What a book! I really enjoyed this title immensely. This book is atmospheric and has wonderful character development. It’s a must read!

You know that feeling when you finally get to read your most anticipated read, and it absolutely does not disappoint?! Yeah, I’m riding that high right now after finishing The Family Plot by Megan Collins.

Thank you @atriabooks and @netgalley for the egalley!

A novel investigating a serial killer and a missing sibling on a secluded island featuring a true crime obsessed family living in a house referred to as the “Murder Mansion”? You’ve got my attention. And the book held my attention throughout!

This is a domestic thriller that follows the Lighthouse family and their secrets. This family is so well written, as individuals and in their relationships with one another, like the relationship of Dahlia and her missing twin Andy and the relationship of brother and sister Charlie and Tate. The Lighthouse siblings were raised learning about murder as a part of their homeschool curriculum and do not know anything different. It was interesting to see how that shaped them and how they cope with that upbringing and the secrets it sowed.

It’s hard to go further without ruining the story. I enjoyed the writing style, the plot the eery setting of Blackburn Island. The family dynamics and relationships throughout are the best part of the novel as they really shape the story, a story that is dark and twisted. Also be warned it is full of gruesome murders and details. I would recommend this novel to true crime lovers.

4 ⭐️

A mesmerizing tale, The Family Plot, held me deeply engaged from start to finish. I loved the gothic feel of the Murder Mansion with it’s many secrets that are slowly revealed as the story unfolds. The mystery is chocked full of red herrings that kept me redirecting from one wrong path to another until the very end. Overall, a very compelling mystery that shocked me and left me thinking.

Re-reading that premise has me excited all over again to talk about this book!

Dahlia is a girl, troubled. She grew up surrounded by mystery and death. She is even named after a murder victim- The Black Dahlia. Her siblings are also named after famous murder victims. She was raised in a mansion on a secluded island and homeschooled by her mother. The curriculum based around true crime murder stories. She grew up hearing the story of how her grandparents were murdered and part of their homeschooling involved performing "honor rituals" of all the murder victims they have studied.

But even living on an island cannot shield them from real life murder. There was a serial killer that used to roam the island- The Blackburn Island serial killer. Bodies of young ladies found on the beach throughout the years, all wearing the same dress and all having the same marking carved into them.

Dahlia returns to her childhood mansion to attend her father's funeral. She is in disbelief that her missing twin brother's body is found in her father's plot, apparently murdered from an ax to his head. This story is told solely through Dahlia's perspective. We, the reader, get to know every detail of what she is thinking. How she can't trust anyone- not the outsiders who think her family is a spectacle and she even starts to doubt her remaining family members and what they know of her twins death and disappearance.

This was not my first Megan Collins novel. I previously read and reviewed "Behind The Red Door", which I found intriguing but only so-so. I had higher hopes for this book, but I have to give it the same 3 star rating. This book had an intriguing premise, an outstanding setting, a very likeable main character, and the writing style is right up my alley. It was just too predicable. I also wished we could have had alternating chapters from each of the family members, as it would have made the story not so one dimensional.

I will admit there were some plot twists that had me second guessing what I suspected and the overall reading experience was fun and enjoyable. I will 100% read the next Megan Collins novel!

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria books for allowing me an advanced digital copy to read and give my honest review! "The Family Plot" is due to be released here in the United States on August 17, 2021 so get your order in now!

Happy Reading!

What I Loved
The gothically dark setting of The Family Plot both pulled me in and repulsed me simultaneously. Not surprisingly, the haunting Murder Mansion is the perfect backdrop for this gruesome and shocking tale. A setting like this is very pervasive - it seeps off the page and stays with you long past the final close of the novel.

I loved that there was only one narrator. It made it very easy for me to follow the skipping back and forth between the past and the present and provided an extra layer to the red herrings as Dahlia had to process new information with the reader. I found that my theories often went along with her current theory, so she guided me and made me part of her story.

The pacing stays relatively quick from start to finish, which is not typical for a gothic tale, but I enjoyed the faster pace. New finds and theories propel the rate as they come up frequently. There is always further information to process and new characters to focus on, as the reader is a team with Dahlia in the amateur detective work.

I loved that solving the mystery didn’t initially come as a surprise, but then there is a twist that is more than shocking and an ending that is very intriguing in its unexpectedness. There are plenty of red herrings that, along with Dahlia’s thoughts, easily steer you off track and down lesser traveled trails.

Characters
The Lighthouse family is fascinating. The wonders and discoveries are ongoing, from the mother naming her children after famous murder victims to a house with many secrets yet to be discovered. I can’t say that I particularly liked any of the characters, but I felt eternally entertained by them.

What I Wish
I initially had a few wishes, but when I consider how the story would have been different with them, I’m not sure they are good wishes. What would have helped, though, is an understanding of the mom and dad’s backstories. They are both central to the tale but are relative enigmas. I wouldn’t want so much that it ruined any revelations but enough that I could more easily understand how the story got there when the secrets were revealed.

To Read or Not to Read
If you are looking for an utterly fascinating gothic mystery, The Family Plot will give you that and much more.

One of my FAVORITES of 2021!🎉

This one is for all of the True Crime addicts, if the first line of this book doesn’t grab you.. what am I saying.. it certainly WILL hook you, and you’ll find yourself page turning with the anticipated feeling of “I need to know what happens next!”

I absolutely could not get enough of the characters, the descriptive writing of events, locations, a mansion filled with what could only be described as ‘true crime-obsession’.

This novel, written in first person through the main characters POV, Dahlia.. Yes, named after that Dahlia gives us a unique inside look into the star family, and what happens behind closed doors. Dahlia’s twin went missing several years ago, and she’s always been in search of him, she’s hopeful to reunite with him when she returns home upon her father’s passing. Little does she know.. there’s a lot she doesn’t know about her brother’s disappearance, and what happens next.. I couldn’t believe.

Imagine a modern, sophisticated Addams Family, blended with all the quicks and details we love from Knives out!

I love, love, loooove The Family Plot. Megan Collins has become a favorite author of mine, and her titles will remain ‘MUST READ’ for me!!

Thanks to Atria for the free book.
This was a book full of suspense that kept me engaged and surprised the entire time. The Lighthouse family grew up on an island in a house the locals call murder mansion. I was so intrigued by the idea of this novel - kids being homeschooled and learning about serial killer and murder victims their entire lives - this is such a novel concept. I also liked how with the mystery of whose body was found in the father's grave slowly built, with lots of red herrings along the way. I also didn't see any of the twists coming, and they were realistic.
The ending was not what I wanted for this story, but I understand why the author chose to end it this way. It does work.

An island off the coast with a creepy mansion. A family obsession with true crime. Secrets. A shocking murder. Chapter 1 was packed!

The story is told through the eyes of Dahlia Lighthouse the 26-year-old youngest sister. The children in this family are all named after famous murder victims--a very dysfunctional family in more ways than one. With their upbringing the kids are still socially immature as adults with a variety of coping mechanisms ( death dioramas!). I felt we didn't get to know the family's members very well so it was hard to root for any of them. This psychological thriller started off strong, lagged in the middle then I read the last 25% in one sitting. Some twists I could see coming but one was a definite surprise.

If you're looking for an atmospheric thriller to start your fall reading, give this one a try. Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for my e copy of this book. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

this book features a captivating premise that highlights the dark side to true crime ‘fandom’. the plot starts out very engaging and fast-paced, but that begins to stall midway through the book, leaving the reader to slog through a weirdly boring middle and a predictable ending.

DNF. This one wasn’t a great fit for me but I’ve seen lots of great reviews from friends. Thank you to the publisher for the free ebook to read and review.

"A dysfunctional family is any family with more than one person in it." - Mary Karr

Now that we have dysfunctional families out of the way, let's talk about the "unnatural ones". Jeepers Creepers. There are many positives to homeschooling, but lord have mercy, these parents took it to a whole new level - a lower, darker creepier level. When your home is referred to as the "Murder Mansion" you know you are not like other families. Just look at the children's names- all named after a murder victim (the Black Dahlia, Charles Lindbergh, Jr., Sharon Tate, and Andrew Jackson Bordon - father of Lizzie Bordon) Seriously??? I thought our parents naming my sister after their first dog was bizarre but man this takes the cake!!!

Dahlia Lighthouse and her siblings were raised in a very isolated and secluded mansion that locals referred to as the "Murder Manson". Their parents were true - crime aficionados, who am I kidding they were obsessed with murders especially their mother who re-created/performed murder reenactments for her children and had them write reports on murder victims (especially the seven women who were killed on their island) as part of their home schooling.

It is no wonder that when her other siblings, Charlie and Tate left their island, when they were eighteen years of age. Dahlia's twin brother, Andy always wanted to run away with her, but Dahlia resisted. Then after their sixteenth birthday, Andy was gone, and a note was found which said: The only way out is to never come back .

When their father dies, Dahlia, Charlie and Tate all come home and while preparing "The family plot" for their father's burial, Andy's body is found by their groundskeeper. The plot as they say thickens. What happened to Andy? Who would want him dead and why? Who buried him? So many questions, so many secrets, such a creepy family. Plus, everyone can't help but wonder if Andy might have been killed by the "Blackburn killer". You will need to read to learn more about that Serial killer.!

Everyone deals with grief differently. This family is no exception. Their mother goes on a cookie making binge, Charlie is preparing the house to make it a family memorial museum, Tate who is popular on Instagram for her dioramas portraying crime scenes decides to do one of their brothers, Andy. Dahlia appears to be the most normal of the lot. She is disgusted by their behavior and struggles with learning that she didn't know her twin as much as she thought she did.

With the police investigating, stress rises, and readers learn more about this highly unnatural family.

This is going to be a polarizing book. I enjoyed it. I was drawn in by their highly bizarre and unnatural family. I couldn't help but picture the mother as looking like Frances Conroy (Six Feet Under and American Horror Story). This really played out like a movie in my mind. Speaking of which, I could see this being a movie directed by Wes Anderson.

This one is original, kooky, and bizarre. Yet, I was intrigued and sucked into the plot. I found this to be a very fast read that kept me glued to the pages This book was atmospheric and I kept coming up with theories as to who killed Andy. There are some twists and turns at the end which kept me on my toes.

For me this was a captivating read full of "interesting/creepy/strange” people. This is an odd one folks but for me an intriguing odd one.

Original, Dark, and atmospheric

I DEVOURED this book in two sittings! It was SO good! This part family drama / part cold case serial killer suspense drew me in from the very beginning when the reader is introduced to the Lighthouse children ... all named after murder victims!

There is true crime obsessed (ID channel lover here!) and then there is the Lighthouse family. This family takes the obsession to a whole new level! They are homeschooled with a murder curriculum and they hold honorings for victims on the anniversaries of their death. Where they live is known to the locals as Murder Mansion which accurately sets the tone for this eerie story.

Every single one of these characters were intriguing and the story itself was just so good! I highly recommend this one!

This book caught my attention right from the beginning. I mean all the kids named after murder victims?! Intriguing! It gets even better when their dad died and the missing brother's body is found in the place the dad is supposed to be. This story is told from Dahlia's point of view, and the missing brothers death is her twin brother Andy. Not to mention the Blackburn Serial Killer has never been caught.

So we have the mystery surrounding Andy's death and trying to piece together who the Blackburn Serial Killer is. Now I am fully engrossed and flipping the pages, but after that attention grabbing intro the story slows way down and I find myself bored. It took way to long to reveal how the Blackburn Serial Killer is related to Andy's death, and by the time they got around to it there wasn't much of a surprise. Needless to say I'm glad I finished it, but I wouldn't recommend it.

A digital copy of this book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
When the Lighthouse children gather back at their home for the funeral of their father, the groundskeeper discovers the remains of one of the children who is thought to have ran away 10 years ago. Charlie, Tate, Andy and Dahlia are all named after famous murder victims and their whole life they have honored them. The grew up learning about all sorts of murder victims, that was their homeschooling "curriculum". There has been a serial killer on the island in which they live for decades and because of the uniqueness of the family, most locals are curious about them and some suspect they are involved. I was hooked on this story from the very first page. This is by far my favorite Megan Collins book. Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books, and Megan Collins.

Oh the cover of this book had me right away, I admit it...I judged the book that way. Another gothic vibes read for me, including an isolated house, and I loved it. There were so many suspects at ever turn of the page I changed my mind, much like our narrator and protagonist, Dahlia. The entire cast of characters are a bizarre bunch and I could relate...so much dysfunction...I mean who names their children after murder victims!?

This book was really hard for me to put down, I could help but want to get to the end to find out the reveal. And when I did it wasn't much of a surprise but I really loved getting there and having my mind changed so much about so many different aspects. I would definitely read more my this talented author.

I’ve read about some bizarre families over the years, but HELLO…the Lighthouse family takes first prize!

Delilah and her three siblings were raised on an island, far from the general population. Homeschooled, with the primary focus of their studies on what else…all things regarding serial killers and their victims! Including ceremonies to honor the dead. Yikes! How many credits is that course worth?🤔🤣

Returning to the island for her fathers’ funeral, Delilah is excited to be reunited with only one family member, her twin Andy. But this wouldn’t be the joyous homecoming she had in mind.

The premise of this book sounded amazing and just a bit quirky (which I love). But it somehow missed the mark for me. I was left wanting more from the characters as well as the storyline.

This was my second read by Megan Collins and though this book may have fallen just a bit short, I’m still looking forward to reading more from this author.

A buddy read with Susanne. 🤓📚

Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...

Thank you to Megan Rudloff at Atria Books for the arc via NetGalley.

A Family’s Obsession with True Crime Hits Home for the Lighthouse family when the body of their missing brother is found in the most obscure place.

Their father’s burial plot.

Even stranger is that each child has been named after a famous serial killer or relatives thereto. All kids were homeschooled and raised in isolation.. which may be why, when one went missing, no one thought anything of it. Tsk, tsk, girls and boys.

Makes you think this family took up the wrong hobby all this time doesn’t it? I mean, their pastimes were just a tad off-color, and given everything this family went through, I think knitting might have been a better choice, but that’s just me.

A truly creepy, weird, and wild read, The Family Plot delves into the truly abstruse which I simply just went with. While I figured out the mysteries fairly early on, I still enjoyed the novel and look forward to seeing what Megan Collins comes out with next.

A buddy read with Kaceey.

Thank you to Megan Rudloff at Atria for the arc via NetGalley. #blogtour #bookbloggers

During the pandemic, I developed a slight obsession with with serial killer documentaries so I was really excited for this book when I read the plot.

A family, who named their children after serial killers, is dealing with the death of their father. When they dig the hole to bury him, they discover that the missing son is in the grave with an axe in his head?? YES! I'm ready.

But unfortunately the execution was pretty weak in the story of who killed the son and some other smaller plots. I really wanted more, but the characters really felt surface level it didn't explain the things I needed to know.

The Family Plot is another winner by Megan Collins--I've read all three of her books now and enjoyed them all! Once again, she's gone atmospheric, dark, and creepy, but this time the darkness and creep factor were ramped way, way up with the Lighthouse family of Blackburn Island, an island is best known as the home of a serial killer who was never caught but who brutally killed seven women!

I instantly was drawn into this original storyline about an extremely dysfunctional family who immersed their four children through a homeschooling curriculum in true crime, serial killers, and murder because of their mother's obsession. Even more bizarrely, each of the children was named after a murder victim as a strange way of honoring/remembering the dead.

The story is told by Dahlia Lighthouse, named after the Black Dahlia, when she returns home after her dad suddenly dies. It's the first time she's been back home in almost a decade after escaping the craziness of the "Murder Mansion" as people on the island call her home. It's the first time since then that she's seen her mom, brother Charlie, and sister Tate. And they're all hoping Andy, Dahlia's twin brother who left home at age 16 with only a note saying goodbye, will show up for his dad's funeral. Dahlia, for one, has never stopped looking for her twin.

But suddenly, the family's world is thrown in turmoil as Andy's body is found in the plot meant for their father's body. Who would have killed him? Could it be connected to the Blackburn Killer? What ensues is twisted, suspenseful, and diabolical madness!

I loved how the book started off explosively but it fell a little halfway then picked up for me again. I did figure out the revelation of Andy's killer really early on, but I generally do when reading any suspense or thriller, so I can't ever say if it's the book or me. I enjoyed the characters even though they were all utterly crazy! I enjoy Megan's writing so much and thought this one was very well done overall. I definitely can't wait to read her next book!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.

-Review posted to NetGalley, Goodreads, and Twitter on 8/15/21

I think there are some thrills and chills in this book for casual crime/thriller readers. But for the indoctrinated, such as myself, it will be more miss than hit. Some of the twists are so heavily foreshadowed, I felt like I was being hit over the head to notice them. Plus, the absolutely cool and original setting of a true crime worshipping family, is just really background noise. It wasn't used to full effect. The answers to the "who dun it" are too easy. I would have liked to work for it, or been shocked by it being someone I never considered. Now, I did enjoy some of the characters, especially when they started to unravel. They were deliciously dark and deranged. If you don't read a lot of suspense or crime fiction, this book will probably creep you out. For me, I will give it 2.75 stars, rounded up. Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the chance to review this advance copy.