If your bookish love language is a twisty thriller that will keep you turning the pages (or listening, as I did!) late into the night, Rachel Hawkins’ new release needs to be high on your 2024 reading list!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The most infamous mansion in North Carolina, a widowed heiress with four husbands dead under suspicious circumstances, a kidnapping, and a fortune anyone in the family may be willing to kill for — these twisted elements are merely setting the scene for a family drama with surprises to the very end.

First off, the audio was excellent! With a full cast of characters who's southern accents authentic enough to sweeten all the iced tea within ear shot, the narration was spot on!

Now to the story...
Ruby McTavish was kidnapped when she was just three years old from the Appalachian woods surrounding Tavistock, the town her family practically owns in the mountains of North Carolina. Almost a year later she was discovered living with a family in Alabama, her miracle rescue making national headlines.

Four marriages and four dead husbands later, Ruby is still making headlines. Whether as Mrs. Kill-more (how can anyone be *that* unlucky in love?) or as a benevolent and generous philanthropist (not just funding organizations for needy children but adopting a young boy and giving him everything money can buy), Ruby is an enigma.

The narrative unfolds through three voices:
♦️ Ruby tells her story in mysterious letters written to an unknown “Darling.”
👨‍🏫 Camden, her adopted son, has chosen to sever all ties to his family and his fortune. But he can’t escape the demons that still haunt him, no matter how far he runs.
💍 Jules met Cam by chance and is now his wife. Despite barely scraping by, they are each other’s soulmates, true loves, and confidants. Aren’t they?

As the sole heir to the McTavish fortune, Cam — the adopted son — is hated by his entire family. When he returns to North Carolina one last time to make arrangements for the care of the estate, secrets that have been buried for generations start finding their way to light. Old resentments and accusations can be deadly when the largest fortune in the state is the all-or-nothing prize.

This one makes you wonder how much darkness there is inside any of us...if we are good (or bad!) by nature or nurture...and just how easily we can justify our actions when we’re pushed to our breaking point.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and the author Rachel Hawkins for the copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars

This is my 3rd book by Rachel Hawkins. Unfortunately this my least favorite that i’ve read by her. Not saying that it’s bad, I just like the other two books I have read by her more. This book had a very interesting plot and the family dynamic was intriguing. The twists were definitely there and moved the story along, they just didn’t come as jaw dropping as I was hoping they’d be. I really enjoyed the letters throughout the story and Rachel has such a unique way of incorporating those fun elements that make you wanna see what happens next. Overall, a very fast paced and fun thriller, the wild family dynamic is like watching your favorite soap opera with a thrilling twist. Highly recommend if you’re getting into thrillers or you need a gripping fast paced read, also try her other thrillers as I’ve loved those as well!

An adopted son reluctantly returns to the home and family he repudiates, only to be sucked back into a past marked by murder, and a future dangerously uncertain.

Ruby McTavish, once famous in North Carolina for surviving a kidnapping and becoming a widow four times over, unfurls sinister truths about her life in posthumous letters. Eccentric and wildly wealthy, Ruby is eternally embroiled in controversy. Upon her death, Ruby leaves the vast McTavish fortune to her adopted son, Camden—much to the fury of the rest of the family.

Now, ten years later, Camden is called back to Ashby House following the death of his uncle. Married and working as a high school English teacher, Camden rejects his inheritance, as well as everything and everyone having to do with his family. At the urging of his wife, Jules, however, they return to North Carolina to face his past once and for all.

As the story unwinds in the present, we learn more about Ruby’s illustrious life through letters she’s written: What happened when she was kidnapped as a young girl? What really happened to her four husbands—all who died mysteriously? What led her to adopt Camden? What secrets did she conceal over the course of her life?

Everyone hides something in this fascinating and original novel from Rachel Hawkins (The Villa). Ruby’s letters are witty and utterly engrossing, juxtaposing a forebodingly gothic ‘present’ narrated by both Camden and Jules. It’s all comes to a surprising and satisfying climax.

I loved this book. Loved its originality and approach. Propulsive pacing and intriguing, morally ambiguous characters made it a non-stop thrill ride impossible to put down.

alrighty, let us start by addressing the elephant in the room: this ain't realllllly a mystery/thriller (in my personal opinion), I would say it is more a mild family suspense novel. It was an okay read, I like reading about rich peoples problems but I definitely got halfway through and was like ... wait why am I reading this what actually happened am I trying to figure something out?

The cast of characters I could take or leave, but again I did enjoy the book well enough. There was never a point in time where I was considering not reading the whole thing because I was into it but I just think if I had realigned my expectations I would have liked it better? I don't usually lean suspense novels in the kind I like.

My last main point is just that I didn't like the different storylines each equally which can be a huge issue for me. There is such a risk at implementing different storylines because if one is less interesting than others it substantially effects my book enjoyment haha.

I have kept up with reading every single one of her books and enjoyed this one too. The Heiress felt like reading more sinister and darker version of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. You get a deep dive into Ruby’s family life and the husbands she’s had over the years, especially how she earned the name of Ruby Killmore. There are so many ins and outs of this book that really make it a true Rachel Hawkins read. I’m giving it 4 ⭐️ only because it took a while to get going and the ending kind of just fell off for me.

Rachel Hawkins just keeps getting better! I will say, compared to The Villa, this one starts off a little slower, but halfway through, the twists come into play. The slow burn was worth it. The narrator does a great job.

I usually enjoy Rachel Hawkins' books, but this one just didn't grab my attention. I think it may have been because I just finished another very similar book that was more interesting to me. I guessed both twists pretty early on, and zoned out through a lot of the complicated family tree explanations. Not a bad book by any means, I just wasn't in the mood. Since I already knew what happened, I wasn't too interested in how any of the reveals played out. My favorite part were Ruby's letters, though. I enjoyed hearing what happened between her and her many husbands!

I enjoyed the cast of narrators and their performance.

My first book by Hawkins and while I enjoyed it, it wasn't as good as I was expecting based on the reviews. Not bad, I was just hoping for more of a ‘wow’ factor. I felt like the story itself was 3 star & the narration pushed it up to 4 stars.

***ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Listened at 1.5 speed.

Ok this one might be my favorite Rachel Hawkins yet, it was SO good. The audio was fantastic, I put this one on and was immediately engrossed in this story. Once the matriarch Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore (say that five times fast) dies, the family is truly at their worst, and is why Camden, her adopted son, does not want to go back to the estate to deal with them. This had so many twists and several I did not see coming, and the ending was wild and absolute perfection. Do not miss this one, you must add it to your list!!

Thank you to St. Martins Press and Macmillan Audio for the ALC to review.

Rachel Hawkins books always have a bit of surprise to them. I think that makes me look for them. So, I found some. And then Hawkins through some more in at the very end. It took me some time to become interested in the characters. Most were exceptionally unlikable. Still, I found the entire ending to be very satisfying.

The Heiress is my favorite Rachel Hawkins book so far! I thought the plot was unique and I loved the setting. This gothic novel takes place in a prestigious old mansion and that added to the atmospheric quality.

The story is told from multiple points of view and has a nonlinear timeline. Parts of it are told through letters which I loved. The audiobook has a full cast narration. I thought the narrators did a great job. The narrator who portrayed Ruby was my favorite.

The characters are complex and interesting. They make lots of morally gray decisions. The twists in this novel were just right. I couldn’t turn the audiobook off and I was dying to find out how it would all end!

✨ Review ✨ The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins; Narrated by Dan Bittner; Eliza Foss; John Pirhalla; Patti Murin

I loved how Hawkins brought together multiple timelines of stories around Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore, the heiress, and Ashby House, featured prominently in the middle. Using newspaper clippings and other ephemera and letters from Ruby, Hawkins walks us through Ruby's life and the death of her four husbands. And then, in present day chapters, from Camden and his wife Jules, we see the story of her inheritance play out. The audiobook used four narrators -- one for miscellaneous sources, one for Ruby's letters, and one each for Cam and Jules, which really brought this to life.

While I'm not sure any of the reveals are super shocking throughout, I was fully engaged and couldn't wait to find out what happened in this. It reminds me most of the The Villa of her books that I've read, in its style and tone. I thought the story was fun and exciting and definitely got me caught up in it!

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Genre: mystery/thriller
Setting: Golden, CO and small town North Carolina
Pub Date: Jan 9, 2024

Read this if you like:
⭕️ family drama / thrillers
⭕️ rich families with big estates
⭕️ multiple timeline stories
⭕️ letters & ephemera mixed into narrative

Thanks to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

Definitely my fave from this author! Money, lies, and a whole lot of family drama!

Read if you liked the premise of Saltburn but wished it was a tad less weird.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins is a Southern Gothic tale of buried family secrets, long-held grudges, overt manipulation, greed, and murder. The book follows the story of Lissa, a woman who is invited to stay at her best friend’s family home in the Scottish Highlands. The story is told through letters, newspaper clippings, society notices, and much more, which adds to the book’s charm and intrigue. The characters are well-developed and relatable, and the setting is described in vivid detail, making it easy to imagine yourself in the Scottish countryside. The book is a bit of a slow burn, but it kept me engaged and entertained with its juicy plot and a few nice zingers. If you enjoy psychological thrillers with a touch of mystery and intrigue, then The Heiress is a must-read

Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore. That's quite a name and the lady herself has quite a story. In The Heiress, you get a front row seat to all her drama. Buckle up, baby, you're in for a bumpy ride.

In Rachel Hawkins latest novel, she treats us to the complicated life story of Ruby McTavish and the fractious family she left behind. At the time of her death, Ruby was the wealthiest woman in North Carolina. She was also its most notorious resident.

Her notoriety started early when she was kidnapped as a child, a very wealthy child. Her face and story were everywhere. The talk of the town, you could say. Unlike the tragic case of the Lindbergh baby though, Ruby was found alive and returned into the arms of her family. A seemingly happy ending.

Ruby lived an eventful life from that time forward. Widowed four times over, with marriages the stuff of gossip columns, her early infamy never really had the chance to wear off. After her death, the family estate, Ashby House, set high in the Blue Ridge mountains, along with Ruby's nine-figure fortune is left to her adopted son, Camden, much to the chagrin of the other surviving McTavish family members.

Camden doesn't want anything to do with the estate, or the inheritance. He rejects it and moves to Colorado. He marries, becomes an English teacher and lives a fairly normal life.

10-years later, after the death of his Uncle, a summons for his presence brings Camden, along with his wife, Jules, back to North Carolina and into the fold of the McTavish family. Cam may be displeased about their stay in North Carolina, but Jules has other thoughts. She loves the property and is enamored by the idea of it being all theirs.

The more she learns about Cam's estranged family, the more determined she becomes for him to claim everything Ruby intended for him to have. The more they learn about Ruby though, the more tainted her legacy seems to become. What exactly is her story?

I found this to be absolutely addictive. I listened to the audiobook and loved how it was formatted, as well as the multi-cast narration. We get both Cam and Jules perspectives, as well as Ruby's story through a series of letters she has written to an unknown recipient. Cam and Jules are both providing the present timeline, as they travel to Ashby House and stay there with Cam's family for their first time.

Ruby's letters provide us with a glimpse of her life from the start. We go through her various romances and learn of the events that shaped her into the woman she becomes.

I loved the set-up and Hawkins was successful in capturing and holding my attention. I wouldn't say there was a ton of action, but as a character study, it's definitely intriguing. If you love deep-held family secrets and drama, you will most likely enjoy this one. It's seriously the most twisted Family Drama, and I love twisted!!

As the past catches up with the present, the truth of who Ruby was writing to is revealed and thus, the truth of her life becomes clear. OMG, what a crazy life!

Overall, I had a lot of fun with this. It's great storytelling. There's varied layers of deceit and backstabbing, which we love to see. My only wish is that it could have been a little longer and that there could have been more suspense. Nevertheless though, a really enjoyable read.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I always get excited for the newest Rachel Hawkins, and am already anticipating whatever she writes next!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25

🎧Song Pairing: Money Money Money - ABBA (had to…obviously)

💭What I thought would happen:

Oooo it has to be a greedy greedy devious book right? I mean that wallpaper screams old dusty money

📖What actually happens:

Camden is being called back home after the death of his adoptive mother, something he’s avoided for years but at the insistence of his wife Jules he will go say a final goodbye.

Set in Camden’s mother, Ruby’s past and his present this book jumps through time to outline the divide in their relationship. Buckle. Up.

🗯Thoughts/sassy musings:

HOLY FAMILY DRAMA! My word people get so viciously aggressive over inheritance (and I thirst for that drama)

I’ve said it many times and I’ll say it again…entitled wealthy assholes acting poorly makes me high, inject me now 😂 I love that trope…is it a trope?

After the last couple Hawkins books I wasn’t amped up to read this one. I enjoyed but didn’t adore them! The Wife Upstairs though👌🏽

A perfectly (quick) dark lit book. I mean dead husbands are kind of the best dark theme am I right 😉 sorry Jamie 😂

Watch out the twists will give you whip lash (even though predictable, there were a couple goodies)

What a quick and engaging listen! This fast-paced and intriguing read had me anxiously awaiting my commute home, so I could dive deeper into the tangled web of Ruby McTavish’s past and inheritance. The full-cast audiobook draws you in and makes the characters come to life (Ruby’s accent 🤌🏼)! We get Ruby’s letters, Cam (Ruby’s adopted son), Jules (Cam’s wife), and news reports. I will say at first there seemed to be too many characters and relatives fighting for Ashby house and the inheritance that it was hard to keep track, but I quickly adapted and honed in on Ruby, the most compelling narrative. After Ruby’s last letter, I started putting the “twist” together, but I was still on the edge of my car seat until the epilogue. If you love a thriller/mystery, but don’t want it too dark and twisty, download this audiobook and enjoy your commute home! You know I did!

Huge thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

I am so happy I read this via audio. The production was so great!! The different narrators and each on perfect. Macmillan Audio never fails.

Omg what do I say! I don't read many thrillers because I can typically guess the twists. There were a few I picked up on early but some I didn't. This was so well written. I loved all of the different point of views. Poor Cam for being bullied due to a situation out of his control and not his choice. Jules just trying to get redemption for her family. The rich trying to stay rich. Such a great southern story with Lifetime feels.

I couldn’t put this book down. I had to know what happened to Ruby when she was little, and how her life turned out. I was not at all disappointed with the answers. Ruby made her fair share of mistakes throughout her life. I love watching her fix them and move on. Don’t be deceived into thinking this was full of great character growth because it wasn’t. It was straight up fun. This was fast paced with family drama, mysteries, and so many secrets.

The past is told through letters while the present is told through the eyes of Camden and Jules, a married couple who have their own secrets. I was equally interested in both plot lines and couldn’t put the book down. I found the twists to be clever and really enjoyed how everything came together in the end.

I listened to the audio and thought the accents used throughout were well done. I felt like the audio fully immersed me into the place. I highly recommend the audio.

This book contains scattered strong language and several vague love scenes.

It’s one of the first times that I didn’t mind that the story was easy to guess because it was also highly entertaining. I loved that it wasn’t over the top and throwing fifteen random twists in just for the sake of having twists. The multiple narrators were nicely balanced. It was crisp and quick, evenly written with excellent pacing, and an enjoyable mystery/thriller.

And loved the narration of the audiobook. Highly recommend.