The Heiress is a Gothic thriller by Rachel Hawkins. The book is about Ruby McTavish, a young girl who goes missing and is found a year later. Ruby becomes the richest woman in North Carolina and rules the town of Tavistock from her family's estate, Ashby House. After Ruby's death, her adopted son, Camden, rejects his inheritance and settles down in Colorado. The book is full of twists, turns, and betrayals.