Great book, Hawkins is becoming my fave suspense author because she really does keep you guessing until the end. Twisty and turny all the way through.

Mini Book Review
The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

Tropes and Thoughts
Family trauma and drama
Dual timelines, multiple POV
Generational Wealth, power and privilege
Kidnapping and murder
History hidden in plain sight
Adoption
Nature vs Nurture
❓Is a sociopath born or made? Is it in their blood or a learned skill- behavioural tendencies born from the experiences that shape us as children

📚Felt like an episode of Dynasty (soap opera from the 80s) Highly entertaining and somewhat predictable with a few plot twists and turns to keep the story moving and the reader turning the page

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for my digital ARC in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins that I’ve read, and this will kick off my Rachel Hawkins era. A story told from news articles and letters will completely immersive in the McTavish family. Told from Ruby, the matriarch of the family, Cam, The estranged adopted son, and Jules, daughter-in-law. POVs the tale of confession spirals out of control.

This was an engrossing story of secrets that kept me guessing. You don’t know what to think and to be honest you don’t know if you’ll actually like these characters, but you must know more. I’m still shocked and questioning the whole story which to me makes it fantastic. I highly recommend.

I've read most of Rachel Hawkins offerings, and some I've really enjoyed, and some a little less so. The Heiress was one that I really did enjoy reading, and I felt like it was creative and kept me on my toes. I loved that little tidbits were put out there to keep you guessing with the big reveal at the end. This kept me engaged and enjoying the book through to the end. I would definitely recommend this book to others who enjoy the psychological thriller/ domestic thriller types. But really.... this is a book for anyone who likes to read books.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins is a suspense novel that follows Camden, the adopted son of a notorious and wealthy heiress, Ruby McTavish, who inherits her estate and fortune after her death. When he returns to Ashby House with his wife Jules, he discovers that his family's secrets are darker and deeper than he imagined.

The book has many pros, such as the interesting characters, the epistolary letter chapters that reveal Ruby's past, and the tense atmosphere that keeps you on edge. The author does a great job of creating a complex and intriguing plot that explores themes of identity, inheritance, and family. The writing is engaging and captivating, with a touch of humour and sarcasm.

The only con I can think of is that I figured out the twist a little early, but that did not diminish my enjoyment of the book. I still wanted to know how everything would unfold and what consequences the characters would face. The ending was satisfying and surprising, with a few loose ends that left me wondering.

I would recommend this book for those who like contemporary mysteries, gothic thrillers, and family dramas. It is a fast-paced and entertaining read that will keep you interested until the last page.

This was an ARC review for NetGalley.

Rachel Hawkins has delivered a compelling start to my 2024 reads!

The uber wealthy McTavish family has controlled their namesake town Tavistock, NC, for decades, and none has played a more prominent role in that than Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore. Her notoriety began early with her kidnapping and eventual return at age three and later with a succession of four very “unlucky” dead husbands!

When Ruby dies unexpectedly, her adopted son Camden is summoned by his nephew, Ben, to come help with the upkeep of the McTavish family estate, Ashby House. If Cam had his say, he’d never go back there. His aunt Nelle, Ben and niece Libby certainly don’t want him there. In their minds, he’s not a REAL McTavish, and now that Ruby has left the entire estate and fortune to him, his presence is just salt in their wounds.

What happens when Cam and his wife Jules return to Ashby house and the ghosts of Ruby’s past? Let’s just say that Ruby isn’t the only one with skeletons in her closet. The secrets and lies are as plentiful as Rachel Hawkins’ use of colorful language! Nah, she wins on that count. I’d hate to see her swear jar at home. ANYWAYS … secrets can be costly!

The story is relayed in alternating chapters by Cam, Jules and letters Ruby wrote before her passing in which she’s speaking to an unknown listener. Interjected are occasional newspaper accounts of Ruby’s kidnapping and her marriages. It showcases a twisty, turny plot with humor, snark, and some great soapy drama! I loved all the characters … even the rotten ones.

I highly recommend it!

★★★★ ½

I've enjoyed each of Rachel Hawkins's thrillers so far, and The Heiress continues to cement her place in my list of auto-read authors. It's a well-crafted tale, full of twists and turns but never passing into the realm of implausibility. It's also full of deliciously terrible people, some of whom you love to hate, and some whom you root for despite yourself. There are shades of Evelyn Hugo in the titular heiress (one of the many deliciously terrible characters), but it's Evelyn Hugo in a gothic milieu and, you know...with a bit more murder. (Quite a bit.)

A highly enjoyable thriller from start to finish!

Thanks to the publisher for the advance review copy.

Wow! This was a riveting story about a wealthy family in North Carolina that is full of lies, deceit, murder and mystery. Camden and his wife Jules return to the family home in the mountains after an uncle dies and a ten year absence. Camden is the adopted son of Ruby the family matriarch. Slowly we learn the secrets of the family through letters and candid revelations by the characters. Camden's mother Ruby is at the heart of many of these secrets. What an interesting character! The author reveals the secrets with perfect timing to give us the shocking truth. I was surprised and quite delighted by the ending. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

I have read several books by Rachel Hawkins and this is my second favorite, after The Wife Upstairs. This story is told in alternating chapters by Camden McTavish and his wife, mixed in with letters written by Camden's mother who is now deceased. There are also a few emails and newspaper articles as well that move the plot along and provide the backstory for some of the events in the book in an interesting way.

Camden is the heir to the McTavish fortune and a mansion in North Carolina but has turned his back on his inheritance. A letter from his estranged cousin, along with encouragement from Camden's wife Jules, lures him back to Ashby House to oversee some much-needed repairs. However, things are not that simple. It seems nobody in the McTavish family is being truthful, and it's just a matter of time before some explosive secrets come out.

The characters in this book are unique. There is more to Camden and Jules than first meets the eye, and I especially like the way Jules isn't afraid to stand up for herself against Camden's relatives. However, Camden's late mother Ruby stands out the most even though we only get to know her through her letters. Ruby had been abducted as a toddler and grew up to marry four different times, with each husband dying under unusual circumstances. The past comes back to influence the present in this twisty thriller. There are so many twists and turns in this suspenseful novel that not much more can be said without spoiling the plot, but I can say the book will keep your interest from the beginning to the very end. 4.25 stars

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

I loved the multiple POVs of this book mixed in with newspaper clippings and letters - I found that to be a very compelling way to tell this story and a great way to sort of piece things together. However, one of my main problems with this book is that each character didn't really feel like they had their own voice -- they all made the same comments about swearing too much and they all addressed the readers in the same exact way.

I also found this book to be predictable, although I wouldn't necessarily say that's a bad thing. I guessed from miles away most of the plot twists, but I saw those as exciting predictions rather than boring. But when I was guessing every. single. twist, that got to be a little too much for me.

However, the story itself and the writing itself was very compelling, and I felt like I was part of the story the whole time I was reading.

This was a perfect first book to start the year with.

I’ve enjoyed other books Rachel Hawkins has written and this one didn’t disappoint either. A twisty, turny story that kept you guessing and surprised. An interesting storyline to keep you pulled into the story and made you not want to put the book down.

I’ll definitely recommend this to others.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I found this book riveting and hard to put down! Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore was a legend. Not only was she kidnapped as a young child and returned to her wealthy parents almost a year later, but every one of her 5 husbands met untimely ends. After Ruby died ten years ago, her adopted son and heir, Cameron, left home and never looked back, until his cousin writes to tell him that the family home, which is Cam’s responsibility, desperately needs his attention. Cam and his wife Jules make the long drive from Colorado to N.C., and Jules seems intent on convincing Cam to stay. Everyone has secrets, each deftly revealed in time. Wonderfully paced, interesting and three-dimensional characters, surprises and twists a-plenty.

Rachel Hawkins is an auto-buy author from me and I was very excited to be approved for this ARC. Thank you Netgalley.

While the premise was interesting and I was invested in the storyline, it was a bit predictable. I was not taken by surprise with any of the twists that happened.

Thanks to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book which will be published on January 9, 2023.

This book is very fast paced. I read most of it in one sitting. I enjoyed the Southern setting and the different narrators. I definitely recommend it!

This book was a little slow at the beginning but it picked up at the 1/2 way part. This story was about a family saga. It was very interesting story.

It was a great read and it involves family. So if you want to find out more you will have to find out by yourself.

Thank you net gallery for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review. I have read and enjoyed Rachel Hawkins's books in the past, but The Heiress might be my new favorite. While this was a slow-burn mystery (which I usually do not enjoy), I felt like there was a thrill that kept me reading the entire time.

The book follows Ruby McTavish, who was kidnapped as a child and later in life grew into the richest woman in North Carolina. She has recently died and left the estate to Cam, her adopted son. Cam reluctantly flies back to the McTavish property with his wife Jules to claim his inheritance. There they are met with family turmoil and internal secrets galore.

I enjoyed all the characters in the book and the twist caught me by surprise. I found myself reading faster to get to Ruby's point of view. While Jules and Cam's narrative wasn't boring, Ruby's felt most compelling and where most of the key information came from. I would highly recommend this book to any mystery lover.

WOW! What a way to kick off the new year. The Heiress was so so good it got me right out of my reading rut. The twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat and the suspense had me FLYING through this book.

While reading The Heiress, I kept texting my bookish besties telling them that this reminded me of a more sinister version of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Ruby McTavish, the matriarch of the family reminded me so much of Evelyn Hugo.

The story is told in multiple POVs (Camden & Jules) and different formats (News articles & letters from the past). This format added so much mystery and suspense to the story. Each character added to the story and honestly you just don’t know how the heck to believe. I don’t know how to review this book without dropping spoilers because it truly was such a complex story that it deserves a complex review so I’m just going to keep adding to the mystery myself lol.

Read if you like:
Rich Family Drama
Morally Grey Characters
Short Chapters
Secrets, Secrets & More Secrets
Husband & Wife POV.

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin’s press for the eARC!
3.5/5⭐️

This author has been kind of hit or miss for me so I wasn’t sure what to expect going in. Not my favorite of hers but I definitely enjoyed it! I loved the letters from Ruby (very Evelyn Hugo). The setting was amazing (think creepy old gothic mansion) & the many different plot points were super intriguing. The most interesting parts to me weren’t really the sections about her husbands but about her childhood. The characters & letters were intriguing enough that I finished the book in 3 sittings so I consider that a plus! It was a very slow start for me & took a little bit for the action to really get started, and even then, I don’t consider this a true thriller. There weren’t any crazy plot twists or surprises, but lots of mysteries & suspense. This book falls in the middle of the pack of the books I’ve read by this author. If you enjoy family drama & slow burn mysteries then I think you would really enjoy this one!

This book was my first read by Rachel Hawkins, but it definitely won’t be my last (I actually already own all her other books but haven’t gotten around to them yet 🙈)! This book is full of people who are full of secrets, and I was so interested to know what was going on! There were several plot twists I did not see coming, and I loved the open ending. I still have several questions I want answers to, which I always like in a thriller, as it leaves room for me to figure out how I want it to end. Definitely a fun, suspenseful read!

What an incredibly addictive and darkly twisted gothic mystery thriller. It kept me completely engrossed and flipping the pages until the very end!!

When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, her adopted son, Camden, inherits her family mansion and nine-figure fortune. Surprisingly, he wants nothing to do with the house or the money and flees to start his life over in Colorado. Ten years later, he receives an email from his cousin stating his uncle has passed away and that he should come home to Ashby house.

Camden McTavish seems like just a normal guy who works as an English teacher and is happily married to his wife Jules. Cam knows if he were to go back to North Carolina, that dark hidden secrets are going to quickly come to light. The last thing that Cam want to do is what he and Jules do next. Pack their bags and head to North Carolina. Now the ride begins!!!

The Heiress was a fast paced and entertaining read, and, in my opinion, I think this is my favorite book from this Rachel Hawkins. This family drama is full of morally grey (My favorite color) characters who are full of secrets and backstabbing behaviors. The ending is filled with multiple plot twists that kept me on the edge of my seat. I enjoyed this one and would recommend it.