This was some large portion of bizarre wrapped up in three hundred twenty pages. The Family Plot succeeds in presenting the most screwed up family ever. The main character, Dahlia Lighthouse's , motivation for returning home after a six-year absence is so she can attend her father's funeral. Not much has changed, her former home was still referred to as the Murder Mansion, and the memorabilia, collected on murder victims was a treasure trove of the weird, the morbid, and the crazy. As if the house wasn't bad enough, Dahlia's siblings and mother were certainly at the top of the insane list.

Dearest Mom, had home-schooled the children in the scariness of life, with murder as their main focus. She supposedly lost to her parents to murder, and wanted her kids to be well aware that they could be next. She even went to the point of assigning them book reports of the various crimes that had captured attention especially one, a local serial killer who preyed on young women and then dressed them in a blue dress after the dastardly deed was done. That killer seemed to have vanished as the killings had ceased. However, the family held yearly rituals honoring the victims of serial killers by first naming their kids after victims, and performing honoring ceremonies for the dead. They were quite a crew! It was beyond insane and honestly one kid was creepier than the other.

The children formed this maniacal bond, the two oldest and Dahlia with her twin brother. This bond had a huge deranged aspect to it, and really creeped me out. At any rate, before attending the funeral of the father, the bones of someone are discovered in the soon to be resting place of the father and the mystery is afoot on the who, what, and how.

I will say in the arena of strangeness and unhinged behaviors, this story was right up there. However, for me, it missed the mark as the wacky actions of the entire crew made me wonder if this was possibly satire. It wasn't and I ended up disappointed and thinking I could have read something better in the time I spent fathoming the intent of this book. This story was a tad (?) too demented and deranged for this reader.

Thank you to Megan Collins, Atria, and NetGalley for a copy of this recently published story.

This book was a wild ride for me, I went into it blind and I think I liked it best this way. A family surrounded by murder and serial killers (I.e: their homeschool curriculum was centered around Murder) is looked at like outcasts on the island they live on.
The father of the family dies and this brings the kids back home. While home, they uncover many secrets and attempt to solve who the Blackburn serial killer is and if it has anything to do with their home/family. During this process, they learn more about themselves and their family.

**2.5-stars**

After Dahlia Lighthouse's father passes away, she returns to her family's isolated island mansion for his burial. She hasn't been there for many years and still struggles with the memories of her bizarre childhood.

Weighing heaviest on her heart is the disappearance of her beloved twin brother, Andy, when they were 16-years old. It's assumed he ran away, but hasn't been seen, or heard from, since. Every moment on the island is a painful reminder of that loss. Reuniting with her older siblings, Tate and Charlie, as well as with her Mom, feels surreal. She can barely interact with them at all. It's so awkward.

As the narrative plods along, the truly odd nature of Dahlia and her sibling's upbringing comes to light. Her parents were unnaturally obsessed with murderers and their victims, even going so far as to include murder history within the curriculum of their home schooling.

The serial killer who hunted on their very island, dubbed the Blackburn Killer, was of particular interest to them; performing peculiar memorial ceremonies to commemorate the victims on their birth and death days. It's no wonder Dahlia was hesitate to return to all of that.

On the day they are set to bury her Dad in the family plot, they discover another body already in the ground. It appears to be Andy, dead due to blunt force trauma to the head. The suspected murder weapon, Andy's own axe, is found in the grave with him.

If Andy didn't run away, what happened to him? Could he be yet another victim of the Blackburn Killer, even though he doesn't fit with the other victim profiles? Dahlia needs to get to the bottom of the mystery, even if it unearths a lot of other messy family secrets along the way.

I'm not sure why this didn't really work for me. It has a lot of elements that I tend to enjoy, such as an isolated location, small town secrets, family drama, murder and adult characters returning to their hometown after an extended absence. However, I can't say there was ever a moment while reading that I was actually enjoying it.

I'm sorry if that seems harsh, but it's true. I can see glimmers of a good story underneath, I know some Readers will enjoy it, but for me, it was too much. It felt like the author took everything dark and murderous she could think of, threw it at the page, and hoped something would stick.

I didn't find it mysterious, or ominous. The atmosphere wasn't distinct enough. The reveals weren't surprising. They actually seemed rather obvious. I just didn't care and couldn't believe half of the decisions, choices and actions of any of the characters. It did read extremely quickly, so that's a thing. I think overall, perhaps this author's writing style isn't for me. This is my first book by Collins and I can't say I'm overly pumped to try anything else.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Although this didn't work for me, I appreciate the opportunity to provide my opinion and I'm sure a lot of Readers will have fun with this story.

This is the PERFECT fall read. Super creepy and gruesome! Not to mention the fact that this weaves in all of my favorite elements - secluded island, true crime, serial killers and a messed up, dysfunctional family.

This is a fast paced read and it was impossible to put down until you found out who the killer was. My biggest issue was how much was left unsaid / undone at the end. It was super abrupt and left a lot on the table.

3.5 rounded up

Good premise, but I struggled with this one. The Lighthouse family is, well...strange. Each of the 4 kids are named after a person who has been involved in a murder Dahlia, Tate (Sharon Tate) etc... That was weird, but then you have a mom who tells everyone on the island that they live on, that her family was murdered even though they died from cancer. Who does that???? I am all for weird, but this was just not for me. I finished the book and enjoyed parts of it, but overall it moved slow and just fell flat. 2.5⭐

Thank you to Netgalley, Atria Books and Megan Collins for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review

3.5 stars

I loved the setup for this creepy and bizarre mystery. And while I enjoyed reading this one, things get a little too crazy towards the end. Even though I was somewhat disappointed with the big reveal, I liked the message the author weaved into the story giving it more depth than the average mystery.

Dahlia Lighthouse and her siblings had an unusual upbringing. They lived in a secluded island mansion and their parents had an obsession with true crime. A few years after the disappearance of her twin brother, Andy, Dahlia left town. Now at the age of twenty-six, she has returned to the mansion due to the death of her father. With the memorial plans underway, they discover the burial spot they had picked for their father actually has another resident. Remember, how I mentioned Andy had gone missing? Well, they finally found him! Yeah, his dead body, with an axe in his skull is in the burial plot. You got to read the book if you want the answers to that whole thing.

You can't help but feel for Dahlia as she really got robbed of a normal childhood. Having to write murder reports as part of your homeschool education? There's basically two mysteries for the price of one in this story as you have Andy's death and the unknown island serial killer. If you are a frequent reader of this genre, you know the two storylines might be connected or they might not have anything to do with one another. With this book, I didn't ever feel too confident I knew where the author was going with the story because every character raised my suspicions.

When the author lays everything out on the table, I had some mixed feelings. One issue for me was I had read a similar type ending in a different book not too long ago. So it wasn't as shocking for me as it may be for other readers. When you finally get all the answers it's just not very satisfying either. On the positive side, I liked certain aspects of the last few chapters as it's basically when you get a better understanding of many of the characters.

There’s been lots of love going around lately for Megan Collins’ @megancollinswriter latest release The Family Plot, and Emi and I are going to pile on and tell Megan (and Maisy) just how much we love this one!

If you think your family is a “little off”, trust me that they’re nothing compared to the Lighthouse clan 😳 Everyone has a secret and no one is trustworthy.

The Family Plot is so absolutely binge-able, but it’s even better on audio. Picture yourself sitting around a fire listening to a creepy story, imagine the creepy Blackburn Killer watching you from the woods and that’s how good this audio is. It’s impeccably narrated by Emily Tremaine @tremaineiac who knows just how to build the suspense in all the right places, taking what is already a stellar read right off the charts!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CSxCEqMrnue/
@girl_loves_dogs_books_wine

The Family Plot by Megan Collins has you thinking anyone could be a killer. With every turn of the page, I had a new top suspect. It felt as if Collins wasn’t even 100% sure of the killer till the very last page. The only problem I have with this book is that I couldn’t grab onto any of the characters and root for them because Collins writes them all with a little bit of suspicion. With every new piece of evidence and every new chapter, you wonder if anyone telling the truth?

The Family Plot put my detective skills to the test and turned my imagination up 100 notches. I caught my mind wandering off the pages thinking of different scenarios multiple times. The Family Plot is definitely a book you need and want to finish in one night because you can’t sleep knowing the killer is still out there

This family makes the Addams Family and The Munsters look positively normal! The very strange parents raised 4 children, homeschooling them on murders and giving them homework to write 'murder reports'. What?!? They're isolated in a big house on an island and never interact with outsiders.

When one of the brothers who has been missing for ten years is suddenly found to have been murdered, secrets start tumbling out. I did guess the identity of the killer early in the book, but it was interesting to see various theories of who it could be considered then discarded before the eventual reveal.

This book is getting a lot of hype as 'most anticipated' and it's a pretty good thriller - but with all the hype, it didn't really live up to my expectations. Still - it's a solid 3.5 for me and I round that up to 4 stars.

It was hard to like one specific character because they all had their downfalls and secrets but I enjoyed finding them out and wondering til the very end. Overall I enjoyed the book!

The Family Plot

Full feature for this title will be posted at: @queensuprememortician on Instagram!

This story about a group of siblings named after famous true crime cases seemed right up my (dark) alley. Dahlia (named after the famed Black Dahlia case) is shocked when her brother Andy (can't remember who he was named after - maybe something to do with Lizzie Borden?) is missing, then turns up dead in the family plot. Sadly, I struggled to connect with it this one and other readers seem to suggest that it fell apart further along, so I decided to stop reading.
Thanks so much for letting me give this a try and I wish I'd liked it more.

Crazy good, and VERY disturbing.

The setting takes place on Blackburn Island, made infamous by the Blackburn Killer, a serial killer never apprehended, also where the locals have nicknamed the Lighthouse family home, Murder Mansion.

The Lighthouses are a hot mess. Obsessed with murder and true crime, all four children were named after famous murder victims. The children lived a very sheltered existence, with their homeschool studies consisting of classes based on true crime stories, murder documentaries, and reenacting the actual crimes. They also honor the victims of murder with a prayer ceremony. It’s all strange and creepy. Of the four children, Dahlia and Andy are younger twins. On their sixteenth birthday, Andy leaves with a note left behind saying—“the only way out is to never come back.”
Dahlia doesn’t understand what Andy meant by it, until later.

Ten years later, Dahlia had since moved off island, spending her time searching the internet for Andy. The remaining three siblings are brought back to the Island for their fathers funeral. When the gardener digs up their fathers burial plot, he finds a body already fills the grave. It’s Andy.

The Family Plot, with its red herrings, dark dark WICKEDLY dark secrets, lies, and murderer(s) on the loose was absolutely chilling. If you like a mysterious and intriguing family-based thriller involving a serial killer, this is it. Is not for the faint of heart.

This was interesting. It was different than I thought it would be. The first chapters of the book really give away a lot of the meat to this story. I feel like if this was a slow burn, it would've added a creepy factor that I think this story was missing. The ending was a bit far-fetched, but it wrapped up a lot of questions I had throughout my time reading. It's not as unique of a story as I was expecting (but then again, I read a lot of mystery novels), but I really do enjoy Megan's writing style and can't wait to read more from her.

The Family Plot tells the story of Dahlia (from her perspective) and her odd, "unnatural" family. Dahlia is called home, a place she has not been for years, due to the death of her father. The Lighthouse family lives in a mansion on an island, and are notorious on the island for being the weird, scary family. Instead of traditional school, Dahlia's mother schooled her four children, Dahlia, Charlie, Andy and Tate, in the art of murder victims. When the family patriarch dies, everyone comes home, except for Andy. Andy disappeared 10 years before, on his (and Dahlia's) 16th birthday, never to be seen or heard from again. Once on the island, new developments happen, including accidently finding Andy's long buried body in the grave where Mr. Lighthouse was to be buried. This discovery opens a long legacy for both the family, and the serial killer that killed on the island in the previous decades. The story takes many twists and turns, ending with a truly shocking ending that will knock your socks off!

While not realistic, this story definitely was entertaining and engaging. It took a few chapters to get into it, but once I did, the story really took off. It then became very difficult to put down. This story is definitely one that I would recommend to friends who want to read a scary, yet entertaining mystery/thriller. All is revealed in the end, and the journey to the revelation is one that will be enjoyed by all.

Thank you the author, publisher and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

I finished this thriller asking myself...WTF did I just read? This was one of the creepiest, weirdest and most unique stories I've read in a while. The entire concept is unique and left me wondering how the author came up with this story. About halfway through, I thought I had this one figured out.. I definitely did not. This fast paced thriller had twists kept me guessing until the end.

This was very much my speed, as a true crime lover. I would list it under guilty pleasures because it's a little heavy-handed, but right up my alley. I might be hesitant to tell others I liked it because they might think I'm crazy!

I'm not really sure what to make of this book. Right from the beginning that creepy vibe took over as Dahlia tells how she got her name. She was named after the Black Dahlia a murder victim - it was a violent scene and the case still remains unsolved. So explaining that to a 4 year old wasn't the right foot to start of on (imho).

Dahlia is the only POV we get and it would have been nice to hear from some of the other players, there were times I needed a break from Dahlia's repetition. I might add not many were that likeable, except for Ruby I liked her - even if she was rather spooky.

The mystery surrounding the disappearance of her brother Andy and the other things that happened on this island was intriguing, it kept me wondering. The setting was kinda creepy with the paths, shed and freaky neighbours. But it was the family dynamics that I struggled with. Dysfunctional puts it mildly, something was missing to even make this group feel like they were related. All the pieces didn't fit together smoothly and I was left scratching my head a bunch of times at the ending.

My thanks to Atria Books (via Netgalley) for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Family Plot by Megan Collins is a psychological thriller.

First, let me thank both NetGalley and Edelwiess, the publisher Atria Books, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Dahlia Lighthouse has returned to her secluded home on Blackburn Island to bury her father.  She is now 26, and has not been home for years.  The only family member she really wants to see is her twin brother, Andy, but he disappeared when she was 16.   She loved him so much, even when his anger would take over and he'd take his axe to the woods to let off steam.  She remembers the day he left.  Andy never said goodbye.

Dahlia's older sister Tate creates gruesome dioramas dedicated to the victims of the Blackburn killer.  Dahlia's brother Charlie is a broadway actor, drinking too much, and pretending to be anyone other than who he is.  His sarcasm is his trait.

Dahlia has avoided the house, and her rather strange up-bringing for years.  It's bad enough that the island had it's own serial killer who was never caught, but she and her brothers and sisters were all named for the victims of true crime.  Her grandparents were murdered before they were even born.  Their mother used to have them watch true-crime documentaries,  has "honorings" of the dead, and home-schooling involved them writing theories about unsolved crimes.  Their home was turned into a mausoleum.

But when the family plot is opened to prepare it to receive their father, another body is already in it....and it looks like it could be Andy.    Each family member handles this news in their own way.....none of which is really appropriate.


My Opinions:   
Well, this was different.  Overall, this book is about a rather strange and dysfunctional family with different methods of coping with grief.  But it is so much more.

It was told from Dahlia's perspective, and I could have slapped her a few times, especially her decision at the end.  I didn't really like the characters.  All seemed a little untrustworthy, self-centered, and creepy.   Perhaps that was the charm of the book, because it was actually quite good.

They have all been living with lies for so long, they don't even understand or trust the truth anymore.

I didn't really like the way the book ended.  I think therapy, if they can't be honest, will never work.  I think the whole thing should have blown up in their faces....but that's just me.

However, as I stated earlier, I did enjoy this book.  It was quite compelling, and hard to put down.  So, if you are in the mood for a strange family who loves serial killers, and who live in a creepy house on an island....this one is for you!

When the Lighthouse family patriarch dies, the body of son Andy, missing for 10 years, is found buried in his plot. Now the whole, true crime obsessed family becomes a suspect in his death. Psychological suspense and relationship issues abound.