Rachel Hawkins

Rachel Hawkins weaves her compelling tale from the vocal strands of matriarch Ruby McTavish, her adopted son Camden, and Camden's wife Jules. It doesn't take long after readers arrive at Ashby House to realize that they've fallen into a den of vipers... and that everyone's motives should be suspect.

The Heiress reminds me of one of my favorite mystery tropes: is this person the true heir? DNA tests have killed that favorite of mine, but it still lives on in books like Josephine Tey's Brat Farrar and to a tiny degree, here. After all, the McTavishes who've stayed at Ashby House would like nothing better than to take every penny of Camden's inheritance away from him, and they're not too picky about how they do it.

One of the highlights of the book is the letters Ruby wrote to Camden. Her words prove her to be strong, sympathetic, and devious. Those letters, combined with occasional newspaper articles, are the backbone of The Heiress, and they define a fascinating character.

To one remote, beautiful mansion, add a hornet's nest of characters, and some delicious plot twists. What do you get? A wonderful story that you can't read fast enough. After enjoying The Heiress so much, I know that I'll be reading more from Rachel Hawkins.… (más)