THE HEIRESS
Rachel Hawkins
St Martins Press
January 9, 2023
304 pages
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Somehow, when I picked this book I missed the word GOTHIC in the very first line of the description. Gothic is usually not one of the genres that I read.
In the beginning, I found it a little confusing due to the way it was written. A couple of narrative voices, a few newspaper stories, a serialized letter from the deceased “heiress”. I found it disjointed but I kept on and quickly found this writing style gave me the past and the present simultaneously. And, of course, the past explains the present, little by little, but, not quite. My mind has the chance to go down several dark tunnels of possibilities.
Right from the start, there is a dark undercurrent. I couldn’t wait to find out what was going on.
The family in this book could be on the poster for toxic and dysfunctional family relationships. The various generations and branches of this family are all together in a huge country estate in the woods. This home exudes a very negative vibe. There is a LOT of family conflict and a lot of jealousy and a ton of money involved.
The twists and turns start around the halfway mark. Subtle at first and then they become more intense. And, they don’t stop until the very end. This is one of the most convoluted books I have ever read. It kept me turning pages until I was finished. Even though there were times I thought I had figured things out, I hadn’t because another twist was added.
I’m glad I finished this book in the afternoon. If I had been reading it in bed, I would have been up until I was done. And, then I wouldn’t have been able to sleep because I’d be thinking about it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
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