Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4/5 stars
Publication Date: 8/17/21

The Family Plot is the perfect read for murderinos and fans of true crime docs/podcasts/etc. The novel centers around the Lighthouse family, who take dysfunctional to a whole other level. Raised on a secluded island and taught about every major murder case by their true crime-obsessed parents, Dahlia, Charlie, and Tate (all named after murder victims) have finally returned home for the first time since they were teenagers. On their last night on the island, their brother, Andy, disappeared. Their reunion now is due to the death of their father, but when they go to bury him, they find Andy’s body in the plot..with an axe in his head.

This plot is absolutely insane and grabs you right away. The book is DARK with very complex and mysterious characters. Dahlia is the main protagonist and is shocked and disgusted by the ways her siblings and her mom deal with Andy’s death. This book also reminded me a bit of a more gruesome Knives Out, with the eccentric family all living together in an odd house and dealing with grief in different ways. As a fan of true crime podcasts and documentaries, I loved how Collins weaved true crime cases throughout the story, while also shining a light on why society is obsessed with these gruesome crimes and how detrimental it can be when one becomes too fascinated by it.

Overall, The Family Plot is a dark, gruesome mystery with an excellent plot and spooky atmosphere.


ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This one had me hooked from the first chapter! I couldn’t wait to see what secrets the Lighthouse family were hiding! A family who studies true crime as a homeschooling subject? Interesting! #hooked

Quick synopsis:

The Lighthouse family lives in Murder Mansion (dubbed as such by the islanders who think the family is bat$hit crazy), and while the adult children have been away for a decade, their father’s death brings the family back together again—all except for one member. Brother Andy, MC/narrator Dahlia’s twin, has been gone without a trace for 10 years.

And his body has just been discovered, buried on the property (dun, dun dun!)

My thoughts:

The first person narration was done well and kept me engaged. But by about 70% through Dahlia really started to get on my nerves. Her inability to think logically drove me crazy and she had no problem accusing anyone and everyone of being the Blackburn Killer. She was theory heavy, and quick to change her mind, running off to follow a new theory every five minutes. Her obsession with her twin brother was a bit over the top as well…endearing at first, but by the end it got to be a bit much.

It also really bothered me that Dahlia had no job, no hobbies…she literally spent 10 years searching for her twin brother and a) did nothing else? b) never once considered the possibility that he was dead? I think his could’ve been done a little better and made Dahlia such a one-dimensional character.

Some of the dialogue throughout felt a bit unnatural, and since this one was heavy on dialogue, it stood out more in some spots.

I really liked the first half of the book, but for some reason the second half was less entertaining…and the ending wasn’t what I’d hoped for either…overall a solid 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the gifted eARC!

As one of the Lighthouse children growing up in the “Murder Mansion,” Dahlia didn’t have a normal education. Each of the kids were named for the victims of a crime—Charlie, for the Lindbergh baby; Tate, for Sharon Tate; Andy, for Lizzie Bordon’s father; and Dahlia, for the Black Dahlia. Their mother, whose parents were murdered, had sold her family home and her parents’ gun manufacturing company, and moved into their summer house on Blackburn Island.

The kids were homeschooled, with extra lessons in true crime. They watched documentaries and read newspaper accounts. They wrote reports and watched as their mother acted out the deaths. They held honoring rituals for the victims, to honor those who died tragically and violently. They studied the island’s own serial killer, the Blackburn Killer. And when they turned 18, they were given a trust fund and were allowed to leave home.

Charlie, the oldest, left as soon as he could, making his way to be an actor in New York City. Tate, just one year younger, joined him in New York when she turned 18, becoming an artist of true crime dioramas and an Instagram star. Twins Andy and Dahlia, almost 10 years younger, were still at home while their siblings were gone. After Charlie and Tate left, they only came back for the twins’ sixteenth birthday.

Then the next day, Andy was gone.

There was a note. Everyone thought he ran away. But Dahlia thought he’d come back. She waited at home until she was 19, to see if he’d show back up. And when she did leave, she didn’t go far from the island. She found a small apartment over a café and searched the internet for any sign of him, looking at one city after another.

Now she’s 26, and their father has died. All the Lighthouse siblings are planning to go back for the funeral. Except for Andy, who doesn’t show up. Until their groundskeeper digs the grave for their father in the family plot and finds that there is already someone buried there. The police determine that it’s Andy buried there, with the ax that killed him. He’s been there since he went missing on his birthday night. But who put him there, and why?

For having been literally schooled in true crime, Dahlia can’t even process who might have killed her brother. Charlie has decided to give the islanders what they want, and is planning on opening their house for one day as the Lighthouse Memorial Museum. Tate is processing her grief the only way she knows how, by creating a diorama of Andy’s death Their mother is baking cookies to comfort her children, something she had never done before, but now she is burning batch after batch, trying to get them just right. And Dahlia is working on her own investigation, trying to figure out who had a reason to kill Andy.

But as she investigates, she realizes that there was a lot more going on for Andy than he ever told her about, and as the truth comes out, she wonders if she knew him at all.

Megan Collins’ The Family Plot is a powerful thriller that looks at the current obsession with true crime and how looking so closely at the darkness can change our perception of what’s true. The secrets that these family members kept from each other left them isolated and alone, while the islanders and tourists turned them into a carnival side show.

I’ll be honest. I’m into true crime. I have my podcasts. I watch some of the documentaries. And I do worry about what that says about me, and about a culture that gets to much entertainment out of this darkness. Family Plot takes that idea to the extreme, focusing on the darkness and how, unchecked, it can get in and destroy you. But it also shows the better parts of the human spirit—the love, the compassion, the ability to start anew and to heal and to find happiness again.

In this story, to get to the good stuff, you have to get through a lot of darkness first. The Family Plot is a unique look at the thriller genre, a clever way to face the true crime captivation, but Collins keeps the characters interesting and empathetic. I did struggle with some of the darkness in this novel as well as some of the family dynamics, but I can’t fault her for her creativity. This is a truly unique family, and The Family Plot is a true original in domestic thrillers.

Egalleys for The Family Plot were provided by Atria Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Crime has been a recurring theme in Dahlia Lighthouse's life. Her mother's parents were murdered. There was a serial killer who murdered several women on the island where she lives. Her homeschooling revolved around glorifying and honoring victims of notorious crimes. She is even named after the victim of a crime, the Black Dahlia. Her siblings are named after famous crime victims as well. When Dahlia's father dies, the body of her missing twin brother is found in her father's grave. While Dahlia is interested in finding out what happened to her brother, the rest of the family reacts in strange ways to the discovery of his death, and it's possible that one of them knows more about the death than they are saying. This is an extremely original book with very unique and quirky characters. The Lighhouse family is like a darker, more bizarre, more morbid version of The Addams Family. Their story is not for the fainthearted. However, if you are interested in a shocking and grisly crime story, you will probably enjoy it. If you are a true crime aficionado, you will especially enjoy all the name-dropping of notorious serial killers and their victims throughout the book.

Do you love true crime? What about a really a good mystery? Do you love those? I do!

THE FAMILY PLOT by Megan Collins is the perfect mixture of all the things I love. It's about hunting serial killers and family secrets, and it has a trope that I eat up like cotton candy, THE SURVIVING TWIN trope. I loved the interplay between the characters in the family the most. I happily played a couch therapist as I read, trying to guess what each character would do next based on the family systems theory.

It reminded me a lot of the tv series THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE and of Riley Sagers, HOME BEFORE DARK. Although both of those were in different genres, I think you should definitely check out THE FAMILY PLOT if either of those appealed to you.

THE FAMILY PLOT is out today!

Thank you to @atriabooks and @netgalley for an advanced copy of this scrumptious, delicious piece of literary cotton candy!

Recommended for avid true-crime fans, amateur sleuths, and girls who know what dioramas are.

4 Stars!

𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘬, 𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘵!

Talk about a creepy story. What a unique, original, genius, disturbing and terrific plot. I wasn’t expecting it at all and it blew my mind. I have a thing for complex and messed up characters and these family members were all so sick and twisted, I love them. What a wild ride!

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for this gifted copy.

𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦: 𝘚𝘶𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦, 𝘔𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘎𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘊𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘥𝘺𝘴𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/

The Lighthouse family grew up in a mansion on a secluded island. Their parents are true crime obsessed and have even went as far as to name each kid after famous murder victims. The kids all turned 18 and left the island once they received their inheritance. But when their father dies they return to find dark, family secrets that have been buried for years.
As a fan of Megan Collins, I was so grateful to receive an ARC from atriabooks. This book was so original in storyline and I really appreciated that. It starts off with a huge discovery, that had me immediately intrigued. I was guessing up until the end, and thought I had figured it out many times before another twist came! I loved the dark, creepy vibes of this book and cannot wait to read more from Megan Collins!

The Lighthouse’s lived an unnatural life in a house dubbed the Murder Mansion on Blackburn Island. Shuttered and shut in, the four children (named after murder victims) were homeschooled by their mother. Brought up honoring victims of murder, the four can’t wait to collect their inheritance and leave the island when they turn eighteen.

Called back to the island when their father dies, Tate, Charlie and Dahlia are haunted by their past. Ten years ago, on their 16th birthday, Dahlia’s twin Andy disappeared leaving a note saying “the only way out is to never come back”. It’s always been assumed that he left, until his body is discovered in his fathers plot.

Vowing to find out what happened to her twin, Dahlia goes on a quest to find out. A quest that opens some very dark secrets of the past and ends up solving the elusive case of the Blackburn Killer.

Well crafted, this book was an atmospheric read that was eerily creepy from first to last page.

Thank you NetGalley, Atria books and Megan Collins. This book was so twisted, dark, fast paced and the page turner that I like. I loved hearing Dahlia's perspective but I wanted to hear more from the other siblings. This book was shocking. I do not want to give much away but this book made me want to read more from Megan Collins.

At first glance this book sounded like something I would ordinarily love. But the plot (har har see what I did there) was boring and drawn-out and failed to engage me. There was only so many characters; there were only so many options as to who the killer might be. Dahlia wasn't a likeable character... and none of her family members were either. If you're a true crime buff you might be on the fence about picking up this book or not... but I do not recommend it. Even though the main character was named after the "Black Dahlia" (seriously) there's nothing else in the story to relate the two.

Swing and a miss for me. Thanks, Netgalley, for my arc.

At once eerily unsettling yet also heart wrenchingly beautiful, The Family Plot hits all of the right spots of a good murder mystery while also giving insight into a very quirky family.

Dahlia Lighthouse grew up in an unusual family. Named for the serial killer victim the Black Dahlia, she and her brothers and sister went through a very different kind of home school than their peers. Every year they celebrated the lives of the victims who died at the hands of serial killers - especially the ones they were named for. To make matters worse, they lived in a creepy house dubbed not-so-affectionately by the town as Murder Mansion.

When Dahlia's twin brother, Andy, disappeared it was all she could do not to fall apart. Never giving up hope that she'll find him again, she continued her search until the day he was found in her father's grave. Now back home to not only grieve the death of his distant father, but now her brother who is not missing - but dead - Dahlia does what any good murderino would do.

She goes searching for answers.

I have to say that I'm not the biggest murder mystery fan. I like watching 20/20 and the occasional thriller novel piques my interest, but I'm not at the same level as Dahlia's friend or the listeners of the My Favorite Murder podcast.

Still, The Family Plot works as a very compelling whodunit mystery. I wanted to know who murdered Andy just as much as Dahlia did. And every clue uncovered had me guessing what it all could possibly mean.

What I didn't expect was how much I would grow the like the Lighthouses. At first, I was rather put off by their creepy obsession with murder.

Mrs. Lighthouse seemed to have flown the coo-coo's nest after her husband's death. Charlie and Tate were just plain morbid with their open house and dioramas. I didn't mind Dahlia as the narrator at first as she seemed to have a good head on her shoulders, but her obsession with finding Andy was just so sad in the beginning.

I didn't see the ending coming. It's worth finding out for yourself as a reader so I won't go into it too much, but I will say that once again Megan Collins gives me characters I want to root for. In most thrillers that I've read, the events of the novel effectively end up ruining the main character's relationships. Really, ruining everything about their lives.

But there's hope at the end of The Family Plot, just like there was hope in Collins' other two novels. I really appreciated how the Lighthouses did the hard internal work to come together as a family. And as you'll read in the novel - it was probably a near impossible task.

The Family Plot is out TODAY wherever you get your books.

It felt really creepy when I started reading about this family obsessed about true crime and their house being a shrine for all the victims. The couple is so obsessed that they named their kids after the victims of gruesome murders. Things get even weird when they find their missing son, Andy buried in their own family plot when they come back home for their father's funeral. This family is really unique and set the eerie build up on spot.

Such unnatural upbringing clearly affected all the children of the family and their personalities reflect that with a certainty. Also as Dahlia is set to investigate the death of her twin brother, Andy, she finds out she hardly knew the real Andy and there was so much in the past she she didn't bother to know about. She keeps moving one suspect to another trying to piece together everything that she remembers form that fateful night and she finally learns the horrible truth. How does she handle when she finds out how much her family was responsible for her twin's death.

A unique premise based domestic thriller with a twist at the end. I was surprised with the ending but did not feel satisfied with it though I understand why the author went that route.

Chilling eerie a book that drew me in immediately.A small Island a home called the murder mansion a family of true crime addicts, The characters the creepiness kept me turning the pages hating to put the book down.So many red herrings so many twists and turns will be recommending the book&the author,#netgalley#atriabooks

4 ⭐️ Review

Pages: 320
Pace: fast
Genre: thriller

Themes: true crime obsession, isolated childhood, abusive relationships, unhealthy attachments, family bonds

My thoughts: a creepy island setting always reminds me why I love atmospheric thrillers. And this one had SUCH a creepy island setting, paired with an equally creepy, crime-obsessed family. In addition to all the creeps, I really liked how unique the plot was—I don’t think I’ve ever read anything like this before, which was refreshing. It definitely kept me interested (I read most of this on my plane home from Chicago, and I was upset that the landing interrupted my reading). As for the twists, while I predicted some aspects of them, I didn’t appreciate how they would come together, which was nice, and I thought they made sense for the book. I’d say, overall, this is a creepy read that will put you right in the mood for spooky season.

Who should read: fans of Dark Places, Death of Mrs. Westaway, Sundown Motel

Thank you @atriabooks for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review!

Desolate, eerie, and downright sinister, The Family Plot is set on a small island community that was host to a serial killer many years prior. It is also the home of the Lighthouse family who are obsessed with honouring the victims of serial killers and live in a secluded home dubbed 'the murder mansion' by locals. How's that for an attention getting premise with a true crime vibe!?

The story is narrated by Dahlia, one of the four now grown Lighthouse children who were each named after victims of serial killers. This family is an extremely dysfunctional bunch with dark and twisted pasts which are touched on and through this eclectic group, Collins weaves a unique tale.

Unfortunately, the Lighthouse family was a bit too odd to be believable and didn't develop as more than one-dimensional characters. The story gets full points for its eerie atmosphere, and I liked that we're given several options for culprits (even though I guessed the reveal early on), but the intensity fizzles midway as the plot gets bogged down with repetition and excessive telling instead of showing resulting in a bit of an underwhelming read for me.

While this wasn't a big hit with me, it is an intriguing, dark and sinister whodunnit story that will appeal to many readers who are ready for a chilling read about a family you won't soon forget.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Atria Books for my advanced copy provided in exchange for my honest review.

The premise of The Family Plot is quite unique: a family obsessed with true crime discovers their brother has been murdered when they find his body in their father’s grave. What!?

The first 25% of The Family Plot packed quite a punch as we learn about the strange upbringing of the Lighthouse siblings. Named after infamously murdered people in history, Dahlia, Charlie, and Tate grapple with the murder of their brother Andy who was found murdered by his own axe when they return home for their father’s funeral.

Unfortunately, the execution of The Family Plot did not live up to the premise. I found it slow, repetitive, and the characters were one dimensional. I was expecting a haunting, thrilling story but this one fell flat for me. Two stars for the intriguing concept.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atari Books
for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

“ ‘It’s exhilarating,’ one person said, ‘standing on land where a real serial killer dumped his bodies.’ ”

I give you the murder mansion. An isolated house on a remote island that houses the Lighthouse family, two parents and four children obsessed with true crime and murder victims. The children are homeschooled with a curriculum focusing on victims of violent crimes. And there is a serial killer in their midst. Is this just a coincidence, or is the family that is obsessed with murder a little 𝓉𝑜𝑜 obsessed?

“I had no idea how demanding grief is of the body.” 😰 I will admit to being true crime obsessed. I have the ID channel on whenever the tv is on and I am always fascinated at the myriad of ways in which you can murder someone ☠️🥴. So the premise of this book had me all HELL YES. And it was good, with twisty turns and a creepy, atmospheric tone. But Dahlia (named for Elizabeth Short, the Black Dahlia) was infuriating. I can’t even remember being more annoyed with a character. She’s just too obsessed with her twin brother (who is found dead from an axe to the skull) and all around she’s just like a gnat. She can’t see the truth when it’s right in front of her, accuses everyone from the groundskeeper to her neighbors to her family for Andy’s demise. And then when the truth IS revealed? She 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 can’t seem to react in a way that makes you feel any type of way but annoyed. She does make you feel, though, so there’s that. Overall it was entertaining and will be a good book for Fall!

Thank you to Netgalley, Simon and Schuster, Atria books, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

wow ! what a crazy ride!! a story about a family who have dedicated their life to true crime and honoring the victims of these famous murders!! Im all in !!

The Lighthouse siblings grew up on an island, raised by parents who were obsessed with true crime cases and honoring the victims. Charlie, Tate, Dahlia and Andy were all even named after famous murder victims. With Charlie and Tate gone, Dahlia is alone and spends all her time trying to find her twin, Andy, ever since he disappeared at 16 years old. 10 years later, they all return home for their fathers funeral... and discover way more than they ever imagined- Andy's bones in their fathers grave. Now, rather than mourn the death of their father, they have to solve Andy's murder as well.

This book was insane!! Right from the beginning, all the chaos this family lives in starts. The way the family was raised and how they each cope with their adults lives now was all different and I really enjoyed the complexity of the characters. I loved the mystery around the whole family, the island, the murders that took place on the island...all of it was very intriguing. Once all the secrets start spilling out, the story really gets crazy and I couldn't put it down !! I really loved how different this story was- I've never read a book like this and it was very refreshing to have a new idea! I definitely recommend this if you like true crime, family secrets and a crazy twist !!

Thank you too Megan Collins, Atria Books and Netgalley for an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to @atriabooks for my gifted ARC!

💨💨My Thoughts:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4/5

We follow Dahlia and her murder obsessed family through this twisted page turner as deep, dark family secrets are exposed.

They live on a small secluded island, Dahlia and her siblings are all named after murder suspects, and their parents raised and schooled them to honor the dead. Everything about Dahlia’s family is odd.

Dahlia returns home to bury her father. The groundskeeper of the property finds a dead body in her father’s plot. The body belongs to her twin brother, Andy, who disappeared 10 years ago. Dahlia is devastated and is determined to find out who killed her twin. Was this the works of the Blackburn serial killer who has killed many others on the small island and who is still on the loose?

As Dahlia digs for answers, and the police become involved-deep, dark family secrets are brought to the surface. Who can Dahlia really trust and believe?


This book sucked me in from the first few chapters! It has a really creepy and eerie vibe to it, which I absolutely love! I definitely got some Adam Family vibes while reading this book!

I loved the plot, and really enjoyed the main character-Dahlia-she was very likable and quirky. The author did such an amazing job with grabbing and KEEPING the readers attention. The story was unique and intriguing, it was definitely a good pace, and the characters were all well developed.

I love the psychological aspects of this book, there were some twists, but near the end I was able to predict where the storyline was going.

I love Megan’s work and writing style and am so looking forward to reading her next book!

4.5 Stars

The Family Plot by Megan Collins is a delicious, creepy, twisted novel of murder and psychological suspense. Set on remote Blackburn Island, the Lighthouse family lives in a secluded drafty mansion, dubbed the “Murder House” by locals. The parents are obsessed by true crime to the extreme of naming their four children after murder victims, and having “Honoring” ceremonies for those victims, especially unsolved murders of local women, on the anniversaries of their deaths. The children grew up homeschooled, with assignments such as reenacting crimes and writing “murder reports”, their essays presenting theories of unsolved cases.
We meet the Lighthouse family as the adult children return to the family home and join their mother to honor their father’s passing.
The story is told in first person voice of Dahlia (named for the Black Dahlia murder victim) and we see the characters and their actions through her eyes. Her recollection and interpretation of family history and events is not always accurate but intensely introspective. There are plenty of twists, secrets, and lies promulgated by the family members, police chief, groundskeeper, and neighbor.
I very much liked the excellent atmospheric writing and literary tension. In the second half of the book, this is especially evident as the characters’ actions and motivations are revealed and dissected. The family dynamics are skillfully rendered. Ultimately one gets the sense that this unusual and damaged family has an abiding love and loyalty to one another.
Megan Collins is a strong writer and I have enjoyed her previous novels. I would recommend this book to fans of dark mysteries, complex characters, and complicated family drama!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my unbiased review.