I enjoyed reading this story. The characters and their complicated relationships seemed relatable at times. There were twists I wasn’t expecting. I especially loved the ending. Well done!

The McTavishes were the biggest fish in the small pond, and their wealth was traditional and legendary. When Baby Ruby McTavish disappears on a family picnic, the community is turned upside down trying to find her. Ruby was gone for nearly a year when she was finally discovered living with a family who had lost their own infant daughter and were claiming her as their own. Ruby was rescued and the family was relived the direct heiress to the McTavish fortune had returned. But was everything as it seemed?

Was Ruby the real Ruby?
Was Ruby's kidnapping a hoax orchestrated by an extended family member in the hopes of inheriting the substantial wealth?
What is the connection between Ruby's adopted son's wife and the family?

Many questions that could easily derail the plot and scatter the story lines are deftly pulled and held together by Hawkins. I'm impressed with how she navigated this story and kept the reader engaged through the various "past and presents" of several characters. This is a great domestic thriller that is skillfully written.

When his uncle dies, Camden and his wife Jules leave their lives in Colorado to travel to Ashby House in North Carolina. The house has fallen into disrepair in the years since Camden inherited the house from his adopted mother, Ruby McTavish. Ruby, who is also known as Mrs. Kill-more, had been kidnapped as a child, and widowed four times when she adopted Cam. The McTavishes never believed that Can was the rightful heir.

The story is told from three points of view and in dual timelines. There is kidnapping, murder, vengeance, greed, lies, and secrets. I totally enjoyed this book.

I loved this thriller so much!!!! I loved that it kinda gave Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, but with a murderous twist haha! The writing was great, characters were great, plot was great! Only thing I will say is that I was getting kinda lost in the family relationships. I had a hard time differentiating who was who and how they were related to the main character.

Fast paced and great twists. I did not see a few of them coming. Have come to really enjoy this author. While this one was not my favorite, it was pretty high up there. I loved Ruby's letters (and her narrator in and die was fantastic!). Cam was annoying in his whole ungrateful attitude. Even in the end, I don't get why he didn't want the money to at the very least do something great with it even anonymously. That just seems so stupid. Alas, definitely entertaining, solid read.

In 1943, three-year old Ruby McTavish vanished during a family picnic. Eventually found eight months later, she grew up to be one of the richest women in North Carolina, having inherited most of her family‘s immense wealth, including their mansion, Ashby House. But even with all that money, tragedy seems to follow Ruby, who married four times but is also a widow four times over. After her death, her entire inheritance passes to her adopted son Camden, who wants nothing to do with the money, Ashby House, or the remaining McTavish family, whose members all despise him. His return to Ashby house more than a decade after Ruby‘s death, his wife Jules in tow, will finally reveal decades of family secrets, lies, passion, murder, and greed.

The story is told from the POVs of both Camden and Jules, interspersed with truly delightful letters by the late Ruby that serve as her backstory/confession, as well as some newspaper articles to provide background info. This clever method of storytelling really moves things along nicely, though Camden and Jules‘ chapters sometimes drag a bit.

While I sadly found not a single one of the ultimate twists surprising and the uber-evil relatives were a bit of a cliché, this book still made for a fun, twisted, engaging, and well-written read that kept me hooked.

Thank you to the author, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the second book by Hawkins I’ve read! I loved both The Wife upstairs & now The Heiress. The Heiress is a great mystery thriller that hooks you in from the beginning. After Ruth Mctavish passes away her estate is passed on to her adopted son Camden. Initially Camden decides to stay away from the Ashbury House until his cousin reaches out to get Camden’s help with the property. The mystery behind the estate & Ruth’s childhood & death develop into a great read!

I like this author and I have enjoyed other books by her. This one grabbed my attention early and kept me entertained with the mystery. Full of drama and very addicting, this book kept me enthralled.

This was just okay for me. I'm a big fan of Rachel Hawkins in general, but I didn't love this one. I liked the gothic, spooky elements, but I didn't find it too memorable.

Thank you so much NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, & Rachel Hawkins for this title in exchange for an honest review! 🖤⁠
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I enjoyed this one but it didn't live up the twisty & dark books I am used to from Rachel Hawkins. Where I was shocked on an occasion or two, this didn't really feel like a thriller to me. More like a family drama with mystery intertwined. ⁠
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I did enjoy going back & forth from the present to Ruby's letters & hearing all the POVs-- but I felt like something was missing.

The Heiress was an intense ride but it earns a solid 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 from me. This book has some dark twists and turns but I found it quite entertaining!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is my favorite Rachel Hawkins book I've read so far! There was so much family drama and it's intriguing and kept me flipping the pages!! The characters telling the story are unreliable and it's told by multiple POV's which helps to keep you guessing what is going on. The unveiling of Ruby's story told by her letters was enthralling and interesting. I loved the creepy vibes of the Ashby house setting. The mansion was described so well, you could really imagine it and put yourself into the story. Overall, a fun, twisty-turny read!

Thank you, St Martin’s Press, and NetGalley, for a copy of this book in return for my honest review.

Addicting and fun, I could not put this book down! Unlikeable characters, unreliable narrators and more twists and turns than a roller coaster! I loved it! I read Ms. Hawkins previous two books and each one is better than the last!

I wouldn’t call this a thriller but a good family drama with some mystery. I liked the way it moved points of view and I enjoyed the twist at the end but this is not one for someone looking for a dark and juicy thriller. Much more an interesting drama.

This book is SO fun! I loved the multiple POVs and storylines. Hands down my favorite book by Rachel Hawkins. Kind of reminded me of a suspenseful version of The Seven Husbands Evelyn Hugo, which is another favorite book of mine. Highly recommend!

Rachel Hawkins is a hit or miss for me but I was excited for this book based on the synopsis; that being said I thought it was just okay. I was expecting more spooky vibes and I feel like we didn’t get that. I still really enjoy her writing and will definitely be reading her again, I’m just disappointed in this one.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

Loved this. Such a fun page-turner, with just enough mystery to keep it interesting. I'd absolutely recommend.

Three-year-old Ruby McTavish gets lost in the North Carolina woods, only to reappear months later in another state. Fast forward to fancy mansion life where Ruby grows up with a nagging feeling that things are...off.

Through letters she wrote before she died, we get a glimpse into Ruby's life: four marriages, a dysfunctional family, and an adopted son named Camden who wants nothing to do with the McTavish fortune. But Camden's wife Jules convinces him to visit the family after an uncle's passing and things get interesting!

This book's told from different perspectives - Camden, Jules, and even Ruby's letters - so you get the whole messy picture. This was a super entertaining read with short chapters, which I love. Two thumbs up!

This was my first book by Rachel Hawkins but it will certainly not be my last. It's a mix of family drama and mystery. This book focuses on the family of Ruby McTavish, specifically her adopted son, Camden and his wife, Jules. At this point, Ruby has died and when her brother dies, the last of the McTavishes, there's a significant focus on the family estate worth millions of dollars in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. This book focuses on Ruby's multiple husbands and how they all died, and then what will happen to the inheritance... and who truly are these people? Such an enjoyable read that leaves you on the edge of your seat the whole time! Highly recommend.

Very interesting book. Twisty and turny but it all comes out straight in the end. Ms Hawkins always writes a great story and this is no exception.