As someone who has always loved true crime and all things serial killers, the premise of this book had me hooked at the beginning! I do think it got a little slow as there wasn’t a lot happening at points. It was still a great quirky read!

Good stuff. Twisty and suspenseful! It wasn’t my favorite ever, but I’ll definitely keep reading Megan Collin’s books!

I loved the premise of this insane family filled with trauma and the way they lived alone and secluded in a mansion. The setting was insane and this family definitely has some issues and unhealthy ways. It didn't quite live up to what I was expecting with the summary of what this story was about. I just wanted more...

Sort of Addams family like with a family that embraces the dark, but with this family it’s murders. Each child is named after a person who’s been murdered and their homeschooling curriculum is based on true crime stories. There’s a local serial killer who’s never been caught and a missing brother. This story had really great twists in it and was a story I loved from cover to cover. I wish I could reread this book without knowing the ending just to experience it again.

Megan Collins’ The Family Plot is an atmospheric thriller that delves into the complexities of family dynamics, grief, and true crime obsession. The story follows Dahlia Lighthouse, who returns to her childhood home after her father's death, only to discover that her missing brother’s bones are buried in the family plot. The plot unravels dark family secrets, set against the gothic backdrop of a secluded mansion on a remote island.

The novel shines in its creation of a deeply unsettling atmosphere. The Lighthouse family’s fixation on murder, death, and crime, thanks to their mother’s homeschooling curriculum centered around true crime, gives the story a chilling edge. Collins creates a claustrophobic world filled with twisted rituals and complex family relationships. The setting feels vivid and haunting as the island and family home become characters in their own right.

However, The Family Plot fell short in its pacing and resolution. While adding to the suspense, the slow build-up sometimes feels repetitive and dragged in parts that could have benefited from tighter editing.

Overall, The Family Plot is a solid, atmospheric thriller that excels in mood and setting. Its protagonist is worth rooting for. While the pacing and ending might not be perfect for everyone, fans of dark family dramas and gothic suspense will find much to enjoy in this twisty tale.

Music to listen to while reading...
Lotta True Crime by Penelope Scott
Psycho Killer by Talking Heads
Lookout, Lookout by Perfume Genius
bury a friend by Billie Eilish
Sullen Girl by Fiona Apple
Somebody Got Murdered by The Clash
Mother Mother by Tracy Bonham

This book took until half way through for me to actually get interested in it. Dahlia has an unhealthy obsession with her twin brother. It is due to this obsession that I found the first part of the book so hard to read and actually relate to Dahlia. This family has a lot of dark and twisted secrets that come to life. The second half of the book is interesting and worth reading.

“The Family Plot” presented an intriguing premise centered around the notorious Thorne family, who have built their reputation on a twisted legacy of crime and death. When the family’s patriarch passes away, his estranged daughter, Dahlia, returns to the eerie family estate, only to discover that the past is not as buried as she thought. As she navigates family secrets and dark memories, the story unfolds with an unsettling charm.

Collins infused the narrative with a rather dark vibe, capturing the bizarre dynamics of a family steeped in dysfunction, while also exposing our societal obsession with true crime. While the atmospheric setting and unique premise drew me in, the execution felt somewhat uneven, leaving me wanting more depth in the characters. Overall, it was an engaging read, but it didn’t quite deliver the thrill I was hoping for.

This was a little disappointing. The premise was unique with a lot of promise, but unfortunately the execution wasn't great. I wish the story was told in multiple POV instead of just Dahlia's. I also wish Dahlia's upbringing and their mother's obsession with "murder reports" could have been explored more.

| BOOK REVIEW |

Title: The Family Plot
Author: Megan Collins
Format: 🎧 (E-book ARC originally received from @atriabooks)
Rating: ✩ ✩ ✩


The Family Plot had a fascinating premise which it didn't quite live-up to, but was still an entertaining read!


The Lighthouse family is entrenched in true crime, but what happens when their family becomes part of it? I enjoyed reading about Dahlia's quirky childhood and how she has come to terms with it, as well as her yearning for reunion with her twin brother. There were some dead spots in the middle where the plot slowed down, which is why my rating isn't higher.


The characters were fairly fully fleshed out but none of them really wormed their way into my heart- I couldn't fully relate to them. There was just a little something missing in a couple areas that pulled this one down.


That being said- it was enjoyable and passed the time, which is all I can really ask for!

Key Points:
• True crime inspired
• Toxic family
• Family secrets

This book was difficult for me to finish. The family conflicts, sibling bickering was frustrating and the ending seemed unrealistic. I loved the concept of true crime and haunted house obsession but it just didn’t click fully for me.

Really disappointed in this story. Two stars is a kindness...it was really more like one, but I try not to do that unless the book is super offensive to me in some way. Going from the blurb, this book had so much potential. I was kind of picturing the Addams Family in my head, you know? Instead this family was Dysfunctional with a capital-D, as well as weirdly codependent. Dahlia had absolutely no identity outside of her twin brother. Every breath was a whine about how he was her other half. That was probably the creepiest part of the whole book -- the way the siblings paired off into couples. Ick. No romance mentioned but it sure seemed that way. I found nothing thrilling about this book. It was completely one flat character's constant narration.

The Family Plot
A Novel
by Megan Collins
Pub Date 17 Aug 2021
Atria Books
Mystery & Thrillers


As a family mourns the passing of their patriarch, another body is found in the grave, in this "moody and atmospheric" thriller (USA TODAY).



Dahlia Lighthouse was raised in a secluded island mansion deep in the woods by her true crime-obsessed parents, but she's still haunted by the disappearance of her twin brother ten years ago.



Several years after her father's death, Dahlia returns home, only to find a gruesome discovery: Andy's skull has been split open with an ax in the plot of their father's burial.



Dahlia blames Andy's murder on the serial killer who terrorized the island for decades, while the rest of her family is unnerved. Her brother, Charlie, pours his energy into creating a family memorial museum, highlighting their research into the lives of famous murder victims; her sister, Tate, keeps making crime scenes dioramas; and their mother does her best to present herself as the cheerful, domestic goddess that used to do murder reenactments for her kids. Dahlia discovers that her eccentric family, as well as the mansion itself, may hold the answers to what happened to her twin in this "gorgeously wrought and deliciously creepy...twisted delight" (Kathleen Barber).

I give The Family Plot four out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

I couldn’t put this book down because every twist and turn I didn't see! As much as I loved the plot of the book, the story line and characters were not as interesting as I really wanted them to be. We get very little background and insight into each family member and other characters introduced, such as Ruby, were just uninteresting. To constantly bring up the sheriff and never have a character speak to him made me wonder why he wasn’t just dead. The ending fell flat as well, but overall I enjoyed the book!

LOVED this book from start to finish. Some so many twists and turns made it impossible to put down.

I loved the character development (and how the entire family is obsessed with true crime). Not to mention the errie and secluded setting, Blackburn Island, a small island located off the coast of Rhode Island. (Btw, the entire time, I thought this was inspired by the real-life "Block Island." Oops)

I thought the pace/timing of events in the novel was good, but could have been a little more fast-paced.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Family Plot by Megan Collins has an interesting premise for a mystery and family drama rolled into one. The mystery of the book unfortunately, for me, is not a mystery for long, and the family's obsession with true crime is to an extreme as to be far-fetched, unbelievable, and somewhat comical. Because the story is one of adults coming back to their childhood, much of the story is also "told" as opposed to the story unfolding. Sadly, despite the interesting premise, this was not the book for me.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2023/10/the-family-plot.html

Reviewed for NetGalley.

I expected so much from this and was a bit disappointed that this book did not deliver how I hoped it would. A family living in seclusion, home-schooled, and all children named after serial killers - I mean - that is CRAZY. But we find out the ending too quickly and I wanted to focus more on the past then staying in the present trying to solve a murder. I think a story of the upbringing would have been much more creepy.

Well, this was a major letdown—I mean, what the heck did I just read?! I had high hopes for a gripping psychological thriller, but it turned out to be a snoozefest. The plot dragged on and on with little excitement or suspense. The characters lacked any depth, in my opinion, and the 'twists' were predictable, leaving me feeling underwhelmed. I kept hoping for something to redeem the book, but it never happened.

When you grow up in a strange, unique family setting, leaving is sometimes the only option. That being the case for the main character, Dahlia. She left home and finds the need to return upon the death of her father.

The family is strange, and there are secrets buried deep with this family. Deep as the father who was just buried.

I love Megan's writing style and if you are intrigued by "the weird family" troupe then you will enjoy this one.

It is a slow burn, at least it was for me, so go in knowing this and expect nothing. Just enjoy the book!

I got three hours into the audiobook and just wasn't invested. The characters were not relatable and it was hard to be interested in what was happening. I wish the book had been spookier or had more of a gothic vibe--I think that would have made it work for me.

This was a twisting mystery that wove through an incredibly complex family dynamic. I enjoyed the book, but wanted more from the ending.