Such a unique premise!!
But, I didn’t care for the execution!

Dahlia Lighthouse and her siblings were raised in a secluded mansion on Blackburn Island by parents who were obsessed by “true crime” stories. Each child has been named after the Victim of a famous serial killer.

So, when a serial killer began claiming lives nearby, it didn’t disturb them at all.

In fact, they home schooled their children-and the curriculum contained “true crime documentaries” murder reenactments and assignments called “murder reports” where the children would have to take the evidence and support a theory as to what had occurred. They would also participate in honorings, which were candlelight vigils to remember the lives of those lost.

Dahlia hasn’t been home in ten years, but she has never stopped searching for her missing twin brother, learning how to navigate the web from her only friend, Greta, who runs the cafe below her rented apartment. Greta is obsessed with “The Blackburn Killer” from the nearby Island, where Dahlia grew up, and wonders if Andy’s disappearance could be related in some way.

When Dahlia is called home to bury her father, a gruesome discovery is made-the body of Andy is discovered in the plot reserved for her father. They all thought he had CHOSEN to leave home on his sixteenth birthday, because of a note that had been left on the kitchen counter.

We are TOLD all of this by Dahlia in chapter ONE!!

And, at the halfway point in the book, the characters of Dahlia and her siblings had not been developed in any greater detail than they had been in the opening pages. The book is written in the first person POV and yet, I didn’t feel like I knew Dahlia at all.

This story would have been far more suspenseful if it had been written in a dual timeline.

IMAGINE instead of being TOLD everything about their childhood in chapter one if we could have EXPERIENCED the home schooling and Honoring ceremonies.

IMAGINE a few “murder reports” written by the Lighthouse children, sprinkled in throughout the book?

Now that would’ve been creepy!!

Their upbringing is what makes this a unique premise and I wanted MORE of their childhood!

That would have made for a more satisfying read than just staying in the PRESENT and finding out how Andy ended up in his father’s plot.

It just wasn’t the haunting, atmospheric read that I was expecting.

Available August 17, 2021.

Thank You to the Publisher for inviting me to read an early copy, gifted through NetGalley.
It was my pleasure to provide a candid review!

I wanted to love this more than I did, but I think this is one of those books that either you love or you don’t. Either way, the concept is incredibly interesting and I think readers of suspense and lovers of true crime will enjoy it.

Plot: “At twenty-six, Dahlia Lighthouse remains haunted by her upbringing. Raised in a secluded island mansion deep in the woods and kept isolated by her true crime-obsessed parents, she has been unable to move beyond the disappearance of her twin brother, Andy, when they were sixteen.

After several years away and following her father’s death, Dahlia returns to the house where the family soon makes a gruesome discovery: buried in their father’s plot is another body—Andy’s, his skull split open with an ax.

Dahlia is quick to blame Andy’s murder on the serial killer who terrorized the island for decades, while the rest of the Lighthouses react to the revelation in unsettling ways. Her brother, Charlie, pours his energy into creating a family memorial museum, highlighting their research into the lives of famous murder victims; her sister, Tate, forges ahead with her popular dioramas portraying crime scenes; and their mother affects a cheerfully domestic facade, becoming unrecognizable as the woman who performed murder reenactments for her children. As Dahlia grapples with her own grief and horror, she realizes that her eccentric family, and the mansion itself, may hold the answers to what happened to her twin.”

Thoughts: I felt like the beginning was slow and the plot twist was revealed too soon, so my interest was slow to be piqued, then crashed and burned. It’s a great plot, and I will give this book another try to see if I feel differently.

Rating: solid 3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

**Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.**

The Family Plot by Megan Collins is a creepy, suspenseful, and gripping psychological thriller. The Lighthouse family has been obsessed with true crime. But when the father, Daniel, dies and the adult children come home to Blackburn Island for his funeral, another body is found in his grave plot. How did the parent’s idiosyncrasies and odd behaviors affect the children?

Dahlia, the youngest daughter is now twenty-six and has been searching for her twin brother Andy for the last seven years. Her older brother and sister live together in New York. Charlie is an actor and Tate creates dioramas of true crimes and posts them online. All four children were named after people from well-publicized murders. Each of them has had trouble relating to other people after their upbringing. But secrets abound within the family and with some of those living on the island.

The story starts out strong with explanations of the family’s history as well as that of the island. The plot was promising and the characterization was clever. This is a dark, twisted, and atmospheric tale of a troubled family. Surprises abound. Themes include loneliness, death, murder, trust, alcoholism, lies, secrets, and much more. My one quibble is with the ending which seemed a little rushed, but I was never bored, and there were a few surprises and twists along the way as well as some things that were a little too predictable.

Those that enjoy crime novels and psychological thrillers will likely enjoy this novel. It was not a light read, but it was well written and atmospheric.

Atria Books and Megan Collins provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for August 17, 2021.

Thank you to BiblioLifestyle, Atria (and Isabel!), Megan Collins, and NetGalley for providing me with both an ARC and DRC in exchange for my honest review.

The Lighthouse family is...odd. Living in a large house on a hill referred to by the locals as 'Murder Mansion', Dahlia and her siblings (all named after famous murder victims) were homeschooled and learned all about math, history, literature, and murder. When Dahlia's father passes away, she and her siblings return home for his memorial and internment. The family is rocked by a startling discovery when their groundskeeper informs them that a body and an axe have been discovered in their father's burial plot.

Oh man, guys. I really didn't know what to expect going into this one. I read Collins' Behind the Red Door last summer, and while I really liked the writing style, I found the plot to be really predictable, and I didn't love the characters. That was not the case at all with this one. I wasn't sure how this wacky true-crime-obsessed family would play out- if they would feel less like characters and more like caricatures, but I felt that all the characters were odd but well-balanced. It kind of reminded me of the Roses meets the Adams Family. In short, I really enjoyed this creepy little book!

I thought it was especially cool to see the progress and development in Collins' writing between BRD and The Family Plot. There was a lot going on in this book, but it all worked. The plot didn't ever feel too busy or over-burdened at any point, and I was kept engrossed and guessing until the last 10% of the book!

Pick this one up if you're looking for your next mystery, or if you're a true crime junkie. The Family Plot is available from Atria in August of 2021!

I received this book for free for an honest review through netgalley. WOW.I was pulled in immediately when I read about the family dynamic. A family who is home schooled and the curriculum is centered around murder victims and respecting them? I'M IN! I felt like this story had some obvious tie ins, but then I was surprised at the end at certain aspects. I never got bored and I couldn't put this book down even in light of the "obvious turns" I saw coming, which tells you how awesome this book is. I would highly recommend!

This was a great creepy, psychological thriller that had me intrigued from start to finish. It was a well written who done it that had me guessing the whole way through. I loved that it was about a family who was obsessed with true crime because it allowed the characters to be relatable.

Dahlia couldn't wait to leave the creepy, secluded house she grew up in with the felt but never seen presence of the serial killer whose crimes and victims haunt her entire family. Returning to the island for her father's funeral, she is shocked anew by the discovery of another body in the grave intended for him, and even more when it turns out to be that of her missing brother, who supposedly ran away when he was 16.
This is a creepily atmospheric mystery with a smartly paced narrative and excellent plotting.. although the characters are less interesting ..

I struggled with this one a little as I felt it was fairly predictable but it was very well written.
I've always heard of a "twin's intuition" or that they could feel when they other felt something, etc. but this story proves that to be untrue. Dahlia's family raised her on a secluded island, homeschooled away from everyone else and taught gruesome stories of violence and murder. While the town's people have always talked of their home being Murder Mansion, a string of local murders dating back nearly 3 decades is revisited as she returns home.

The Family Plot by Megan Collins
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks for gifting me this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Pub date: August 17th, 2021
I was really excited to read this book. I lovvvve a good thriller/mystery! I really did enjoy this book. However it was a really slow burn for me. But I loved the characters. And the eerie “murder house” setting. I just wished it had a bit more mystery and that extra punch to really get the story moving.

A unique mystery that revolves around a quirky, true crime obsessed family. The narrative unfolds as family dynamics are explored and secrets slowly revealed. Megan Collins cautiously offers an unlikable cast of characters that lend to the creepy undertone of the overall storyline. Those looking for a fast moving, shock and awe will not find it here. Collins has created a multilayered mystery that is paced and deliberate.


Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC of #TheFamilyPlot which was read and reviewed voluntarily.

Wow! What a ride! The family plot has everything you want in a dark, twisty thriller. The "who done it" keeps you guessing until the very end and each character is more dark and damaged than the next. I really enjoyed The novel and look forward to reading a ton more books by Megan Collins.

Let me start by saying all the thanks to Atria books publishing and NetGalley for the digital advanced readers copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

I'm definitely feeling underwhelmed after reading this. I kept expecting the story to pick up but unfortunately it just continued to flat line from start to finish.

This book is about a strange family living on a remote island that is obsessed with true crime. They gather information about murders around the area, honour the victims through ceremonies, create dioramas and presentations about the murder mysteries... it's quite odd and almost cult-like. I found this whole idea of the story very intriguing which is why I picked this one up. Dahlia and her family are reunited on the island after the devastating news about her father dying. At the memorial while digging out the plot for her father, the family uncovers a shocking discovery, Dahlia's twin brother's body is found in there already. This is where the questions and mystery start to unfold regarding what happened to Andy? The family thought he just ran away 10 years ago... who could have done this?

I think this book definitely had potential but it lacked shocking twists and suspense. Unfortunately it just did not hold my interest. There is a lot of talking and family drama in the story and not enough action. I wouldn't classify this book as a thriller I would definitely say it is more of a mystery/drama.

This book hits the shelves August 17th, 2021

I was interested in reading The Family Plot because it sounded like a dark mystery about a family obsessed with serial killers who discover that their son/brother is not a run away but in fact was murdered. Read as a mystery this book didn't really work for me. The main character is extremely unlikable and her mother and siblings aren't much better. Whodunnit is fairly obvious given the small cast of characters. Read as a family drama where the Dahlia has to come to terms with how screwed up her family is the book works much better, it's just not a relatable scenario to most people. This book is definitely creepy but ultimately I wasn't interested in their grief.

Twisty, suspenseful psychological thriller! A true crime obsessed family that live secluded deep in the woods. A family full of secrets which no one will tell. Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy.

The Family Plot by Megan Collins was 100% up my alley. The Lighthouse Family lives in a house on an island that the locals call “Murder Mansion.” Why? Because the kids are homeschooled on a curriculum of true crime. What’s not to love? Not only was it super dark and twisty, but there was an abundance of true crime tidbits for my macabre tastes. If you like dark thrillers definitely pick this one up.

What an odd book. I loved the dark, creepy atmosphere of this whole book. Its so strange and I didn't know what was happening until the very end. Would highly recommend!

The Family Plot by Megan Collins, what a family! A twisted tale of an odd family obsessed with true crime, murder and honoring the dead. Throw in a cold case about the Blackburn Killer, and a murdered family member, this book had it all. I really enjoyed it. I love true crime so when I read about Megan's new book I impatiently waited to see if I could get it from Netgalley, a huge thank you to Megan Collins and Netgalley!

I really liked this book- it was a well-done suspense novel, that held my interest. It has a gothic feel to it, being on an isolated island, and the family obsessed by serial killers was a new angle. This was an intense read, which had plenty of twisted family dynamics to keep you interested.

Thank you to Atria for my review copy. All opinions are my own.
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Well, hello creepy. It's great to see you again.
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The Family Plot was an unputdownable novel. Is it the best thing I have ever read....nope. Would I suggest it as your next atmospheric novel? Yes, yes I would. It was so very creepy...in the very best way. Let's talk about what I loved.
*The mansion. I mean come on. Does it get better than a creepy novel with a mansion as it anchor?
*The sea....but not the beautiful sun filled days we know and love. The jagged edge of rocks and a choppy sea.
*The family element. I mean. Girl goes home after father passes away. All. The. Drama.
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It was absolutely predictable. But at the end of the day. I finished it in 24 hours of I need to know haste. The writing was very reminiscent of Stephen King's Dolores Claiborne. I'm going to say if you enjoy atmosphere and family based suspense. Grab it. Trust me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dahlia returns to Blackburn Island and her family home, which is filled with true crime memorabilia, following the death of her father. Her two older siblings have reunited with her and their mother, but her twin Andy, who went missing on their 16th birthday, and whom Dahlia has been searching for since then, fails to turn up. Dahlia grew up in a strange family. Her mother's parents were murdered by a serial killer, making her mother obsessed with serial killers and true crime murder. The kids were home schooled and the curriculum had a heavy emphasis on these murders. Understandably others on the island found them to be very odd. Things get crazy for the family because when they go to bury the father on the property, they find Andy's body, crushing Dahlia's hopes of being reunited with him and also begging the question, who killed and buried him. Add to that, there is still the open issue of who was murdering women on the island some years back.

This was a creepy setting with some odd ball characters. I don't usually like gothic or horror novels, and luckily this one stayed far enough away from that, that there was no issue. I actually liked the uniquely odd setting and I found this to be a quick read. There were enough characters behaving strangely that the killer really could have been any of them, so that kept me guessing. Overall this was a fast and mostly entertaining read.