I liked the peculiar upbringing of the Lighthouse family and their “Murder Mansion” but unfortunately the rest of #TheFamilyPlot fell flat.

Wow! This family is a psychiatrist's dream. She could finance multiple summer villas in Europe, as well as a home in Beverly Hills or on Park Avenue with this family as her only patients!

The Family Plot begins with a family being reunited upon the death of the family patriarch. The primary character is Dahlia, named after The Black Dahlia. Dahlia had a twin brother named Andy, in honor of Lizzie Borden's father, but he disappeared on their 16th birthday. Dahlia has been internet sleuthing ever since in the hopes of reconnecting to the person with whom she was closer than any other. There are also two older siblings who are close in age to one another, a girl named Tate (after Manson victim Sharon Tate) and a boy named Charlie (after the kidnapped Lindbergh baby). So right off the bat, you get the idea that the parents to this brood aren't exactly Ozzie and Harriet!! In fact, the family house is a museum of the dead, beginning with the mother's parents who were supposedly murdered. The house sits on Blackburn Island off the coast of Rhode Island. Blackburn Island also happens to be the home of a notorious serial killer known as the Blackburn Killer, but he's been dormant for the past ten years or so.

Now, this is not a close-knot family. For Dahlia, it's been seven years since she last visited. It's the same for her older siblings. But a father's death is something you go home for. As they gather together the day before the funeral, they are interrupted by Fritz, an elderly gentleman who maintains the grounds of the family home. He had been preparing the funeral plot for dear old dad when he came across long-buried bones along with an ax. It's not much of a surprise to discover that they are the last remains of Andy.

The bulk of the novel deals with how the family copes with both the father's death and the discovery of Andy's remains. For Dahlia, that means trying to uncover how and why her brother was murdered. The mother loses herself in a misguided cookie-baking endeavor. Tate, an "artist" begins work on a new diorama that will depict Andy's death, and Charlie decides to turn the house into an actual museum of death inviting the whole town in for a tour.

There were a few surprises in this twisted tale, but honestly, it took a bit too long to get there. Author Megan Collins did a wonderful job of bringing the characters to life though, and the story was well plotted. Overall, I'd rate it a 3.5, rounded up to 4 because of the quality of the writing.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Right from the beginning you know that Dahlia Lighthouse did not have the average childhood. She was homeschooled on a small island with her twin brother and older brother and sister. The majority of their schooling centered around serial killers and their victims. Their parents were obsessed with true crimes. On her 16th birthday, Dahlia's twin brother Andy disappeared leaving behind only a cryptic note for Dahlia.

As soon as Dahlia was of age she headed for the main land and began an internet search for her missing twin, never returning home until her father passes away. When she returns home for the funeral some of her questions about Andy are answered, but it leads to countless more questions about Andy, her father, her family, the island, and the island's infamous "Blackburn Killer."

This is not a genre that I normally read. While I was able to deduce some aspects of the story fairly quickly, there were other aspects that I was surprised by in the end. I can say that for me the end was not quite the satisfying end that I needed, but I am unsure what ending would have satisfied me. This is a book that, even several days later, I am still questioning and contemplating. I would highly recommend this book!

I was provided a copy of this book by NetGalley for an honest review of the novel.

When Dahlia returns home for the first time in a decade to bury her dead father, old family secrets are dug up...

Wow that was twisted.

Let's start with the fact that this mother named her four children after people that were brutally murdered. Wowza that really piqued my interest from the start. This book was very atmospheric to me. They live in a huge mansion on an island where a serial killer has wreaked havoc for years..sure ok, no wonder the children wanted to get the hell out of there.

I loved all the different aspects to this story- the setting, the homeschool murder coarses (yes you read that right), the complex relationships between the siblings ect. This thriller really had the creep factor! 

This book was hard to put it down..I actually read it in 24 hours because I was so invested in this story. It definitely gave me Agatha Christie, Knives Out vibes. Perfect for spooky season...

I will definitely be reading more Megan Collins!

Unfortunately, I was not able to finish this book. It was just not for me. Which is disappointing because I enjoyed her first two books. I just didn't think the writing was great and the subject matter did not intrigue me. Sorry!

I'd heard amazing things about Megan Collins, so I was excited to read The Family Plot based on the decription.

Unfortunately I couldn't get into this book, it was flat for me from the beginning and I DNFd it at 35% in. The pace was too slow and none of the characters were likable.

Their 16th birthday should have been a wonderful harbinger of all the things to come. Instead, it's the last night Dahlia sees her twin brother, Andy, alive. Three years later, she moves away but doesn't give up hope that she'll see her brother alive again. For nearly a decade, she doesn't visit or keep in touch with her family but after the death of her father, she has no choice but to return to the secluded house in the woods. She is expecting a memorial for her father, not for the groundskeeper to discover a body already in the plot. It's her brother Andy, his skull split open with an ax. As she looks into what happened to him, she finds herself thinking about another unsolved mystery: the Blackburn Killer, a serial killer responsible for the deaths of several young women nearly two decades ago.

The premise of the novel sounded amazing but the execution wasn't there for me. There was a lot of repetition in the writing and because there was only the present timeline, there was a lot of telling rather than showing. Everything is spelled out for you so it was easy to guess the identity of the Blackburn Killer and I rolled my eyes when Andy's killer was revealed. The characters were largely insufferable and once more family secrets were revealed, I don't know how no one thought to research sooner. So much of it felt like laziness.

There's mention of a trust fund that the children received but no explanation as to who the trust fund is from. None of the children have any real jobs and can afford to pursue their interests. For Charlie, it's his work on off-Broadway that he finds fulfillment in. For Tate, it's recreating dioramas of popular crime scenes and posting them to Instagram. I feel like the author could have said something deeper about this and social media in our society but the chance was missed. Finally, for Dahlia, she prefers the company of her best friend, Gigi, as the two spend ample time scouring the internet for any hint of Andy's presence.

I'm on the fence about continuing with the author's work. I enjoyed "The Winter Sister" but this makes it two in a row that the author's novel wasn't for me.

THIS FREAKING BOOK!!! BRAVO MEGAN COLLINS !! Also my advice is do not read the book description because it gives A LOT away. Go into this book blind, you'll thank me later.

I finished this book in less than 24 hours. I may have stayed up until 3AM last night because the author does such an amazing job of grabbing you in at the beginning of a chapter that every time I told myself "just one more" I knew it was a lie. This book pulled me in and held my attention up until the very ending. Seriously, 5 stars. BRAVO this book is *chef kisses*

We start out with learning about the Lighthouse family and all the things that make them who they are: Murder. The grown children all coming back to their family home on a small island that is known for the brutal murder scene of 7 woman, in which the killer was never caught, to mourn their father that just passed. Of course, the Lighthouses don't just hold a funeral like most others would. No, instead they have their own way of doing things. Growing up Dahlia was home schooled with her twin brother, Andy, and her two older siblings, Tate and Christopher. After their mother had to deal with the aftermath of her parents being brutally murdered, she became obsessed with honoring victims. The Lighthouse children did most of their schooling based around different murder cases, art projects to memorialize victims and reports on cold cases. This included learning all about the 7 victims that the island killer had claimed. Dahlia thought she was coming home to mourn her father, bury him in their family plot in their back yard. Instead, she is pulled into a living nightmare where she is forced to deal with her families past.

This story is BIZAR in such an amazing way. It is heart wrenching and thrilling at the same time. This is one of those books that is hard to explain because you don't want to give away ANYTHING for another reader. Seriously, this book is one that just sucked me in and I couldn't put it down. All the different ways that the family members cope with the news of death is really crazy to read but the author makes it a point to explain why they are coping the way they are.

Overall, I loved this book. I never knew what was next and it differently was a great thriller. I think the author did an amazing job of keeping you on your toes until the very end and surprising you along the way.

Thank you to the publisher and to netgalley for the e-arc!

"When a family obsessed with true crime gathers to bury their patriarch, horrifying secrets are exposed upon the discovery of another body in his grave in this chilling novel from the author of Behind the Red Door and The Winter Sister ."

I liked this title but I did not love it. It was entertaining but I don't think it will stick with me. The premise of the book had so much potential and unfortunately did not land the plane for me. I believe I will be in the minority as many people LOVED this title so I hope everyone gives it a try if it sounds interesting to you.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.

I think giving this a 2.5 stars would be a stretch, however, may be worthy as this did keep me entertained....albeit SO DAMN PREDICTABLE!!! I really liked the whole weird premise of this family where all the children are named after victims of serial killers and the whole family has an uncomfortable knowledge of serial killers. The family has always performed ceremonies to remember the victims of serial killers as well, yet, this is just what the family did so this did not seem strange to the children until they grew up and decided to leave the island they grew up on. Now, however, the family is brought together again due to the death of their father and Dahlia is expecting to see her long missing twin, Andy, come as well. Except he does not show up and then strange things are found and secrets begin to unfold in this secluded family mansion in the woods.....and the rest of the novel is utterly predictable with such a weird, uncomfortable ending that does not entirely make sense.

If you have ever seen the show American Gothic, that was on TV a few years ago this very much has the same premise, which was another reason why this felt so predictable as well.

The novel was interesting enough to finish, but nothing terribly good. This is the second of her novels that I have read and I am thoroughly unimpressed by Megan Collins. I think I will pass on any further novels of hers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

A family brought up learning about everything through the lens of true crime. Murder, mayhem, and death are the Lighthouse family's close companions.

I was looking forward to this book since reading the summary. I have a mild interest in true crime and was interested in seeing how this story would incorporate such a widely talked about topic.

For some, true crime is overdone and saturates media. And if anything, I think Collins does a fantastic job of acknowledging that fact and takes on true crime in a new and unique fashion.

We are immediately introduced to the main setting, Blackburn Island, home to a serial killer who was never caught and the home of the 4 Lighthouse children and their... peculiar parents. I thought that Collins did a good job with the characters introducing them one right after another without it feeling rushed or like we were missing something. If anything it felt as though we learned a lot about the family within just the first few chapters.

Without going into more and to avoid any spoilers, I enjoyed how the story progressed and while I wish I could say I was surprised by the end, it was easy to predict where the story would end rather quickly.

Part family drama, part mystery about 4 siblings raised on true crime. There's a quiet sense of dread as 3 siblings return home after their father's death, only to discover a more shocking secret. As Dahlia tries to unravel the truth, suddenly everyone is a suspect and the whispers that have plagued the family in the "Murder Mansion" for years are louder than ever.

True crime aficionados will appreciate the case references and the macabre sensibility it takes to name your kids after murder victims, supposedly to honor the dead.

Atmospheric and creepy, Collins keeps this in the gothic horror department rather than veering off into gory details. She leaves you wondering if *you* really know the people who know you best. A perfect read for spooky season.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of The Family Plot was fantastic. While some parts weren’t completely believable, I still enjoyed the ride.

A thank you to Netgalley for sharing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have to say that I don't have a lot to say about this one. I was intrigued by the premise enough to want to check it out despite not caring much for the author's previous books. It's an interesting idea for a story, albeit gross as visions of an axe to the head are never pretty. Overall, decent, but failed to feel that it gained any momentum and the characters weren't particularly well developed. Ok overall, but not spectacular.

I dare say this was a slightly misleading summary. Or perhaps, it's just me. When I read, Family members must all return to their childhood home after their fathers death. The home none of them have been back to since their brothers disappearance a decade ago. And the memories of murders committed by a never caught serial killer. Whom killed many women of the town for decades. And then to throw in more, their grandparents were murdered, and their mother home schooled them to teach them all about famous serial killers and their victims!

Hello!! Crazy time ahead and I can't wait!!

Until I did wait, and wait, and wait for the spark and the suspense to arrive. It did not for me and as such I was not a big fan of this.

That said! It was very well written. It's a very in-depth, character driven, family drama. In fact it was pretty dark and intense for the larger dramatic scenes. If this was what I'd been sold, I might have not requested.

But for what this book actually is, I can imagine many people will disagree with me and find a highly talented writer with a great story.

*Thank you to Atria Books via NetGalley for the digital review copy.

WOW! I really enjoyed reading this thrilling and refreshing novel. Megan Collins really weaves together the family drama and the crime aspects so well that I didn't want to stop reading. The beginning was a little bit slow and I felt as though some parts were repetitive, though I understand after finishing that that was the point of the main character, to be so repetitive. It is such a great study in the lengths one will go for family, despite all that has happened. Without saying too much, I will say that I guessed at one of the twists and was correct, but I did not expect the ending that occurred.

Thank you to Atria Publishing, Megan Collins and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

Each member is named after a murder victim…..sound intriguing to you? Well, it should because The Lighthouse family is sure to draw you into their dysfunctional life. Creepiness overload for sure!
Dahlia named after the Black Dahlia
Andy named after Lizzie Borden’s father
Charlie named after the Lindbergh baby
Tate named after Sharon Tate
So many secrets….
So many lies….
I did find the storyline was slow in parts but you must keep reading on to the very end! The ending pretty much shocked me and left me wondering…….left me wanting more.
All in all, The Family Plot is a psychological, twisted family thriller you should definitely read.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.

🪓 I went into this thriller knowing absolutely nothing about this book.. I’m so glad I did that! Yes I would recommend doing the same. This book is a bit “out there” so I don’t think it would be for everyone, however it has such a unique and interesting story to it.

🔪 The family members were also super crazy and each traumatized in their own way. I was hooked to each character and wanted to read more about their crazy side. I was expecting a bit more of a shock moment, but regardless I loved this family - maybe - they sure can’t be trusted though.

🪓 The true crime aspect to this wasn’t something I thought I was going to enjoy, but surprisingly I ended up enjoying it a lot - way more that I was anticipating to.

🔪 The atmosphere was super creepy and compelling. This story was just so insane but also super addicting. I was obsessed with this story and the way the author wrote it. I definitely will be picking up more from her in the future.

🪓 Gosh I remember reading the last few pages of this and being completely shocked. I was speechless with the twists! I keep thinking about this book and the ending - it’s one of those omg moments.

🔪 A super suspenseful and gripping thriller, The Family Plot isn’t for everyone. Some may find it too far fetched and may be disappointed in the ending. I however think Megan absolutely delivered an amazing thriller.

🪓 Overall, this was a super quick read full of so much suspense. I loved every single moment and was “thrilled” with this one. It was so creepy, engrossing, dark…. All I need in a thriller! I seriously couldn’t put this book down!

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"The Family Plot" by Megan Collins is compulsively readable from start to finish. I couldn't get enough of this bizarre family who is absolutely obsessed with serial killers! This book has all the trapping of a great thriller; an outcast family on a secluded island, a mysterious disappearance, unsolved murders, and a body in a grave that should have been empty. The masterful writing creates a tense atmosphere and some scenes were downright chilling. Even though I figured out the twist fairly early on in the book (and am subtracting a star as a result), this book was still a fun read and was perfect for a lazy day in the sun. This was my first book by Ms. Collins, but it definitely will not be my last!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the privilege of reading an advanced digital copy of this entertaining book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

A true-crime-obsessed family, a dead twin brother, a serial killer cold case, a creepy mansion, a body found in the wrong grave. I can see a lot of people LOVING this story, but the characters were too quirky for me, and the long build up to the reveal was weird and anticlimactic while still being over the top bananas.

I loved that this book was dedicated to the Murderinos, and I appreciate where she was going with remembering the victims and who they were as people, but there was A LOT going on here, and it overall didn't work for me. That said, I would happily read another book by Megan Collins because the premise of this story was fantastic.