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.
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Review:
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
What if the most important person in your life is not who they say they are? What if your sole existence is to ensure others don't get what they deserve? What if your wife is not who you think she is? Cam McTavish, the adopted son of the infamous Ruby McTavish has all these questions, and more, as he makes his way back to a his childhood home, the place he never wanted to return to. His family is toxic and he's never felt as though he truly belonged. But when his wife, Jules, convinces him to finally go home, secrets about his adoptive mother and his entire life come to a head.
I have really enjoyed reading Hawkins adults novels. I love a good mystery, one that I can't necessarily figure out, even if I have ideas in the back of my mind of how it will all turn out in the end.
Cam and Jules have been married 10 years. Cam is closed off about his family. He moved from North Carolina to California to escape them. But as the sole heir of his family's fortune, Jules cannot understand why he would not want to claim what is rightfully his. I really liked the characters development in this book. We not only get Cam and Jules' points of view, but we also get Ruby's point of view through letters she wrote prior to her death which describe her life. It was interesting to watch calm Cam develop and show his true self, standing up to his toxic family. And I love how Jules speaks directly to the reader, almost as if she's writing her autobiography and hoping to get the reader to truly understand where she was coming from when she did the things she did.
It's hard to write a review of a mystery without creating spoilers. I will say the background of the story, a young girl is kidnapped and returned to her family after 8 months, is interesting. The author gives background into the Appalachians and how people go missing all the time, never to be found again, or never to even be known they were gone in the first place. It's the perfect background for the mystery that is Ruby McTavish and her life. We not only get the story that revolves around her kidnapping and who she is (or could be) but we also get the story of her life, which is filled with death that follows her.
Hawkins' writing is easy to read and fast in pace. Her story is brilliantly addictive to the point I could not put it down. I enjoyed the plot twists she threw in, though I did figure out a few of them prior to their reveal. But that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book as I wanted to keep reading to see if I was right! I loved how the author continually pulled away the layers of this estranged family to show who they truly are. The greed, they dysfunctional relationships, and the secrets all lend to a tense plot.
I will say this is my most favorite of all the mysteries Hawkins' has written thus far. The way she forms the plot is unique and definitely kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to know exactly how things would turn out in the end. And, despite the secrets, and murder, and lies, I was still rooting for them to win! And she seemlessly integrates the past and the present without making it confusing.
If you enjoyed Megan Mirand's The Last to Vanish and Taylor Jenkin Reid's The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, you will enjoy this twisting and turning mystery that incorporates elements of both!
Author:
She is married to a geologist, which means that they have incredibly strange dinner conversations ("So today at work, I wrote a chapter where killer fog, like, ATE PEOPLE." "Huh. Well, I was chased by an angry reindeer while trying to map parts of Norway." "Um...okay.")
Rachel also has a little boy whose main hobbies are playing video games, running around in circles, and plotting his Future Intergalactic Take-Over.
When not writing books, Rachel enjoys reading, travelling, and knitting (very terribly.)
Here are her books. She would really appreciate it if you read them. :)
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