The Heiress centers around the McTavish family old money from North Carolina. Ruby McTavish now deceased was kidnapped as a baby and miraculously found living with another family before she was returned. She went on to marry four times and all of her husbands died mysteriously. Ruby's adopted son, who became the sole heir to the entire fortune, and his wife are now coming back to the family home for the first time since her death. Of course nothing is as it seems at the estate and there are family members who doubt the real Ruby ever came back. This was more of a family mystery/domestic suspense than thriller and while entertaining I wasn't as invested in the outcome as I wanted to be. It was a quick read had short chapters and alternating POV between Camden, his wife, and old letters from Ruby herself. I would rate this 3/3.5 stars. I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Talk about a twist in the last act! The Heiress is about blue blood til you die, and then giving it from the grave!

That is... if you are who you say you are...

The cast of characters are Schitt's Creek meets richest-person-in-town-but-I've-lived-here-forever-and-own-you Southern Living. The Tavistock's own the town, and own you... but they don't actually have money or spend it. They live off the idea of a trust they are trying to hack into.

Ruby, if she is who she says, has the money, and she'll die before she gives it over to anyone she is (allegedly) related to.

The biggest lesson in the book is sometimes, those with nothing to lose have everything to gain, but don't want to reach beyond their dreams. Whereas those with everything to lose will do anything to gain... and they can lose dearly.

The Heiress was absolutely incredible. Giving "7 husbands of Evelyn Hugo" vibes but MUCH darker. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I loved all the secrets and connections. Ashby house is a character in an of itself, with creepy paintings watching you at all hours. Rachel Hawkins always works for me, and this was no exception, I just LOVED this book!

Ruby McTavish, North Carolina “old money” and known in the press as Mrs. Kill-more, may be quite unlucky or she may be something else entirely. She was kidnapped as a child and later, as an adult, widowed 4x. To spite her family, she adopts a child, Cameron, and leaves her entire fortune to him before she passes. After 10 years of estrangement from his remaining family, he’s going back home and this visit might just be more than he bargained for.

I found the premise of this book intriguing. The questions prompted throughout the story had me wondering how it would end. I enjoyed speculating on how things would be explained and how it would turn out for the characters.

I have only read one other Rachel Hawkins book, The Wife Upstairs. If you enjoyed that book, you may enjoy this as well.

For me, both The Wife Upstairs and The Heiress were fun for the ride but fell flat in the end. I predicted several of the “twists” and was underwhelmed by others. I think I expected the resolution to have more of a bang than it did. So, overall its’s a ⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating for me.

Big thanks to St Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and Rachel Hawkins for the ARC!

I loved this. The writing, the various points of view, the letters and articles interspersed between the chapters. It kept me turning the pages and just when I thought I had everything figured out or everything that could be revealed, had been, another twist came and surprised me, in the best way! This was a great read!

Twisty gothic novel with dual point of view and narrative. All the characters have secrets, and they are slowly teased out until the last page. It really kept me reading, and was very enjoyable!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. I enjoyed this book very much. Dual point of view is a favorite of mine, it makes a book such a fast read. This book kept me up so late trying to figure where all the puzzle pieces went.
So many secrets and death, very exciting.

For my trip to Israel, I packed quite a lot to read especially on my Kobo. I have hardly read but I took this book with me each day in case I wanted to pick it up. Let’s just say it was easy to put down.🤷🏻‍♀️

The Heiress, publishing January 2024, tells the story of a wealthy woman in North Carolina, her secrets and her scheming family. Upon Ruby’s death, her adopted son returns to the family mansion - to deal not only with her estate but his estranged family. Secrets that have been hidden for years will threaten everyone.😳

The alternating view points and letters were an interesting way to tell the story of this family that is just so terrible. There wasn’t a character that I liked. I found this book very slow moving - and more of a “rich people behaving badly” drama than a thriller. This one wasn’t for me but this author is a fave for so many.⭐️⭐️

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Thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy to read.

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I loved this author's, The Wife Upstairs, but didn't care for Reckless Girls. I was a little nervous, but this one grabbed my attention early and pulled me deeper into the mystery with every page, every chapter.

Ruby McTavish is quite the intriguing character! That is a peek at her portrait on the gorgeous cover. She may have more skeletons in her closet than ANY other character I've read about. Her home is a fifteen-bedroom mansion called Ashby House. Some may refer to it as a "lion's den" and with good reason! 🦁 They needed a Enter At Your Own Risk sign!

Ashby House created a creepy atmosphere that really set the mood. If those walls could speak, they would have a story to tell and in a way they do. The portrait that hung at the top of the stairs gave me major chills and I almost expected it to come alive. I'd be sleeping with one eye open in that house! 👁️

Nelle reminded me of a Ms. Danvers ( the housekeeper in Rebecca, with her mean spirited stunts). Rebecca is my favorite gothic classic novel and this one had some strong vibes that I loved.

Expect rumors, whispers, secrets/scheming and a truly twisted house of unexpected happenings!

Really enjoyed this book and how the house was a character. The alternating chapters kept my interest and loved her perspective about each husband that she killed. I found the ending predictable but still satisfying.

Ruby McTavish is one of the richest women in North Carolina. She’s also notorious for the dead husbands in her past. When she dies and leaves her fortune to her adopted son, her family is not pleased.

I loved loved all the parts with Ruby and where she was writing about the past. I needed way more of that in the story. She needs her own book for sure. The current timeline just didn’t grab me as much, although there was plenty of drama and nasty characters! I liked how it all came together and was surprised by a few things.

“Family is a complicated word - more complicated for me than a lot of people, I’d guess. I’ve spent so much of my life trying to figure out what that word even means to me.”

The Heiress comes out 1/9.

Thank you for the ARC! Another twisty read by Rachel Hawkins that I enjoyed as much as “The Villa.” Excellent!

Brilliant in building suspense, Hawkins tells a story of a dysfunctional family full of lies and deceit and yet hopeful for the protagonist to overcome all of that and be victorious. I loved how she used the premise of the POV from the varying two protagonist and yet we heard from the dead, the "heiress" through her letters of which we were not sure to whom they were addressed. Who would have thought how dark Ruby truly was and what truly happened to all other four husbands? Her sister Nelle has always suspected that something wasn't' right after "Baby Ruby" returned after having been kidnapped as a toddler. There was nothing but greed and resentment and poison in that house. What would you do to have it all? What would you do to make it right when you know you've been done wrong? Heiress Ruby MacTavish has been dead ten years and Camden, her adopted son, inherited it all but walked away. Now he is being summoned back to a past that was so sinister, he had to leave. Secrets abound though as we discover from Cam, his wife Jules, and the best are from Ruby. Cam has always felt the hatred from his family and knew that he was merely a pawn by Ruby. Can he survive this or how soon can he finally be free? This book will keep you on the edge of your seat, turning page after page. Many thanks to #netgalley #rachelhawkins #theheiress for the opportunity to read and review this book.

“I could tell you to learn from an old lady, to not let the ‘too late’ moments surprise you, but it won’t do you any good. No one listens to old ladies.”

Ruby McTavish, who is known to be the richest person in North Carolina and notorious for surviving a kidnapping as a child, has passed away several years ago. She has left her estate and fortune to her one of her sons Camden. However, he wants nothing to do with his family or the money, and moved away to Colorado prior to Ruby’s passing. Eventually Cam and his wife Jules are forced to return to the estate, bringing up old memories and hidden family secrets.

I’ve read The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins and read it in one sitting, I loved it! I also recently started a Netgalley account. I was so excited when I was approved to read her newest book before the release day! Thank you Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

While this book didn’t quite compare to The Wife Upstairs, I will say it was entertaining and I read it fast! I liked that the setting in the beginning was in Golden, Colorado, an area I love. There were three different character POVs which felt confusing at first, but once I got into the story it became easier to follow. Each character was unlikeable, but that also made the book fun to read. Ruby sometimes reminded me of Evelyn Hugo, so she was probably my favorite! I recommend reading this book if you’re looking for a quick, entertaining thriller. This will be released January 9th, 2024.

Read if you enjoy:
- unlikeable characters
- multiple POVs
- different writing styles
- family drama
- twists
- quick reads

The Heiress
Rachel Hawkins
Jan. 9, 2024
St, Martins Press
* thriller /mystery
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion,
I loved this book and will gladly recommend it. This story was fast paced and kept me reading, loved the dysfunctional family and getting the different POVs from Camden, Jules, and Ruby. This book has short chapters which also drew me in. Do not miss reading this book!,
5 stars

"The Heiress" by Rachel Hawkins is a gripping gothic suspense novel that delves into the dark and enigmatic world of an infamous heiress and the tangled legacy she leaves behind.

The story revolves around Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore, a woman who, in life and death, is North Carolina's most notorious and wealthiest figure. Ruby's life has been marked by tragedy, from a high-profile kidnapping in her childhood to four marriages, each ending in a husband's mysterious death. Her stronghold is Ashby House, a grand estate in the Blue Ridge Mountains that has witnessed both her power and her secrets.

The narrative takes a riveting turn when Ruby's adopted son, Camden, decides to distance himself from the house and its complex history, opting for a simple life as an English teacher in Colorado alongside his wife, Jules. However, after a decade, the death of Camden's uncle draws him and Jules back into the orbit of Ashby House, a place they once tried to escape.

As they return to the family estate, the eerie and unsettling legacy of Ruby resurfaces. Dark secrets and unanswered questions about Ruby's past and her string of husbands' mysterious deaths begin to unravel. The story masterfully weaves together elements of mystery, suspense, and family drama, keeping readers on the edge of their seats.

Hawkins excels in creating a brooding atmosphere, rich with tension and a sense of foreboding. The setting, with its grandeur and history, becomes an integral character in the narrative, adding to the novel's gothic allure. The characters are complex, flawed, and deeply human, making their struggles and motivations relatable and engaging.

"The Heiress" explores themes of inheritance, family bonds, and the far-reaching consequences of one woman's actions. It skillfully reveals the layers of deception and intrigue surrounding Ruby McTavish and her tumultuous life. The author's storytelling prowess shines through as she expertly navigates the dual timelines and intricacies of the plot.

Overall, "The Heiress" is a captivating and suspenseful read that will appeal to fans of gothic mysteries and family sagas. Rachel Hawkins delivers a tantalizing tale filled with secrets, lies, and a sense of impending doom, making it a must-read for those who enjoy a well-crafted and atmospheric thriller.

Once again Rachel Hawkins did not disappoint. “The Heiress” had so many twists and turns and I could not put this book down! If your looking for a fast suspenseful read this is it!

Really great book!! Everything in it was soo intense and interesting! Would read it again definitely.

THE HEIRESS was a fun suspense ride from start to finish! I sympathized a lot with Camden. I wouldn't want anything to do with those people neither! Jules was suspicious to me from the start but I rabbit appreciated how get story unfolded. The real star of this book was the heiress herself. Ruby McTavish was quite the character and she kept me on my toes. Nature vs. Nurture really came into play in this book. I don't think she was multidimensional as much as she became what age was surrounded by. If not financially greedy she was surely emotionally greedy. I won't say more because I don't want to give anything away I will say that every single person in this book was hiding a secret (some more than one).

Lydia and Faith at the end were my favorite part😉

Amazing! A slow burn that had me guessing until the end. This is the first book I have read thanks to NetGalley, and it did not disappoint. Towards the end, the relationship between Jules and Camden gave me the same kind of vibes as the relationship between Love Quinn and Joe Goldberg in You- such a great read!