The Heiress
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A January 2024 Indie Next Pick and LibraryReads Pick
"The reigning queen of the Gothic thriller." —Entertainment Weekly
THERE'S NOTHING AS GOOD AS THE RICH GONE BAD.
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.
But in the aftermath of her death, her adopted son, Camden, 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, his uncle’s death pulls Cam and Jules back into the family fold at Ashby House. Its views are just as stunning as ever, its rooms just as elegant, but the legacy of Ruby is inescapable.
And 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.
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Community Reviews
Some of the biggest pluses in the book:
1. The author limits the total number of characters to give focus on one family with minimal peripheral stories which gives us the ability to really know all of the players in the game and their individual motivations (even as they get more complex throughout the novel).
2. The settings are beautifully described and believable. Old houses arenât usually my favorite setting but by choosing to focus on a few key rooms and the surrounding town contrasted with California, we get a very vivid picture that isnât overwhelming.
3. The twists all feel purposeful and believable.
4. The switching between letters from the past, articles, and perspective is some of the best Iâve ever read.
5. Itâs very rare to come across such a full circle plot that ties up everything while still highlighting the darkness present in every character.
The only con I can think of is that it is a bit of a slow burn at first, but I donât think of that as a con because itâs necessary to establish all the characters, setting, and foundational knowledge necessary to not get lost once it picks up. I just wouldnât expect a book that follows the archetype of thriller to the tee (super faced paced) because the slow burn is kind of great.
Thank you so much to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC of this book. It was incredible and I canât wait for more people to read it!
This was actually a pretty good thriller. I felt like the ending was a little easy to guess. I liked the multiple POV and thought that was done really well. I really enjoyed the parts that were from Ruby's perspective. She was quite entertaining. This is probably my favorite title I've read by Rachel Hawkins. Would recommend if you enjoy domestic thrillers.
TW: Death/murder, domestic abuse/physical abuse, kidnapping/missing child, mentions of suicide.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Rachel Hawkins for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
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