If you appreciate a well-crafted mystery, Rachel Hawkins' The Heiress is definitely worth a look. What stands out is her handling of the slow unraveling of the mystery.
Hawkins effectively establishes the setting before peeling back layers of secrets. The narrative unfolds not with sudden, dramatic twists, but through a gradual accumulation of unsettling details and revelations that build toward a satisfying conclusion. The atmosphere is well-executed, the tension is palpable, and the characters are quite compelling. For readers who enjoy a mystery that takes its time, allowing for a deeper immersion into the suspense and the process of piecing together clues, The Heiress provides a solid and engaging experience from beginning to end.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins is an atmospheric, twisty listen that pulled me in from the very beginning. Set in a Southern estate haunted by secrets, the story weaves through layers of family dysfunction, inherited wealth, and shocking revelations.
The narration is exceptional. Dan Bittner, Eliza Foss, John Pirhalla, and Patti Murin each bring a unique voice to their characters, adding depth and emotion that elevate the entire experience. The multiple perspectives and timelines are handled beautifully, making this audiobook truly immersive.
Rachel Hawkins delivers a suspenseful and compelling mystery that keeps you guessing while exploring the dark side of privilege and legacy. If you enjoy slow-burn thrillers with a gothic edge, this one should be at the top of your list.
Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and the author for the advance copy of this audiobook.

The Heiress is a deliciously twisted Southern Gothic thriller that delivers elegant suspense, familial secrets, and plenty of dark reveals. Set in Ashby House in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the novel alternates between past and present, weaving a rich tapestry of mystery via three perspectives: Ruby’s chilling letters and the present-day POVs of her adopted son Camden and his wife, Jules  .

🔍 What worked:
    •    Atmospheric setting & tone: Hawkins evokes a palpable sense of place—creaking floorboards, oppressive Southern heat, and generational tension—that places Ashby House nearly on equal footing with its inhabitants  .
    •    Multiple POVs & twists: The shifting perspectives and layered timelines keep readers guessing. Reviewers describe the pacing as “relentless,” with dramatic curveballs that land hard  .
    •    Morally complex characters: Nobody here is all good or all bad. Even the “villains” captivate with their motives and manipulations, making the reveal of secrets a complex emotional ride .

⚠️ Minor critiques:
    •    Uneven pacing: Some readers note a slow build before the action picks up—though others say that setup leads to a satisfying payoff  .
    •    Lack of likable characters: While many enjoy the moral grayness, a few found it hard to feel attached to any of the unsavory cast  .

“Every single character… is an unreliable narrator. Virtually no one is who they initially appear to be”—but even so, Ruby shines as the most captivating presence  .
“I’ve never been introduced to a family quite like the McTavishes… grippingly uncovered…”  .

Final thoughts

If you love domestic thrillers with a dark, Gothic edge—full of fading mansions, family intrigue, and spine-tingling revelations—The Heiress is a compelling read. Its intricate structure, evocative setting, and morally ambiguous characters make it a standout in Hawkins’s catalog, even if it doesn’t deliver a warm-hearted protagonist. Ready for sleepless reading? This may be the one.

3.5 stars [Liked it]

The story was interesting, full of family drama and secrets, but sometimes it felt a little forced. The narration of the audiobook was good but might have made me get a few things mixed up. Overall, a good family drama with some twists.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free advanced copy of this ebook & audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this book was a slow burn, but a fast read. I'm a sucker for a book with different POVs. I listened to the book as I read, having a different narrator for each POV was great. It helped make the characters more themselves. The book had great twists. I don't think it was necessarily a thriller, but it was still a good read. This was my second Rachel Hawkins book, and it won't be my last. Thank you to Macmillian Audio and St. Martin's Press for the copies of this book in exchange for my review.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins
QUICK BITS
•Uber rich
•Tell all vibes
•Twisty
•Quick read

REVIEW
Let’s just start with this…this is a FUN read and extremely readable!

Overall, I truly enjoyed my time reading this and therefore I do think that it’s worth my deep dive rating! However, as you all know…I take my reviewing duties seriously and so I will dive into what makes this a 4 star book rather than a 5…BUT NONETHELESS I do recommend it in the end.

So this feels like a sort of thriller version of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. We get this story from a few different perspectives and yet it remains incredibly easy to follow.

It’s got that rags to riches feel and contemplates the question of whether money corrupts even the best of people.

Reading via audio I could not believe I was halfway as quick as I was and truly devoured this story.

That being said…the overall plot felt a little off. As fast as it went, it also seemed to lack a real climax.

I think it relied on the epilogue a little too much to complete the story and more time should have been given to build and wrap up the story.

However, for me Rachel Hawkins books always hit the spot. They always revolve around wealth and wild shenanigans that’s just an all out good time to read. And considering so many others can’t seem to do that in the thriller genre, it gives me all I need to enjoy myself.

RATINGS
7 Characters
8 Atmosphere
7 Writing Style
6 Plot
9 Pace
8 Intrigue
8 Enjoyment
2 SOS Bonus

TOTAL= 53+2= 55/14= 3.92

2.00 /5.00 SOS Rating
Don’t get me wrong this one has a lot of twists and turns, but overall they are easy to spot, but again nonetheless enjoyable to read/experience.

4.00/5.00 Rounded Rating

Family secrets and wild plot twists make The Heiress a true page-turner. Others agree, as it quickly gained widespread recognition after its publication. I look forward to reading more of Hawkins' work in the future because of how much I enjoyed this title!

Suspenseful and intriguing, Rachel Hawkins has hit with another thriller. I really enjoyed listening to the audio version, and found myself taking longer and longer walks just to hear more. The storyline flips from present to past, and it works in a way to keep you wanting more. The characters are not all likable (just like in real life!) but each serves a purpose.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This, like most of her books, was another great read! i would love to reread this one in the future

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

This was on suspenseful book I really enjoyed & was a masterclass in tension and intrigue. From the very first chapter, it gripped me with an unsettling atmosphere and an ever-present sense of danger. The plot was tightly woven, full of unexpected twists that kept me guessing at every turn, and the stakes only escalated as the story progressed. The characters were compelling and complex, each harboring secrets that added to the mystery. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, the book would pull the rug out from under me, making it impossible to put down. It was a thrilling and satisfying read that kept me on edge until the very last page.

After reading The Villa last year, I was thrilled to read another of Hawkins’ works. I will be honest that I preferred the story within The Villa over this title, that is just personal opinion! I thought the mystery and suspense were great and the characters were well-developed.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ALC

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an ALC of the Heiress by Rachel Hawkins. To be honest, I struggled a bit to get through this one. The ending made it an “OK” book for me. This one follows the inner lives and secrets of a rich family - Camden is now marrying Jules, a woman who is looking to escape her own past. They find themselves at Ashby House, and old family secrets come back to surface.

Great writing by Hawkins, but I feel like this plot continues to be seen in the thriller realm.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins was an enthralling journey into the dark underbelly of family legacy and hidden truths. Set against the atmospheric backdrop of Ashby House in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, the novel masterfully intertwines suspense, complex characters, and a haunting setting.

The story centers on Camden McTavish, the adopted son of the enigmatic Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore—a woman notorious for her wealth, a mysterious childhood kidnapping, and the untimely deaths of her four husbands. After distancing himself from the McTavish legacy for a decade, Cam is drawn back to Ashby House following his uncle’s death, accompanied by his wife, Jules. As they navigate the tensions with the remaining family members, long-buried secrets begin to surface, challenging their perceptions and threatening their safety.

Hawkins’ writing is both evocative and gripping, capturing the essence of Southern Gothic storytelling. The alternating narratives between Cam, Jules, and Ruby’s letters provide a multifaceted perspective, gradually unraveling the complex web of deceit and ambition that defines the McTavish family. The characters are richly developed, each harboring their own secrets and motivations, making the unfolding drama all the more compelling.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a digital ALC in exchange for an honest review.

If you like family drama - this one is for you! Mostly a mystery with a little bit of suspense thrown in here and there. LOTS of intertwining plot lines that keep the story interesting, with a nice little twist at the end. It was a little slow in the beginning but picked up after the first half. I did find all of the intertwining plot lines a little difficult to follow on the audio book, but I enjoyed the different narrators and the clips ins from "magazines" or "podcasts". Read this if you like: dual timelines, multiple POVS, family drama, and dark settings!

Give me a cup of tea and a book by Rachel Hawkins, and I am one happy gal. The Heiress takes on Hawkins' signature style and takes readers away into a world of intrigue.

The audiobook just adds to the experience.

Many thanks to the author, narrator, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

The first book I read by this author Reckless Girls was weaker than the second book I read The Villa, and I'm on the fence as to whether this one was better (both got four stars so, if it wasn't better, it was at least on par). As with previous books, I enjoyed the author's writing style and she does seem to lean towards unlikeable characters, which I am also OK with.

As other readers have mentioned, this is more of a family drama than a thriller, but I was engaged throughout the whole thing (and was thrown a bit with the way one letter from Ruby ended but, after thinking on it for a bit, was happy to learn I actually figured out a plot twist ahead of time, which is really unheard of for me).

As with most stories with multiple narrators, I found myself drawn to one over the others (Ruby) and liked her character most of all. Someone mentioned this book was like a soap opera and they aren't wrong - the whole McTavish family was majorly dysfunctional, but it was fun to be along for the ride.

I swapped out between the book and the audiobook, and the narrators did a good job - I particularly enjoyed Ruby as voiced by (I think) Eliza Foss.

This was one of my favorites by the author. The narration was also wonderful. I was pulled into the story early on wondering what Ruby had left under her sleeve for the heirs of her wealth. I was surprised with the twist at the end and found the ending to be fulfilling!

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins is a compelling read that blends family drama with suspense, though it may not fit neatly into the thriller category. I found the book engaging, with a well-woven narrative that reveals its layers slowly and deliberately.

One of the book’s standout features is its use of multiple points of view (POVs), which adds depth to the story but, at times, left me a bit disoriented. Despite this, the overall plot was captivating, especially as it built toward a shocking twist that I didn’t see coming. The different perspectives made the family dynamics feel rich and complex, and each character was well-developed, adding to the intrigue and tension throughout the book.

I experienced The Heiress as an audiobook, and the variety of narrators brought the characters to life in a way that truly enhanced my enjoyment of the story. The cast did an excellent job of distinguishing the voices and personalities, making it easy to immerse myself in the world Hawkins created.

While it may not deliver the heart-pounding suspense typical of thrillers, The Heiress is a thoughtfully crafted tale of secrets, relationships, and the weight of inheritance. If you enjoy slow-burn suspense with multi-dimensional characters and family drama at its core, this book is definitely worth a read.

Rating: 3.5

This was the perfect gothic 'mystery' to get me in the Fall mood. While I guessed all of the twists from the beginning, this did not dampen my enjoyment of the book. I think if you like the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo but also want a bit more mystery and gothic vibes then this is a good choice. There were definitely parallels between the 2 stories and both the woman were equally interesting to follow.
I also enjoyed how this was written. It was quick paced and nothing came out of left field which I tend to hate in these types of stories. Overall, a solid read.