My current favorite by this author! Ruby’s letters were my favorite part - I loved how they revealed just a little bit more with every letter. With four dead husbands, Ruby was quite the character and had a lot of secrets to spill!

I found Camden and Jules to be likable characters, while Camden’s family… well, who could blame him for leaving and not wanting to come back. Quite the reunion when they returned to Ashby House. There is always tension when money is involved.

A slow burn, but speeds up at the end with twists that twist!

I listened on audio - great narration with a cast narrators which made following along enjoyable and easy.

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 Macmillan Audio & NetGalley for my ARCs.

Another messy-rich-people drama book. I think I would enjoy these more if they weren't marketed as thrillers, because they definitely are not. These are domestic dramas with a very minimal mystery aspect.
Overall this was an enjoyable read, but not one I'll be thinking about in a few days (or even hours).
The cover, though? CHEF'S KISS. The best part of Rachel Hawkins' books are the covers.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

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

This book has a lot going on. It is quite the page turner. The story is told by three main characters. Each character has secrets. I could not get the book out of my head and stayed up too late. There is a long of profanity if that bothers you.

Rachel Hawkins fourth thriller is maybe my favorite from her yet, despite not being the most unique of her recent releases. This book heavily leans into the genre tropes of a thriller surrounding a rich family - suspicious death of a matriarch, a prodigal son coming home after years away from the family, squabbling over an enormous inheritance. There’s nothing new here, really. But it’s hard to make rich people acting up unfun.

Everything about this thriller feels expected, not predictable exactly, but the way the plot twists unfolded left me with a perpetual feeling of “Oh, I guess that makes sense.” The prose is as straightforward as the plot which makes this very digestible, if not memorable. That’s not to say I wasn’t entertained though - and I particularly liked that this book centered a couple with dual POV’s, as well as a third portrayed in letters.

There’s so many thrillers about couples in tumultuous relationships, and it’s usually one part of the pair being of dubious morality while the other is hiding a secret. I like that the author committed to both halves of the couple here being not great people. And they recognize this about each other on some level and still choose each other. It’s not a standard for a great relationship, but it makes for an interesting dynamic.

While this wasn’t as outlandish as Rachel Hawkins other thrillers, I think I prefer this kind of kitschy drama from her that still has consequences for its cast of morally gray characters.

Thank you to the publisher Macmillan Audio for providing an audiobook ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

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.

Performed by a multi-cast. All narrators performed their parts well. The narrator for Ruby was especially engaging and fitting for the character’s personality. Overall, the audio production was good.

Wow what a fun and engaging read! I loved all the narrators and the amount of times my mouth dropped open or went "wait, what?!" was insane. Murder, lies, mysteries, what else could you ask for? I loved learning about Ruby through her letters!


Thanks to the Rachel Hawkins, St Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ARC and audio copy. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review

Ruby McTavish is larger than life, known as the richest woman in North Carolina whose been widowed four times over. Though she's most famously known for surviving a kidnapping as a child. The glamorous, eccentric Ruby rules the town of Tavistock from Ashby House, her family’s Blue Ridge Mountains estate. Never having children of her own, Ruby adopts Camden, intent on leaving her fortune to someone deserving. But following Ruby's death a decade prior, Camden wants nothing to do with his inheritance, Ashby House, or the rest of the McTavish clan. Instead, he settles into a simple life in Colorado, working as an school teacher, marrying Jules, a kindred spirit also escaping a messy past. When circumstances in their lives lead them back to Ashby House. Ruby's legacy is alive as ever, and Camden and Jules come face to face with the truth of the past.

Whewww what a wild ride! This twisty, propulsive gothic thriller was so much fun! I love the dual timeline and multiple perspectives, especially Ruby's via her letters. This added a historical fiction vibe, rich in the atmosphere of another time. This was incredibly smart and thoughtfully written, with every "I" dotted and "t" crossed. The mood was ominous and I couldn't read fast enough. Just brilliant!!! Rachel Hawkins' best work yet!

The highlight here for me was the full cast audiobook. I had the eARC and the audiobook, but chose audio for almost the whole thing because the fantastic team of narrators (Dan Bittner; Eliza Foss; John Pirhalla; Patti Murin) really delivered. It was like a movie in my ears. Just perfection from start to finish. Well done team!!!! 🙌🏼

Thank you Macmillan Audio for my gifted copy.

The real turns of this Hawkins’ novel come at the end. While I thought I knew what the expected outcome of this book would be, what I got was much different than first assumed. The beginning of the book; however, was quite slow. I didn’t find any engaging early twists that left me dying to find out the ending. I am glad that I did stick it out though, as the last 10 percent became much more quick paced, dark, and twisty. The narration of this audiobook was spot on. The changes between points of view was done expertly and all of the different narrators brought something unique to the table. Accents were on point and Ruby’s voice, particularly, was expertly delivered.

Colleen Chi-Girl's reviewJan 06, 2024
4 BIG STARS ****
GR Bookshelves: colorado, carolinas-n-s, contemporary, audio, crime-mysteries, house-n-home, thrillers, 2024, netgalley, us-no-america

I began this interesting thriller on Jan. 2, 2024, via audiobook. It has so many twists and turns and subplots that I was kept guessing, wondering, thinking I had it figured out, only to find something new and different.

The narrators were all pros and I love a full cast that delivers: Patti Murin, Eliza Foss, John Pirhalla, and Dan Bittner. This is my 2nd novel by Rachel Hawkins novel and I will def. check the rest of her books. This novel had a group of not-so-nice-characters in a super-wealthy family that you love to hate. You know they all are schemers and have secrets they're not sharing....and that's the fun part! I enjoyed Hawkin's writing style with snarkiness, humor, suspense, and an outrageous main character, Ruby McTavish. Highly recommend this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC opportunity, as well as Rachel Hawkins, and the publisher, Macmillan Audio!

Here's part of the publisher's blurb:
"Ruby McTavish is 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. In the aftermath of her death, that estate—along with a nine-figure fortune and the complicated legacy of being a McTavish—pass to her adopted son, Camden.

But to everyone’s surprise, Cam 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."

I have all of Rachel Hawkins books, but for some strange reason have only read one other one before this—I’m not sure why as I’ve loved, now both that I’ve read.

The Heiress has a great plot premise—is told in a current timeline with flashback epistolary/news articles and it works really well

The multiple parts were thoroughly fleshed out, the narrators were perfectly cast in their roles and made this a great escape.

Wow!! Where to begin with this one??

Southern charm? Kind of…the area seems beautiful, small town-y, and the neighborhood kind of close knit…

Uber wealthy? Absolutely! And the main characters know this all to well and are snobbish to boot!

Family drama and conniving as to who gets all the money! Yep! We’ve got that too!

Early childhood kidnapping? Hmmm…yes!

Multiple husbands to a wealthy widow? Yup!

The story revolves around The McTavish Family. Mainly, Ruby, who died several years ago. We hear her POV through many letters she’s written to her adopted son, Camden, who is set to inherit the entire fortune. This of course is a huge problem, as he does NOT even have the bloodline of the family! 😮
And, there are many remaining who DO have a blood connection…
Then there are other letters from Ruby that are written, but we do not know who she’s written them to…

Camden (Cam) gets called back to the family after an uncle dies and he’s needed to sort out some things. HE’s NOT GOING! He hasn’t been back since his Mom died. But, Jules (his wife), talks some sense into him and he agrees to go back. She wants to see the house, and has some plans of her own…

Once there, Jules falls in love with the place. BUT, she also gets to meet his family. One is crazier (and nastier) than the next! It seems they will stop at nothing to get whatever they want!

And so it goes…

If you are like me, you won’t really care for any of the characters.
But, you also won’t be able to stop reading!!!

It bounces back and forth between now, and when Ruby was a baby, and then a young woman…and then when she adopts Cam.
Then, through her letters we learn about each of her many husband’s …and you will feel bad for her…a little…
We watch her ‘grow up’, and we see Cam do the same. But, as he gets older, he realizes that the only way he can escape the family ( and all their money and shenanigans)is by moving away…far, far away…

This one has twist after twist after twist. You may see one or two coming, but for the most part my mouth was hanging open!!

And in the end, wow!!!

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for an ARC of the audiobook which releases on 1/9/24.

#TheHeiress by#RachelHawkins and beautifully narrated by multiple voices!

Check out all my upcoming reviews and pre-views on Goodreads, IG @ #BookReviews_with_emsr or FB @ Book Reviews With Elaine Bookclub, my new venture!

Happy Reading!! 📚📖

This was my first book by Rachel Hawkins and I really enjoyed it! It gave me sinister Evelyn Hugo vibes. The narration for each POV were all very well done and really added to the story. My absolute favorite part was listening to Ruby’s letters. She had one hell of a life and I couldn’t get enough! I thought the twists were expertly placed and didn’t feel overwhelming. Overall I really enjoyed this one and will be checking out more by this author. (I gave this 4 stars because it took a bit for me to feel truly engaged with the story but once it picked up, I was hooked.)

I was intrigued by the premise of Rachel Hawkins' The Heiress. Ruby McTavish, daughter of the richest family in North Carolina, is kidnapped and eventually found in another state. She's returned to her family, but there are whispered questions about her true identity.

Decades later, Ruby, now notorious for being the widow of four husbands, dies with her adopted son Cameron being the sole heir of the McTavish fortune. But the rest of Ruby's estranged family is determined to prove she wasn't a real McTavish at all.

The book is told from three points of view and includes letters and newspaper articles which I liked. There are some clever bits but nothing that really blew my mind. While it probably won't stand out as being memorable at the end of the year, it was a quick, entertaining listen and just the right kind of thing for my daily walks and doing chores around the house.

I appreciate NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for providing me with an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for a review.

4.5 stars, I really liked this story; especially Ruby.

Would recommend if you love:
-multi POV
-atmospheric & creepy setting
-dysfunctional family
-lots of secrets and good twists

Ruby's letters were my favorite perspectove of this story. She seems like a lot of fun and someone you'd want to stay on her good side lol. The remaining POV are husband Cam and wife Jules, as well as media stories. I loved the use of mixed media to tell the story. All the McTavish family members are terrible in their own ways, I found some indistinguishable from the others in terms of what they added to the story though. I love when a story gives a good balance of breadcrumbs and good twists, this story did that really well. We certainly know there are questions and I certainly about lots of the characters but there were twists that surprised me.

The narrators were all great, they read with good inflection, emotions, and differentiation between voices. Loved them.

Whew! I needed some time to process after finishing this one — it was so well done!

When I saw that The Heiress had four narrators I wasn’t sure what to think. It seemed like a lot. But Dan Bittner, Eliza Foss, John Pirhalla, and Patti Murin did an amazing job and you could really get a feel for that particular character’s POV.

My favourite chapters were Ruby’s POV. I could have read a book of only her letters. I just wanted to learn more about her life and her story. She is Evelyn Hugo… if Evelyn Hugo had a penchant for de@th rather than divorce.

There were several moments where I thought I had guessed where things were going, but then another character would unburden themselves with a confession and I was back to guessing.

This was my first thriller read from Rachel Hawkins and it will not be my last! I’m so excited to read back through her catalogue and will recommend The Heiress to all the thriller lovers in my life.

Thank you to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio and Rachel Hawkins for an advance copy. These are my honest thoughts.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins tells the twisted story of a complex rich family and their inheritance drama set in North Carolina.

Matriarch Ruby was kidnapped as a child; and there is an early hint that the child returned might be a changeling; she's married three time, and three times her husband dying young. and suspiciously. She tells her story in a series of revealing letters. That tidbit, which isn't really a spoiler, since it's all revealed early on.

Most of the plot is around adult son Camden who wants nothing to do with his powerful and rotten family, and his wife Jules who, rationally, does think having an estate and loads of money and power sounds not so bad. Staff and extended family and their longtime memories (and simmering resentments) move things forward into how everything plays out.

This is a mystery with thriller elements. Given it's set in an bizarre giant estate, has lots of death and action and dramatic moments, and is dominated by a giant painting of Ruby --- man do I wish this book had leaned into the Southern Gothic style. But it's more standard domestic suspense. Just really, really unrealistic and fast paced domestic suspense (as compared to this author's earlier book, The Wife Upstairs, which is a bit of a classic in the domestic suspense arena).

I think people looking for a fun twisty book will enjoy this well told story by a skilled writer. This is genuinely better than a lot of the dual time line multiple pov thrillers on the market. Bu unfortunately I think it is somewhat forgettable, and the story's

I listened to the audiobook. I have zero complaints about the performances, but I don't really understand why it had 4 narrators when there are 3 POV characters (Camden, Jules and Ruby's letters).

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin's Press and Macmillon audio for the audio ARC to review.

Twist after twist, there were surprises around every corner. I really enjoyed this book which makes me want to check out more by this author in hopes of repeating the same type of experience again!

Excellent suspense novel, very fast paced.

I listened to this full cast audiobook in one day, it was entertaining enough to keep me fully interested while multi-tasking around the house. The various narrators captured their characters perfectly, and I especially liked the narrator for Jules.

When she was a child, Ruby McTavish disappeared in the woods surrounding their wealthy family's estate in North Carolina. She was later found, and this incident set the stage for her life. Married and widowed four times, Ruby adopted Camden, and when she died, he became the heir to the house and the money. Cam wanted nothing to do with all of it, so as an adult he is currently a teacher, married to Jules, and living in Colorado. However, he gets a letter from his cousin and decides he needs to go home and take care of things, and secrets about the past and the present start to be revealed.

I liked this wild ride of a story, alternating between Ruby's letters about her past and the various secrets that are revealed in the present. There are some great twists, some I saw coming and others I didn't. I loved Jules and her snark, she had me laughing out loud a few times with her dry humor and observations about the people and events around her.

There's one thing that all of Hawkins's books deliver, and that's some escapist drama. Nothing here is very believable, but it's a decently told story that kept me entertained throughout.