The Family Plot by Megan Collins (Book #36)

Title: The Family Plot

Author: Megan Collins

Dates Read: Apr. 6 - Apr. 9

Format: eBook (ARC)

Rating: ★★

Description: At twenty-six, Dahlia Lighthouse has a lot to learn when it comes to the real world. Raised in a secluded island mansion deep in the woods and kept isolated by her true crime-obsessed parents, she has spent the last several years living on her own, but unable to move beyond her past—especially the disappearance of her twin brother Andy when they were sixteen.

With her father’s death, Dahlia returns to the house she has avoided for years. But as the rest of the Lighthouse family arrives for the memorial, a gruesome discovery is made: buried in the reserved plot is another body—Andy’s, his skull split open with an ax.

Each member of the family handles the revelation in unusual 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 façade, 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.

Review: While Collins' writing and pacing are spot on, her story suffers from a lack of adequate buildup and character development. Interestingly, despite being dedicated “For the murderinos'' the true crime connection never quite catches on and feels superfluous to the true plot. Collins’ constant red herrings and wild goose chase for multiple killers fail to bring about the shock factor she was obviously intending at the climax of the book, and the resolution is just as unbelievable as the rest of the story. Die-hard mystery/thriller fans may be left disappointed and true crime fans will be left confused as to why they were led here in the first place.