Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Release Date: January 9th, 2024
Pages: 304
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Publisher’s Synopsis:
“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. In the aftermath of her death, that estate—along with a nine-figure fortune and the complicated legacy of being a McTavish—pass to her adopted son, Camden.
But to everyone’s surprise, Cam 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, Camden is a McTavish in name only, but a summons in the wake of his uncle’s death brings him and Jules back into the family fold at Ashby House. Its views are just as stunning as ever, its rooms just as elegant, but coming home reminds Cam why he was so quick to leave in the first place.
Jules, however, has other ideas, and the more she learns about Cam’s estranged family—and the twisted secrets they keep—the more determined she is for her husband to claim everything Ruby once intended for him to have.
But Ruby’s plans were always more complicated than they appeared. 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.”
My Review:
Rachel Hawkins can do no wrong! I devour everything she writes and it just gets better and better every time. I reviewed her previous new release from earlier in 2023 (The Villa) and I’m pretty sure I said the exact same thing. But, seriously, it’s true. I’ve already read her entire backlist and I just need MORE. There are so few authors whose entire oeuvre I have enjoyed equally, but Hawkins is definitely one of them.
In particular, I loved the writing style in this one. It includes a combination of articles and letters. This just makes everything feel so much more real when you’re reading. Hawkins has such a unique voice and way of structuring her novels that is so different from many other cookie cutter thriller writers. She really knows how to immediately hook you into a story and keep you gripped to the pages for the entire experience. Her storytelling craft is impeccable.
Hawkins has a way of making you care about the characters on a deeper level, no matter what terrible things they think or do. They are raw and relatable and humanly flawed. The house itself becomes its own character, bringing the atmosphere to life. The family legacy, rich history, and turbulent friendship dynamics all play a crucial role. This is a dark, twisty story that will keep you guessing, and second-guessing, until its explosive conclusion.
I loved this book so much. I read it in like two days max because I couldn’t put it down. The cover is also perfection and gives off the perfect vibes for this story. Highly recommend! I only hate that I read it so far in advance (which, I mean, can you blame me? I couldn’t help myself after being offered an ARC) because now I have to wait over a year before getting to read something from this author again… Idk if I’m gonna make it y’all…
Disclaimers:
Huge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for gifting me an early copy of this amazing story! I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Have you read this book? Planning to add it to your TBR?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
I love a good book discussion. 🙂
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