Dahlia returns to her childhood home after the death of her father. She reconnects with her brother and sister, who she hasn't seen in 10 years. The island is home to the Blackburn Killer, a serial killer who has killed several women over the past 20+ years. The family in this book is really messed up. All the children in this book have very poor social skills and do not really fit in with society. Between the Lighthouse family, and the neighbor Ruby, this makes a good case for not homeschooling your children. I found the beginning a little slow. It took about 1/3rd of the book before I began to feel invested in the mystery.

The ending was a wild ride. So many emotions. Just when you think you have it figured out, new facts emerge that change your theory. The last 25% of the book flew by so fast for me. I had to keep reading to see what would happen next. The person I thought might be Andy's killer was not. I had it all wrong. This was an enjoyable book.

I received a free copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

Lorraine Lighthouse has raised her children differently. After her parents were murdered by guns their company manufactured, she moved into the family vacation home, got married, and homeschooled her children with a heavy focus on murder. The children are all named after a victim - Charlie, after Charles Lindbergh, Jr.; Tate, after Sharon Tate; Dahlia, after the Black Dahlia; and Andy, after Andrew Borden. As part of their education, they wrote murder reports instead of book reports and read vast amounts about different serial killers and their victims. Interestingly, their home is located on an island with an uncaught serial killer called the Blackburn Killer. Things aren’t all what they seem, which the family learns as they find themselves unexpectedly facing some heavy grief.

Filled with lots of twists and turns, this story was quite interesting. My only complaint is that the major plot twist came a bit early, which left me wanting something even bigger that just wasn’t quite there at the end. Thanks to Atria Books for a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Dysfunctional is an understatement in this thriller, mystery, crime studded book.
Four children (all named after famous murder victims) live an isolated life on an island, have no friends except each other and are home schooled by their crime obsessed mother who bases their lessons around murders and crimes of the past. Their house is nicknamed the “Murder Mansion”.
As you meet them as adults, they have returned for the burial of their father. A missing brother who no one has heard from in years makes a surprise appearance that leads to a plethora of dark and ugly secrets that have been hidden but now are exposed. A series of events unlocks the sordid history within this family that was accepted / overlooked / condoned—take your pick—they’ve done it all.
How can they all possibly survive these discoveries ? I admit it was a little hard to accept the final scenes in the book but with their history they had no choice.
The written descriptions of the scenes were not as difficult to read as was the thought of how deranged a person must be to carry them out. A very upsetting read which was just what the author was trying to provoke; it worked.

The premise has a lot of originality. The eccentric family at the core of the story were well-written characters and their morbidity added much intrigue to the mystery. It was slow- burning at times, but done in a way where you constantly kept coming back into the story to find out more.

I enjoyed this one as it reads like a Dateline episode or a true crime podcast. It was fast paced with lots of twists and turns that keeps you guessing till the end .

If you love true crime, like REAL true crime, like Dateline, 20/20, true crime podcasts, this book is for you. It's a fictitious story with real life flair, all which will satisfy your true crime addiction. "The Family Plot" by Megan Collins is your next great read.

What I really took away from the book was how true crime can really mess you up; Dahlia's mother let the darkness of real crimes and criminals overtake her so powerfully that it affected her entire family in such negative ways. I loved the tie in to real true crime cases, which made the book almost real but the deep message behind the plot was even more interesting.

I think I can confidently say this will be one of my top five books of the year, and probably one of the best mystery/suspense novels I've ever read.

I'm sure some readers will eat this one up! I thought it was OK, but it's my fault for choosing it. It's certainly creepy and well-written. It just wasn't my thing. Recommended for those that into family secrets and drama with an edge.

I really appreciate the ARC for review!!

A family, warped by a mother’s grief, lives on an island. They learn about serial killers, and experience it first-hand on their island.

After the children are grown, they return for their father’s funeral, only to learn their brother has been killed too. And chilling family secrets are revealed.

Chilling, twisty, creepy. A great choice for thriller fans.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

I found the mystery less intriguing than the family dynamics- I would watch a wacko true crime documentary about this family -not my favorite of this author’s books but enjoyable enough and definitely different.

This one caught my interest right away because I'm a huge true crime fan! However, the twists weren't surprising to me and I wanted more backstory than what was given about the unusual upbringing of the Lighthouse kids. I actually would have enjoyed this book a lot more if it was solely about their true crime homeschooling than how it tried to be a murder mystery.🤷🏻‍♀️

The setting and characters were all interesting, but I didn't like the way it ended or the way everyone just kinda brushed some stuff off. I did like all the nods to actual true crime cases in the story that made me feel special for knowing history.

If you don't read a ton of thrillers this one might appeal to you!

3.5 ⭐

This was a decent book, but many of the twists I saw coming. I also didn’t like the decision made toward the end of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

HOLY MOLY YOU GUYS!! True crime fans will devour this one when it comes out on Aug. 17. From the dedication to murderinos to naming the children after murder victims this one has eveything! The Lighthouse family is unlike any other. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A Dark Mystery With An Unforeseen Twist

Dahlia Lighthouse’s twin brother Andy disappeared one day when they were just sixteen. It’s been ten years now, and Dahlia has been searching for him ever since, ever wondering why he didn’t say goodbye. He wanted her to run away with him, to go somewhere away from the suffocating atmosphere of the home their parents had turned into a memorial for the slain victims of serial killers. Dahlia eventually moved away, as did her other two siblings, Charlie and Tate. When their father dies, they return to the home for his memorial service where they are stunned by the discovery of Andy’s body buried in their father’s gravesite in the family cemetery. There is another mystery, though, a person known as the Blackburn killer has been terrorizing the island for over a dozen years, killing seven woman and discarding their bodies in the water clothed in ice-blue dresses. Was Andy another victim of the same killer?

The Family Plot is an emotional roller-coaster of events, describing the strange upbringing of children in what you could call a museum of notable dead people, victims of serial killers. It is a dark mystery with unpleasant characters, twisted logic, and deep secrets. There is a lot of backstory and character development in the beginning, the book getting off to a very slow start. Once the story starts to unfold, though, it’s difficult to stop reading. There are two mysteries involved, the serial killer and Andy’s death, although everyone is focused on Andy as the family considers the loss of two family members. An engrossing dark story with an unlikeable cast of characters in a narrative that I liked a lot.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC of The Family Plot, this is my honest review.

Definitely more mystery than my preferred thriller, but this was a fun one with a dark family backdrop. Homeschooled by murder-victim-obsessed parents? Kids named after murder victims? Creepy neighbor on the other side of a creepy forest? Yessssssss. Twisty and un-put-down-able.

This was a really different thriller than all the rest in many ways. I really enjoyed the dark twists and turns and nod to murderinos, both in the dedication and throughout the book in its content. I would recommend this one! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Holy wow. I’m a huge Megan Collins fan, and she’s totally outdone herself with this twisty, fast-paced thriller. I connected somehow to most of the characters in the book (despite their absolute weirdness!) It takes a skilled author to accomplish this! Dahlia is intense and relatable. The prose is gorgeous, atmospheric and creepy as h$$!!! I was totally wrapped up in this family with huge secrets. This one is not to be missed!

The Lighthouse family has four children, Charlie, Tate, Andy and Dahlia. Each is named after a murder victim. They were raised and homeschooled about murder by their mother and somewhat indifferent father on Blackburn Island, home of the Blackburn Killer, the serial killer of three women who has never been apprehended. Charlie and Tate left the Island after Andy, approximately ten years earlier. Dahlia has spent the past ten years unsuccessfully searching for Andy, her twin, on line and through social media. They have returned to the Island for a memorial service for their father following his death a first for both Charlie and Tate. Each individual has secrets and each has their own agenda in returning home. The characters are complicated, the plot is complex and well written. This is a memorable psychological thriller. Thanks to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster for an ARC for an honest review.

This sucked me in! I love true crime, mysteries, and general creepiness! Thank you to Netgalley for this arc ebook!

A huge thank you to Megan Collins and NetGalley!! ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a huge thriller and crime book lover. This novel definitely peaked my interest. I found it to be quite prevalent with current trends. Crime documentaries and murder mystery podcasts are trendy right now.

I really enjoyed this book. It was creepy reading about this “unnatural” family (in Andy’s words). I found myself relating to the islanders, intrigued by the Lighthouses and the way they were raised. The Family Plot was a page-turner for me. I was eager to find out what happened to Andy and who the Blackburn serial killer was.

I felt the author revealed the killer a bit early. The beginning 2/3 of the book kept me engaged and keen on finishing the story. Once you find out the killer, the story plateaus a bit. Additionally, at times I felt uncomfortable with Dahlia’s relationship with Andy. It felt a bit incest-like. However, I can’t relate to having a twin and a twin being murdered at that. I also was hoping for a little romance between Elijah and Dahlia. There was definitely some sort of tension there.

Overall, I’m giving this book a 4/5. It was a spooky and captivating read. I will definitely be picking up another book by Megan Collins!!

I throughly enjoyed the author’s last book Behind the Red Door so I jumped at the chance to read this. Such an interesting premise with a family who honours the dead and are obsessed with murder victims and serial killers. The family dynamic was so interesting, I wanted to know more.

The tone is so dark and moody, the type of book that makes you think. I particularly enjoyed Charlie’s character. He had a lot of juxtapositions.

An entertaining read.