great book wow. recommend having nothing else to do but read for a day or 2. the character development was great as as well as the plot.

I want to preface this by saying I really like Rachel Hawkins books and may be biased but this was another great ready by her!

Family drama, secrets and betrayal abound in this thriller set in a creepy mansion. Cam left his lavish life behind to start a new life in California. He marries Jules and he thinks he's left it all behind, but then a death in the family pulls him right back into what he left behind. Jules and Cam head back to his family home to find that not much has changed with the dysfunctional people that inhabit the home. The walls of the mansion hold so much and family secrets are slowly revealed in a series of letters that Cam's mother wrote a decade before her passing. Jules also falls in love with the mansion and wants to stay but knows she can't remain with the other family member still living there and she knows she'll have to figure that out so she can become the lady of the house.

The book is told from multiple points of view (which I love) including letters from a character who's already passed away when the book starts. I loved the different perspectives that each character gave from their view and the secrets from the past revealed in the letters. There were several plots twists that I didn't see coming and felt myself wanting to keep reading so I could see what would happen next. Some twists were more obvious than others but most completely shocked me and I didn't see them coming. The ending was just perfect and I'd highly recommend this book!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I LOVED The Heiress! Ruby McTavish has left quite a legacy and a trail of unhappy family members after her death. 10 years after her passing, her prodigal son and his wife have returned to deal with the estate and his greedy, vindictive family. I loved the three points of view—Ruby, Jules and Cam. This family can only be described as TOXIC! The extended family, Ben, Libby and Nana Nelle were a trip and I give credit to Cam for even staying one night in that house with them around.
I loved how the story unfolded and how each character gave us a piece of the puzzle until we learned the whole truth or rather truths because there’s multiple secrets here. Ruby had tragedy follow her from three years old, yet when a pattern develops, it’s only natural to wonder if that may have been a bit self-inflicted. Cam, unwillingly, became a pawn when he was adopted into this dysfunction and then made the sole heir of Ruby’s home and fortune.You know the old saying—sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me, well that is the opposite in this book! Words do hurt and man you are going to pay the price for them at one point or another! I found the pace quick and I was highly addicted. Who wouldn’t want to stay in the gorgeous Ashby house located in the beautiful North Carolina mountains? Cam couldn’t run away fast enough from the memories it held and Jules was determined to plant her feet firmly in the soil and stake her claim. It all comes down to how much one is willing to deal with or deal out for a life of luxury. Secret secrets are no fun, secret secrets hurt someone—they absolutely do!
Highly recommend!!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

No, "The Heiress" is not a retelling of the 1947 play or the 1949 film adaptation.

"The Heiress" by Rachel Hawkins is a gripping mystery set in the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina. Camden and his wife Jules return to Tavistock to settle affairs at Ashby House, where Camden is the sole heir. Jules is enchanted by the mansion and dreams of living there, but secrets and jealousy threaten to turn their dreams into nightmares. The story is told from different perspectives, with Jules directly speaking to the reader. The novel explores the question of whether anyone is truly good or bad. Overall, "The Heiress" is a suspenseful read that will leave readers pondering long after finishing it.

Rachel has done it AGAIN! But I’m not surprised- the last 2 books I’ve read plus this are gold stars. Like thrillers? Want something different? Pick this one up!

Thank you NetGalley for an arc in exchange of an honest review!

I was super excited to receive this ARC as I had just finished Reckless Girls a few days before.

Quick. Easy. Suspenseful.

I wasn’t so sure how I felt about the MCs Camden and Jules. Jules sounded a little crazy and Camden just seemed to be a little spoiled but started to like them both as the story progressed.

I really enjoyed the letters written by Ruby woven throughout the book. Helped me understand her and the reasoning behind Camden’s decisions to leave.

In true Rachel Hawkins fashion, you’ll think you know what happens until the twist at the end.

Rachel Hawkins is someone who i automatically add anything she writes to my TBR pile. She always has unique and interesting characters and 'The Heiress' did not disappoint. Great mystery, and a lovely ending.

"the heiress" starts slow, but boy does it ramp up fast.

jules and cam are married, living a simple life. but cam has a family he has tried to run away from for as long as he can remember. ruby, the matriarch, rich as can be, was a stunning heiress in her day. when she passes away, she leaves her estate to cam who must go home to claim it. but the other family members are not so pleasant to handle.

this is a fun novel. it's a quick read, full of twists and turns. stick with it, because the payoff at the end is worth it. ruby is a woman you can't help but love, despite the darkness within her. she was captivating, even in death.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Cam McTavish wants to do ANYTHING but drive back to Ashby House in North Carolina with his wife, Jules. He is happy living in Colorado as a boring English teacher. But, when his mother, Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, Cam is summoned back to his house where he grew up as an adopted son. He left secrets behind he no longer wants to revisit. Not to mention that he doesn’t get along well with the rest of the McTavish family.
What secrets will be uncovered on his return? Cam has secrets; his cousins, Ben and Libby, have secrets. Ruby certainly had secrets; and even Jules has some secrets she has been hiding.
The story is told in the present with Cam and Jule McTavish’s trip back to Ashby house and is also told by letters from his mother, Ruby, telling of her four husbands and her life as a McTavish.
The twists and turns kept coming throughout the whole book – the secrets and lies that EVERYONE had!
I read this book in one day – couldn’t put it down. Rachel Hawkins has done it again – can’t wait to see what she writes next. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers!

This book was interesting enough but I was hoping for a little more excitement in the plot. I would definitely read more from this author! Thank you for the opportunity to read it!

The Heiress is a twisty family drama, by Rachel Hawkins. The McTavish family has so many things; a mysterious kidnapping, a sprawling mansion, their own town, wealth and influence… but they also have fights, jealousy and a history of untimely deaths. After Camden left the family home, he severed all connections and refused to come home…. but now he is summoned home with his eager new wife Jules in tow. But what will he find, that time has healed his wounds or that there are even more secrets? I thoroughly enjoyed this latest book by Rachel Hawkins and recommend this book. I received an ARC, but all opinions are my own.

Revenge, love, murder and jealousy are the common threads weaved throughout this story. The story of Ruby McTavish, ultra wealthy socialite who always gets her way. Camden McTavish her adopted prodigal son, who wants nothing to do with his crazy McTavish clan, is forced to return home and take care of some family business. Cam travels with his seemingly innocent wife of ten years, Jules, to his stunning childhood home. From here the plot takes many twists and turns as various narrators take turns explaining Ruby’s engrossing life and legacy.

Ashby House, the family’s crowned jewel, is nestled in the rolling green hills of North Carolina and it’s where the McTavish clan have dominated for a generation. The house and it’s property are the home of many of the family’s deepest secrets. As the tale is told, these secrets are systematically revealed to the reader; chronicling Ruby’s kidnapping at age 3, to the suspicious deaths of all four of her husbands and more.

The story compels the reader to wonder “nature or nurture?” Is it nature or nurture that creates an individual capable of evil? The reader will question right from wrong, how much “truth” should be shared with your partner, and how will Cam and Jules relationship be unscathed after all they endure?

I really enjoyed this digital ARC of The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins. Thank you Net Galley and St Martin’s Press. Be sure to check out this mystery for yourself 1/9/24, The Heiress’s official release date. You won’t be sorry!

This is my 3rd Rachel Hawkins read and once again I was totally absorbed from the start with her latest, " The Heiress." This story is about of a family inheritance and its' beneficiaries. Families are messy to begin with but adding the cocktail of generational wealth at your fingertips can be toxic and then some. Almost everyone is so hungry for the money and/or happiness that they will go after it no matter than consequences or cost. I liked how there were multiple points of views and the story is told in present and past time. Numerous twists will keep you going. Thank you #Netgalley and #stmartinspress for an advanced copy of this enthralling new novel by #RachaelHawkins

More twists and turns than a race track! I could not figure out the plot until the very end! The life of Heiress, Ruby McTavish, was well told, mysterious, and strangely satisfying to read. From kidnapping to adoption, blackmail to lies upon lies, this story had me from beginning to end!

An amazing suspense that you won’t be able to put down. This story is told through three point of views. Ruby, the matriarch. Camden, the one with the inheritance and Jules his wife. Mystery, family drama and enough plot twists to keep keep you guessing.
Highly recommend this one.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, St. Martin’s Press and the author.
Publication date is January 9, 2024.

My new favorite Rachel Hawkins book! There was something about The Heiress that felt very contained and sure of itself. It's hard to explain but I feel like this book leaned into it's twists without going TOO hard or leaving too many hints.

The Heiress is about Jules, her husband, Camden, and Camden's adopted mother, Ruby McTavish. Ruby passed away 10 years ago and left her vast fortune to Camden, and now Camden has to come home to a huge mansion in the NC mountains. Cam's family still lives in the manse and feel entittled to the fortune. Jules, Cam, and Ruby are the narrators- Ruby's is in the form of letters and her voice is FLAWLESS. She jumps off the page and was the real standout to me.

I can't say much (no spoilers!) but this was fun? and breezy? and dark? I loved it! Thank you to Rachel Hawkins, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for the early read.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a story of a young man who turns his back on his palatial family estate in North Carolina that he inherited from his mother, Ruby, until he is called back by his cousins to address the issues with the house. He travels back to spend a few weeks fixing things up, along with his wife, Jules, who has designs to live in the house forever. The story is told with alternative viewpoints: Cam, Jules, his mother Ruby (via letters she left for Cam) and newspaper articles that describe the goings-on at Tavistock. This is one of those books where there's a bit of menace on every page, and I kept getting pulled in to read one more chapter to see what would happen next. It's well written and the characters are interesting (the reader peels back layer after layer with each successive chapter). I recommend it!

A very entertaining mystery with a great many twists and turns I didn’t expect. I don’t want to say anything about the plot but the characters are well-developed and very interesting, and the setting is atmospheric. Highly recommended to fans of Daphne Du Maurier and her successors.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC.

Suspenseful without being too scary, this felt like the perfect kind of thriller for me! I loved the dual timeline unfolding along with the modern story & found this one to be really enjoyable. I was hooked the whole time!

The Heiress is a suspenseful novel about the live and death of Ruby McTavish, the heiress to a large fortune and manor in North Carolina. Jules has married Ruby’s adopted son, Camden, and they have gone back to the manor he inherited to tie up some loose ends. Throughout the story, we not only learn about Camden’s complicated history with his mother and other relations but also see flashbacks of the major events in Ruby’s life and marriages, showing how she chose to try to make things right in her own way.

I loved this book. It was told from three perspectives: Jules, Camden, and Ruby. I thought that may get distracting or confusing, but as I read, the story sucked me in, and I didn’t want to put it down. I loved learning the complicated pasts of the characters. Although I was able to predict one twist in the story, it in no way impacted my surprise at the the story’s resolution. I would definitely recommend reading this book.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for an advanced copy of The Heiress in exchange for my honest review.