam McTavish receives an email from his cousin summoning him back to Tavistock and his family’s home Ashley House. With much trepidation Cam and his wife Jules Close up their Colorado lives and head East.
The story of Ruby and Cam is told in dual timeline. Following Ruby through her globe trotting and multiple marriages and how adopted Cam comes to Ashley House.
Woven through their stories we learn of the rest of the families jealousy and Jules’
chance appearance in Cam’s life.
Just when you think you’ve figured out how the story will go, there’s another twist. Full of danger, intrigue, and even death the reader makes their way from Ruby’s early adult life to Cam’s version of present day wondering what will happen next!

This was an easy book to read with an interesting plot but I can't say that I was thrilled with or interested in any of the characters or that I didn't see some of the twists coming. Camden, the adopted son of Ruby McTavish, a woman kidnapped as a child, after wanting nothing to do with his family or the money he inherited, is convinced by his wife and cousin, Ben, to return to the family home. It is through the point-of-view of Camden, his wife Jules, and Ruby's letters that the story progresses and we learn about this dysfunctional family. And what a family it is!

While I didn't wholeheartedly enjoy this book, I'm sure others will find it more to their liking. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.