Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Cam and Jules are on a cross-country road trip back to his childhood home. He’s been putting this off for years now since his adoptive mother passed away. Cam moved from North Carolina to California years ago and built a new life for himself away from the chaos that is the McTavish family and their legacy. But now his two worlds are set to collide as he introduces Jules to the family and their less than loving ways. Adding to the drama is the legacy Ruby, Cam’s mother, left him – a small fortune, a house in dire need of repairs, and a long legacy of questionable deaths. Will Cam’s marriage survive this trip back home or will they become another casualty of the McTavish clan?
New York Times Best Selling Author Rachel Hawkins is back with a new thriller to delight readers! The Heiress follows both Ruby, the matriarch of the clan, as she divulges the secrets of her life, and the latest heads of the family – her son Cam and his wife Jules. Utilizing flashbacks and letters written by Ruby to the younger generation, Hawkins seamlessly transports readers through the timeline allowing the backstory to slowly develop. Full of twists and surprises, this novel is about family bonds and shows that true power isn’t in the money, but the way you treat one another.
I give The Heiress 5 out of 5 stars. Not typically one for thrillers, this book had me enthralled with the family drama and storyline from the first chapter! I found the characters relatable and well-developed – from the reluctant heir in Cam to the eager-to-see-the-family-money Jules, the motivations behind their actions were clear and compelling. Each chapter brought a small twist I didn’t see coming and something that compelled me to keep reading. I thought I had an idea of where Hawkins was taking the storyline but was completely surprised by the end!
If you loved Rachel Hawkins’ other works like The Wife Upstairs or The Villa, you will love this novel, too! This book is true Hawkins at her best – a gothic thriller with lots of twists. Given the discussions of death (and murder!), I would direct this novel to readers over the age of 13. This would also make a great choice for book clubs with so much to unpack from all the twists through each character’s perspective.
I have been a fan of Rachel Hawkins since reading The Villa a few months back and jumped at the chance to review her latest work when it became available on NetGalley! Set in one of my favorite areas of the country (Ashville, North Carolina), I was drawn to this book by the description- a notorious widow with a legacy surrounded by rumors leaves everything to her adopted son at the despair of her other relatives. This is truly southern gothic meets murder mystery at its best!
The Heiress will release January 9th. You can pre-order your copy today on our Bookshop.org page!
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