THE HEIRESS by Rachel Hawkins – Review

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins
Published by St. Martin's Press on January 9 2024
Genres: Adult, Family drama, Thriller
Pages: 304
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: Scandals, secrets and lies abound in this twisty, tension-filled thriller about a dysfunctional family and the multi-million dollar inheritance they’re fighting over.

“Roddy Kenmore was a drug-addled fool who I never should have married in the first place, and the only regret I felt when I watched him slip under that dark salt water was that I hadn’t shoved him sooner.”

Last year I read my first Rachel Hawkins book (The Villa), and really enjoyed it. But wow, The Heiress is on another level altogether! I’m so glad this was one of my first reads of 2024, because the year is now off to an excellent start. Full of twists and surprises, this is a complex, layered story about a very messed up family and is definitely one of the most entertaining books I’ve read in a while.

Camden was an orphan until he was adopted by the very wealthy Ruby McTavish, and ten years before our story begins, Ruby died and left her entire estate to her adopted son. You can imagine this didn’t sit well with the other McTavish family members, who each received a sizable nest egg and permission to continue living in Ashby House, Ruby’s rambling mansion, but who don’t have access to the bulk of the inheritance. Cam never wanted anything to do with his toxic family, and he left soon after Ruby died.

Ashby House needs serious repairs, however, and it isn’t until Camden’s cousin Ben reaches out to him with news of his father’s death (Camden’s uncle Howell) that Camden decides to make a trip to North Carolina to assess the situation. Jules, Camden’s wife, is beyond excited to finally get a glimpse into the vast wealth of her husband’s family and the inheritance he refused to accept. Ashby House is infamous (and has a Wikipedia entry to prove it) for the shocking disappearance of Ruby in 1943 when she was three years old. Ruby wandered off during a family picnic and was lost for almost a year—most thought she had tumbled off a nearby cliff and drowned in the ocean—but a family came forward saying they had found the little girl and kept her all those months. The mystery of Ruby’s disappearance and supposed kidnapping has been talked about for many years, ensuring that Ashby House and the McTavish family remain an irresistible topic of conversation and speculation.

Cam and Jules receive a cold reception when they arrive, but it’s nothing compared to what’s in store for them. Every person in Ashby House, including Cam and Jules, is hiding a big secret, and when those secrets come out, everything Cam believed about his family will be turned on its head. 

The Heiress might appear to be about Cam and Jules and how they resolve the inheritance issues with Cam’s family, but it’s also a riveting story about Ruby and her four husbands and how they died. And wow what a story it is. Hawkins delves into the pasts of each character, using a variety of letters, newspaper articles and excerpts from books to fill in the past, especially the dramatic events surrounding Ruby. Central to the story are letters written by Ruby to someone, just before she’s found dead. Ruby’s wry voice dominates the narrative, as she confesses all to her audience, whoever they may be. From her early childhood when she was lost and then found again, to detailed accounts of each husband, why she married them, and how they ended up dead, all this backstory sets the stage for an explosive confrontation among the McTavish family members, as long buried secrets come to light. I was riveted by Ruby’s fascinating life, and shocked by some of her actions. Ruby isn’t always the easiest person to like, but boy did I hang on her every word!

The other chapters alternate between Cam and Jules, who have completely different agendas when it comes to Ashby House and Cam’s inheritance. Cam wants nothing more than to turn his back on the unsavory members of his family and go back to his comfortable teaching job, but Jules is imagining a life of ease, roaming the vast halls of the mansion and not having to worry about money. Both characters are keeping big secrets, from each other and the rest of the family, and my favorite parts of the story were the shocking reveals that left my head spinning.

Rounding out the cast, I can’t fail to mention Ruby’s other relatives: the hateful, bitter Nelle, Ruby’s sister, and Ben and Libby, Cam’s cousins. The three of them have been hunkering down in Ashby House for years, even though Cam owns the house, and they are doing everything they can to make Cam feel like an interloper. Hawkins did a great job of painting all three as crazy relatives who are pissed off at the adopted son for getting all the money, and their presence added lots of extra tension to the story.

The climax spirals out of control a bit, with a few events that seem over-the-top. But by that time I was fully invested in the story and didn’t really care. After all the final reveals and twists, there’s even an epilogue that goes one step further and answers a question that didn’t even occur to me while I was reading. In a way, the story reminded me of Daisy Darker, not in the plot, but rather the way Hawkins’ tale unfolds. If you’re a fan of that book, I have a feeling you’ll love this as well. This is a smart, well written, perfectly paced and plotted story, both thrilling and satisfying, and in my opinion, Rachel Hawkins’ best book yet.

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.