The Heiress is written by Rachel Hawkins. This is the first book that I have read by this author, and it will not be the last. The author's story draws you in within the first few pages. Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she’s not only North Carolina’s richest woman, she’s also its most notorious. But in the aftermath of her death, her adopted son, Camden, wants little to do with the house or the money—and even less to do with the surviving McTavishes. He just wants a normal life.

Ten years later, his uncle’s death pulls Cam and Jules back into the family fold at Ashby House. Its views are just as stunning as ever, its rooms just as elegant, but the legacy of Ruby is inescapable. Jules grew up in poverty - and makes a living portraying historical figures. She is happy when Cam goes back to the Ashby home. As Ashby House tightens its grip on Jules and Camden, questions about the infamous heiress come to light. The author throws in so many twists and turns and the story is peeled away like an onion. Secrets and long hidden pasts will be brought to light.

The book is well written, the storyline engaging. Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for allowing me to read a copy of this book - all thoughts are my own.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins is an astonishing tour de force. After carefully leading me along with subtle hints of fresh revelations to come, the author kept me glued so closely to the pages that it was difficult for me to put the book down. In fact, it's one of those books that kept me awake and flying through the pages late at night when I should have been asleep.

The characterization is incredibly well done. There are times when with a careful twist and a few choice paragraphs she managed to cause me to feel a sense of horror about a character I previously liked. In the end, most of them had secrets.

This is definitely a five star book.

I am thoroughly impressed with 'The Heiress' and would easily grant it 10 stars if I could. I extend my gratitude to Net Galley, Rachel Hawkins, and St. Martin's Press for providing me with the advanced copy. As someone who rarely awards five stars and finds it uncommon to finish a book within 24 hours, this novel stood out remarkably.

It's my firm belief that 'The Heiress' deserves a prominent place on everyone's reading list for 2024. Rachel Hawkins has created a compelling narrative that I found impossible to set aside. The story lingered in my thoughts, compelling me to rush home eagerly to continue reading, resulting in a late-night reading session that kept me engaged until 3 am, unable to sleep until I reached the end.

The narrative revolves around Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore, North Carolina's wealthiest woman, who left an indelible mark on her small town of Tavistock. Ruby's life was marked by childhood fame after her abduction and subsequent return to her family, followed by adult notoriety due to her multiple marriages, all ending in the husbands' deaths. Residing in the family estate, Ashby House, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Ruby, childless herself, opted for adoption. However, her decision to leave her inheritance to Camden, who was not biologically a McTavish, created tensions within her family.

Camden, desiring no association with the McTavish legacy, had moved far away. seeking a normal life. He and his wife Jules have a normal life until the McTavish family reeled him back in. Upon their return to the estate, numerous unanswered questions are resolved, unveiling hidden truths. The well-developed characters and the narrative's structure, with each chapter presenting its own compelling story, contribute to 'The Heiress's' seamless and engrossing flow, ensuring a captivating experience for any reader.

Look, these thrillers are mostly the same. They keep me engaged enough that I finish them in 48 hours but also don’t stay in my memory much longer than that either. The Heiress comes out 1/9 and would be great to read in the drag post Christmas. Lots of family secrets and twists but minimal violence on the page (still some murder though obviously). The ending here did feel slightly anticlimactic, but was also ok without the exact formula being followed.

It’s been a while since I read a riveting page-turner.

Ruby, our female MC is rich RICH. After her death, her son, Camden, inherits her assets but decides to live modestly. What he did not expect is the consequences he’ll face after inheriting Ruby’s assets.

Plot twists I did not expect, family drama, and themes of greed, power, and love! This is the kind of thriller I enjoy. Definitely reading more of Rachel Hawkins as she was able to keep me invested in the story from start to finish.

"The Heiress" by Rachel Hawkins centers around Camden McTavish who inherited Ashby House, a large estate, and money when his adoptive mother, Ruby, passed away. He also walked away from the McTavish family legacy, and for good reasons too. Ten years later, Camden's called back to Ashby House following news of his uncle's passing. With his wife, Jules, in tow, he returns home to confront dark family secrets.

Holy cow, this book needs to be on every thriller lover's radar. Hawkins brought the wealthy geriatric women confession trope into this book with full force, and I totally loved every minute of it. "The Heiress" explores the complexity of a family with deep secrets, wealth equating to power, and the use of a surname to get away with any wrongdoing.

With the multiple POVs, I honestly had a hard time putting this book down, especially when it came to Ruby's letters confessing all her deepest and darkest sins. I also thoroughly enjoyed reading Jules' POV because it was very relaxed and casual, as if I was listening to one of my friends talk.

I absolutely recommend this book, especially to thriller enthusiasts who enjoyed "The Only One Left" by Riley Sager.

Thank you, Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, for the eARC copy for review consideration. All opinions expressed are mine alone. "The Heiress" by Rachel Hawkins will be widely available on January 9, 2024.

RACHEL HAWKINS DOES IT AGAIN - Reckless Girls was one of my favorite reads of 2022. This is up there with the feeling that book gave me. I love the southern conservative old money take down.

Thank you to the publisher for my copy - all opinions are my own.

I have to say that I LOVE Rachel Hawkins writing style and her plots have yet to disappoint me as a reader. The Heiress is no exception and I very much enjoyed everything about this book.

This is a story that really hinges on characters that are dynamic and complex and all utterly unknown and somewhat untrustworthy. Every time I thought I had something figured out in this story, a perfectly timed twist would appear and prove me wrong all over again.

The type of book that would make for a VERY good screen adaption, it has flavors of Knives Out with a little soap opera Dynasty-like drama just for fun.

Truly one for your winter reading lists, it's hugely entertaining and not to be missed!

I've really liked the author's previous books, so was very excited to get my hands on her new one early! This book did not let me down. The Heiress was a fast paced, unpredictable story that I flew through because I couldn't put it down! I loved the different points of view throughout the story, though I definitely enjoyed Ruby's sections way more than Jules's or Cam's. I also loved the newspaper clippings scattered throughout. The pacing was little off and a couple of the characters were deeeeply unlikeable (which I guess was the point?), but all the secrets, flashbacks, and dysfunctional family dynamics kept me turning pages. I guessed a couple of the more minor twists, but could not have predicted the last one, and I appreciated how everything came together! Ultimately, I would definitely recommend this book when it comes out, and I can't wait to see what Rachel Hawkins does next! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

****Publishing January 9, 2024****

I loved the quote “Without a Trace,” by Bill Naracott, Outside, May 2017 included at the beginning! It really sets the tone for the book! How many go missing on the Appalachian trail that are never accounted for or are found? Have they died from a fall or succumbed at the hands of an animal looking for a meal? Just chilling!

This book begins with Ruby Ann, a 3-year-old, from the wealthiest family in NC, going missing while on a family picnic! She was kidnapped, but reunited with her family after 8 months! This is just the start of life’s tribulations for Ruby. She had four husbands, but all died for various reasons, giving her the nickname “Mrs. kill-more”, although she was never charged with their deaths. When she dies at 73 as an Heiress, her adopted son, Camden, inherits her wealth and house, which is thought to be 8 figures. This causes an uproar with the rest of the family due to Camden’s lack of contact with the family for the past 10 years because of complicated family dynamics. Will it further drive them apart, or will it help fix the rift between them? As the story unfolds, this book will have you shaking your head at times!

This book definitely has an ending I didn’t see coming! I loved how each chapter was narrated by a different character : Camden, Ruby’s letters, and Jules. This kept the pages turning! Also, I loved all the twists and turns! Made for an entertaining read! A great book to add to your TBR list if you love a great mystery/thriller!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press, I was provided an ARC of The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. #NetGalley

Another Rachel Hawkins that does not disappoint. Perfectly paced and a good balance of twists. Also loved the little ‘The Villa’ cameo on there!

Quick and Dirty⁣
-Domestic thriller⁣
-Alternating POVs and timelines⁣
-Epistolary flashbacks ⁣
-Fast-paced read with short chapters⁣
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Swipe for the full synopsis!⁣
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Thoughts ⁣
Domestic thrillers are not my go-to genre, but I do like them. In particular, I seem to be drawn to stories that have some flashback aspects, especially those with bold, unforgiving women with nothing left to lose. In The Heiress we find exactly that, though we have to wait to see which of our female protagonist is the most ruthless. Ruby, the deceased wealthy heiress has secrets to share with her beloved adopted son, Cam. Jules, his wife, has secrets of her own. And Cam, the good little boy that he is, has a few himself. As the book progresses we find out more and more about the state of affairs at the MacTavish estate, chiefly the not-so-secret loathing for Cam and his having inherited the family fortune despite his pedigree. The best part of this book were the letters Ruby left for Cam detailing the lives and deaths of all four of her husbands (Evelyn Hugo, anyone). Over the course of the book we start to realize things are not exactly as they appear, with Ruby’s role as innocent widow being the first thing called into question. The twists and turns in this book will keep you guessing, down to the last pages, which is exactly what I want from a thriller. Was anything super shocking or jaw dropping? Not really. But it was thrilling enough to keep my attention and keep me flipping pages to find out what everyone was hiding, what lies they were weaving, and what secrets would be unearthed in the end. Overall this is a solid domestic thriller that kept me engaged and guessing until the end.

The Heiress is definitely one of my favorite reads of the year. Rachel Hawkins does an amazing job of not only bringing the characters to life but also pulling you into the story and not letting you go until you reach the end.
I loved both Camden and Jules, I thought they were the perfect couple flaws and all.
There is mixed media in newspaper clippings, and letters sprinkled throughout the story and they really added something extra to the story. This story is full of twists and turns and I just ate up all of the family drama!
This is a book I will definitely read again.

This book was.. odd. It reminded me of The Only One Left but not in the best way? The story was told through letters and newspaper clippings, as well as the grandson's POV. It was difficult to follow at times to understand the point of the book. There was a nice twist at the end that was surprising, but it wasn't one of the better thrillers that I have read.

I really liked this! Though the pacing felt a bit off, I was really in the North Carolina mountains with the characters - the effervescent descriptions really flew off the page and made up for anything else. I loved the multimedia writing; it added a lot of depth to the story. I was reminded of Truly Devious and the Lindbergh case, along with all those changeling horror stories. I’ll definitely be recommending this one!

A little disappointed with the latest Rachel Hawkins. Thought the premise was really interesting, but the novel was quite disjointed and it didn't feel like complete? The story was a little rushed. The twist ending was great, though!

Looking forward to the next novel!

I love Rachel Hawkins, will read anything she writes. I also love toxic families and family reunions. I loved that the main female character got her way in the end, that so rarely happens, especially when the main male character is directly involved in the drama. This was very twisty and I was here for it.

This is my first Rachel Hawkins book and now I want to go back through her backlog! This was a super fun and captivating book. I was definitely drawn in from the start, which I appreciate!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Rachel Hawkins for the advanced copy of The Heiress in exchange for my honest review!

I have read every book Hawkins has put out so far, and I have to say I think this one is my favorite! Her signature style of alternating point of views and timelines is expertly executed in this book.

While there were one or two small things I predicted, Hawkins expertly pulled the rug out from under me on a couple big plot twists. I found myself thinking about this one for quite a bit after I finished it because I was so impressed with how the wool had been pulled over my eyes.

I can't wait to see what Hawkins comes up with next!

The Heiress will be on US bookshelves January 9!

This is my fourth book by Rachel Hawkins and it was one of my favorites. I really enjoyed the way the story unfolded; alternating POV's and letters from Ruby. This is a slow burn that gave you breadcrumbs to piece together trying to figure out who this family really is knowing they'll stop at nothing to get what they think is theirs and out anyone they think doesn't belong. But who belongs and who doesn't?! At one point I thought I figured out a twist, I wasn't totally correct, but I was close enough and it certainly changed the rest of the book. Fans of Hawkins should add The Heiress to their TBR.
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Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.