“The Heiress” by Rachel Hawkins is a deliciously entertaining Southern Gothic tale that unravels buried family secrets, long-held grudges, overt manipulation, greed, and murder. Set against the backdrop of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge mountains, the novel revolves around the enigmatic Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore. As North Carolina’s richest woman and a widow four times over, Ruby’s legacy is both intriguing and dark. When her adopted son, Camden, inherits Ashby House and a nine-figure fortune, he and his wife, Jules, are drawn into a web of twisted secrets. The novel masterfully explores the bonds of family, the consequences of the past, and the haunting mysteries surrounding Ruby’s life and her four husbands’ mysterious deaths

Ok I loveddddd this book. The mysteries of the past intermingling with a current day murder mystery was just wonderful. I loved all the characters including the ones that are designed as love to hate characters. Overall incredible book with an amazing narrator that brought it to life!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

"The Heiress" by Rachel Hawkins is a tale that blends elements of mystery, romance, and intrigue, creating a captivating narrative set in the bustling world of London's elite. While the audiobook version offers an enjoyable experience overall, there are a few aspects that keep it from reaching its full potential.

Firstly, the narration, performed by a talented voice artist, brings the characters and their dilemmas to life with skillful intonation and expression. Each character's voice is distinct and adds depth to the storytelling, making it easy for listeners to become immersed in the plot.

The plot itself is compelling, weaving together secrets, scandals, and unexpected twists that keep listeners engaged throughout. Hawkins' writing style is descriptive and evocative, painting vivid scenes of opulent ballrooms and shadowy alleyways alike.

However, despite its strengths, "The Heiress" occasionally suffers from pacing issues, with certain sections feeling drawn out or lacking in momentum. At times, the story meanders through subplots that could have been streamlined to maintain a more brisk pace and sustain the listener's interest.

Additionally, while the characters are well-developed and multifaceted, some of their actions and motivations may come across as predictable or clichéd, detracting from the overall originality of the narrative.

In conclusion, "The Heiress" is a commendable audiobook that offers an entertaining escape into a world of romance and mystery. While it may not be without its flaws, its engaging storyline and memorable characters make it a worthwhile listen for fans of historical fiction and romantic suspense alike.

The Heiress centers on a rich and prestigious NC family, the McTavish's. 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. Her adopted son, Cam wants nothing to do with the estate left to him, so his uncle runs things and his family lives there. When he dies, Cam and his wife Jules head to North Carolina to deal with the estate. They are met by family that not only don't want him there, but don't think he belongs. With secrets and mysteries, the story unfolds about Ruby and her life, letting us in on secrets that have long been buried.

The story is told from 3 POVs: the matriarch, Ruby (through letters), Ruby’s son Cam, and his wife Jules. The book weaves past and present timeframes together to create a twisty and captivating story about greed, power, and wealth within a family over multiple generations. I found myself intrigued by Ruby's story and all that she experienced and got away with. We meet the family that was involved in her kidnapping, Ruby's many husbands and others. I did not like the present day McTavish family at all! With all that going on, I had to pay attention not to get confused, but I enjoyed this story. With the final twists coming at me in the last part of the book, I was left smiling as I closed the cover. This was not a thriller, but a messy family drama with lots of twists.

I did a read/listen with The Heiress and enjoyed both formats. I liked that the audiobook was narrated by a full cast, which made the POVs easy to keep track of in while listening. The audiobook made this a wonderful experience and I recommend it if you enjoy that format.

"The Heiress" by Rachel Hawkins is a captivating tale that begins with Jules and her husband, Cam, returning to his childhood home in North Carolina following the death of his wealthy and famous estranged mother. As Cam inherits everything, including his mother's secrets and a troublesome family residing on the property, tensions rise.

Narrated in alternating chapters by Ruby, who shares her truth through letters, the story unfolds with suspense and intrigue. With skilled narration by Dan Bittner, Eliza Foss, John Pirhalla and Patti Murin, the audiobook kept me on my toes. I love it when I cannot guess the end!

This is a highly recommended read, earning four stars for its gripping plot and well-developed characters.

Special thanks to Macmillan Audio for an advanced listener copy of the audiobook via the Netgalley app!

This book actually surprised me as I liked it much more than I thought I would. I liked the cover and this was a new to me author, so thought I would give it a try. The audio was fantastic, the narrators, knocked it out of the park. All four of them were terrific.

Family dynamics or family politics as my hubby likes to call them, can be pretty messy. Maybe more so when so many secrets, family plots and selfish motives, abound. Although I thought it got a little convoluted in the last third, but by then I wanted to see how it ended.

This may win the prize for dysfunctional family, made my sometimes dysfunctional family, look much less so.

Lies, Lies, and more lies!!!! So many good twist and turns in this book. When I thought I had it figured out boom another lie creates a twist and a turn. It really kept me on the edge of my seat. I have told many people about this book since reading it and have bought both a audio and hard copy for my library.

This author is a must read for me. Every book is better than the last!

I legit gasped when I finally figured out the connection. So well written and twisty af. Great character development (even the ones that suck)

I loved all the narrators. Having so many made the story so layered. More like a play than an audiobook.

I really enjoyed this! Wealthy family drama, especially in a remote location, is my jam. Told through multiple perspectives and in different formats, this whole book was full of suspense from beginning to end. The pacing was fantastic! I was intrigued and engaged the whole time and flew through this book in 24 hours. The narration was easy to listen to and follow, elevating the experience.
Thank you Macmillan Audio for the copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.

I'm a fan of Rachel Hawkins at this point, and this book just adds to that fandom. The multiple timelines are fun, including one that is written as letters. The characters feel fleshed out for the most part, though some just feel that they're mean/awful because that is just their personality. I found myself questioning motives and justifications in a good way. If you like her other books, then you will like this one.

Rating 4/5

This is my first Rachel Hawkins book and I adored it! It kept me at the edge of my seat and I couldn’t put it down.

I throughly enjoyed this thriller. It was engaging and fun. It also actually kept me guessing and that’s a good change when I usually predict the plot twists.

Y’all, I freaking loved this book! I still have goosebumps lingering as I write this!

If you love a thriller, The Heiress is where it’s at! I’ve always been a fan of Rachel Hawkins writing, but The Heiress easily just became my new favorite of hers! Hands down!

I did the audio, and kudos to the cast! High fives all around- especially to the narrator for
Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore, Eliza Foss. Foss lending her voice to this character made her come alive for me; a southern drawl and regal air. I couldn’t get enough of Ruby’s sinister tale.

The gothic atmosphere of the legendary mansion, Ashby house, set in the Blue Ridge Mountains, was scrumptiously eerie and foreboding of a chilling tale. And don’t get me started on the painting of Mrs. McTavish herself, hanging at the top of the stairs. I thought it was going to come alive at any moment and have me running for the hills err mountains.

5 stars for this haunting masterpiece!

This book is a wild intriguing ride - if you want to be whisked away to a gothic mansion set high up in the North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains. But beware the McTavish family who inhabits this manor is truly dysfunctional.

The main characters are Ruby, the heiress to manor and fortune, the matriarch, who was kidnapped and recovered as a small child. She is four times widowed and has adopted a son, Camden which sees as an act of redemption for unrelated sins. She has a voice and point of view in this book through letters since she has died and left manor and money to Camden who had no desire to stay at the house with his great aunt, uncle and cousins who despise him but as the book opens needs to return to oversee urgently needed repairs. With him he brings his wife Jules who dreams of a future in a manor instead of their rental on a teacher’s salary.

This story is told in alternating voices (Ruby, Cam, Jules) and timelines. It is a story of power and corruption through power, greed and jealousy, engineering life to run smoothly just because you can.

Entertaining and twisty, this book was captivating and kept me engaged and listening!

I have read a few Rachel Hawkins books at the point and enjoyed them but this one is by far the best! I absolutely loved the mystery and the format and the narrators were so good. This one kept me on the edge of my seat.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Heiress
By: Rachel Hawkins
Publisher: Macmillan
Pub Date: 1/9/24
Narrated by: Dan Bittner, Eliza Foss, John Pirhalla and Patti Murin

Ruby McTavish is a very wealthy woman who comes from a long line of very wealthy people who live in a small town Tavistock, North Carolina. Ruby has grown up with the whole world knowing she was kidnapped at just two years old. She disappeared from a picnic when the nanny thought her mother had her and her mother thought the nanny had her. That has left her with big life questions. Is she really the little girl who was kidnapped? Is she really a McTavish?
She married four times but all her husbands died under suspicious circumstances. Was she killing these men or was she just unlucky in love?
After her 4th and final husband died she knew that her family would end up inheriting her fortune if she didn’t have an heir. Camden was foster child she adopted. The rest of the family hated Camden from the start. They all understood he was going to inherit his mother’s fortune and they would get nothing. By the time he was 18 years old he couldn’t wait to escape. He wanted nothing to do with his inheritance or the mansion that comes with it. Ruby believed it was his duty to stay in North Carolina. When he announced he was going to college in California she cut him off, made sure he lost every job he had. His last visit home before leaving she tragically died in her sleep or did she?
Camden ended up in California where he met Jules, his now wife. Cam teaches at an all boys school. They live a normal life. But Jules wants more. She reaches out to Cam’s cousin to get him to reach out. This time he’s more receptive to his cousin's request and they pack up and head for Travistock. What Cam doesn’t know is Jules has her own agenda, she wants it all. The mansion and then inheritance that came with it. But she has her own secrets too. Will Camden ever know who she really is?

So many twists and turns that will keep you thinking about this one for a long time. 2024 is turning into the year for stellar thrillers!

I was really excited to read The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins because I enjoyed her other books The Wife Upstairs, Reckless Girls and The Villa. I found this to be an entertaining quick read but not on par with her other thrillers. I liked the multiple POVs and the varied writing with emails, letters and news articles. The main couple Cam and Jules each have secrets from their past that are revealed when they return to Ashby House. The North Carolina setting was interesting and the full cast on the audiobook was great! I was hoping for more thrills from this book. It was mostly family drama. I’d still be interested to read her next book!

This was such a well thought out book. The first half of the book had me wanting more. I was intrigued by Ruby's letters and what they revealed. Rachel Hawkins had my attention from the very beginning and the book kept getting more interesting, more addictive, and more shocking as more was revealed. There is drama, secrets, and twists galore! Just when I thought this book could not get any better, it did! I enjoyed both Cam and Jules POV's in addition to reading about Ruby through her journal entries.

Gripping, shocking, well written and dramatic. I can't wait to read what Rachel Hawkins writes next!

Netgalley Review: "The Heiress" by Rachel Hawkins

At first, I found Camden's storyline a bit slow, but as the plot unfolded, I became increasingly invested. The narrative gradually builds momentum, and by the end, everything comes together brilliantly. I was thoroughly captivated by the book's intricacies and the uncertainty of what would happen next. The audiobook's narrator did a fantastic job of bringing the characters to life, keeping listeners engaged and adding an extra layer of enjoyment to the story. Overall, "The Heiress" is a well-crafted and engaging read that keeps you guessing until the very end. Highly recommended!

I wasn’t expecting that ending.

I’ve been thinking about it for awhile. Just the fact that I’ve thought about it for a month says something. There’s more of a mystery then murder here.

What a great character study. Looking back, hind sight, unraveling the mystery in reverse, it makes sense. That ending made me smile!

A young heiress disappears. Then reappears years later.

She lives a charmed life. She marries 4 times and all husbands die under mysterious questionable circumstances. She adopts a son.

She leaves her estate to her adopted son Cam. You want to know why he leaves his 9 figure inheritance to his relatives and moves across the country to be a teacher & marry Jules.

Jules is fascinated by the estate and has a past of her own.

Cam is called back after the death of his uncle and the mystery begins to unfold.

Recommended for those who enjoy a twisty gothic mystery.