"The Heiresses" tells the story of Erato, Clio and Thalia who are brought together by the eccentric and radical Lady Hestia Crowley. She reveals they are triplets and that they have an inheritance from their mother, Hestia's sister, who died giving birth to them. But it is being held by their half-brother who refuses to release the money to them as they are believed dead. The girls must ban together to win what is theirs but it proves to be difficult. Will they succeed?

I really enjoyed this story, which is probably a "duh" given my rating. Of course there are a few hiccups but nothing that detracts too much from the story. But I'll get to those in good time. First, let's start with the characters. In a good writing choice, Rushby has made each triplet represent the three parts of the psyche as set forth by Freud.

I'll start with my favorite sister, Clio--the superego, the morality center. She's probably my favorite because I relate the most with her. Clio was raised by good people, a pastor and his wife who were unable to have a child of their own, in a small little village. When she comes to London, she feels like a fish out of water. Especially in the society her potential wealth places her in. But does her best to stay true to herself and it attracts Edwin to her. Yes, Clio does some underhanded things--namely going to Charles for the money,but she has a good reason. Her mother is sick and needs to go some place warm. The doctor calls it bronchitis, but it sounds more like tuberculosis. Anyway, she feels horrible for betraying her sisters but in the end, her mother was the one who raised her and she is a virtual stranger to her sisters. But she stands the ground and comes out victorious in the end in her own way in the end.

Next is Erato or "Ro" for short. She is the logical one of the three sisters, the ego. She was raised by an aunt and uncle with money and who sent her to a boarding school. She wants to go to university and study science. And she's also the one who has longed for siblings. She is the one who is most focused on solving the mystery of their birth and getting Charles to give them their inheritance. Like the ego, she is often the mediator between Thalia and Clio.

And last is Thalia, the id. I'll be honest, Thalia wasn't my favorite character. And I understand her character motivations--Ms. Rushby does a great job of explaining why Thalia is the way she is and it is realistic--but it doesn't mean I have to like her. She focuses to feel her desires and wants, giving little thought to her sisters or their common plight. She overindulges, especially in drugs. And she is cruel to Clio because they are polar opposites.

Then we have our supporting characters:

First is Lady Hestia. As I said, she's eccentric and progressive. (And there are hints she's a lesbian which seems to be literary code for those very terms. Especially in historical fiction). She campaigns for universal female suffrage in England and is trying to secure her father's old seat in Parliament. But she's also trying to reunite her beloved sister's children and give them the life they deserve. But she isn't much help to them as she has very little information to go on. Mostly because her brother-in-law tricked her family into sending her to a sanitarium. Therefore, she has a distrust of letting too many people know what she and her nieces are doing. And especially as the trail has gone cold. As I said, people believe the triplets dead. Well, actually, they believed Hestia's sister Demeter had died giving birth to twins who had also died. Clio's birth was never recorded; she doesn't exist. And Hestia hides this from the girls, believing it is for their own good. While the reader doesn't question the fact her motives are good, her methods are suspect.

Next is Vincent, the young biology professor Ro befriends in her quest to solve the mystery as to why Clio looks different from her sisters. He is drawn to Ro's own intelligence and interest in science. And for probably the first time in her life, Ro abandons logic and follows her feelings. Things move quickly between them, though there are some warning signs regarding Vincent. Like how he stalked the sisters to a party they attended. Or how he's practically engaged to a silly young woman whose family is newly rich. Ro learns he is going through with the marriage for the money, to help fund his research. Which further causes Ro to override her logical tendencies. She wants the money she's due to win him.

We then have Venetia and Edwin, socialite siblings who befriend Thalia. They represent the bored youth who have everything and so they have no purpose. They spend their days running around London causing trouble and their nights getting drunk, doing drugs and having sex. But there is more to Edwin than meets the eye, which Clio learns. He is attracted to her and shows another side around her. He wants to be a better person for her, to win her affection. It's a struggle because he's still used to being a wild child and he does get a rush from the things he does. And his sister is his partner-in-crime. But he proves his sincerity and earns Clio's love in the end.

Charles and Felix are relatively minor characters even amongst the supporting ones. Charles is just there to be a common enemy for the girls. He's an immature boy who is threatened by the return of his believed dead sisters and what it might mean for his political aspirations--namely that he was conceived while his father was still married to the triplet's mother. He's cruel, playing with his sisters' minds and using the fact they are not a united front against them. But he also throws temper tantrums when things don't go his way, showing he's been appeased his whole life. Felix, meanwhile, is only in the last third of the book but he plays a large role in it.

And that brings us to the plot again. For the most part, it's a compelling one. And one that hinges on a rare condition that may seem familiar to any One Life to Live fan. Clio looks different from Thalia and Ro, who are practically identical. It's revealed that Clio has a different father, Felix, from the other two. Much like how it was revealed that while Viki gave birth to twins Jessica and Natalie, they had two different fathers--Mitch for Jessica, Clint for Natalie. Of course, in the final broadcast episodes, it was revealed that this was a lie--Clint had fathered both girls and recurring villain Allison scoffed at the idea of two girls, two different fathers. Some viewers saw this as correcting a mistake made by the writers and also admitted to having difficulties believing the plot. But the condition is real, if rare. I only have two quibbles with it. One) The example Rushby keeps using is a case of a woman in Jamaica giving birth to one white baby and one black baby. But the details are never explained and so I don't know if it really is a case of two fathers, one mother. Because it's Jamaica, one or both of the parents could've been "passing"--a person who is technically black but has such light skin they can be accepted as white. So I think the explanation's example needed its own explanation. Two) I'm not certain there were two separate fathers. Ro and Thalia are identical twins and the spitting image of their mother. There is not much mentioned in how they look like their supposed father. In my opinion, it's possible for all three to still be full sisters. And so all three could be legitimate and not just Clio.

And now the romance! Thalia is really the only who doesn't have one, though she does have feelings for Edwin. He, though, is attracted to Clio. She resists him at first, believing him to be everything she stands against. But he knows she is exactly what he needs to break free from his life of ennui. To become the man she deserves. Clio is also hesitant because of Thalia's feelings for Edwin. And they drive a wedge between the two sisters, even moreso since Thalia did not like Clio before and was eager to latch onto the idea that Clio was not their sister. But in the end, it brings the sisters closer. Thalia ends up overdosing and waking up with strange men. Edwin and Clio grow concerned for her safety and Edwin convinces Clio to commit Thalia to a rehab facility. At first, Thalia is angry that her sister did such a thing. And so she tells Clio everything that happened to her--besides being raised in a family which neglected her, they covered up the fact she was raped and subjected her to an abortion to do so. Clio is horrified but it helps her to understand her sister better. And it helps Thalia as well. It helps her start to heal.

Clio ultimately gives into her feelings for Edwin. She realizes he loves her and wants to change his life for her. And it's sweet.

Let's move on to Ro's romance. On her quest to figure out why Clio looks so different from her and Thalia, Ro meets a dashing scientist named Vincent. She is attracted to him immediately. He is her equal in many ways: Smart and interested in science. He is attracted to her as well. But there are early warnings he may not be the greatest. For example, he follows her and her sisters to a party despite not having an invitation. How he followed him is not known. And Ro brushes off any concerns that arise from this revelation. It's probably the first time Ro has put aside her logical side and trusted her feelings. This ends up not being for the best as Vincent gets more suspicious as the story progresses. It turns out he's engaged. But he's only in it for the money and clout her family would bring. So Ro ignores the red flag and decides to show Vincent the money and clout her family could bring. She wants him to want her for all the wrong reasons. And it comes back to bite her. Or does it? Because I have a quibble with how Rushby revealed his betrayal. He slept with Thalia, her sister. You know, the one that looks just like her? And it's never made clear if Vincent knew he was sleeping with Thalia rather than Ro. He doesn't really get a chance to say anything. Ro just believes he betrayed her. I feel the Vincent-Ro romance could've been handled a bit better.

Rushby does a wonderful job with the mystery. What happened after the triplets' birth? Who is clio's father? Will they get their money? Will they ever gel as sisters? These questions keep the readers reading.

Another good aspect is the setting. Rushby does a good job creating the feeling of 1920s London. The girls adopt the latest fashions--though Clio is on the reluctant side. She does end up getting a bobbed haircut at one point and she starts to accept the fashions. My one quibble in this department would've been to incorporate more of the popular culture, especially for all the parties the girls go to. A few more references to some music would've been nice.

But otherwise, it is a really good book.