The Heiress

A Novel

By: Rachel Hawkins

Narrated by: Dan Bittner, Patti Murin, Eliza Foss, John Pirhalla

"Narrators Dan Bittner, Eliza Foss, John Pirhalla, and Patti Murin provide outstanding performances, creating such believable characters that listeners might wonder if the story is based in fact."—Library Journal

This program features multicast narration.

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.

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.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.

©2024 Rachel Hawkins (P)2024 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"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

Can’t get over the mispronunciation of Appalachia

As someone who lives in the region, it’s pronounced appa-lat-cha. Considering this story is set an hour away from me, I know regionally they would use the same pronunciation.

Maybe I’m being silly, but the setting is so important to this book. Saying it as locals do wouldn’t have been that difficult.

So many twists and turns!

This is my fave book out of the last three I've read from this author. It's had elements that reminded me of a more sinister version of the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Each character has a different agenda and nothing is clear until the end. Overall, I would definitely recommend it!

Loved!

This was such a fun read (listen?). Lots of twists and turns. Really really fun.

Loved, loved, loved!

Loved the twists!! Characters were wicked and sneaky but you couldn’t help but love them!!

A decent story

Really just a middling mystery, with a very apparent twist, with an average performance by the narrators. I can’t really recommend it.

Revelations and twists!

THIS was a fantastic little mystery! Stellar narration and characters galore. I had a verbose review in mind but … just read it. You won’t be sorry.

Great story

I really enjoyed this book. The narration was good and story line kept me listening.

Loved it!

Lots of twists and unexpected ending. Great flow and characters used throughout. I enjoyed the book.

Page turner

Very good- great characters- fun plot twists- would definitely recommend! Perfect “Goldilocks” - not too heavy, not too light- just right!

Great narrators

Uniquely written.
Loved it from Ruby’s point of view in her letters telling the truth of the past.