"Narrators Dan Bittner, Eliza Foss, John Pirhalla, and Patti Murin provide outstanding performances, creating such believable characters that listeners might wonder if the story is based in fact."—Library Journal
This program features multicast narration.
New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins returns with a twisted new gothic suspense about an infamous heiress and the complicated inheritance she left behind.
THERE'S NOTHING AS GOOD AS THE RICH GONE BAD
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.
A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press.
"Narrators Dan Bittner, Eliza Foss, John Pirhalla, and Patti Murin provide outstanding performances, creating such believable characters that listeners might wonder if the story is based in fact."—Library Journal
This program features multicast narration.
New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins returns with a twisted new gothic suspense about an infamous heiress and the complicated inheritance she left behind.
THERE'S NOTHING AS GOOD AS THE RICH GONE BAD
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.
A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press.
Critiques-
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November 20, 2023
Hawkins (The Wife Upstairs) delivers a delicious tale of murder, greed, and the ties that bind. The flamboyant Ruby McTavish, who was famous in her home state of North Carolina for surviving a kidnapping as a child and burning through four husbands as an adult, controlled a vast family fortune until her death 10 years ago. Camden, Ruby’s adopted son and sole heir, is now a high school English teacher living in California. He has not been back to Ashby House, his mother’s estate, since she died, nor has he spent any of the money she left behind on himself. Instead, he puts the inheritance toward the upkeep of his deteriorating family manse and his cousins’ dubious business enterprises. An email from one of those cousins brings Camden back to Ashby House so he and the others can finally hash out the details of Ruby’s will. Camden’s wife, Jules, urges him to go, not fully understanding the snake pit that awaits them in North Carolina. After they arrive, past secrets come to light, and dark questions emerge about Ruby’s past, her intentions with Camden, and the fates of her husbands. Alternating Ruby’s frank, funny letters with chapters narrated by Camden and Jules, Hawkins does an excellent job keeping readers off-balance throughout. Nonstop twists and surprises make this a true thrill ride. Agent: Holly Root, Root Literary. -
An ensemble of narrators enhances this thriller's absorbing quality. Ruby has been shrouded in mystery since she was abducted at the age of four and returned to her family eight months later. In a series of letters, Ruby discusses the abduction, her wealth, and four deceased husbands. In alternating points of view, listeners learn why Ruby's son, Cam, is reluctant to claim his inheritance and why his wife, Jules, is eager to embrace change. Eliza Foss gives Ruby a Southern drawl and a regal air, her voice softening as Ruby describes her favorite husband. Patti Murin uses a chipper tone suiting upbeat Jules. Perfect as Cam, Dan Bittner increases his pace and volume during tense moments. John Pirhalla provides news reports in a clear voice. A.L.C. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
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May 1, 2024
Hawkins's (The Wife Upstairs; "Hex Hall" series) latest contemporary novel centers on North Carolina's wealthy McTavish family. Ruby McTavish was a famous woman born into money, but she was also infamous for having been married and widowed four times. Rumors have circulated about her from childhood and even after her death, as she left her entire multimillion-dollar estate to her adopted son, Camden. Camden wanted nothing to do with the McTavish money or name and moved away after Ruby's death, but now he and his wife, Jules, have been summoned back to North Carolina to work out issues with the estate after his late uncle's death. Disturbing family secrets and answers to long-awaited questions are revealed, while familial bonds are put to the test. Although the plot twists are mostly predictable, Hawkins still creates remarkable characters with drama-filled family dynamics that keep the story fast-paced and unstoppable. Narrators Dan Bittner, Eliza Foss, John Pirhalla, and Patti Murin provide outstanding performances, creating such believable characters that listeners might wonder if the story is based in fact. VERDICT Highly recommended to fans of Lucy Foley and Lisa Jewell.--Lacey Webster
Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
