Who is buried in the family plot?

Megan Collins always knows how to keep you turning the pages. This new book keeps you intrigued while using lots of references to serial killers and mass murderers.

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc to review.

4.92 stars

The family plot follows Dahlia as she goes back home to bury her father. The lighthouses are not an ordinary family, they are eccentric, home schooled, lived isolated from the rest of the world and obsessed with true crime. The lighthouse children had no say in their upbringing, and it’s no surprise that they all have left home and kept out of touch for a decade.

Dahlia’s twin, Andy, ran away from home. At least that’s what they thought until they found his body, skull split open with an ax, when they dig the grave for the patriarch’s body. One last thing – The lighthouse’s island is also home to a serial killer who has never been found. Was Andy the last victim of the killer?

Megan Collins wrote not only a great mystery that appeals to any true crime, mystery and thriller lovers, but she really excelled in creating her characters. To me, this book almost read as a character study and/or contemporary at the same time that it read as a brilliant thriller.

The Lighthouse’s family dynamic was tense. As the events develop you can feel each character’s angst, hurt, anxiety, frustration, internal conflict. You can feel as they are slowly forced to breakdown all the lies they told themselves and each other.

I am a mother and I kept thinking of my son throughout the whole book, as the release date is his birthday. Not only that how can you not love a mystery/thriller book that entertains you AND makes you evaluate your own life? That’s a winner in my opinion. As a parent, you always make the decision you think it’s right for your children, and you’re so invested, you are unable to see when you’re actually causing more hard than good. I feel so much empathy for mama Lighthouse, my heart aches for her. I finished this book in tears and in deep thought. I think I was quiet for a good 5 mins.

I feel that Collins delivered a superb book with amazing characters, atmosphere, an original plot, a unique family, and a satisfying execution. After this book, I ordered Collins previous works, and I can’t wait to read them! This was a fictional true crime masterpiece.

I am so grateful to Megan Collins, Atria Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read The Family Plot ahead of its release in exchange for an honest review.

#thefamilyplot, #Netgalley,

Well another creepy and very disturbing family. Megan Collins really does have a way of making even the obvious story have enough of a twist that you're like "wait. What?!" I always feel slightly claustrophobic when I read her books and I know that's the intent. This one actually could've even been creepier given the premise. Fascinating that she rarely gets into the psychology of the predator but does focus on the victims instead.

I literally just finished this book. Ive read it in one sitting and im shook. Im utterly speechless. I am in live with this book and might be my favorite book of this year. It wowed me from thr vwry star and had me on the edge of my seat. I didnt see that climax coming at all. The plot is original and cant wait to read more from this author i would definitely recommend this to everyone.

I was drawn to this book by the mentions of a family that was raised with true crime, not just knowing about it, but literally raised on it. Named after it, home schooled on it, exiled because of it. Dahlia hasn't been home in years since her twin brother disappeared but returns home for her father's funeral. Her brother's body is discovered buried in the family plot. Was he a victim of the serial killer that haunted that area?
Well, I really wanted to like this book. But it was SO predictable. It was painful to finish it, it could have been better. Not often do I have a plot solved when I start a book, which is why I love mysteries - they keep me guessing. But this one didn't.

I LOVED this book. This was my first time reading a book by Megan Collins and wow, I was hooked instantly. I love the writing style and the characters she writes about. I’ll definitely be looking into her other books.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read an ARC of The Family Plot by Megan Collins.This was not one of those books that hooked me right away, but when it got interesting, it was good.
I felt sorry for the (now adult) kids because of how they grew up, isolated and ostracized, but I can’t say I really was able to connect with any of them. The two stories were good- who was the serial killer and what happened to Andy? The writing was h=good, but some things seemed unnecessary, like why did the mother get obsessed with baking and burning each kid’s favorite cookie, then suddenly no longer burning them? Kind of nitpicky, but I thought it was going somewhere and didn’t.

The premise of this novel was intriguing right off the bat - a nice twist on the crime/family drama theme.
While I didn't particularly like many of the characters, I felt they were well written and I was genuinely intrigued to see what would happen to them.
The story flows well and keeps the suspense and suspicion mounting. It was refreshing that the twists in the story were not at all out of nowhere; the plot was logical and developed along with the characters.
I really enjoyed this one and I will keep an eye out for other novels by this author in the future!
Review will be posted to GoodReads closer to publication date.

The Family Plot by Megan Collins

9781982163846

Pages
Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: August 17, 2021

Fiction, Mystery & Thriller, Suspense, Serial Killer, True Crime

The lighthouse family is unusual. All of the children are named after murder victims. The main character is Dahlia, after the Black Dahlia. At sixteen, her twin brother Andy, named after Lizzie Borden’s father, ran away from home. Dahlia has returned to Blackburn Island when her father dies. When they dig up the plot, they find Andy’s body. He didn’t run away, he was murdered. Was he murdered by the Blackburn serial killer?

This is a creepy book to say the least, but I could not put it down. I love true crime stories and the idea that someone would name their children after murder victims had my interest from the beginning. The children would honor their namesakes on their birthdays and the victims’ death. How bizarre is that? I am still talking about this book.

The book is written in first person point of view and the characters are well developed. The story is well paced and kept my interest. If you like murder mysteries, this is one to read. I look forward to reading more by this author.

I have read both of Megan Collin’s prior novels and was completely wow’ed by them! Before diving into her third book The Family Plot, I thought that there was no way Megan could top herself, BUT SHE TOTALLY DID! Oh my goodness, right from the beginning I was 100% on the hook!

The Family Plot centers around the Lighthouse family—a family who were raised on a creepy island by true-crime obsessed parents waaaay before that was a “thing”. Dahlia Lighthouse (one of the four Lighthouse siblings), at 26 years old comes back home after learning of her father’s death. This island holds so many memories, but her twin brothers disappearance 10 years ago is the reason she ultimately left when she was 19. Dahlia has tried to look for him for the last decade to no avail. It was a this point in this novel that I knew I needed to strap on my seatbelt because Megan Collins was going to take me on a crazy ride!

This novel was unputdownable! The storyline has so many well thought out layers with perfectly placed twists and turns! This fast paced novel had me on the edge of my seat the entire way through! I have read many thrillers that involve dysfunctional families, but I think the Lighthouse family is definitely in the top 5 for most dysfunctional— some of their “family traditions” will have your eyes bulging out of your head! The Family Plot is 5 star mystery/thriller that will captivate absolutely everyone no matter what your typical genre is! A true must read!

WOWWWW. It’s been a minute since a book has drawn me in this completely. I already knew Megan Collins was an amazing author, but The Family Plot was above and beyond.
The story centers on the Lighthouse family: parents and three grown children, who used to be 4 but Andy disappeared on his 16th birthday. It’s 10 years later, and the remaining family members come home when they hear of their patriarch’s death. When the father’s plot is dig up for his burial, the missing brother Andy is found buried there instead, killed on the day of his disappearance. What follows is a breathless spiral towards the truth as Dahlia, Andy’s twin, digs deep to uncover the truth behind her brother’s death.
I finished this book in two sittings, which would have been one but a girl’s gotta sleep. The ending was slightly lacking something I can’t define, but that didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the book in the slightest. An easy 5 stars.
Can’t wait to see what Collins comes up with next!

What an original and creepy storyline Megan Collins has concocted!

This book had me hooked from the very first line. "My parents named me Dahlia, after the Black Dahlia-that actress whose body was cleaved in half, left in grass as sharp as scalpels, a permanent smile sliced onto her face-and when I first learned her story at four years old, I assumed a knife would one day carve me up." creepy ? Yes, and then there is her brother Charlie named for the Lindbergh baby, Andy named for Lizzie Borden's father and her sister Tate, named after Cheryl Tate of course. This family is a bit dysfunctional, the parents obsessed with true crime and women who have been murdered. Did I mention the island they live on has it's very own serial killer on the loose ? The islanders call their house the "Murder Mansion". Macabre comes to mind. What is not to love?! Creepy, suspenseful, twisty~

Dahlia has been searching for her brother Andy for ten years, always haunted by his sudden departure from her life. Now that her father has died, she has to return to her old home. Secrets are revealed that have been hidden for way too long. This book was dark and twisty, it had everything I love in a good thriller. I am really enjoying this author and cannot wait to see what she comes up with next!

A big thank you to the publisher for gifting me this advanced reading copy as well as NetGalley, greatly appreciated!

I would like to thank Edelweiss and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I was not disappointed! Each character is so thoughtfully created; having very distinct personalities, quirks, and flaws. I truly haven’t read a book lately where a tragedy ends up being just that- a tragedy. There is no silver lining for these characters except for the pact they make and the bonds they will try to build moving forward.

A dysfunctional, true-crime obsessed family, a long-missing brother, a serial killer, and a secluded island mansion filled with murder memorabilia: how could it get any better? Megan Collin shines in this absorbingly atmospheric tale filled with a magnificent sense of macabre.

After a decade away, Dahlia returns home when her father dies. But when her family goes to bury him, they instead find the body of her twin brother Andy, who went missing when she was 16. And buried in the back of his head is an ax. Grappling with her own grief, Dahlia also realizes the only way forward is to find out what happened to her twin.

An exquisitely written thriller with twisted family dynamics and dark, deadly secrets. You won’t want to miss this one!

This story makes any dysfunctional family seem normal. This book hooked me from the start. The storyline is so unique and original. I was very intrigued about the family’s history and the house/island they live on. The first 3/4 of the book is sooooooo good. It’s tension-building, action-packed, and eerie with the right amount of suspense. The story flowed perfectly

I have to admit, I was expecting some kind of surprising/shocking twist. There are several red herrings planted throughout so pretty early on I figured out who was the killer was. After the big reveal the book was slow and sort of repetitive. I was kind of disappointed with the ending so I had to knock it down 1 star because I felt as if the ending wasn’t satisfying enough. But the majority of the book was so good that even without that ending it is still a solid 4-4.5 star read.

The Family Plot kept me entertained in the best way. Megan Collins is a very strong writer and I will definitely read Collins's previous books.

The Family Plot will be available on August 17th from Atria books. Many thanks to Isabel DaSilva at Atria Books, Netgalley, and Megan Collins for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Dahlia has been searching for her twin brother for the last 10 years since he ran away at 16. When she returns home for her father's funeral she finds out things that will turn her world upside down. This family is complicated, thriller had me on the edge of my seat for the entire book. A real page turner.

So good and compulsive. This fast read was exactly how you wrap family drama into good mystery. I was impressed with the dialogue between characters as there was a lot of it and sometimes it can bog the story down, but it did not here.

Megan Collins has redeemed herself with me! I was not a fan of Behind the Red Door at all. But Collins has made a strong comeback with this book! True crime lovers will appreciate this story of a family that spent their lives studying and honoring the victims of crimes, all while residing on an island that has had a string of murders. This string of murders being the work of an alleged serial killer.

Unlike the previous book, the female main character, Dahlia (named after the Black Dahlia) is strong and smart but is also an emotional wreck. She falls apart after discovering a truth about her twin brother who she always felt completely connected to. The story has a few twists and turns but lacks a powerful ending. While the ending fell a bit short for me, this was still a good, quick read.

This review was also posted on Goodreads.

For me was ok. The plot was very simple . There was a moment that I lost interest maybe there author was time describing the actions , characters etc .

The Family Plot by Megan Collins: menacing atmosphere, perpetual suspense, insanity, flair, tenderness, and honesty. Above all, The Family Plot is totally fresh and original. You do not want to miss this!