The Heiress - by Rachel Hawkins

About the Book

New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins returns with a twisted new gothic suspense about an infamous heiress and the complicated inheritance she left behind.

Book Synopsis

NATIONAL BESTSELLER - A January 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.

Review Quotes

"A twisty, twisted tale." --AARP

"Hawkins does an excellent job keeping readers off-balance throughout. Nonstop twists and surprises make this a true thrill ride...a delicious tale of murder, greed, and the ties that bind." --Publishers Weekly

"Rachel Hawkins delivers another read-in-a-sitting knockout. The Heiress has it all--murder, secrets, Gothic vibes, and one of the most deliciously twisted families ever put to page. I loved it!" --Riley Sager, New York Times bestselling author of The Only One Left

"Featuring unreliable narrators and twists throughout, Hawkins' latest continues her reign as the queen of slow-burn domestic thrillers. This is a page-turner that readers will find hard to put down and is perfect for fans of stories with ambiguous morals and dysfunctional families." --Booklist

PRAISE FOR THE VILLA:

"Flashing between past and present, Hawkins weaves an engrossing tale about betrayal, sisterhood, and the power of telling your own story. Captivating!" --People

"Hawkins brilliantly stitches together past and present, deftly luring readers into a deliciously dark tale. Everything about The Villa is pitch-perfect, again proving that Hawkins is the reigning queen of suspense." --Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author of The Overnight Guest

"The Villa teems with sexual tension, festering tempers, and questionable friendships. Hawkins' latest thriller reminds us that writers cannot always be trusted--and certainly not the tales they tell." --Sarah Penner, New York Times bestselling author of The London Séance Society

About the Author

Rachel Hawkins is the New York Times bestselling author of The Wife Upstairs, Reckless Girls, The Villa, and The Heiress, as well as multiple books for young readers. Her work has been translated into over a dozen languages. She studied gender and sexuality in Victorian literature at Auburn University and currently lives in Alabama.