DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and the author for this ARC to read and review!

Oh boy ya’ll … Rachel Hawkins has given us another unputdownable book! Fast paced, twisty, dramatic and super addictive, this clever little read has everything you could want from a thriller! It grabs ya from page one and will not let go until you find out all the things! Masterfully written with the perfect level of mystery and suspense about a greedy and toxic family that you will love to hate! UGH! Absolutely recommend!

Well this one was gripping, gothic, opulent and creepy, the type of slow burn thriller that kept me flipping through the pages as quickly as possible. It’s probably my favorite from Rachel Hawkins yet. It’s an atmospheric generational saga thriller that is character driven by the McTavish family and those who they use around them.

I really enjoyed the multi narrator framing of this one, something I don’t always enjoy in thrillers. Particularly enjoyed the letters from Ruby McTavish, who seemed to be the puppet master for most of the book.

I wouldn’t say this was a heart pounding thriller, as there wasn’t a clear antagonist creating havoc in the novel. It was filled with slow reveals and a tangled web that felt great to unravel. I felt satisfied at the end that the mysteries were all closed out. Overall a great read to ring in the new year.

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Rachel Hawkins for the ARC.

I have really been digging Rachel Hawkin's writing lately. I loved The Villa and all it's Helter Skelter vibes. Then came Reckless Girls, the quintessential beach read for thriller readers. And now, The Heiress, where Hawkins artfully weaves stories of dark past with an even more terrifying present-day.

There's a lot of history and complicated family relationships in the home that Cam grew up in, and although Jules and Cam have been together for ten years, she has never before visited the house, or met Cam's family. They've settled into a very average life, but even if Cam is willing to leave his past behind, Jules knows that an inheritance could be a real game changer for them. It makes sense for them to travel to Cam's childhood home to figure out the inheritance after the death of his uncle.

As the family reunion gets underway, there are lots of secrets that are revealed, and everyone has a different idea of who should get the inheritance.

The Heiress is a wonderful, sweeping tale that reveals secrets into the lives of 3 generations of McTavishes. It's a must read. Special thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced e-galley of the book in exchange for my honest review. This one is out now!

👑 The Heiress 👑

Plot twist after plot twist in this book! Rachel did an amazing job of keeping pacing, while adding in multiple layers of storyline. While I could guess some plot points, I couldn’t guess them all, and it didn’t detract from the story for me.

Ruby certainly is quite the puppet master, isn’t she? But Cam isn’t so malleable himself. You get to know them and the rest of this intense family throughout the book, and I’m not sure there is an entirely likable character in the whole thing, but somehow that makes it even better.

It kept me engaged, was well thought-out, and twisted in the best ways.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. This was such a wild ride. Loved the engaging writing style, the twists and this book also gave me Evelyn Hugo vibes. I hadn’t predicted any of the twists so I really enjoyed reading this book!

The Heiress delivered a propulsive, fast paced, and twisted thriller featuring a truly devious family. There are lots of twists and surprises here -- almost too many to be believable, but still it was an entertaining story to start the new year. Very satisfying read as always from Rachel Hawkins!

This story revolves around a rich family and the fight over the estate. When we join them, Cam has been living away from them for a long time. He is the sole inheritor after his adopted mother, Ruby passes. The blood descendants of the family feel as if the estate should be theirs and for the most part, Cam just lets them run things. He is forced back following his uncle's death bringing his wife with him for the first time. There he must reckon with the truths of the family and decide whether he will be pulled into the incessant drama or give in to the madness.

I liked the structure of the story with letters from Ruby and newspaper clippings interspersed with the present day story. You know something is not right all along but the author does a good job of making you suspicious of everyone. The ending definitely surprised me and left me shaking my head. I liked that. 

The last few Hawkins books were good and fast paced but a little implausible, this is definitely my favorite of hers so far.

Thanks to St Martins Press for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.

Great book! Lots of twists and turns throughout the book. Reminded me of a mix between the “Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” and “Gone Girl”.

3.5 stars
This was fast paced and easy to read (love short chapters in a mystery!) which was a bonus. I liked the mix of storytelling - dual POV, letters, newspaper articles, and the plot was interesting. The things that were meant to be “bombshells” didn’t feel that exciting. I kept waiting for a big twist that never seemed to come. Not the most thrilling thriller I’ve ever read, but bonus points for the quick pace and readability of it.

This book is a bit slow getting started. I recommend that you continue because this book gets more interesting, twisty and horrifying as you get into the story. The storytelling may also be a bit confusing. Sometimes the story is being told by Ruby, the woman who disappeared as a child, and who, when reunited with her fabulously wealthy family, experiences disfunction and tragedy. Her story is mainly told through letters. The story is also told by Cameron, her adopted son, who has escaped the web of dysfunction to live as a "normal" person. The third point of view is that of Cam's wife, Jules. And sometimes there are news articles that fill in different parts of the story.

I found the book to be a great read, although it does take a bit of concentration to keep everything straight. However, once I got to the 1 1/2 hours left point in the book, I found it impossible to put down. I recommend this book to people who love stories about dysfunctional wealthy, powerful families, but that also takes the reader through a gauntlet of twists, turns, and surprises.

After reading the Villa and this book, I can confidently say that Rachel Hawkins books are now insta-buys for me. I really enjoy her writing and her storytelling.

This is just exactly my kind of thriller book. I could safely read it at night without getting too creeped out, but it still had me on the edge of my seat. There was enough going on, but it wasn’t over the top twisty or creepy.

With all the characters seemingly so sinister and self invested, I really didn’t know what way it was going to go. The journal entries and POV changes were done in a way that unraveled the story well while letting you get to know the three different characters.

The setting was really cool, and explained vividly. It really made the story I think, because it set such a dark, haunted, old money corruption scene.

Make sure to read the epilogue! It is not a skip, but rather a nice shiny (necessary) bow on the story.

I received this book as an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you Rachel Hawkins and St. Martins Press!

This book was pretty faced paced and did keep me guessing. I wouldnt go into it thinking it’s a thriller,it’s more of a family drama with secrets and murder, which I’m always a fan of. I enjoyed the blending of past and present.

One of the criticisms I have of this book is that hikers going missing was heavily teased, but it was dropped and never explored. I feel like that was an odd choice. I do feel like some other plot details needed fleshed out a bit more, as well.

Overall, an enjoyable and readable dysfunctional family suspense. (3.5 ⭐️ rounded up)

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the copy of this book.

Another great story by Rachel Hawkins! Ruby is an heiress to a fortune and sprawling estate. Her younger sister is not and her son and grandchildren are none too happy with the situation. Especially when Ruby adopts a son! This story has LOTS of twists and turns that kept me interested from start to finish.

Ruby was famous due to her rich family, being kidnapped as a child and her many husbands.

This is the story of the ultra rich McTavish family.

Heir Camden must return home to sort out the financial mess even though her turned his back on the family and the inheritance long ago.

I enjoyed Ruby's part of the story the most. This is told via letters throughout the book.

The rest of the family I could live without. Let's just say I'm glad to not be related to any of these people.

Great family drama.

Thanks to netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc.

Daggum this book is WILD. So many twists. So much insanity. I don't usually like rich family drama, but this one sucked me in hard with all the dead bodies. Flew through it in one day.

Omggodness, this was so good. This is my first Rachel Hawkins, and it's definitely not my last!

I was reminded of the Seven Husband's of Evelyn Hugo while reading with the style - how Ruby was telling her version of the story (and the Cecilia name also brought me to think of it). It was a great mystery, with a lot of information but written in a way that it was not hard to keep up at all!

I thoroughly enjoyed all the characters; whether it was someone you were pushed to love, or the kind you love to hate. I personally am both a "Ruby McTavish" & Jules fan, two women who made things happen.

The timing of the suspense was perfect and all engrossing. I read this in a day, so it's definitely a fast-paced page turner.

Thank you so much to NetGalley & St Martin Press for an eARC; I will be buying a hard copy for my collection on January 9!

We all have dysfunction in our family, right? Well, this book may have taken family dysfunction to a whole new level.

Ruby McTavish's life is a true roller coaster ride - she is kidnapped at three years of age by a family who lost their child, but it eventually reunited with her original family. Her life is a whirlwind of adventures and includes four marriages - all that end in the suspicious death of her husband. She also has an adopted son, Cam, who has left home and wants nothing to do with his mother or her family.

Upon Ruby's death, Cam stands to inherit all of Ruby's vast fortune but wants nothing to do with it. Despite the estrangement from the family and Ruby's fortune, Cam does opt to return to McTavish estate, known as Ashby House, to settle matters with the estate. During the visit to Ashby House, we are introduced to the various relatives who add twists and turns to the story by sharing their secrets.

You might want to grab a large glass of wine to accompany your reading to prepare you for all of the shocking information shared by the characters during this story. Just when you think you can't be shocked anymore, you just need to turn the page.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

#TheHeiress #RachelHawkins

Fans of Hawkins' The Villa will not be disappointed by The Heiress, a juicy, gothic tale of the richer than rich McTavish clan of North Carolina. Roots going way back, a famous estate and a notorious kidnapping in the 1940s define the family. In the current day, prodigal son Camden is returning from California with his loving wife Jules to North Carolina to face the family.

Everybody's hiding something (of course they are) and the tale is conveyed with newspaper articles, letters, and the alternating perspectives of Camden and Jules. It's a devious little tale, with all the scandal and mystery you could want in a twisty suspense novel. Hawkins even brings in at least one reference to The Villa, wink wink.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. The Heiress will be published early January 2024.

TW: DV
I really enjoyed this family drama about a bunch of rich people trying to figure out who was inheriting Ashby House and their fortune. The author kept me interested because there was a bunch of different things going on- present day, previous letters from Ruby, and the backstory about Ruby being kidnapped as a child. This book is definitely suspenseful!
This book kinda gave me Evelyn Hugo vibes when Ruby was talking about her 4 previous husbands. I liked having the letters throughout, as well as news articles, to break up the story.
I did figure out the one character's alternate identity, which was a bit of a bummer because I think it was meant to be a bigger plot twist. It was still a very good read though, and there were still other shocking parts.

Thanks so much NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC!