If you're looking for an addicting novel to read before the summer is out look no further than
The Heiresses by Sara Shepard. (Yes, the Sara Shepard behind the hit series
Pretty Little Liars.) I've never read (or watched)
PLL but I know the basic idea. Some may say
The Heiresses has a similar "whodunit" in a high class world but that didn't matter to me. I loved it.
Here's the synopsis:
You know the Saybrooks. Everyone does. Perhaps you’ve read a
profile of them in People or have seen their pictures in the society pages of
Vogue. Perhaps while walking along that choice block on Fifth Avenue, you’ve
been tempted to enter the ornate limestone building with their family name
etched into the pediment above the door.
The only thing more flawless than a Saybrook’s diamond solitaire is the family
behind the jewelry empire. Beauties, entrepreneurs, debutantes, and style
mavens, they are the epitome of New York City’s high society. But being a
Saybrook comes at a price—they are heirs not only to a dizzying fortune but
also to a decades-old family curse.
Tragedy strikes the prominent family yet again when thirty-four-year-old Poppy,
the most exquisite Saybrook of them all, flings herself from the window of her
TriBeCa office. Everyone is shocked that a woman who had it all would end her
own life. Then her cousins receive an ominous threat: one heiress down, four to
go.
Was it suicide... or murder? In the aftermath of the tragedy, the remaining
heiresses—Corinne, the perfectionist; Rowan, the workaholic; Aster, the
hedonist; and Natasha, the enigma—wrestle with feelings of sadness, guilt, and,
most of all, fear. Now they must uncover the truth about their family before
they lose the only thing money can’t buy: their lives.
I had a feeling
The Heiresses would be an intriguing read but I had no idea it would be as addictive as it was. This quality was due, in part, to the mystery surround the Saybrooks. Are they really cursed as the blog that chronicles their ups and downs suggests? I liked learning about the family history (which I found was shared in a great way...Shepard didn't fall into the "but the characters would already know this" trap) because, hello, there was a massive amount of money and diamonds involved.
I really had no idea how it would conclude. I couldn't figure out who did it! There were so many conflicting clues that it was hard to pinpoint the murderer and that made the book oh so much better.
Be warned though: the novel ends with a MAJOR cliffhanger so I assume (and hope hope hope) that there will be a second book. This warning is for those who don't want to get into another series or who may want to wait until more than one book is released. I can't tell when the next one will be published but I need it now!
There are a lot of characters in
The Heiresses. So many, in fact, that there is a family tree in the front of the book. It was confusing at first but I found I quickly caught on to who was who (and who's slept with who) and eventually stopped consulting the front of the book. Speaking of characters, I'm a huge character person and almost always need to like the main character in order to enjoy the book. I can't say that I particularly loved any of the Saybrook heiresses but I was intrigued by them. They all had a distinct personality and I think that helped me like them more than I otherwise would.
I'd also like to take a moment to acknowledge the beauty of this cover. I love it. The colours, the view, the font. Ah! Love.
The Heiresses is perfect for your end of summer read. It's a long weekend here in Canada so it's a great time to get yourself to the bookstore! Pick up Sara Shepard's novel and settle in for a mysterious, gossipy, addicting weekend.
*I received an ARC of this novel from HarperCollins Canada in exchange for review consideration. My review is honest, as always!*
