Wow - what a twisted plot! It's also a little implausible, but so what? It's such an intriguing, engaging story that I just went with it - and happily stayed with it to the end.

The Lighthouse family, you see, isn't just your run-of-the-mill mom, dad and four kids. For starters, they live on a rather isolated island; beyond that, they're obsessed with murder. All four children, for instance, are named after people connected to prominent killings; for the main character, Dahlia, it was the Black Dahlia (she has a twin brother, Andy, and much older brother and sister Charlie and Tate, respectively). The names in and of themselves would give most people pause, but these parents took it seriously by home-schooling their kids and holding ceremonies to "honor" the deaths of much-publicized murdered namesakes.

As the story begins, the children have long since left the nest (Dahlia lives on the nearby mainland). Their father's recent death has brought three of them back home to visit their mother; only Andy is missing. Dahlia has been trying for years to locate him with no success. She's almost in shock, then, when Andy's body turns up in the burial spot intended for her late father - killed by a blow to his head with an axe he used as a kid on trees to take out his frustrations.

The family probably couldn't have chosen a more appropriate place to live; island itself is no stranger to death. Over two decades, seven women have been murdered, presumably by a serial killer who was never caught. For the most part, the rest of the islanders shun the family because of their strange behavior; only an aging caretaker shows up each day to help maintain the property.

Each of the family members tries to deal with the loss of their husband and father and Andy in different ways; for Tate, that means making bizarre drawings of murder scenes. For Charlie, it's trying to convert their childhood home into a museum that will be open to the public. For their mother, it means burying her head in the sand; for Dahlia, it's trying even harder to find out who killed her twin brother - and why.

Needless to say, there are revelations throughout until the end (some rather predictable, others not), when the truth finally emerges. Then comes the decision of which family secrets will be revealed and which will (hopefully) remain a closely guarded secret. Well done - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

You think your family is weird? Meet the Lighthouses. Charlie, Tate, Andy and Dahlia are all named after famous murder victims. Their mother is obsessed with true crime and their homeschooling curriculum has some...unconventional components. After the death of their father, three of the siblings return home for his funeral. However, no one has heard from Andy in more than a decade after he ran away from home and left a disturbing note.

Collins is becoming a go-to thriller writer for me. Behind the Red Door was one of my favorite reads of 2020 (seriously, go read it!), The Family Plot was a unique and eerie thriller, and i'm excited to see what she writes next!

Thank you Atria for the ARC!

The Lighthouse children were all named after famous murder victims, and lived in the famously dubbed “murder mansion”, in a town housing the Blackburn Killer. They were homeschooled by their mother with a curriculum focused on murders. One of the siblings, Andy disappears on his sixteenth birthday, and his twin Dahlia has spent the last ten years looking for him. When all of the siblings return home as adults to bury their deceased father, they find a body already in the grave, of none other than Andy....

What I Liked/Loved:
-This book is written in such a way that makes everyone seem suspect! Not only are you trying to solve the pieces to Andy’s murder, but also the pieces to the identity of the Blackburn Killer. Are they the same person?
-There are multiple characters in this book, but everyone seems like a suspect! Something is “off” with pretty much everyone! They either know something about someone, or have a secret! The mother, siblings, the groundskeeper, a nosy neighbor (Ruby, AKA the watcher) and her grandfather, even the police chief and his father are all in the mix!
-The shed on the property that holds all sorts of secrets...and it’s secrets involve multiple people!

Why It Wasn’t Five Stars For Me:
-The ending! It did get a tad predictable after some time, and I was able to deduce the “whodunnit” based on a tidbit I latched on to early on, but it still had enough twists intermingled that it still made it quite interesting!

✨Rating✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

A special thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review! The Family Plot is out August 17th!

When I started reading The Family Plot by author Megan Collins, I felt it had a very gothic feel to it. It’s about a really strange and bizarre family known as the Lighthouses. They live in an old mansion on a secluded island. The mother is really weird as she is infatuated by true crime cases. She home schools her 4 children and instead of teaching them normal curriculum, she teaches them about real life murders and the victims. The kids realize that they are not a normal family and all leave once they reach the age where they can obtain their inheritance. It’s after their fathers sudden death that 3 of them return home for his honoring when they learn of their younger brothers remains found buried in the family plot. He was always thought to have left the island when he turned 16. From reading, you learn that there’s been a serial killer who has been killing off young women for many years but has never been caught. There are so many twists to this story that it keeps you guessing and turning the pages. It’s a very creepy and evil story that had me completely engrossed. If you enjoy reading about spooky and strange characters, then I recommend you read The Family Plot. I’ve read the authors other books and knew this would be one I’d really enjoy. I’d like to thank Atria Books Publicity Department for accepting my request and NetGalley for the arc to read, review and enjoy. I’m giving this a 4 star rating!

The Family Plot is hard to categorize. My best description- creepy! A whole family that revolves their life around death and honoring people who were murdered? I would never have thought this would be a book I would enjoy but I really did. The whole family is messed up, some more than others. But dealing with their fathers death then finding their missing brothers body in his gravesite brought out how messed up they really were. I found myself rooting for each of them to find their way. There were multiple twists plus a satisfying ending. Kudos on being a most unique story!

The Family Plot by Megan Collins is a 2021 Atria Books publication.

The only way out is to never come back….

To say Dahlia Lighthouse had an unconventional childhood is a massive understatement. She and her siblings, including her twin, Andy, were homeschooled by parents obsessed with true crime. Along with geography they were taught about famous serial killers and their victims.
On Dahlia and Andy’s sixteenth birthday, Andy disappeared, leaving behind a cryptic note which implied he had left home… possibly for good. For years Dahlia has stuck close to home while her remaining siblings spread out, just in case Andy ever returned home.

When her father died, Dahlia and her siblings once more gather with their mother in the house they grew up in- only to make a horrifying discovery- one that answers some of their questions about Andy- but raises a plethora of other questions, about the Lighthouse family, their neighbors, local law enforcement, and the infamous the serial killer dubbed ‘The Blackburn Killer’….

It is rare that a book leaves me speechless. I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. This is an odd- but imaginative thriller- certainly not what one normally encounters when reading mystery/thrillers. Despite that, I thought the story, insane as it was, was curiously addictive. I did pause to wonder if the set up was somewhat tongue in cheek due to the popularity of true crime right now- some of which is fairly extreme- as with True Crime conventions, etc. Still, the Lighthouse family takes it to an all new level of obsession.

I thought the atmosphere was very creepy, and edgy and had a tiny bit of a Gothic tone to it, as well. I’m not sure this one will work for everyone, as it is a little bit out there- but I thought was a unique and when one reads as much crime fiction as I do, that’s always a big selling point for me.

Overall, this turned out to be a surprising page turner for me. It was an easy, quick read for me- in part because it was dark, lurid, and creepy, and hypnotically engrossing. I just couldn’t bring myself to look away…

4 stars

Oh boy, where do I even begin this review.
The fact that these children were raised to literally be obsessed with murder (they are named after murder victims) is slightly traumatizing af because they have no way of knowing themselves and developing a personality outside true crime.
The plot twists were seen a mile away because certain people were just.... cringe.
This one just wasn't for me, but I did finish it and the writing was good so I might check out more from the author.

Another great read by Meg Collins! This is the second book I’ve read by this author and confirm I’m a fan!

I thought Collins did an excellent job at creating a strong ominous presence in domestic whodunnit drama. The characters were unreliable and mostly unlikeable, but I think that added to the suspense and interest of the story.

I had it figured out pretty early on - or at least had a hunch as to what was happening - but that did not detract me from enjoying this book or wanting to continue reading. In fact, it made me want to keep turning the pages so that I could get the explanation for why things happened/were happening.

I was so intrigued by the premise of this story! We all love to follow true crime, but can you imagine growing up in a house that revolved around true crime every single day?! This story is set on Blackburn Island, a small island renowned for the Blackburn Killer, who preys on young women. The Lighthouse family is used to talking about murders, as their grandparents were murdered and their formal education revolves around honoring the murdered. When Dahlia's father dies, she must return to Blackburn Island and face her past as secrets start to unravel.

I really enjoyed this book! The thriller aspect kept me interested, along with the unusual premise. The twists and turns surprised me, and honestly I thought there would be one more twist prior to the ending. I really enjoyed!

This book had an interesting premise but didn't really do it for me. It centers on Dahlia, who returns to the secluded mansion in which she grew up after her father dies. Neither she nor her 2 siblings has returned in years, after her twin brother Andy disappeared. Lo and behold, when they go to dig the grave for her father, there is already a body in that grave- Andy's! Dahlia is determined to find out what really happened all those years ago.

The storyline was unique, with Dahlia and her siblings being raised by parents who were obsessed with true crime. They were each named after a murder victim and spent their childhood studying murders all over the world. They even live on a secluded island where a serial killer murdered multiple women years ago. The primary issue that I had with the book is that I couldn't relate to these characters- there was a lot of focus on the things they all did to commemorate these murder victims, but I didn't get a strong sense of why these characters were like they were.

The climax of the story was a bit underwhelming, though I suppose the loose ends were all tied up. The book moved a a fairly slow pace for much of the book, and most the action happened all at once in the end; then book just ended.

Overall, neat concept but it just didn't fully come together for me. I enjoyed the read for the most part but I didn't love it. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this one but it didn't work out for me. The plot moved too slowly and I just couldn't identify with the characters. Everything was just a little too out there in this story. It had a lot of potential but I didn't love it, sadly.

For Dahlia Lighthouse, murder is practically part of her DNA. Her mother’s parents were brutally murdered, and her family celebrates the lives of murder victims, going so far is naming each child after a famous victim. Even the island they grew upon on has been plagued by a serial murderer.

Her sister Tate leans into her background, having become internet famous for the murder scene “die-oramas” she creates, while older brother Charles prefers embodying characters through acting. Dahlia, however, puts all of her energy into searching for her twin Andy, who ran away on their sixteenth birthday.

Dahlia and her two older siblings return to the island for their father’s funeral only to find there’s a body already buried in the grave—their missing brother Andy.

Dahlia is a great lead character with a strong determination to find her brother’s killer. Her relationships with her siblings and parents, as well as her friend Greta and the police officer in charge of the investigation, nicely display how her strange upbringing shaped her as an adult. With distant parents and older siblings and the other inhabitants of the island distrustful of the odd Lighthouse family, she’s unmoored by the loss of Andy. In the process of finding his killer, she uncovers numerous secrets and lies, which cause her to examine herself and her family members in new ways.

I enjoyed the story, but the ending felt a bit anticlimactic to me. I’d have liked to have some type of epilogue. The plot had a cool modern gothic feel and each of the secondary characters was uniquely interesting. The ritualistic way the family honored murder victims through an eerie fixation added an extra layer of creepiness. Tate’s dioramas made me think of the miniatures in the horror movie HEREDITARY.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc., for providing an Advance Reader Copy.

This was okay-ish. I liked the story setup and the atmosphere that was built for the book with being inside on the family which is considered creepy by everyone. The end was a little anti-climactic but still a plausible and believable one.

I really wanted to love this book so many parts were not realistic and almost could have been something out of the Adams Family. A young woman, Dahlia, grows up as a child of parents obsessed with serial killers and names their children after victims of famous serial killers. Her twin brother went missing at 16 and Dahlia narrates through her return back to the house she avoided for years when her father died for his funeral. Without giving away any material spoilers, I expected some things I didn’t see in the plot relating to how growing up in this life would have likely added mental trauma and some things the author did were just too easy to predict. I would have given a 3.5 if that was possible. The storyline had a good plot and if it were not so easy to figure out, I would probably have given it 4 stars.

A quick entertaining read. Creepy family dynamics full of secrets and drama set off by the fathers death. Obsessed with murder and growing up in the murder mansion no wonder the kids fled and only come back now. Hoping for answers but probably not wanting them too. A page turner for sure.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc

Family drama? Sign me up!!! This book was family dysfunction at its best!! Dahlia was raised in mansion on a secluded island. Her twin brother disappeared when they were 16. Dahlia moved away from home and hasn't returned until her father's death. At the funeral, Andy's disappearance is solved! He was buried and he was murdered!!! As Dahlia tries to figure out what happened to her brother, so many dark and twisted family secrets come out! So many characters all different made the story really good. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

The premise is intriguing. I enjoyed reading about this odd family in the beginning, but once the weirdness faded into the background, I grew a little bored with these people. The plot stalls in the middle, and the ending was anticlimactic. Narrated solely by Dahlia, I would have liked to have some other voices mixed in. There are two mysteries: One surrounding the identity of the Blackburn Island serial killer, the other surrounding the body found in Dahlia’s father’s grave. I figured out one mystery early on and guessed the other. I wish both had been less obvious.

There are some positives. The premise is intriguing, Dahlia is a likable narrator, and I liked Megan Collins’ writing style. However, I wanted more of the oddities and the weirdness--if you are going to go there, GO BIG. In this case, the weirdness was just a mask used to cover up secrets and deter one from seeing the truth. The reader, however, can see right through to what’s really happening.

What a creepy, disturbing family. The story's plot was definitely unique and I was interested after reading the synopsis to see what all this book was about. Unfortunately, it got a little boring and dragged out for me, specifically in the middle. There were lots of twists and turns with shocking moments, towards the end when we start piecing everything together. However, I feel the ending was a bit anticlimactic. Overall, I think it was unique story for a book, just not executed properly.

***Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an advanced copy of this book!

Dahlia Lighthouse grew up as one of the Lighthouse siblings, locally famous for her mother’s obsession with True Crime. She returns after a decade away for her father’s death and is confronted with the horrors behind her twin Andy’s disappearance. She has to face the mysteries of the island, her grief, and her family all at once.

Megan Collins is one of those authors whose books always deliver for me. Her earlier mysteries-Behind the Red Door and The Winter Sister were some of the more unputdownable family-focused mysteries I have read. The Family Plot’s attention on the Lighthouse Family and their obsession with True Crime was exactly the read I hoped it would be. In my opinion, Collins’ characters always draw me in more than the crimes, but in this case I was really trying to solve the mystery along with Dahlia. I talk a lot about how to consume True Crime respectfully, and the story of the Lighthouse family is so fascinating to me because it’s a major case of the best of intentions getting all tangled up in that exploitative sense. The family all felt real, their relationships complicated and interesting.

This is one of my favorite mysteries I’ve read this year!

Thanks to Atria for the ARC!

It’s rare for me to finish a book where I cannot stand the main character because Dahlia is a character that I cannot get on board with. She is so over reactionary to every situation, every word spoken to her, that it makes it impossible to like her. She’s self-righteous, and once her mind is made up, she refuses to listen to any opposition. I don’t care for the word shrill; I feel it’s demeaning, but it applies to her.

I wasn’t sure what this family believed in at first because nothing unfolded cohesively. But I feel that was planned, so we can slowly come to realize how utterly odd this family upbringing was for the Lighthouse children. Then Collins throws us for a loop with the discovery of Andy, and we’re immersed into this mystery of “who done it.” But all the characters to this point are superficial, so it’s hard to care about who did it. I would have liked to have a character to cheer on because our main character was well past the “on my nerves” portion of my tolerance level.

The more I read, the more I wanted to find out what happened to Andy. I thought the way the children were raised was bizarre, but it worked for the storyline. But I felt more like an outsider to the story than immersed in it. So while not totally the right fit for me, it might be a good read for others. Thank you, Atria Books, for sending this along.