Domestic thriller full of unsavory characters and lots of drama.

It’s time. Camden and his wife, Jules, must return to Ashby House and face his estranged and dysfunctional family — the wealthy McTavish clan of North Carolina. Although he had left them and his inheritance behind for a happy life with Jules in Colorado, he must go take care of the estate affairs after his uncle died. The survivors want all the money and the beautiful house up in the Blue Ridge Mountains. But the matriarch left Camden everything. Unfortunately, he was adopted by Ruby and the rest don’t think he deserves to inherit. What lengths will they go through to wrest it all from him? It seems, however, that Ruby had a few ideas about how to prevent that.

Lots of family secrets and lies as usual with a climax that was probably meant to be a surprising twist that missed the mark with me. Although predictable, the narrative was fast and easy to read though I can’t say I liked any of the characters. Somewhat convoluted, it all does eventually come together as rumor, speculation, and innuendo are answered.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this e-book ARC to read and review. I enjoyed it.

I am a huge Rachel Hawkins fan! This one might be my favorite yet. If you like rich people family drama this one is for you. I loved the heart throbbing suspense that takes place in Ashby house, a mansion in the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina. The house itself provides such an intense atmosphere, it becomes a character itself. I will definitely be reading from this author again.

This was a great quick read thriller with a slow burn. Things really don’t pick up too much until more than half way through.

I loved the atmospheric setting and the multiple POV’s. The creepy gothic house combined with the old family drama made for the perfect thriller vibes. While it didn’t move super fast paced, there was an overall feeling of needing to know what happens next.

I wasn't planning on reading 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗘𝗜𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦. I didn't love Rachel Hawkins' 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘜𝘱𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘴 or 𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴 and I skipped 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘝𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢, but after seeing some friends post saying they enjoyed her latest, I decided to give it a listen. I'm glad I did.

Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore is an infamous heiress who was kidnapped as a child and later widowed four times under mysterious circumstances. After her passing, her adopted son Cameron comes back to their ancestral home with his wife, bringing long-buried family secrets to light.

The dual timeline, multiple POV story had some great twists and I love dysfunctional families like the McTavishes. I was all in on the dead husbands (I can't be the only one who got some Evelyn Hugo vibes, right? Even the green dress in the portrait on the cover feels like a nod!) and I highly recommend the audiobook - the full cast narration was perfect. Guess I'm now a Rachel Hawkins convert...

Thanks to St. MArtin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the copies to review.

4 stars.

I really liked The Villa and thought that The Wife Upstairs was brilliantly dark & twisty.

The Heiress was another winner by Rachel Hawkins.

Interestingly, this is the story of the boy adopted by the heiress, and what he goes through to try to escape the bizarre and messy lives of his relatives who despise him for inheriting. Lots of great twists and turns and well-conceived wacky characters. I'd love to see this one turned into a movie.

So many twists and turns!! I did not see the ending coming for this one. Beautifully written, a must read for 2024! 4.5/5⭐️

I haven't read much of Rachel Hawkins' work before now to be honest, but this one was actually a pretty quick, fun, and captivating read for me (despite the overall pacing of the story being that of a very slow burn). This is more of a domestic mystery/suspense novel than it is a ~twisty~ thriller in my opinion, but I personally liked that and how the plot leaned more into the family drama side of things at times (I love mess! 😂). Reading this book has made me want to read more of Rachel's backlist though, so I'm very grateful for the opportunity with this eARC (thank you again!), as it's allowed me to discover a "new" author to look forward to!

Rachel Hawkins delivers another wonderful mystery/thriller with THE HEIRESS. A family drama full of secrets, deception, and twists that are revealed one chapter and one character at a time.

“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…

Highly recommend!

THE HEIRESS is good family drama novel with a bit of mystery. It’s very slow-burn, but I really enjoy that in mystery and/or multigenerational stories. The past chapters were my favorite; Ruby’s life was fascinating and notorious for crazy reasons, just as the description promised. I wished there was more of a plot in the “present” chapters to level out the story, but that was my only complaint. Thank you for my gifted copy!

This was a surprising one! I thought it was a full on thriller but it was not? It was entertaining though, a slow burn. This was my first time reading a Rachel Hawkins book, I will be checking out her other books though.

This book was a little slow in the beginning but it sort of picked up around the halfway mark. The twists at the end weren’t super shocking and there were so many hints toward the twist that I had guessed one of them early on. Overall the book was okay.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Rachel Hawkins for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I've read all of Rachel Hawkins other books and this might be my favorite one so far! I really enjoyed all the twists and turns and the family drama was so on point! I couldn't put this one down and I can't wait til she puts out another one!

4 stars for me!

3.5 fun, twisty, secretive stars! This family drama was reminiscent of Knives Out and Evelyn Hugo mashed together. Some of the story, I really loved (like the relationship between Cam & the cousins) but the ending left me a bit underwhelmed. Rich people behaving badly in this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Darling, darling, darling. Rachel Hawkins writes the perfect mix of scare you a little, but not scare the sh*t out of you thrillers and I would give this one a solid four stars.

Ruby McTavish gained notoriety for being recovered in an infamous kidnapping allegedly conducted by a worker on her family's sprawling estate, Ashby House in the hills of North Carolina. Later dubbed, "Mrs. Killmore" after all four of her husbands died under unusual circumstances, Ruby was the richest woman in North Carolina at the time of her death and leaves everything, including, Ashby House, to her adopted son, Cam.

Our story is set against this dark and luxurious backdrop and only gets richer as you discover the secrets and lies that all the McTavish's are harboring. From Cam, a teacher in Colorado who wants nothing to do with his family, Ashby House, or Ruby's fortune, to Jules, Cam's wife, who pushes him to go to Ashby House and face his family, to Nell, Ruby's sister, who always felt one step behind Nell and Libby, Cam's cousin, who can't help but hide her distaste for Cam and Jules. Everyone has a hidden secret in this well thought out and twisty book.

Some of the twists were tied up really quickly or explained very briefly, which left me wanting more. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend the audio version.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I have enjoyed many of Rachel Hawkins’s previous novels but I’m pretty sure The Heiress is my favorite so far.

When three year old, Ruby McTavish went missing from a family picnic in 1943, the nation was gripped by her disappearance. Part of the interest was likely due to the fact that Ruby’s father was one of the wealthiest men in North Carolina. Thankfully, a year later, Ruby was found safe and sound living in Alabama with the Darnell family.

This wasn’t Ruby’s only brush with notoriety. She was given the nickname, “Mrs. Kill-more” as she had been married (and widowed) four times. Of course, the nickname was usually whispered behind her back. Ruby lived for many years on the family estate, Ashby House which was located high in the Blue Ridge Mountains. After she passed, her estate and her fortune was left to her adopted son, Camden McTavish. But Camden had no interest in the home or the fortune. Instead he moved to Colorado and eventually married Jules.

Married for a decade, Cam and Jules have led very private lives. They live in Colorado. He’s an English teacher and she works at a living history museum acting as a “pioneer woman” playing the part of a farmer’s wife.

When Jules comes home from work one evening she is surprised to see that Cam is already home. He usually tutors Wednesday evenings. Immediately she knows something is up. Cam seems distracted. Then he tells her something that will change their lives forever.

“It’s my family. They want me to come home.”

When Camden McTavish left Ashby House he swore he’d never look back. Now Cam and Jules are heading back to the Blue Ridge Mountains AND Ashby House.

Cam hasn’t told Jules much about his family. Just like his mother, Ruby, Cam also has secrets. But as it turns out, his wife may be keeping secrets too.

Will coming back to the Blue Ridge Mountains be a huge mistake for Cam and Jules?

I had both The Heiress audiobook and ebook and both were terrific!!

The majority of the story is told from Jules and Cam’s point of view. We learn more about Ruby as letters from her are interspersed throughout the book. There’s also newspaper and magazine articles which help tell the story.

I was completely engrossed in this domestic suspense novel. Rachel Hawkins has written another intelligent and clever story with interesting and complex characters. I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read more from this talented author.

I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

Separate from her work as Erin Sterling, The Heiress is now my favorite Hawkins' novel. I loved hearing about all of Ruby's ex-husbands and how they ultimately met their respective demises. I also enjoyed the current day storyline with her heir returning to the Ashby House with his wife but having to deal with his other family members and their drama. Even with the different POV's and timelines, I was able to easily follow it all while listening to the audiobook version. The narration by Dan Bittner, Eliza Foss, John Pirhalla, Patti Murin was great.

Special thanks to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press for the digital advanced readers/listeners copy!!

Wow! This book did not disappoint! So much family drama for days! I absolutely devour all of this authors books and hate that it took me so long to read it! Lesson learned for sure!!

Not my favorite novel by Rachel but an enjoyable gothic suspenseful read nonetheless. Will still carry and recommend.

3.25 for me. I enjoyed the writing in this and how the story kept making me want to know all the juicy details of these characters secrets. The whole time I was reading this, it felt like I was enjoying listening to a bunch of people gossiping. Did I think this was jaw dropping and surprising in the end? No, but I didn't mind the ride. I honestly wouldn't even categorize this as a true thriller, but more of a family drama.

I think what fell flat to me was the characters. There was a lack of development which made me not care too much about what happened to any of them. I've read about unlikable characters, but with the right drive I can still want to see the outcome and either get their dues or their tragedy. I felt none of that and it left me feeling a little wanting on that department.

All in all, I had an okay time and would recommend this to most people especially if their new to suspense.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this!

This was a wild ride through a rich family behaving badly. I think this could be great for fans of We Were Liars, if you want the drama and the thrills, it is the right book. Everyone was so...awful, in the most twisted, entertaining way.