I love a good domestic thriller, and Thicker Than Water was no exception! Megan Collins took a slight spin on the typical narrative. There was still the whole husband becomes incapacitated and wife uncovers dark secrets/tries to solve the mystery. However, Collins added another family layer to the dynamic -- wife is best friends and business partners with husband's sister -- which certainly added to the drama. I loved the plot and character development. Overall, this was a great read for 2023!!

Megan Collins ALWAYS writes an excellent book, and this one is no different. Told from Sienna and Julia's POVs, these best friends suddenly are working together to uncover why Jason (brother/husband) is a suspect for murder. But the kicker is he's unconscious and can't help them. One of my favorite things was the strained relationship that showed the realities of friendship. This is such an original idea, and Collins pulled it off very well!


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Megan Collins has become an auto buy author for me. I loved the suspense and dread factor in this one. I truly had no idea what was going on throughout and loved the almost creepiness of it. Will highly recommend.

A family psychological thriller designed with detailed character development and an unusual premise that I loved! Julia and Sienna are best friends as well as sister-in-laws. They spend most days together and own a business together - they balance each other out. What happens when all that they treasure falls apart. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the read!

Julia's husband and Sienna brother has went into a coma after a car crash. It seems that everyone has secrets that they are hiding from each other.
A very good read.
Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

DNF at 35%. I thought the premise sounded interesting and I’m always excited to try a thriller that sounds like something different. Unfortunately this one really didn’t work for me and my criteria when I’m deciding whether to continue is if I am curious enough to see how the mystery will end. And for this one I decided nope - I’m not interested and can stop here. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free ebook.

A story told from two POVs - one from the sister (Sienna) and one from the wife (Julia), and they are best friends. Both are working to uncover why Jason, the brother/husband (respectively), is a suspect for murder.

It is a tense novel traversing trust and the strength of the relationships at hand. They both have some doubts about the truth of Jason’s involvement, though Sienna hides hers despite the evidence at hand. Julia wants to think the best, but some lies and the discovery of Jason’s savior complex has her feeling like her husband was more involved.

This was such a great read and I definitely suggest it, as I do love a good thriller!

If we are going with full disclosure in this review, then I must mention my dislike for Megan Collins' last 2 novels. I honestly wasn't going to pick up anything else from her, and then I accidentally requested Thicker Than Water on NetGalley because I got my Megan's confused. Well, now I couldn't be happier that I did, and I'm so glad that even though it was an accident, I didn't completely give up on Collins. My issue with her books has always been her characters, and I have loathed how idiotic her FMCs are. Thankfully, Julia and Sienna are NOTHING like the others, and they were seriously the best. I loved that the author took a new take on the domestic thriller and used sisters-in-law to walk us through this story and get to the shocking conclusion. I loved being in both of their heads through alternating viewpoints, and they were not quite loveable, but I enjoyed them anyway.

I would also recommend listening to the audiobook and I got loads of enjoyment from listening to Gail Shalan & Emily Tremaine narrate. They were perfectly cast for their characters, and they did a beautiful job bringing Julia and Sienna to life. While there was crime and a mystery going on, that was really just a small fraction of what the book was truly about. At the same time, I also loved the mystery aspect, and the women, especially Sienna, are quick to put on their thinking caps and try to figure out who killed Jason's boss. Because it can't be him, right? I loved following where the clues took me, and I loved how surprised I was by the end even if I did finally start to see it coming a bit right before the big reveal. There is some repetition to the story, but it was fairly minimal and didn't end up bothering me as much as it sometimes does. Collins has officially redeemed herself in my eyes, and now I will definitely be giving her next book a shot!

Megan Collins is a go to author for me. I can always count on her books to get me out of a reading slump. Thicker Than Water was just what I needed. This book was a fast paced thriller that had me flying through it wanting to see how it was going to end but also with the dread of it being over. Can't wait to see what Megan comes up with next.

Warning: This review may be slightly spoilery! As I am not recommending that you read it, I just really don’t care.

I was so excited to read this and, sadly, it was very disappointing for me.

Julia and Jason have, until now, had a picturesque marriage and family life with their teenage son, Aiden. Julia and Sienna, Jason’s sister, became fast friends. The book is dual POV from both Julia and Sienna.

Sienna feels very righteous towards female empowerment, obsessive over the death of their parents by a drunk driver, and unwilling to re-commit to her now ex-boyfriend after his infidelity. Sienna is hot-tempered, extroverted, and not afraid to speak her mind.

In contrast, Julia is meek, aims to please others, and is willing to keep the peace over her own happiness, and has lived her life by her mothers mantra to “never trust a man.”

At first I found the writing to be punchy and the personalities quirky until they became annoying. The story starts with a bang. In chapter one alone I found myself OMGing several times.

Jason’s boss is found stabbed, suffocated, and with his mouth sewn shut. After an accident, evidence is found in Jason’s car linking him to the crime, except he is in a coma and unable to give his account of events. Thus begins the sort of amateur investigation by the sisters.

And then it all fizzles out from there. The story was overly concerned with their character arcs, whereas the plot could have been so much more enthralling. The twists weren't all that exciting or surprising.

It is extremely dialogue heavy and very telling instead of showing. Nothing ever really happens, we are simply taken from one conversation or inner monologue to the next. It was all rather slow and boring actually.

The murder mystery was lack-luster. And it fell prey to one of my absolute most hated tropes where the bad guy tells all in an endless monologue in the ending chapters, which always feels silly, stupid, unrealistic, and unsatisfying.

The writing was bland, the plot was bland, the characters were bland. The first few chapters had me and then the rest was meh. It’s really the writing that failed me most I think. The premise had a lot to work with and it just wasn’t executed in an engaging way.

From the beginning, Julia and Sienna’s relationship has very off-putting vibes. They are oddly, overly close to one another. I really expected the story to play more into this dynamic with some sinister twist happening there, especially considering the title. But it was more about them taking their own personal growth stories and learning how to be less codependent on one another.

It also explores the nuances of parenting a teenager. As well as not thinking about people in terms of absolute, good or bad, but rather accepting people as being somewhere in between and loving them anyway.

Two stars because I usually reserve one star for DNFs. I cannot recommend this. I didn’t enjoy it and I don’t think others will that much either. It wasn’t a thrilling read. It tried to have the depth of a contemporary/literary read and failed. It just wasn’t great and with so many books and so little time, I’d say skip it. There are better family murder dramas out there than this one.

This is not me hating on the author. In fact, I’m willing to chalk this up as just a flop and I still really want to read whatever she writes next. I just don’t think that this book accomplished what it intended to.

This book is filled with drama, but should definitely not be classified as a thriller by any means. The last book I read by this author was very family drama driven, but was at least a bit more suspenseful. If the twists come as a surprise, I would say that’s a redeeming quality, but this one just felt lacking to me.

Julia and Sienna Larkin are sister-in-laws but much more as best friends and business partners. Julia is married to Sienna’s brother Jason. Their bond will be tested when Jason is accused of the murder of his boss. Sienna believes he can do no wrong so is innocent. But when secrets emerge, Julia is not so sure of his innocence. Can their relationship survive this test.




Thanks to Megan Collins and Atria Books for the book

Had potential but never quite got there. I am a thriller junkie and have read a previous book by Megan Collins so my expectations were quite high. This was a bit of a slow burn and quite repetitive. I didnt care much about the friendship between the two women and wanted more from the mystery itself. I never felt like I connected with either Sienna or Julia so i found myself not caring/skimming a lot.

I was really excited to read this one, given the synopsis sounded great. The beginning was good, but that’s where it stopped being enjoyable for me. Sienna was way too dramatic and immature and her dialogue made me cringe for the entirety of the book. The plot was not a thriller, but more of a family drama and the title made no sense to me. The guilty party was incredibly predictable it just didn’t leave me feeling satiated. Thank you to the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

"Thicker Than Water" by Megan Collins presents a complex narrative that navigates the depths of family secrets and psychological suspense. The author's ability to build an unsettling atmosphere is noteworthy, immersing readers in the emotional turmoil of the characters. The twists and revelations are skillfully executed, adding layers of intrigue to the story.

Megan Collins weaves a compelling narrative of tangled relationships, buried secrets, and a looming sense of betrayal in "Thicker Than Water." Within the confines of Julia and Sienna's intertwined lives, this psychological thriller explores the fragile nature of trust and the harrowing lengths one will go to protect the ones they love.

Julia and Sienna's bond is a testament to the strength of their connection—a sisterhood formed through their shared ties to Jason, Julia's husband and Sienna's brother. The foundation of their friendship appears unshakable, built upon years of camaraderie and mutual support. Yet, as the story unfolds, cracks begin to emerge, exposing the complexities that lie beneath the surface.

Collins sets the stage with a jarring act of violence—the gruesome murder of Jason's boss, a crime that sends shockwaves through the Larkin family. The tendrils of suspicion wind tightly around Jason, intensifying when he becomes a prime suspect and is incapacitated by a car accident. The shifting dynamics of Julia and Sienna's relationship mirror the escalating tension of the investigation, as they grapple with their allegiances and confront unsettling truths.

The author's skillful character development adds depth to the narrative, capturing the nuances of each woman's perspective. Sienna's unwavering loyalty to her brother is juxtaposed against Julia's growing doubts about the man she thought she knew. Collins masterfully navigates the intricacies of their emotions, blurring the lines between truth and deception.

As Julia and Sienna embark on a quest to uncover the mysteries surrounding Jason, the plot unfolds with layers of suspense and intrigue. The uncovering of secrets, the unearthing of hidden motives, and the gradual peeling back of the veneer of their lives contribute to a sense of unease that lingers throughout the story.

Collins's writing evokes a palpable atmosphere of tension and unease, mirrored by the storm of emotions within the characters. The pacing is deliberate and gripping, leading readers down a labyrinth of twists and turns that keep them guessing until the final revelation. The question of whether blood truly runs thicker than water is at the heart of the narrative, challenging assumptions and forcing Julia and Sienna to confront the unthinkable.

In "Thicker Than Water," Megan Collins crafts a psychological thriller that explores the complexities of loyalty, love, and the darkness that can lurk beneath the surface of even the closest relationships. With its well-crafted characters, atmospheric setting, and riveting plot, this novel is a captivating exploration of the boundaries of trust and the lengths one will go to protect their own. As secrets unravel and allegiances shift, readers are taken on a suspenseful journey that ultimately asks: How well do we truly know those we hold dear?

Megan Collins became an automatic read after Family Plot, and Thicker Than Water proved that point once again. The twists and turns kept coming, and the title rang true at the end.

This was a slow burn thriller and that kept me intrigued from the get go, such in interesting twist in the lies and secrets we keep from those we love and hold dear. I enjoyed this book and the chaotic ride it took me on. The dynamics of family and relationships, and what murder mixed in can do to family and business relationships! Oh my! What a great read to get out of the crazy world we live in. Thank you @netgalley for a fantastic escape.

3 stars...

Alternating POV between Sienna & Julia, best friends & sisters in law. Jason, Julia's husband and Sienna's brother is placed into a medically induced coma, following a car accident. Not long before, Jason's boss was murdered. In the days that follow the accident, more lies and secrets come to light, and unfortunately Jason can't answer for himself.

The tension, emotion, and angst were there, but after 50-60% I just found myself getting bored. Most circumstances were just too over the top and unbelievable for me.

I really enjoyed the author's previous book, Behind the Red Door, however this one fell a little flat for me. I needed more.

Thank you to the publisher & netgalley for my e-arc.

Thank you NetGalley for this advance reader copy, so I could leave a voluntary and free review. What a roller coaster novel. Hooked from the first chapter and never let go until the end. The twists and turns will keep you guessing, and wanting more. Definitely recommend this one!