St. Martin’s Press, 2024. 304 pages. Fiction.
by Rachel Hawkins
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.
2024 is the year of thrillers for my reading list. This Gothic fiction is a fast-paced, addictive read. Plus, the short chapters have you thinking, ‘Just one more!’ while you stay up way past your bedtime. The point of view varies between 3 characters. Ruby is my favorite, whose point of view is shared through letters to an unknown recipient. Ruby is an unreliable, sarcastic yet intimidating personality. There is also a husband and wife, Cam and Jules. It's hard to put trust in any character though, they all have secrets. If you want family drama, wildly rich people, inheritance and succession all written in a compelling, atmospheric style with a pretty satisfying ending, this book is a great choice.
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JK
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