The best Rachel Hawkins book to date in my opinion. Such a good twisty story with well-rounded characters and an interesting underlying mystery. Will hold your attention to the very end.

This was such a fun ride with a ruthless bunch of people! It was a bit reminiscent of "The Seven Hubands of Evelyn Hugo" meets "Knives Out". Ruby and Jules, by far, are my favorite characters! Sassy and take-no-bull from anyone. If you like rich family drama, lots of dirty little secrets, and murder, this book is definitely for you! I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes rich people gone bad. It will have you guessing until the end!

Absolutely loved this quick thriller! I did predict a few of the twists early in, but this kept me on my toes.

I tore through this book. Definitely couldn’t put it down. Rachel Hawkins has always been in my to read list and after this will continue to be

I love Rachel Hawkins and The Heiress didn’t disappoint! This gothic thriller was full of twists and turns and all the fun family drama that I love! Seriously could put it down!

I really enjoyed The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins. It was a fantastic twisty read that really surprised me. The characters were unique and not cookie cutter, which I find a lot in mysteries like this book. It was refreshing and I highly recommend it.

"Bloom where you're planted, people like to say, but they ignore the fact that planted is sometimes just a nice way of saying stuck, and I'd definitely fallen into that category."

While I own several Rachel Hawkins books, this was my first time actually reading her work, and I was not disappointed. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid meets Riley Sager's The Only One Left meets a sinister Little Orphan Annie in this brilliant new thriller. Told in two present perspectives––married couple Jules and Camden––as well as snippets of the past through letters, newspaper articles, and magazine features, Hawkins manages to supply the reader with multiple unreliable narrators, creating a story where every perspective is suspicious, yet each narrator likable and rooted for.

Synopsis:
Ruby McTavish was infamous. In her life she had been kidnapped, widowed four times, and died the richest woman in North Carolina. The eldest daughter of lumber tycoon Mason McTavish, Ruby inherited everything when he passed––including the gorgeous and secluded Ashby House, an estate hidden high in the Blue Ridge Mountains. And in her death, the entirety of her legacy, fortune, and estate were passed to her adopted son, Camden, completely bypassing Ruby's sister Nelle and her nieces and nephews.

Despite this fortune, Camden wants nothing to do with the McTavish name. Raised in a house where everyone but Ruby judged his presence and wished him gone, Camden escaped North Carolina as soon as he could, moving to California after Ruby's death. There he met his wife Jules, and the pair moved to Colorado, setting up a simple but pleasant life, never relying on the McTavish money or visiting the estate Cam grew up in. That is until his cousin Ben emails him begging Cam to come back and approve renovations and expenses for the house, an offer Jules desperately wants to accept.

As the pair settle into life back at Ashby House, long-held secrets from the past begin to emerge. We learn about Ruby's four husbands and her life pre-Camden in letters she wrote before she died, as well as newspaper and magazine articles from her life in the 50s and forward. We also learn about the way the McTavish's rule the town of Tavistock, controlling every element of the town's livelihood. But perhaps most sinister of all is the McTavish's left behind; Nelle, Ben, and Liz have relied on Ruby and now Camden their entire lives for housing and money, and with Cam back under the Ashby House roof, they may have their chance to take it all back.

Thoughts (Spoilers!):
I had a very fun time reading this book. I love when authors include storytelling elements outside the narrator's perspective, and Hawkins did a brilliant job of that with her letters and articles. Having those additional points of view made everyone in the house an unreliable narrator, as each perspective contradicted the other or caught the other in a lie, making it the reader's job to suss out who to trust. I also really enjoyed that how Hawkins made each narrator likable, even though you could tell they weren't telling the full truth. Even Ruby, a rich, old, white lady with a penchant for violence was charming in her own right, with quippy remarks and dry humor.

There were some parts of the plot that were predictable for veteran thriller readers like myself, but Hawkins still caught me by surprise with a few twists and turns that I thoroughly enjoyed. I love reading female mystery/thriller authors, as the genre is stereotypically dominated by men, and I can't wait to continue to read Hawkins' other books! She is definitely a new favorite, and I'm so excited to have a new mystery to recommend on January 9.

Rachel Hawkins is back with another incredible family drama. The Heiress has incredible pacing and just enough suspense to have you not wanting to put this down. If you're looking for Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo with more murder and thriller vibes, this is one to add to your list.

Ruby McTavish is the heiress to the McTavish family fortune. Her family has ruled the town of Tavistock, North Carolina, and she has a pretty dramatic life to show alongside her fortune: the survivor of a childhood kidnapping, a widow to four husbands who suffered tragic deaths, and remaining family members who would love to see her demise.

Her adopted son, Camden, has sworn off the McTavish family, moving across the country without looking back even when Ruby passes away. He is now the heir to the McTavish fortune and wants absolutely nothing to do with it, enjoying his easy life as an English teacher in Colorado. But when his cousin reaches out after the death of his uncle, and with some encouragement from his wife, he decides it's finally time to return and sort out the family estate once and for all.

This was one I simply could not put down. I haven't had a thriller like that in quite a while. I wouldn't even say I classify this as a thriller, but more of a suspense novel/contemporary fiction with some thriller elements. But regardless, I finished this in less than 24 hours because I was hooked in.

My one disappointment with this is I thought the way everything closed out was entirely too predictable. I didn't find myself really shocked by any of the "twists" because I had figured them out on my own. But this was so well written that even though I'd usually be bummed by this, I am giving it 4 stars regardless. Definitely worth picking this up on release!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Gothics are my reading jam and I am so happy that Rachel Hawkins obviously likes them too.

The Heiress is a combination between a Gothic and a family secrets story, which worked perfectly, Like The Only One Left by Riley Sager, The Heiress has a past/present element and a bunch of scheming characters in a rich family.

The Heiress will keep you guessing! I did figure out one aspect but it was a fun story, perfect for winter reading.


My full review of The Heiress will be published on Jen Ryland Reviews on January 9, 2024 and is linked below.

Cam McTavish and his wife, Jules return to his family homeplace in the mountains of North Carolina. Cam is the sole heir to Ashby Place and the fortune attached to it.; He hasn't been back home in ten years since the death of his adoptive mother, Ruby. Cam doesn't have many fond memories of growing up there as the rest of the family resents him and made it more than clear throughout his entire childhood.

Ruby survived four husbands and has a story all her own that is told in increments throughout the book. It's interspersed into the remaining storyline. This plot is clever and has twists in all the right places. This is probably my new favorite by this author. The setting is spectacular and she does a wonderful job and depicting a house on a mountain. Ms. Hawkins makes it beautiful but also deadly. It's all very ominous. And the character development is really well done on all counts. Each character is so fleshed out that you truly feel as if you can reach out and touch them.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The narration was excellent and made my reading and listening enjoyment even better. 5 stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC and Macmillan Audio for the early copy of the audiobook. I greatly enjoyed listening to the audio and being able to switch over and read the book as well.

An enormous estate in the Blue Ridge Mountains, a nine-figure inheritance, and a recently deceased heiress with an infamous past…

THE HEIRESS is a slow-burn filled with twists and secrets that continue to unfold. When I started reading this, I didn’t think I was going to like it. I want to be gripped right at the beginning of mystery/thrillers and that didn’t happen here. But the more I read, the more invested I became — making it difficult for me to stop.

I found myself looking forward to Ruby’s letters and the secrets she would reveal. I wasn’t sure who I could trust and the author kept me guessing for the majority of the book.

I have read all of Rachel Hawkins’ books and this is one of my favorites!

Rachel Hawkins does it again! I love her thrillers, and the Heiress might be one of my favorites. Reason #1: the pacing of the suspense and reveals was perfect. I got just enough information to keep intrigued without giving too much away too quickly. This book is a page turner, I could not put it down. Reason #2: I loved the characters, and they had a depth that can sometimes be lacking in such fast-paced thrillers. Reason #3: The twist! While I suspected, the way everything played out was so satisfying to me. Reason #4: The ending. Not much more can be said without spoiling it, but this is a must-read for those that love a good thriller/mystery. A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book for my honest review!

Most people have not heard of the tiny town of Tavistock, North Carolina. But if you were from these parts you most certainly knew the McTavish family. When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore passes away, her long lost son Camden returns after a decade of living his life withdrawn from the family drama. Ruby was North Carolina’s richest woman. She was famous for being kidnapped as a small child and later for being widowed four separate times. Her adopted son Camden is sole heir to her estate leaving some family members very unhappy. The clan resides in Ashby House, Ruby’s family estate - one that does not hold many good memories for Camden. When he was finally old enough Camden moved as far as possible to the west coast. He got married young and lives a quiet existence as a teacher in Colorado. His pretty wife Jules encourages him to return when the family begs for his intervention in repairing the crumbling estate and ironing out details that hold the fortune in his hands. Jules is a little too eager to meet this conniving bunch and she quickly appears in control of the twisted secrets that come to light with each passing day. Narrated by Cam, Jules and letters written by Ruby, this suspenseful thriller is simply unputdownable.

This book... what a way to start my 2024 reads!

This book follows multiple POVs: Ruby's letters, Camden, & Jules. I was a little confused at first about who is who (naturally) but it did NOT take long to get it sorted. Once I figured it out, I was hooked in for the ride. I've seen this one called a thriller, but I personally would say it is more of just suspense.

This book is fast paced, but in the best kind of way. I remember listening to the audio and thinking I was only a little ways on, only to check and see I was actually 44%! It was that good.

One thing I really enjoyed about this one is the sass and quips in Hawkins' writing. "Hugh was the saltines and tomato soup of men" LOL.

Overall, this one was fast, entertaining, and full of family drama! The characters are morally grey but not the most unlikeable. There is secrets, backstabbing, and multiple plot twists.

Thank you to @netgalley and @Stmartinspress for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to @macmillian.audio for a free download of the audiobook.

Rachel Hawkins wins again with another great suspense novel. This is a classic story of a rich family that has an entire estate left to only one family member, and the rest of the family isn’t happy. As expected, nothing is as it seems. Cam brings his wife Jules to the Ashby Estate to hash out the issues once and for all. But there’s death, there’s deceit, there’s twists and turns I never saw coming.

Grab a copy of the book or the audiobook. You won’t be disappointed! This is my favorite by @ladyhawkins

5 stars

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You need to read this book. The twists and turns it takes will consistently keep you guessing about who and who and what's going to happen to the will of an heiress. Hawkings channels some elements of Seven Husbands by leaving letters of previous lovers, while adding in some drama with different POVs throughout the book.
Everytime I put down this book, I couldn't wait to pick it back up again. It was very well paced, and although it wasn't the biggest "thriller" thriller per say, it will keep you thinking about it!

This may be one of the best Rachel Hawkins books I've read! I absolutely loved the black widow story of Ruby McTavish and the web of lies she and her family lived in. As the web of lies started to unravel through letters that Ruby had written before her death this book continued kept me guessing about Ruby's motivation and past until the very end.

If you liked the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo but was hoping it would be more twisty then this is the book for you!

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins is one of those dark, twisty thrillers that pulls you in within the first few pages and has you dying to know how it all ends. Camden McTavish, adopted son to the infamous Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore (that's the name you carry when all four of your husbands die under mysterious circumstances), became the sole heir to the McTavish fortune over a decade ago after Ruby's passing. But Cam, an English teacher in Colorado, doesn't want anything to do with the massive wealth, or with his remaining McTavish relatives. Upon the death of his uncle, Cam and wife Jules are summoned back to the grand Ashby house, the family's great estate, to reckon with twisted secrets, shocking revelations of violence, deception and malice, and a insatiable thirst for money, power and status. The writing of this story was well executed, and the characters were well developed-- I was thirsty for the ending (did not disappoint!) and devoured this story over only a couple of days.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC. I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a good book! This book had so much going but it was great. It kept my mind thinking about all the stuff. I love Rachel's work, I look forward to reading more from her in the future. It will keep you on your toes. What happened to all the husbands was what kept me going.

Though this is not a sequel in any way to The Villa, it was reading that book which made me so incredibly eager to pick up another work by Rachel Hawkins.

Within the pages of The Heiress, the reader is presented with multiple people and perspectives, though intriguing, did get a bit confusing at times. However, the story was riveting from start to finish. From the disappearance and reappearance of a young child, murder, mystery, marriages, and so much more. The web of intrigue Ms. Hawkins weaves keeps the reader on the edge of their seat and looking forward to the next revealed piece of information.

The McTavish family is rich and always gets their way. Ruby, the oldest daughter, is The Heiress and throughout these pages, we are presented letters to an anonymous recipient about all the tragedies and mysteries surrounding her life. Camden is Ruby’s only child. Though he is adopted, he is Ruby’s sole heir to the McTavish fortune, which he doesn’t want.

After Camden’s uncle passes away, he and his wife, Jules, are drawn out to the McTavish estate to settle some family drama and back into complicated questions about what really happened.