The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins – A Gripping Family Thriller

Main Characters

• Ruby McTavish
• Camden McTavish
• Jules

Publisher’s Summary

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.

Recent Reviews

My Review of “The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins”

Oh my goodness, this book is an absolute page-turner! From the very first chapter, it hooks you with its sharp writing, addictive twists, and heart-pounding suspense. Set within the eerie, claustrophobic walls of Ashby House, the story weaves a web of dark family secrets and deceit, with the infamous Ruby McTavish—nicknamed “Lady Kill-more”—at its core. Ruby’s sharp wit, sarcastic charm, and ominous past make her an unforgettable character, while the sinister history of the McTavish family keeps the tension high. The novel unfolds like a puzzle, each piece fitting together in unexpected ways, making it impossible to put down. It gave me The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibes, with its layered storytelling, complex characters, and the feeling that every revelation pulls you deeper into its world.

Told through three compelling perspectives, the story introduces Camden, an orphaned outsider who unexpectedly inherits a fortune, only to turn his back on it—until his past drags him back in. His wife, Jules, has her own ambitions, desperate to escape a life of struggle and finally taste the luxury she believes they deserve. And then there are Ruby’s own letters, offering cryptic clues to the truth behind her scandalous reputation. Alongside them, a cast of scheming family members—each with their own agenda—adds layers of deception, greed, and long-buried grudges. As secrets unravel, it becomes clear that no one is innocent, and the truth may be more twisted than anyone imagined. Fast-paced and deliciously dark, this thriller is the author’s best work yet—you won’t want to stop reading until the very last page.

Listen to “The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins” for Free

Purchase “The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins” Here

Book Photos

Book Quotes

I hope you never have to watch the one person you love most in the world, the person who loves you just as fiercely in return, lose that love, day by day, bit by bit, a steady draining away until there’s nothing left. Until they’re just a person who sleeps inches from you at night, and eats meals across a table from you, and reads books at your side, even smiles at you or laughs with you, but whose heart has shut you out forever

― Rachel Hawkins, The Heiress

We’re made up of many different types of people, is my point. Good ones, bad ones. Most of them, like me, probably fall somewhere in the middle.

― Rachel Hawkins, The Heiress