Took all my plans and I put 'em in a box: THE HEIRESS.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oh good, another book about a twisted family living in an old house.

Actually, this was a pretty enjoyable tale of dark family secrets taking place in a musty old Southern mansion! So much that I'm still thinking about it days later. When Ruby McTavish passes away, she's well-known for many things: being a McTavish, a wealthy family that lives in the Ashby house in North Carolina; being kidnapped as a child and then found nearly a year later; marrying four times--and losing all four husbands in strange circumstances; and adopting her son, Cameron and leaving the entire McTavish fortune to him.

We find Cam estranged from the family for nearly 10 years, but finally returning to Ashby House at the urge of his wife, Jules. THE HEIRESS is an engaging page turner, filled with shifty characters hiding secrets and tidbits and lots of weird Southern charm and horrifying terrors. It's interspersed with fascinating letters from Ruby along with articles and Internet pieces on the McTavish family. This is a great technique--interesting, informative, but surprisingly suspenseful.

I don't want to say much to give things away, but this is a quick read filled with lots of twists and turns. A few are predictable, but some are quite unexpected. The family dynamics are excellent (albeit terrifying) and I quite enjoyed all the dark goings on in Ashby House. 4+ stars.

I received a copy of this book from St. Martin's Press and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review. Look for THE HEIRESS on 01/09/2024!

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