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.

“We can’t restore your life, but we strive to restore your memory.”

What a spellbindingly creepy family! Not only was Dahlia named after a murder victim, her whole family studied them. Raised by a mother obsessed with murder, they wrote murder reports on the killings by the serial killer who haunted their island and held Honorings where they lit candles on the anniversary of each death - her way of keeping her family safe from the darkness without. It wasn’t until Dahlia left home at age 19 with no idea how to make friends - except for one true crime obsessed woman - that she realized just how twisted her upbringing was.

Now their father’s dead, so three of the four siblings return home, Dahlia for the very first time. The fourth, Dahlia's twin Andy, hasn’t been seen or heard from since he left a cryptic note at sixteen. But then his body is discovered buried in their father’s plot in the family cemetery. Suddenly, everyone Dahlia grew up around is a suspect.

Filled with twists and turns and chilling facts, this book was impossible to put down. The characters were just as real and gripping as the plot, something that’s often lacking in thrillers. I was fascinated by elusive Instagram influencer Tate, bitter cynic professional actor Charlie, the mom who switches from murder obsession to cookie baking obsession when tragedy strikes, and vulnerable, left-out Dahlia, who doesn't seem to fit in anywhere without her twin.

This book is perfect for every lover of true crime podcasts and those fascinated with the secrets we bury deep within.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book.

3.5 stars.

Never have I been so fascinated with a family dynamic in a book, but the Lighthouses were a dumpster fire I could not get enough of. The build up was so good, but the twist was just "meh" for me, I wanted so much more! Ultimately, though, I had a hard time putting the book down, and isn't that what it's really all about?

Thank you to Megan Collins, Atria Books, and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

The heroine of The Family Plot is called Dahlia, after The Black Dahlia. Her brother, Charlie, is the namesake of Charles Lindbergh, who was kidnapped and murdered as a baby. Older sister Tate is named after Sharon Tate, famous victim of Charles Manson. And her twin Andy, from the father of killer Lizzie Borden.

You might be wondering what kind of psychopath would choose names for their darling babies amidst such horror and cruelty. Dahlia's mother is a "special" soul - obsessed with the murder of her parents, she raised her children on a steady diet of victimology, true crime stories, dead body reenactments and charming details like someone being shot in the head and their brain looking like a "roast chicken" on the floor. Settled on an island that is also home to a famous serial offender, The Blackburn Killer, who dumps women onto beaches wearing ice-blue dresses and with branded ankles - the kids grow up mired in the muck of crime scenes, with more knowledge of victims' names and birth dates than they do of the periodic table or Shakespeare.

Suffice to say, this isn't the Brady Bunch, and all the children flew the coop as soon as was humanly possible - with Andy being the most mysterious.

Dahlia's been searching for her beloved twin since he left in the dead of night, over a decade earlier. But when she returns to the family home for her father's funeral, a grisly discovery is made - Andy's skeleton, the fractured skull split apart by an ax. Andy is suddenly not just a ghost on a Sri Lankan beach or a face in the crowd in Paris - he's truly gone, not to be found on social media or a message board or by combing the streets of nearby cities. Dahlia is set adrift by the news, and deep in mourning, she begins to try to piece together what exactly happened to her brother. In doing so, she stumbles upon evidence that The Blackburn Killer might be closer than anyone ever dreamed...

The Family Plot was the first novel I read by Megan Collins. The premise is wonderful. I love listening to true crime podcasts ("The Murder Squad" is my favourite) and armchair detectives are actually out there solving cases these days - combing through evidence with the kind of meticulousness that most exhausted, overworked detectives just don't have the time or manpower for these days.

My main sticking point here is that the characters are utterly irredeemable. There wasn't one person I was rooting for in the entire sorry bunch. Dahlia is a wet rag. Charlie is an obnoxious drunk. Tate is infuriating and more concerned with her Instagram art than her sister's obvious grief. Their mother - I mean, where do I begin here? She needs serious, serious help. I also - with the exception of Tate - didn't find any of them believable as actual human beings.

Toward the end, the revelations come in thick and fast, and I felt the main, overarching theme was lost - the victims. The women who were murdered for someone else's sadistic pleasure. They are just blobs in an image or stick figures in one of Tate's dioramas. None of the characters seemed to feel genuine grief over what had happened to them, and genuine horror at who had contributed to their suffering and the abrupt cleaving of their lives.

So while The Family Plot was entertaining at times, I couldn't feel any of the gravitas I had hoped for. There was a real chance for the author to "honour" the victims the way that the family purported to do all of their lives, but as it turns out, their prayers were just soap bubbles, amounting to nothing more than empty words, floating away into the sea and sky.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review. Appreciate it!

Author of The Winter Sister and Behind The Red Door is back with another twisty, shocking thriller!

Twenty-six-year-old Dahlia Lighthouse is returning to her family home. A place she hasn’t been back to for years. Taking the ferry across to the island she was raised on with her twin brother Andy and much older siblings, Charlie and Tate. Their father has died and they are all coming home to bury him.

Not that they particularly want to. Raised in a mansion in the woods, the neighbors called it the Murder Mansion. Isolated and home-schooled, Dahlia is unable to get past the terrible things that happened here. Totally unprepared for life and afraid to live.

The mother is obsessed with true crime. The father goes along with it and the four children are brought up on the ABC murders instead of the alphabet. The house is filled with murder memorabilia. The town thinks they are insane. The police chief is suspicious and keeps hanging around. Everything about this place is creepy and just not right.

Dahlia spends all her time trying to find her twin brother who went missing on their sixteenth birthday. Dahlia knows he ran away because of their unnatural home life.

When they are all together there is just something not right with her sister or brother. What are they hiding?

As the handyman digs the grave for the father he is shocked, along with everyone else, to find the bones of Andy. With an ax. Every one of them handles this so differently. Dahlia knows someone killed him and she isn’t going to stop until she knows the truth.

I think you should find out the rest on your own. This was a disturbing story. My favorite kind. The mother was doing murder reenactments and the sister makes dioramas of the victims for Instagram. The brother, well he’s just nuts.

There were so many suspects in this. There is also a sub-plot going on as well. Also about murder. I stayed up way too late reading this. It was worth it!

NetGalley/ August 17, 2021 Atria