I think the title is quite clever, probably the cleverest part of the book and what attracted me to it in the first place.  But this was my least favorite Megan Collins book of the three I've read.  The whole premise about this odd family who is utterly preoccupied with honoring murder victims -- so much so that the children were named after four of them -- was just too weird and unbelievable.  If I knew of such a family in real life, I would avoid them like the plague, not read books about them.  Collins is still obviously talented and creative, but this plot was too off-putting for my taste.

This was my first megan collins book and it won't be the last. This was such a unique premise for a book and I loved the gothic and murderino vibes. This book had everything including a serial killer. The characters were all a little odd and made for an interesting read. The only thing that fell a little short for me was the ending, there were no major twists or surprises and I wanted more of an ending that I didn't see coming. Overall though the unique premise made for a really quick binge worthy read that I couldn't put down.

The Family Plot is a great book for suspense and mystery lovers. This family is not a traditional family that is used to living an unordinary life in a mansion on an island. The children were all named after murder victims, and the mother taught them her own unordinary curriculum. After all the children have moved away, they return for a funeral, but it's all the secrets that slip out that really keep the story alive. This book kept me guessing, and just when I thought I had it figured out, there was a new plot twist. It was very enjoyable as it was quite dark and twisty. The characters were well-done and the flow of the story made it easy to read and not want to put down.

The family plot was so good !
I really enjoyed this domestic thriller . The characters were well written .
The plot was perfectly paced with shocking twists . This author has outdone herself !

The Family Plot follows a unique family obsessed with true crime, who discovers they are embroiled in the murder of one of their own family members when a body is discovered on the secluded island where they live.

I enjoyed the character development of the protagonist Dahlia, and the multitude of creepy elements woven into the book definitely fulfilled my expectations of a gothic murder mystery set in an isolated location. I think the story lost me a bit midway through, as the plot slowed and I found myself a bit bored. However, I actually enjoyed the ending and thought that the way the story was ambiguously tied up made sense for the characters. All in all, I'd recommend to fans of dark mysteries and true crime.

The Family Plot is a psychological thriller about a cultish family living secluded on a small island. They are shunned by the rest of the society there, as the children grew up home schooled by a mother who taught them based on stories and evidence from murders. The children have fled as they came of age, but the death of their father has returned them to the island. All except Andy, who long ago left a note indicating that he likely would never return. When a body is found already buried in the father's burial plot, the question of who the body belongs to and who killed them begins an investigation. Just how odd is the Lighthouse family afterall?

I enjoyed the writing and the setting of this novel quite a bit. It had a nice gothic feel to it and I liked the ambiance of isolation. The characters were okay for me, but I didn't really like them. They seemed a bit over the top and not as fully fleshed out as I would have liked. The pacing was solid and the story moved well from beginning to end. I didn't feel bored with the story and any point and it held a moderate amount of intrigue.

The suspense was pretty good overall, though I had the first twist pegged immediately and found the handling of it to be a little juvenile. The story got better after this moment and I really enjoyed the suspicion and red herrings thrown in along the remainder of the story. I did have the big twist partially figured out, but there was still a good part of it that wrenched my stomach hard.

The ending was a little blase, but it worked for the story and I didn't hate it. It didn't pack a punch, but it wrapped up things fairly nicely.

An enjoyable, moderately paced thriller with a creepy family.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

This was such an interesting story. It starts out dropping you right into the story, so it felt really fast-paced, and yet, it took the time to slow down and give the reader background at times to really fill out the entire story. I was captivated with the plot, and I found myself drawn back to the book when I wasn't reading. I really needed to know what was happening!

The characters are interesting and quirky and some of them are just super odd. It all worked so well with the plot. This is a great story for readers that enjoy family thrillers with dark plots.

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

“The Family Plot” is about the Lighthouse family, an unusual household, perhaps a little creepy, and certainly dysfunctional by typical standards. Their story unfolds from the perspective of Dahlia, named after the Black Dahlia. In fact, all the children are named after murder victims. Mrs. Lighthouse’s parents were murdered by home invaders, and the gun that killed them was their very own brand. The family does not think they are dark, but they certainly would describe themselves as unnatural.

The family lives on Blackburn Island, also the home of the notorious and unidentified Blackburn Killer. The children are home-schooled of course. Mrs. Lighthouse reenacts the murder of her parents, the brutality of it, to protect her children, because If they learn the horrors that others have experienced, they will recognize the same danger if it ever comes their way.

The story takes an unusual turn when Mr. Lighthouse dies; the family returns to Blackburn Island to prepare a “Lighthouse Memorial Museum” and lay him to rest in the family plot. Death stalks the family who spent a lifetime honoring those who died violent deaths, and as they prepare for the honoring ceremony, they find a body, unidentified and viciously murdered. Murder has been circling them for decades, and secrets from the past bring more shocks in the present.

The Lighthouse family dynamics make this a compelling novel. It is quick to read with “interesting” undercurrents. I received a review copy of “The Family Plot” from Megan Collins, Atria Books, and Simon & Schuster Publishers. It was quirky, peculiar, and certainly original.

A family obsessed with true crime, comes together to bury the patriarch. Dahlia was raised on a secluded island and has spent the past several years living on her own. Dahlia returns home for her fathers funeral when her missing brothers body is found with a head wound. She deals with her own feelings as she tries to grapple with what happened to him.
I loved the beginning. It was neat how all the siblings came from a true crime obsessed family with names of famous victims. It gained my interest immediately. Overtime though the story started to drag for me. It was just missing something. Overall an interesting premise that fell flat.

The Family Plot by Megan Collins examines the Lighthouse family who live on isolated Blackburn Island. They put the term "dysfunctional" to test, living in a house called the "Murder Mansion" by the other islanders. The four children lived isolated lives with their parents and were home schooled by the mother, who had an interesting taste in curriculum. The mother is obsessed with murders, as her parents were murdered in a home invasion, and her children are named after murder victims. Her intent is to honor the victims, not the killers. The children are asked to write murder papers on various crimes, and have honoring ceremonies on the dates their namesakes were murdered. So, they are definitely weird!

Dahlia is our narrator, and like her older brother and sister, she fled the family home as soon as she reached the age of eighteen. But unlike her older brother and sister who moved to New York City, she moved just across the water, a ferry ride away, staying close to the island. The reason for this is that her twin brother, Andy, disappeared on their sixteenth birthday, leaving a note that he was running away. Dahlia finds it hard to believe that he could do this as Andy was not only her brother, but her closest, and only, friend.

The family has returned to the island for their father's funeral. Dahlia's father was a bit of a mystery to her. He didn't seem to know how to interact with the girls in the family. She secretly hopes that Andy will appear for this family momentous event, but everything changes when Andy's decayed body is found in the grave meant for her father.

I forgot to mention, there is also a serial killer who terrorized the island for many years, but has not killed in over ten years. So there is a lot of mystery for Dahlia to contend with. Who killed Andy? Who is the Blackburn killer? And could he have killed Andy, even though previously he only killed women? Could Andy have caught him and been silenced?

As stated at the beginning of the review, this is a very dysfunctional family, and we see their interactions through Dahlia's eyes. There is quite a lot of phycological family dynamics, as they try to unpack why their family is the way it is and why they aren't closer. Like other reviewers, I figured out most of the mystery before the end of the book, but there was a surprise worked in there. I enjoyed the creepy family details, the slow unraveling of the mysteries, and a bit of redemption for characters in the book as they grappled with difficult decisions. This was a very solid four star read for me and I enjoyed it!

Thank you to NetGalley, Megan Collins, and Atria Books for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.T

A thriller with a gothic edge with fascinating characters this has a true crime twist. Enjoyed this book

Thank you to the publisher and Netgally for the review copy of this book.
The pros- The characters were named after famous murdered victims that actually existed. We got a deeper look into each of those victim stories and how that tied together with their family. One of my favorite things about the book was the dark creepy setting that gave me some serious jumpstart vibes like you would in a horror movie. Many times I felt like something was going to jump out at me and I credit the author with some really good writing ability to be able to do that.
The cons- the ending. I mean it was not horrible and didn’t make me sorry I read the book or anything. But without giving anything away let’s just say I wanted more, so much more.
Overall, I did enjoy the book. The story was so engaging and easy to connect to. I wouldn’t say the characters were likable, but they all kept toy turning the pages. If you like dark, creepy gothic type stories filled with murder mystery, you’ll enjoy this.

𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐏𝐥𝐨𝐭 ⁣
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𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: A psychological thriller about a true crime obsessed family harboring their own deadly secrets!⁣
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𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: The premise of this book held so much promise for me. A true crime obsessed family living in a secluded mansion - yes please! A body discovered as they prepare to lay their loved one to rest - count me in! Siblings with weird relationships and an even weirder upbringing - what's not to love! Yet despite all this, I found this one a bit underwhelming. I can probably attribute it to the fact that this unfortunately held no surprises for me. ⁣
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The premise is intriguing but once the novelty wore off, I found myself growing bored. The story definitely stalled in the middle and I found myself waiting for something to happen. Unfortunately, the ending felt anticlimactic and I simply wanted more. I figured out both mysteries, early on, which took away from the twists for me. I was hoping for a more explosive ending or for the author to really delve into some family weirdness. ⁣
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I honestly think this would have been more powerful if told in a dual timeline. We are told about the past which almost made it feel less eventful for me. It would have been so much more satisfying to have the events unfold as we follow along. I wanted to love this more than I did, but sadly it was just an ok read for me.

Thanks to Atria and Netgalley for my early copy! The story had just the right amount of creepiness and family drama.

I can safely say that I’ve never read a book about this kind of murder family. A mother whose parents were murdered chooses to homeschool her kids, but instead of reading, math, and science we have murder, murderers, and victims. A little non-traditional education never hurt, right? I was fascinated by the Lighthouse family from page one and this kept me turning the pages.

This story was definitely one of a kind and I was intrigued throughout. I had several theories, all of which were plausible at some point during the book. I didn’t guess the ending until right when I was supposed to, which is a sign of a good thriller/mystery. I enjoyed the writing and thought Collins painted a perfect picture of the family, the murder house, and the dynamics between the siblings. This was my first book by this author and I will be picking The Winter Sister off my shelf very soon.

My one critique is that there was one character (I won’t name because I don’t want to spoil) I wanted more story from. The inclusion of this particular character, and the story as a whole, would have benefitted from a little more development. DM if you’ve read and we can chat!

If you’re looking for creepy vibes this fall season, but nothing too gory or scary, then I highly recommend this book!

I don't know what to say about the Family Plot by Megan Collins. The ending was really heartfelt which did help the rating some. I enjoyed the book well enough but the family was a little crazy. The idea of hosting a "museum" for murder mansion instead of a funeral or some other kind of service for their father really needed some suspension of belief especially because murder was the mom's thing.
AND THE WHOLE LIE?!
WHY?
and these kids thought their grandparents were MURDERED and NEVER looked into it? I just couldn't believe that at all haha

What a ride! It's hard to say much about this book without spoiling something, but I'll say this: it is so clear that Collins wrote this book for the "murderinos". It is an ode to true crime lovers, to amateur detective work, and to cold cases. I loved how those themes shined through in this book, and I inhaled it as a result!

Dahlia Lighthouse and her siblings were all named after various people murdered by serial killers. Her parents are obsessed by true crime, and the children were raised in an isolated island home known as the "Murder Mansion" to the locals. Each sibling left when they received their inheritance, except for Dahlia's twin brother, Andy, who disappeared when they were sixteen. Dahlia's been gone from home for seven years when she reluctantly returns after her father's death. Once home, the family receives some terrible news; someone is already buried in their father's plot: Andy, his skull split with an ax. As Dahlia tries to work through her grief over Andy and attempt to figure out what happened to him, she begins to realize that it may trace back to her island home and her family.

"I have to find out what happened to Andy. Then I have to leave this place for good."

This is a dark thriller that will appeal to true crime fans. The Lighthouse family embodies true crime--home schooled, the kids write reports on various serial killer victims and they perform rituals related to their deaths. The obsession with death and murder runs deep, and it's certainly unsettling at first. Dahlia's mother lost her own parents in a gruesome way, and it's definitely apparent that this family isn't quite right.

The first half of this book was really fascinating for me. Weird yes, but oddly interesting as you get to know this messed up family and all their dark secrets. Dahlia seems like a sister grieving the loss of her twin brother, and you find yourself wanting to know what happened to him. There's certainly a limited pool of suspects (small island) but the book keeps you guessing.

The second half did not seem as strong as the first. The weirdness factor ratchets up to almost unbelievable. Dahlia's older siblings are annoying and too much. The limited pool of subjects becomes almost cloying, suddenly making things seem too obvious as the plot thickens and become a bit too bizarre. Things get incredibly grim at times.

Still, while this is a strange read, overall it's a page-turner and something kept me reading. It's like a trainwreck from which you cannot look away. Collins definitely includes some good points about the bonds of family and people's obsession with crime and murder.

Oh, this was my kind of thriller. The dark, remote house on the cliffs that is feared by the rest of the townspeople due to rampant rumors, unsocialized children/now adults, and a discovery of yet another murder.

Any domestic/familial thriller with a gothic-vibe is my go-to thriller. This one did not disappoint. There were twists and turns at every corner, and I kept finding myself surprised and then surprised again...and then again. I enjoyed this one more than The Winter Sister, so I would definitely give this one a read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I was expecting this book to be mind-blowing. A creepy family, obsessed with true crime and serial killers, and an old mansion in an island sounded like something up my alley. Unfortunately, I didn't like the book. I believe that it could work maybe as a YA thriller. The plot seemed pretty obvious to me and I didn't like the first person perspective. The conflict and its resolution were extremely childish. I'm really sorry because the premise was quite appealing. The characters are lame and shallow. The good thing about this book is that is a quick read.

Dahlia might have physically escaped her unorthodox upbringing which focused on murder victims and isolation, but in reality her unusual lifestyle shaped who she is and her obsession with finding her runaway twin. When the death of her father brings her home for his funeral, Dahlia has no idea the truths and secrets that live within the walls of her childhood home.

So this is the third mystery I have read by this author, the first was pretty good and the second two (this one included) have been more meh. I mainly blame it on the endings, which wrap up almost HEA, with everything easily resolved and tied with a bow- and in this case, I really don't think serial killer and this level of dysfunctional family drama can just be set aside to skip off into the sunset. Yet again, this had a very unrealistic ending that I can't get behind and I feel super let down.

I am sure that other people will like the darkness of the story and the hot mess that is the main character, I was just not impressed with the book overall and knew who was guilty. That being said, maybe this was less about the mystery (which I saw coming super early) and more about the dysfunction and drama of a family? I don't know, read it and decide I guess.