Rachel Hawkins – författare

Fyra döda makar, en försvunnen flicka och ett hus fullt av hemligheter. 

När Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dör är hon North Carolinas rikaste och mest beryktade kvinna. Adoptivsonen Cam ärver allt, inklusive familjeegendomen Ashby House, men vill inte ha något med förmögenheten att göra och väljer att leva ett anspråkslöst liv på behörigt avstånd från familjen McTavish. 

Tio år senare kallas Cam hem till Ashby House efter sin morbrors död, och tillsammans med hustrun Jules beger han sig motvilligt dit. För Cam blir det inget kärt återseende och han är angelägen om att ta sig därifrån för gott. Men Jules har egna planer, och ju mer hon får veta om Cams familj och deras hemligheter, desto mer vill hon att han ska ta emot det arv som Ruby en gång avsåg för honom. 

Allteftersom Ashby House kopplar ett hårdare grepp om Jules och Cam, kommer frågor om den ökända Ruby i dagen. Fanns det någon sanning i de ihärdiga ryktena efter hennes försvinnande som flicka? Vad hände egentligen med de fyra makarna, som alla dog under mystiska omständigheter? Och varför adopterade hon Cam från första början? Snart inser Jules och Cam att arvet efter Ruby handlar om långt mer än vad som står skrivet i hennes testamente. Familjeband släpper aldrig taget, inte ens bortom graven.

Rachel Hawkins är bästsäljande författare till ett flertal spänningsromaner för vuxna samt ett antal ungdomsböcker. Hennes böcker har översatts till ett tjugotal språk. Hon bor för närvarande i Alabama, USA.

"Det är en spännande berättelse som fångar läsaren /.../ Karaktärerna är genomarbetade och Hawkins har gjort ett utmärkt jobb med att hitta deras individuella röster. /.../ en kanonbok för läsare som gillar mörka familjedraman med många vändningar." (Betyg 5 av 5) BTJ 

När Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dör är hon North Carolinas rikaste och mest beryktade kvinna. Adoptivsonen Cam ärver allt, inklusive familjeegendomen Ashby House, men vill inte ha något med förmögenheten att göra och väljer att leva ett anspråkslöst liv på behörigt avstånd från familjen McTavish.

Tio år senare kallas Cam hem till Ashby House efter sin morbrors död, och tillsammans med hustrun Jules beger han sig motvilligt dit. För Cam blir det inget kärt återseende och han är angelägen om att ta sig därifrån för gott. Men Jules har egna planer, och ju mer hon får veta om Cams familj och deras hemligheter, desto mer vill hon att han ska ta emot det arv som Ruby en gång avsåg för honom.

Allteftersom Ashby House kopplar ett hårdare grepp om Jules och Cam, kommer frågor om den ökända Ruby i dagen. Fanns det någon sanning i de ihärdiga ryktena efter hennes försvinnande som flicka? Vad hände egentligen med de fyra makarna, som alla dog under mystiska omständigheter? Och varför adopterade hon Cam från första början? Snart inser Jules och Cam att arvet efter Ruby handlar om långt mer än vad som står skrivet i hennes testamente. Familjeband släpper aldrig taget, inte ens bortom graven.

Rachel Hawkins är bästsäljande författare till ett flertal spänningsromaner för vuxna samt ett antal ungdomsböcker. Hennes böcker har översatts till ett tjugotal språk. Hon bor för närvarande i Alabama, USA.

The seventeen original stories in Defy the Dark, an eerie, mind-bending YA anthology, could only take place in darkness. Open the pages and discover: A creepy guy who stares too long. The secrets of the core of the earth. Dreams of other people’s lives. A girl who goes mad in the darkness. Monsters in Bavaria. A generational spaceship where night doesn’t exist. And other mysteries and oddities. The contributors to the enthralling collection are: Sarah Rees Brennan, Tessa Gratton, Rachel Hawkins, Christine Johnson, Valerie Kemp, Malinda Lo, Myra McEntire, Saundra Mitchell, Sarah Ockler, Jackson Pearce, Aprilynne Pike, Dia Reeves, Beth Revis, Carrie Ryan, Jon Skovron, Courtney Summers, and Kate Espy, winner of the Defy the Dark new author contest.

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

''Grabbed me by the heart and didn''t let go! I was literally gasping with every twist'' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reader review

''Complex, suspenseful, creepy... perfect for those who love Ruth Ware or Lucy Foley'' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reader review''A phenomenal read that kept me up way past my bedtime'' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reader review

''Daisy Jones and The Six vibes... A fantastic summer read'' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reader review _______

As kids, Emily and Chess were inseparable, but their bond has been strained by the demands of their adult lives. So when Chess suggests a girls trip to Italy, Emily jumps at the chance to reconnect with her best friend.

Villa Aestas in Orvieto is breathtaking, but it has a dark past: in 1974 it was rented by a notorious rockstar, who was joined by up-and-coming musician Pierce Sheldon and his girlfriend, Mari. By the end of the holiday Pierce is dead, and Mari goes on to write one of the greatest horror novels of all time.

As Emily digs into the villa''s history, she begins to think that Pierce''s murder wasn''t just a tale of sex, drugs, and rock & roll gone wrong, but something more sinister - and that there might be clues hidden in the now-iconic works that Mari left behind.

Yet the closer that Emily gets to the truth, the more tension she feels developing between her and Chess. As secrets from the past come to light, equally dangerous betrayals from the present also emerge - and it begins to look like the villa will claim another victim before the summer ends.

An enthralling tale of gothic suspense that will keep you reading late into the night, The Villa is perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley, with the rock-and-roll glamour of Daisy Jones and the Six._______

Praise for The Villa

''A deliciously dark tale filled with twisted secrets, suspect loyalties, and deadly encounters. I tore through this haunting thrill ride at breakneck speed but hated to see it end . . . pitch-perfect . . . Hawkins is the reigning Queen of suspense'' Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author

''Clever and wickedly fun, The Villa is a moody labyrinth of a novel fortified by Hawkins''s evident knowledge of Gothic conventions: missing manuscripts, debauched aristocrats, isolated locales... a spooky, intricate thriller'' Washington Post

''An engrossing tale about betrayal, sisterhood, and the power of telling your own story. Captivating!'' People

''Fans of twisty, creepy, layered thrillers will revel in their suspenseful stay at The Villa'' Bookpage

''Slick, twisty... a perfectly delicious read. I devoured it as fast as I could and wanted to read it again immediately. Buy one for yourself and another for your best friend because you''ll want to talk about it for days'' Deanna Raybourn, New York Times bestselling author

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 rumours 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 realise 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.

''Run and read this book IMMEDIATELY'' READER REVIEW ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ''One inheritance, one dysfunctional family...I loved it from start to finish'' READER REVIEW ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ''I devoured the pages'' READER REVIEW ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ''The story flows right along, pulling you with it, because you just have to know how it ends'' READER REVIEW ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Instant New York Times and USA Today Bestseller"Compulsively readable...a gothic thriller laced with arsenic." ––EWOne of the Most Anticipated Books of 2021: CNN • Newsweek • Vulture • PopSugar • Parade • BuzzFeed • E!Online • TimeOut • Woman''s Day • Goodreads • She Reads • Good Housekeeping • CrimeReads • Frolic • Hello! • Mystery and Suspense January 2021 Indie Next Pick and #1 LibraryReads Pick A delicious twist on a Gothic classic, The Wife Upstairs pairs Southern charm with atmospheric domestic suspense, perfect for fans of B.A. Paris and Megan Miranda.Meet Jane. Newly arrived to Birmingham, Alabama, Jane is a broke dog-walker in Thornfield Estates––a gated community full of McMansions, shiny SUVs, and bored housewives. The kind of place where no one will notice if Jane lifts the discarded tchotchkes and jewelry off the side tables of her well-heeled clients. Where no one will think to ask if Jane is her real name.But her luck changes when she meets Eddie Rochester. Recently widowed, Eddie is Thornfield Estates’ most mysterious resident. His wife, Bea, drowned in a boating accident with her best friend, their bodies lost to the deep. Jane can’t help but see an opportunity in Eddie––not only is he rich, brooding, and handsome, he could also offer her the kind of protection she’s always yearned for. Yet as Jane and Eddie fall for each other, Jane is increasingly haunted by the legend of Bea, an ambitious beauty with a rags-to-riches origin story, who launched a wildly successful southern lifestyle brand. How can she, plain Jane, ever measure up? And can she win Eddie’s heart before her past––or his––catches up to her?With delicious suspense, incisive wit, and a fresh, feminist sensibility, The Wife Upstairs flips the script on a timeless tale of forbidden romance, ill-advised attraction, and a wife who just won’t stay buried. In this vivid reimagining of one of literature’s most twisted love triangles, which Mrs. Rochester will get her happy ending?

Instant New York Times and USA Today bestsellerIndie Next Pick and LibraryReads PickFrom Rachel Hawkins, the New York Times bestselling author of The Wife Upstairs, comes a deliciously wicked gothic suspense, set on an isolated Pacific island with a dark history."A literary pina colada." —Entertainment Weekly"A high-octane thriller." —New York Times Book Review (Staff Pick)ONE ISLANDBeautiful, wild, and strange—Meroe Island is a desolate spot in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with a mysterious history of shipwrecks, cannibalism, and even rumors of murder. It’s the perfect destination for the most adventurous traveler to escape everything... except the truth.SIX VISITORSSix stunning twentysomethings are about to embark on a blissful, free-spirited journey—one filled with sun-drenched days and intoxicating nights. But as it becomes clear that the group is even more cut off from civilization than they initially thought, it starts to feel like the island itself is closing in, sending them on a dangerous spiral of discovery.COUNTLESS SECRETSWhen one person goes missing and another turns up dead, the remaining friends wonder what dark currents lie beneath this impenetrable paradise—and who else will be swept under its secluded chaos. With its island gothic sensibility, sexy suspense, and spine-tingling reimagining of an Agatha Christie classic, Reckless Girls will wreck you.

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!"Hawkins weaves an engrossing tale about betrayal, sisterhood, and the power of telling your own story. Captivating!" ––People"Hawkins is the reigning queen of suspense." ––Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling authorThe bestselling author of The Wife Upstairs returns with a brilliant new gothic suspense set at an Italian villa with a dark history.As kids, Emily and Chess were inseparable. But by their 30s, their bond has been strained by the demands of their adult lives. So when Chess suggests a girls trip to Italy, Emily jumps at the chance to reconnect with her best friend.Villa Aestas in Orvieto is a high-end holiday home now, but in 1974, it was known as Villa Rosato, and rented for the summer by a notorious rock star, Noel Gordon. In an attempt to reignite his creative spark, Noel invites up-and-coming musician, Pierce Sheldon to join him, as well as Pierce’s girlfriend, Mari, and her stepsister, Lara. But he also sets in motion a chain of events that leads to Mari writing one of the greatest horror novels of all time, Lara composing a platinum album––and ends in Pierce’s brutal murder.As Emily digs into the villa’s complicated history, she begins to think there might be more to the story of that fateful summer in 1974. That perhaps Pierce’s murder wasn’t just a tale of sex, drugs, and rock & roll gone wrong, but that something more sinister might have occurred––and that there might be clues hidden in the now-iconic works that Mari and Lara left behind.Yet the closer that Emily gets to the truth, the more tension she feels developing between her and Chess. As secrets from the past come to light, equally dangerous betrayals from the present also emerge––and it begins to look like the villa will claim another victim before the summer ends.Inspired by Fleetwood Mac, the Manson murders, and the infamous summer Percy and Mary Shelley spent with Lord Byron at a Lake Geneva castle––the birthplace of Frankenstein––The Villa welcomes you into its deadly legacy.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A January 2024 Indie Next Pick and LibraryReads Pick"The reigning queen of the Gothic thriller." —Entertainment WeeklyTHERE''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.