If Rachel Hawkins isn't on your list of best psychological thriller authors yet, this book is sure to solidify that!

This was a fast paced and engaging story told from multiple points of view; it spans the past and present from the various characters, as well.

Cam is adopted by a very wealthy woman but he chose to walk away from the riches of his childhood and is now a teacher living happily in Colorado with his wife Jules. Their life is interrupted when Cam's uncle passes away and Cam is summoned back to his childhood home. When the couple arrive, they receive a less than happy welcome. While Cam is determined to quickly return to his life in Colorado, Jules has other plans when she sees just how much Cam left behind.

Cam's mother, Ruby, had many secrets that are revealed slowly throughout the novel. They include being kidnapped as a child and the mysterious deaths of all four of her husbands.

Are any of Ruby's secrets directly tied to Cam? Why was Cam so determined to leave his life behind and start again? And why is Jules hell-bent on convincing Cam to stay at the home that seemingly made him so unhappy? Ruby certainly isn't the only character with secrets; and she's not the only one who is willing to stop at nothing to keep them buried.

This book is a 2024 MUST READ! It was released yesterday, on January 9th. Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel Hawkins and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for a review. It was a thrilling, engaging, and delightful five out of five star read!

This audio was on point. The cast of narrators truly made this story line so enjoyable to listen to. It’s a slow burn with lots of family drama. Who doesn’t have that, am I right?! The twists that unfolded at the end were SO GOOD!

•Secrets & Lies•

👉🏼What secrets are you keeping?

The Heiress
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Author: Rachel Hawkins

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley, St. Martin’s, and Macmillan Audio and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

My thoughts:

Synopsis: When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she’s not only North Carolina’s richest woman, she’s also its most notorious. The victim of a famous kidnapping as a child and a widow four times over, Ruby ruled the tiny town of Tavistock from Ashby House, her family’s estate high in the Blue Ridge mountains. In the aftermath of her death, that estate—along with a nine-figure fortune and the complicated legacy of being a McTavish—pass to her adopted son, Camden. But to everyone’s surprise, Cam wants little to do with the house or the money—and even less to do with the surviving McTavishes. Instead, he rejects his inheritance, settling into a normal life as an English teacher in Colorado and marrying Jules, a woman just as eager to escape her own messy past. Ten years later, Camden is a McTavish in name only, but a summons in the wake of his uncle’s death brings him and Jules back into the family fold at Ashby House. Its views are just as stunning as ever, its rooms just as elegant, but coming home reminds Cam why he was so quick to leave in the first place. Jules, however, has other ideas, and the more she learns about Cam’s estranged family—and the twisted secrets they keep—the more determined she is for her husband to claim everything Ruby once intended for him to have. But Ruby’s plans were always more complicated than they appeared. As Ashby House tightens its grip on Jules and Camden, questions about the infamous heiress come to light. Was there any truth to the persistent rumors following her disappearance as a girl? What really happened to those four husbands, who all died under mysterious circumstances? And why did she adopt Cam in the first place? Soon, Jules and Cam realize that an inheritance can entail far more than what’s written in a will––and that the bonds of family stretch far beyond the grave.

My Thoughts: Happy Belated Publishing Day! This was creepy, captivating, gripping, atmospheric psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of seat. Hawkins outdid herself on this, it was brilliantly written and pulls you in, keeping its grip on you until the very end. It has been awhile since I have read a book so captivating and keeps me invested for the entirety of the book. The claustrophobic Ashby House is the perfect setting to draw you into a mystery that is both atmospheric and claustrophobic. The secrets, betrayal, lies, facade, and of course, the flawed and heartless residents of the house brings the novel to another level. Then of course, we have the lovely Ruby McTavish, who is sarcastic, unreliable, and puts forth a level of intimidation to others that adds to the enrichment of the storyline. Hawkins had me a dedicated reader starting with Wife Upstairs, and I have read each of her novels since, patiently awaiting the new one every year, but this one really stands above Reckless Girls and The Villa. I love how Hawkins piles mystery upon mystery and providing little puzzle pieces for the mystery, until they all tangle together, urging you to read forward to uncover the lies, secrets, and betrayals.

The story is narrated by a few characters, first we have Camden (Cam), the adopted son of Ruby McTavish. He has severed ties with the money and the house, even though both have been left in his care. He has a normal job as an English teacher and is married to Jules. Then he gets a call from Ben, who used to bully him to no end, that his father has passed and Camden needs to come home to deal with some house issues. Our next person is Jules, wife to Cam. Jules has been dying to experience Ashby House in all of its glory and is ecstatic when Cam decides to return. Jules grew up with nothing and has always yearned for wealth and having the lifestyle she so deserves. Lastly, we have Ruby McTavish, through letters she wrote detailing on why she murdered her previous husbands, as well as some other tantalizing secrets.

The estranged Ashby House members is an eclectic group of people, who are selfish, self-centered, and all about how they can put themselves above anyone, and everyone else. Ben, is an estate lawyer that always seems to have a fake smile on. Then his sister Libby, who is unbelievably spoiled and so cunning, that you don’t see it coming. Lastly is Aunt Nell who has always been resentful and jealous of her sister, Ruby. The characters were well developed with depth, mystery, are flawed, most unlikable, and were intriguing. The supporting characters really do elevate the book to the next level. Each character has one or more secrets, is lying to another, or betraying another. The sense of “family” does not stand in this house. The author’s writing style was complex, multifaceted, suspenseful, twisty, and just BRILLIANT. The characters are built up, the plot is delivered into twisty layers, and the ending was an explosion of WOW with twisty happenings!

I had the pleasure of having the digital and audio versions of the book. I mostly listened to the audio. The narrators (Dan Bittner and Eliza Foss) do an amazing job. The pitch and flow is perfect, I was able to listen at 2x with no issues. The voice variation was distinctive. They really brought the characters to life. G O P I C K UP this book NOW! This will be one of the best books for 2024 and it is a must read for all thriller lovers out there.

This book is good! It's twisty and mysterious. I was entertained the entire time. I listened to the audiobook and if you have an opportunity to listen to it, I would recommend you do. The narrators did an awesome job. It felt like if you combined a clue like suspenseful who killed them movie with The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo! It had that historical wealthy powerful woman telling her past, vibes! IYKYK! I enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it!
🔪 Fast Paced
🔪 Twisty/Mysterious
🔪 Unputdownable
🔪 Multiple POV
🔪 Surprising moments

Wowsers! If you’re looking for a totally immersive audiobook, look no further! 🤩

Narrated by a full cast of characters - Dan Bittner; Eliza Foss; John Pirhalla; Patti Murin - Each did a marvellous job of capturing each character with near perfect inflection. I was wholly captivated throughout.

Ten years earlier, Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies. She was the heiress to the McTavish fortune, bequeathing Ashby House as well as a considerable monetary fortune to her adoptive son, Camden.

Camden left the small town of Tavistock, his family and the fortune left to him to start a new life where he is happily ensconced in a job that he cares about a wife he loves … until he is summoned back by his cousin. With the support of his wife Jules, they make the trek back to Ashby House, set in the beautiful Appalachian mountains to put all their affairs in order for the final time …Let’s just say, this is where the fireworks begin 🧨🔥

The timeline alternates between past and present. I just loved the narrative, we get a front row seat into Ruby’s flamboyant and scandalous life through her colourful letters - I absolutely adored her sassy character and hilarious wit. The whole family is quite dysfunctional, with some characters being down right devious. I love reading characters you love to hate, and there are a few dubious ones scattered throughout this entertaining and deliciously dark story.

I squealed with delight when I received this audio and dropped everything to read it immediately. It’s an engrossing, dark mystery full of secrets, lies, greed and wickedly clever twists that had me totally gobsmacked! Just brilliant!

Many thanks to the wonderful team @macmillanaudio and @netgalley for an ALC 🙏🎧

"The Heiress" by Rachel Hawkins is a Mystery-Thriller and Family Fiction Story!

"HEIRESS, PHILANTHROPIST, ONETIME KIDNAP VICTIM, RUBY MCTAVISH CALLAHAN WOODWARD MILLER KENMORE DIES AT 73." ~ The Asheville Citizen-Times, April 2, 2013

Ten years ago when Ruby's entire estate, immense fortune, and newsworthy family history, were passed to her adopted son, Camden McTavish, he turned his nose up at his inheritance and the entire McTavish Family.

Until now...

Now the home and family Camden ran from after Ruby's death are calling him back. The fifteen-bedroom mansion, Ashby House, is in serious disrepair and the tangled mess of Ruby's will makes it next to impossible for the family to request funds for maintenance without Camden's help.

Camden and his wife, Jules, decide together to travel from their home in Colorado to Tavistock, North Carolina, to see the condition of their estate for themselves...

"The Heiress" was a twisty ride and the first book I've read by Rachel Hawkins. I fully understood Camden's desire to flee the old homestead ten years ago. The McTavish clan was a despicable, disturbing, and dysfunctional family that resulted in a barrel of nasty fun for this reader.

Without a doubt, the most entertaining part of this tale was Ruby's story told through letters written to an unknown recipient. Jules' folksy point-of-view was interesting and enlightening, too, but poor Camden was a major stress case making his narrative no fun at all.

This was an immersion reading experience through the gifted Digital Reading Copy and Advanced Listening Copy. The audiobook has four narrators: Dan Bittner, Eliza Foss, John Pirhalla, and Patti Murin. Either format will deliver a great experience but if you have a choice, pick the audiobook. The voices of Ruby and Jules should NOT be missed.

"The Heiress" was a fun read/listen that I recommend to readers who enjoy mystery-suspense stories about complicated, messed-up families!

4.25⭐

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and Rachel Hawkins for a DRC and an ALC of this book through NetGalley. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review.

This was a good one!

The way the story wove together was brilliant. I loved the letters slowly releasing details. The intricate web of how the characters were tied together was perfection. There were definitely relationships that left me wondering until the end.

The characters were well developed and I enjoyed how the layers to each relationship were carefully revealed throughout the story. Enjoyed the multiple POV’s

The audio cast was great! Loved the narration and how the characters came to life. Especially Ruby McTavish so confident, mischievous and revengeful.

I will be honest. I haven't had much luck with this author. The Villa was okay, and the Ex Hex and I did not work out. So, I didn't go into this book expecting to like it. Which, I know, sounds stupid. Why read a book when you don't expect to like it? First off, have you seen this cover? GORGEOUS!! STUNNING!! BRILLANT!!! Secondly, I will give an author three chances before I assume they are not for me. You know what they say, "the third time is a charm."

The Heiress hooked me from page one. I love the mixed media, all the terribly deceitful characters, the family drama, the secrets, the murders, the money, and the lies. I loved that there were twists, but not so many that I got whiplash. Most of all, I loved Ruby!! She is a new favorite character of mine. I just had so much fun reading this book.

I highly recommend this on audio. There are several narrators, and they all did a great job. Each one added so much to the story.

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

OH. MY. 5 ⭐️

I am still at a loss for words and trying to process everything that took place. This family, these characters, this story...OH MY! It's going to take me a hot minute to digest this one, but what a ride it was and I promise you will want to grab a copy for yourself!

Happy Launch Day Jan. 9, 2024!

This book was outstanding.....

The characters kept pulling me in and the plot of the book kept me guessing till the very last page of the book, there were so many twists and turns that I never saw coming.

This is my first must read recommendation of 2024

This latest is what I’ve come to expect from Rachel Hawkins - a page turning, twisty mystery with interesting characters that I just don’t want to put down until I’ve reached the end!

I don’t want to say a lot about the plot - I went into this one knowing nothing and it was fantastic. The narrative switches between Camden and his wife Jules in the present and Ruby in the past. This format really lends itself in building suspense and creating twists and surprises along the way for the reader.

I listened to this one, and really liked that there are multiple narrators to tell the story. I recommend listening to this if you can!

This is a fun ride from start to finish. Highly recommend starting 2024 off with this book, it’s just such a fun read. Don’t miss this one if you enjoy a twisty mystery with strong characters.

As a long time fan Rachel Hawkins' thrillers, The Heiress did not disappoint! Just when I thought I had it all figured out, she threw a twist in that I wasn't expecting. I flew through the audiobook in three days!

It is a story about family secrets, murder, love and every rich people problem that you can imagine. Even though every character was pretty unlikable, I enjoyed the duel POVs. It helped move the story along and sprinkled little breadcrumbs along the way.

As an audiobook I loved it! The multiple voice actors where fantastic and brought the charters to life.

*Thank you NetGalley, MacMillian Audio and Rachel Hawkins for the ARC!*

Many thanks to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for the ALC. The Heiress is available January 9th, 2024.

3.5/5 Stars

Synopsis –

Ruby McTavish is well known across the state of North Carolina for myriad reasons; as the victim of a kidnapping in her childhood, as a widow with four deceased husbands, and as the wealthiest woman in the state. Her estate, Ashby House, is filled with her family history and some deeply hidden secrets.

Camden McTavish - Ruby's adopted son - and his wife Jules live a very modest life in Colorado, but all of that could change when Cam is summoned to Ashby House years after Ruby's death. Told in dual timelines via letters written by Ruby that provide insight into her past, this novel explores the means that people will use to maintain their wealth and and keep secrets from being discovered.

Review –

I really enjoyed the performances of the full cast for the audiobook. I do think it added to my experience, and I particularly liked the actor who narrated Ruby.

Overall, this book was a pretty slow burn for me. I had read one of Rachel Hawkins' previous books, The Villa, and found that one to be more gripping. While I did enjoy this book, it wasn't one that I necessarily felt compelled to keep reading and overall the pacing seemed a bit slow to me.

I did enjoy the descriptions of Ashby House and felt like I could really envision the estate and the town. I definitely found myself more drawn to the past timeline with Ruby's letters than I did to the present. Ruby's character was complex and flawed and it was interesting to hear her story unravel.

If you're interested in a slower paced thriller, this one could be for you. But if you're more looking for a book that really pulls you in and compels you to keep reading, this might not be the one.

There was a lot going on in "The Heiress." With alternating timelines, between present day, Camden and Jules POVs and via letter Ruby, Camden adoptive mother, Hawkins weaves together a familial story of murder, betrayal, and twisted love.
With the death of Cam's uncle, he and his wife, Jules are drawn back to Ashby House in the small town of Tavistock, ostensibly to aid in fixing up the house and grounds, as Cam has control of the family money. The rest of the family has only been granted the right to live there, with no access to Ruby's fortune. Those poor fools must live off whatever monies they can make on their own. Their bitterness that all this wealth is going to an ADOPTED son has not faded with time, and is on full display from the moment Cam and Jules arrive.
The most interesting parts are the letters Ruby has left behind, though we don't find out who she was writing to until the very end, detailing her life, and her husbands.
Overall, a good fun, twisty read. I thing I would have enjoyed alot more about Ruby's life and how she lived, especially between husbands!, than the modern day spite between spoiled "it should have been mine" relations, but still an overall enjoyable read.

There were a few minor plot points that seemed to go no where- the mention of missing hikers and the dangerous trails alongside the waterfall? Was that just red herring thrown out there? Or just a cut off story possibility?

So many twists and turns with this one! You’ll think you know what’s up only to be proven wrong again and again. The narrators were excellent and really brought the story to life.

I am reviewing the audio version of this book, and really enjoyed the narrator. Upon Ruby's demise, she bequeaths her entire estate to Cam. Despite the mysterious deaths surrounding her four husbands, Ruby, once a famous kidnapped child, leaves a legacy that Cam initially rejects. However, a family email prompts him and his wife, Jules, to reconsider, leading them to embark on a journey to rehabilitate the house and address Cam's reservations. The book seamlessly grabbed my attention from the first page and held it until the final page turned. The unraveling mystery of Ruby's husbands and Cam's reluctance to embrace the lavish inheritance fascinated me. I was eager to discover the untold stories behind both the enigmatic deaths and Cam's disinterest in the splendid house and considerable wealth left by Ruby. While I made some educated guesses during my reading, the narrative took unexpected turns that added delightful twists to the plot. If you're a fan of Rachel Hawkins, this book promises an equally enthralling experience, maintaining the author's consistent appeal seen in her previous works.

I just reviewed The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins. #NetGalley

This audiobook was really well done with four different characters alternating chapters. My biggest issue was the slow plot that felt disconnected at times between the characters. Based on the plot only, this would have been 3 stars but the excellent audiobook elevated the my overall rating to 4.

I thought this was a good book! If I could give half stars I would have given it 3 and a half stars. So Camden McTavish has lived his adult life away from Ashby House, the house he grew up in once adopted by Ruby McTavish, a very wealthy woman with an interesting life and collection of dead husbands. When a death in the family takes place, Camden must go back to Ashby house and face the demons of his past, along with his wife Jules who would love nothing more than to live in the luxury of the sprawling mansion. The story is told from multiple points of view, Camden, Jules, and Ruby through letters to a mystery person. My favorite storyline and narrator was Ruby's. She was entertaining and not necessarily likable but you could empathize with her somewhat. She reminded me of Doris Duke who may or may not have killed a friend of hers at her estate named Rough Point I believe it was called. Camden and Jules storylines though entertaining were not nearly as entertaining and captivating as Ruby's. I'd recommend this book to mystery lovers if they are looking for something fun to read with multiple points of view.

So I liked this one. Didn’t love it.
The narration was great, the story itself was quick and easy to listen to. But my main issue was that nothing happened for 70% of the book. All we get is tons of backstory and history on Ruby’s husbands—which I thought added nothing to the plot. All we hear is she’s killer them and lives up to her nickname.

I feel like no one was truly likeable and everyone had secrets, so when it was revealed that everyone was holding onto something, it lacked the WOW factor I was hoping in a twist.

The narrators were great, the story itself was easy enough to follow, but it was missing drama and intrigue despite it being a family drama with arguments and squabbles.

I sadly could not listen to the narrator in this book. I am excited to read it when it comes out in print but cannot suggest the audio version as it just did not appeal to me. :(