Whew! I needed some time to process after finishing this one — it was so well done!

When I saw that The Heiress had four narrators I wasn’t sure what to think. It seemed like a lot. But Dan Bittner, Eliza Foss, John Pirhalla, and Patti Murin did an amazing job and you could really get a feel for that particular character’s POV.

My favourite chapters were Ruby’s POV. I could have read a book of only her letters. I just wanted to learn more about her life and her story. She is Evelyn Hugo… if Evelyn Hugo had a penchant for de@th rather than divorce.

There were several moments where I thought I had guessed where things were going, but then another character would unburden themselves with a confession and I was back to guessing.

This was my first thriller read from Rachel Hawkins and it will not be my last! I’m so excited to read back through her catalogue and will recommend The Heiress to all the thriller lovers in my life.

Thank you to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio and Rachel Hawkins for an advance copy. These are my honest thoughts.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins tells the twisted story of a complex rich family and their inheritance drama set in North Carolina.

Matriarch Ruby was kidnapped as a child; and there is an early hint that the child returned might be a changeling; she's married three time, and three times her husband dying young. and suspiciously. She tells her story in a series of revealing letters. That tidbit, which isn't really a spoiler, since it's all revealed early on.

Most of the plot is around adult son Camden who wants nothing to do with his powerful and rotten family, and his wife Jules who, rationally, does think having an estate and loads of money and power sounds not so bad. Staff and extended family and their longtime memories (and simmering resentments) move things forward into how everything plays out.

This is a mystery with thriller elements. Given it's set in an bizarre giant estate, has lots of death and action and dramatic moments, and is dominated by a giant painting of Ruby --- man do I wish this book had leaned into the Southern Gothic style. But it's more standard domestic suspense. Just really, really unrealistic and fast paced domestic suspense (as compared to this author's earlier book, The Wife Upstairs, which is a bit of a classic in the domestic suspense arena).

I think people looking for a fun twisty book will enjoy this well told story by a skilled writer. This is genuinely better than a lot of the dual time line multiple pov thrillers on the market. Bu unfortunately I think it is somewhat forgettable, and the story's

I listened to the audiobook. I have zero complaints about the performances, but I don't really understand why it had 4 narrators when there are 3 POV characters (Camden, Jules and Ruby's letters).

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin's Press and Macmillon audio for the audio ARC to review.

Twist after twist, there were surprises around every corner. I really enjoyed this book which makes me want to check out more by this author in hopes of repeating the same type of experience again!

Excellent suspense novel, very fast paced.

I listened to this full cast audiobook in one day, it was entertaining enough to keep me fully interested while multi-tasking around the house. The various narrators captured their characters perfectly, and I especially liked the narrator for Jules.

When she was a child, Ruby McTavish disappeared in the woods surrounding their wealthy family's estate in North Carolina. She was later found, and this incident set the stage for her life. Married and widowed four times, Ruby adopted Camden, and when she died, he became the heir to the house and the money. Cam wanted nothing to do with all of it, so as an adult he is currently a teacher, married to Jules, and living in Colorado. However, he gets a letter from his cousin and decides he needs to go home and take care of things, and secrets about the past and the present start to be revealed.

I liked this wild ride of a story, alternating between Ruby's letters about her past and the various secrets that are revealed in the present. There are some great twists, some I saw coming and others I didn't. I loved Jules and her snark, she had me laughing out loud a few times with her dry humor and observations about the people and events around her.

There's one thing that all of Hawkins's books deliver, and that's some escapist drama. Nothing here is very believable, but it's a decently told story that kept me entertained throughout.

Thank you so much to @netgalley @stmartinspress and @macmillian.audio for the ARC and ALC!

🟪 𝙈𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 🟪
This thriller is everything you want it to be: suspenseful, engrossing, and a page turner. The story features a rich heiress named Ruby McTavish who has died and left her estate to her son Cam, who wants nothing to do with his inheritance because it comes with strings attached. Cam has stayed away from his hometown for a decade and built a new life with his wife Jules, who has a mysterious background of her own.

Cam finally decides to return to his hometown and the breathtaking Ashby House where he grew up. Certain family members remained there and are holding a grudge. The story unfolds as we hear Cam and Jules POVs, along with Ruby’s through a series of letters she wrote to an unrevealed person.

Ruby became famous as a baby when she was kidnapped for 8 months and then found. She has also made a name for herself as an adult by being a widower 4 times; her husbands all dying mysterious deaths.

Ruby having so many husbands was giving me Evelyn Hugo vibes, except more sinister. Ruby was an intriguing main character that had many secrets. She didn’t want to be a person that just enjoyed her riches and extravagances, although she did plenty of that. This is definitely a thriller you do not want to pass up this year!

🎧 𝙉𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 🎧
This multi-cast narration will not let you down! The narration of Ruby’s letters gave all the vibes needed for the character of Ruby. She seemed witty in her tales that she spun in her letters and how she explained her life. I liked the side article narration about Ruby; it sounded very much like a newscaster. Jules and Cam narrators did a great job voicing their roles and bringing life to these characters as the story developed.

🎧 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
💚 Suspenseful, Mysterious Mansions
💚 Multiple POVs
💚 Sinister Evelyn Hugo Husband Vibes
💚 Untouchable, Dysfunctional Rich Families

I binged this book in less than 24hrs in mid-December 2023 and immediately landed in my Top 10 Books for 2023.

I really enjoy books where perspective changes from chapter to chapter and in The Heiress there are three. I quickly liked the married couple Cam/Camden and Jules. Ruby adopted Cam as a child and her perspective is told as she wrote letters before her death.

Family drama, deceit, wealth and murder are constant overlapping themes that kept me hanging onto every word. I could not get enough of The Heiress! Normally I guess many plot endings but shockers would hit in the very best unexpected ways.

This was my first Rachel Hawkins mystery/thriller and now I'm anxious to read them all.

I loved the full cast of narrators in this audiobook! They definitely added to the sinister nature of some of the characters.
I thought this books a little underwhelming and too short. I think it made me realize I do not like stories that are told in letters, so I am sure others will absolutely love this book more than I did. The characters would talk about certain things that made you think they would play a big role in the plot, but were never really mentioned again. I thought the storyline moved a little too quickly and would have liked it to be a little longer. That being said, the story still delivered on twists and turns I did not see coming and it was still a page turner.
Over all, I think mystery/thriller lovers will really enjoy this book!

This was extremely predictable but I still enjoyed the narrative and the journey to get to the ending. I do wish for a more flushed out ending resolution between the couple being honest with each other..

I loved the Heiress! I loved the Southern setting, all the twists and turns, and the fast pace of the writing. It was engrossing and kept me on my toes!

Rachel Hawkins, you are back in full form with The Heiress. Initially, I was a bit skeptical of how much I would enjoy The Heiress after how messy I felt The Villa was. However, my skepticism was unwarranted. The Heiress is told in present day and through letters written by Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller. Ruby's the richest woman in North Caroline and famous for her kidnapping as a child and her trail of unsuccessfully marriages as an adult. Her adoptive son, Camden wants little to do with the family fortune. He has made a life for himself and the love of his life, Jules. However, when his uncle dies and a letter arrives requesting his presence at Ashby House, Camden feels obliged to go.

Ruby, Camden, and Jules are all fascinating characters. Although on the surface Camden and Jules seem sweet as pie, lurking beneath the surface are complex protagonists with less than pretty desires, secrets, and motivations. The alternating perspectives kept me interested throughout the novel. At times, I found myself irritated by Ruby's letters, but the narration for those letters was done so well that I preferred this one as an audiobook. It made Ruby's vivacious personality leap from my headphones and sucked me into her flair for the drama.

The book twists and turns. I may have guessed what happened, but all in all, I was satisfied when I finished this novel and eager for Hawkins' next.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for granting me access to this title!

I have read a few of Rachel Hawkins books and I just can't get enough of them. This was another really good book. I listened to the audiobook and the narrators did a wonderful job. I thought they made this an easy listen and I didn't want to stop. There is a lot of twists in this book that had you saying WHAT??!! The characters can be challenging at times but you will love Jules and Cam. I felt like the story came together at the end and I really enjoyed the ride. I would HIGHLY recommend this book!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillion Audio for allowing me to listen to this ARC in advanced for my honest opinion.

Rachel Hawkins does it again. I have been a fan of Rachel Hawkins for awhile. I received an advanced audio copy of this book. The narrators were great and grabbed you from the very first chapter. The twists and turns you never saw coming. I highly recommend this one!

Fantastic! Exceptionally entertaining. The Heiress stands out among other mystery/suspense novels, a unique story and secrets galore. Told from multiple POV, The Heiress is a story as old as time, a rich family fighting over money..:except this family has more skeletons than most. There were so many twists in this story I'm still not sure what happened. I'm patiently awaiting for the release of this book so that I can talk about the ending with someone else! I'm confused- but in a good way! Camden was adopted in to a rich family when he was a child. Ruby McTavish is a rich and powerful woman in NC. Born in the 40s, Ruby was kidnapped at the age of 3 after a miscommunication between her mother and her nanny. Luckily, Ruby was recovered 8 months later and returned to her family. Many years later rich and widowed Ruby leaves her entire estate to her adopted son Cam. Cam denounces the estate and chooses to marry a woman and live a simple life in Colorado as a high school teacher. When Cam's uncle passes he is called back to Ruby's sprawling NC estate to iron out some details. Jules, his wife, travels with him and from day 1, skeletons are tripping over themselves to fall out of the closet!

If you have a choice on this story- choose the audio! It was immersive and really gave an edge to the story. It was amazing. I loved the characters and the narrators. Many kudos to the voice actors, Dan Bittner; Eliza Foss; John Pirhalla and Patti Murin. They were all excellent. I especially enjoyed Ruby's character, her southern drawl, it was perfect. The narrators really made me feel like I knew the characters, they brought them to life.

My only criticism of the audiobook is that occasionally the chapter transitions were a little rough, they felt a bit choppy.

Overall 4.5 ⭐️ for this page turner! My first (definitely not my last) book by Rachel Hawkins did not disappoint. I am excited to explore her works further. Thank you @netgalley @macmillianaudio @Macmillan.Audio and Rachel Hawkins for the opportunity to honestly review this complimentary advanced copy!

Pleasantly surprised by this one. Rachel Hawkins has admittedly been a hit or miss author for me and I'm really glad I gave this one a shot. I literally could not put it down or stop thinking about it when I wasn't reading. Finished the audio in 24 hours because it was so addictive. The perfect mix of letters, present day story and news articles that really worked well for the story. Perfect amount of (believable) twists at the end that I really enjoyed! So glad I gave this one a shot!

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this story. My review has been posted to storygraph, goodreads, and barnes & noble. The review can be found on my instagram @manymerrybooks

In THE HEIRESS by Rachel Hawkins, the gripping narrative unfolds with the death of North Carolina's wealthiest and most notorious woman, Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore. The inheritance drama takes center stage as her adopted son, Camden, reluctantly confronts the complexities of his past. The story, expertly woven with suspense, shifts between the breathtaking Ashby House and the unraveling legacy of the McTavish family. Upon arrival at Ashby House, Jules, Camden's wife, becomes enamored, convinced he deserves the estate. However, the battle for the fortune intensifies with conniving relatives, adding layers of moral ambiguity to the narrative. Rachel Hawkins skillfully crafts a tale of familial bonds, secrets, and betrayals, creating a fast-paced and entertaining read. The characters' morally grey nature adds depth, and the unexpected twists in the conclusion enhance the overall experience. In my opinion, THE HEIRESS stands as the author's best work, offering a compelling exploration of inheritance, family ties, and the haunting impact of secrets. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it.

Wow! What a great book! I loved Camden & Jules and Ruby. The alternating story lines were fun and so engaging. I thought the Easter egg from The Villa was so fun. i also thought that Ben, Libby & Nell were awful and I liked how the book ended. The revelations at the end of the book for most good characters was great & some were shocking. I enjoy how this author drops clues about what is coming and just reels you in as a reader. I really wanted to know how things were going to come about.

The alternating narrators were fabulous but i think the Ruby narrator was my favourite. The pace was great & the voices were excellent.

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan audio for the chance to read this book.

I started off switching between ebook and audio, but the audio was just so well done, I stuck with it for most of the book. It was almost like watching a movie with my ears!

The McTavish family is one interesting bunch! Ruby went missing as a toddler, supposedly kidnapped and returned later to her family.

We get three points of view - Ruby (told through correspondence), Camden (Ruby's adopted son), and Jules (Camden's wife). I felt this format was fantastic in slowly peeling back the layers and letting us in on the whole story. It was complicated and amazing and I was so drawn in.

This story is chocked full of greed, murder, jealously, lies and family drama. And I loved every minute of it.

A case of unlikeable characters made for a wild and twisty ride. And that ending!!

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and MacMillan Audio for both an ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review.

The Heiress
by Rachel Hawkins
5/ 5 ⭐


When Ruby McTavish dies, she leaves her fortune and home, Ashby House, to her only son, Camden. Unfortunately, Camden wants nothing to do with his family’s estate or his mother’s reputation. Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore was the victim of kidnapping as a child and then widowed four times. Camden tried to escape his family by moving away years ago. After an email from his cousin and some convincing from his wife, Jules, he decides to return to Ashby House one last time.

At the Ashby House, Jules is stunned by the gorgeous views and elegant decor. She never wants to leave! Jules is determined to change Cam’s mind and stay. As she takes in and learns about his estranged family more secrets begin to emerge. These secrets redefine the meaning of family!

Rachel Hawkins did not disappoint! I was hooked from the beginning by the dark truths and hidden secrets. The story is told from multiple POVs- Camden, Jules, and Ruby and is narrated with a full cast. Ruby’s letters were perfection! These letters help explain the family drama yet build suspense. This is the kind of thriller that makes your head spin with questions and assumptions until the very end. Lastly, the gothic southern setting of Ashby House invites you in but then gives you all the chills. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to @Macmillan.Audio and @netgalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review. All my opinions are my own.
Publication Date: January 9, 2024

My first Rachel Hawkins book! I’ve seen great reviews for her novels and finally get to write one myself.

I will admit, the beginning or this book was a little bit slow for me. Ruby’s letters telling her story, the introductions of Camden and Jules and the dysfunctional McTavish family…while important to the story overall, it just wasn’t incredibly exciting.

BUT THEN, the drama started and I was hooked. Yes, some of twists were anticipated, but there were still plenty that kept me guessing! It’s tragic the hold money and power can have on people.

I’m so thankful for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook.

Maybe not my favorite Rachel Hawkins novel, but filled with the sort of twists and double-edged sword type of characters I've come to expect (and love!). No one in Hawkins' books is ever entirely innocent, and it makes it all the more DRAMATIC! Nothing I've read by this author is ever what I am expecting, and even when it's not my favorite, I'm always glad to have read them. The Heiress is no exception. Hawkins is on my "automatically add to tbr" list!
The narrators on this were also fantastic - the whole production was kind of giving me The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibes! Very southern, very dramatized audiobook that I thoroughly enjoyed.