The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins. Pub Date: January 9, 2024. Rating: 4 stars. I really enjoyed the author's novel titled The Wife Upstairs, so I was excited to gain access to this novel and it was fabulous! With mystery, intrigue, family secrets, adoption, old money and an old family estate at the helm of this story, I really enjoyed the dual timelines/storytelling of the heiress, her adopted son and his wife. This was fast paced and kept me engaged throughout the entire story. I read this book in one day and honestly really loved it. I can't wait to read more of this author's books! Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #theheiress

Wow. Wow. Wow. I loved this one. The plot. The mystery. Dual POV. I really enjoyed the new articles and letters that really brought the story out even more for me. It definitely kept me on my toes and I did not see some of the twists coming. I also love a book with short chapters. It is an easy read and I never wanted to stop turning the pages. It was honestly so good. If you love a story with secrets, deception, and strong female characters this one is for you!

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. 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.

Ten years later, Camden is a McTavish in name only, but a summons in the wake of his uncle’s death brings him and Jules back into the family fold at Ashby House. Its views are just as stunning as ever, its rooms just as elegant, but coming home reminds Cam why he was so quick to leave in the first place.

Jules, however, has other ideas, and the more she learns about Cam’s estranged family—and the twisted secrets they keep—the more determined she is for her husband to claim everything Ruby once intended for him to have.

But Ruby’s plans were always more complicated than they appeared. As Ashby House tightens its grip on Jules and Camden, questions about the infamous heiress come to light. Was there any truth to the persistent rumors following her disappearance as a girl? What really happened to those four husbands, who all died under mysterious circumstances? And why did she adopt Cam in the first place? Soon, Jules and Cam realize that an inheritance can entail far more than what’s written in a will—and that the bonds of family stretch far beyond the grave.

This was a slow burn for me. I enjoyed it very much but it felt a little consistent and predictable in terms of Rachel Hawkins other books. I loved the letters and the intro had me hooked but the latter half of the book is where I fell off. It just felt like it took longer to get where we were headed in the story.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The Heiress was another enjoyable mystery by Rachel Hawkins with some fun twists and turns. The format was interesting - told from multiple points of view in addition to letters and newspaper articles.

The characters were the highlight of the story. The setting was written in a way that made the setting feel like it's own separate character. The plot ended up being slightly underwhelming but I think it's because I went into this thinking it's a psychological thriller. It's more of a family drama/mystery. I will always pick up Rachel Hawkins' books though. Wonderful storytelling.

I want to begin by stating I’ve loved Rachel Hawkins other books and genuinely wanted to love this as well!

This book was harder to get into for me than her past works, there felt like a lot going on and too many hands in the pot to build the story. I did lose interest and found myself forcing through to get 3/4s through the story. I liked the idea of the letters from Camdens adopted mother, I felt like I was going to uncover something any moment but that might have built things up for me too much in my head.

I enjoyed my time reading this book but it wasn’t my favorite.

The Heiress is about Camden, the heir to a fortune that he wants no part of, left to him by his adoptive mother, Ruby. When a family member reaches out and asks him to come home, he finally returns with his wife Jules by his side. While Camden hopes to make it a quick trip, Jules is determined to stay and finally enjoy all that has been left to her husband. What they don’t know is that they’ve both been keeping secrets from each other and that as usual with Ruby, all is not as it seems.

This was another great read by Rachel Hawkins! All of her thrillers have a way of drawing you right in and making it hard to put down. The Heiress was no exception! This was told through multiple points of view and from the present and past. I loved the letters written by Ruby and seeing how the events from the past unfolded. I also loved the twist at the end when it was revealed who the letters were being written to.

I’ve got one of Rachel Hawkins backlist books to read and I’m off to read it now!

Jules really wants to go to her husband Camden’s childhood home. She thinks it sounds wonderful. But Camden grew up there and knows its history. The story reveals Camden’s mother’s secrets. As the days go by, the other dark secrets are revealed. This was a twisted and suspenseful book with characters hiding dark secrets.

Flew through this one in two car rides!

This may be my new favorite Rachel Hawkins. The family secrets and the ending were perfect.

This was just okay for me. There were suspenseful parts with some mystery - but overall it didn’t “wow” me. I will nearly always read a Rachel Hawkins book when I come across them, and that hasn’t changed, but this didn’t really stand out. Both main characters have kept massive secrets from each other, both are caustic to one another, but they both kind of deserve each other too. The unfolding family drama was relatively annoying, but the back story of Cam’s mom, Ruby, was my favorite part.
This is a quick an easy read that could work for traveling or a short trip when you need to grab something.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Disappointingly predictable, but I did binge the whole audiobook in one night after a pretty bad reading slump.

This was a great story of an estranged family and the matriarch's death. Upon her passing, her adopted son and wife return to help settle her estate with the rest of the family. What follows is a twisted mystery of her past and the true story behind her son's adoption. Thoroughly enjoyed this unpredictable thriller. Highly recommend.

Rachel Hawkins continues to demonstrate that she can do no wrong as she deftly delves into the world of adult suspense fiction. The Heiress is arguably her best to-date and is reminiscent of Agatha Christie. An absolute stunner that hooked me from the beginning.

This was not Rachel Hawkins typical style book I was expecting as I was expecting a more edge your seat suspense

As always Rachel Hawkins delivers. This is one you won’t want to miss. Full of rich dramatic characters and oozing with wealth and high society you’ll not be able to put this one down.

This was a three star book for me. It was easily forgettable and not super engaging. I like Rachel Hawkins but was disappointed with this book.

Rachel Hawkins is one of my favorite authors. I could not put this book down, it was so fast paced.
This story is about Ruby McTavish, a wealthy little girl who was lost in the woods near her home in North Carolina at only three years old. Ruby was found eight months later in another state and returned home. As Ruby grows up in her mansion known as the Ashby House, she often feels that some things about her aren’t quite right.

Ruby writes letters prior to her death at an elderly age, and through these letters we see what transpired during her years growing up and her four marriages. Ruby also had an adopted son named Camden, who is set to inherit all of the McTavish fortune. Camden wants nothing to do with the family money and he has stayed away from his cold and unkind family members for years. However, he gets notified by his cousin that he should come to Ashby House after the passing of his uncle, and Camden’s wife Jules thinks it would be a great idea to visit.

When Camden and Jules arrive at Ashby House, the fun really begins! This was a very dysfunctional family. I loved getting the different POV’s from Camden, Jules, and Ruby. And while getting all these different viewpoints, we can question what really makes a family?

It has short chapters (which helps the face paced nature). The profanity added so much. I loved it! Rumors, whispers, secrets and scheming with unexpected twists.

Rachel Hawkins is the queen of storytelling! The Heiress is a fabulous example of this, as Hawkin is able to bring the readers into the plot quickly and keeps their attention until the very last page. I found the twists unpredictable and very satisfactory. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin Press for the opportunity to read this novel.

An interesting mystery that blends historical fiction with a touch psychological thriller. Will easily appeal to domestic suspense readers who enjoy stories that center on family secrets. Ruby's letters make for compelling reading and serve as the strongest portion of the narrative.

I am officially a Rachel Hawkins fan. This book sucked me in from the first page and I didn’t want it to end. The multiple POVs and the letters written by Ruby throughout made this such an interesting read. The letters especially added so much to the mystery and secrets we uncover during this story. And man are there a LOT of secrets. Each one adding twists and turns that kept me guessing and wondering how things would turn out. There were multiple gasp out loud moments that made it impossible to put the book down. The characters were all written so well that I felt connected to each one emotionally and wanted to know everything about them. I’m impressed and can’t wait to read more from Hawkins!