Welcome to the House of Horrors… Literally
If Knives Out, The Addams Family, and a true crime podcast had a baby—it would be The Family Plot by Megan Collins. And let me tell you, it’s not a baby you’d want to babysit.
Dahlia Lighthouse isn’t your typical 26-year-old. She grew up in a Gothic coastal mansion where her parents homeschooled her and her siblings… using murder cases as part of the curriculum. Yep. Serial killers were practically bedtime stories. While most kids learned math and science, the Lighthouse kids were reciting victim timelines and dissecting motives like mini profilers. Healthy? Not remotely. Fascinating? Absolutely.
When Dahlia returns home after her father’s death, she’s expecting the usual cocktail of grief, family tension, and probably some passive-aggressive comments over dinner. What she doesn’t expect is to find her twin brother Andy—who’s been missing for ten years—buried in the family plot.
Cue the screams. Cue the suspicion. Cue the slow-burn unraveling of every family member’s secrets. And buckle up, because this ride is twistier than a spiral staircase in a haunted house.
What Makes This Book a Killer Read
Let’s break it down like a true crime sleuth would:
Atmosphere:
A remote island. A decaying mansion. Creaky floorboards, candlelight vigils, and murder dioramas just chillin’ in the attic. If vibes could kill, this place would already be on parole.
Plot Twists:
This book will have you playing detective—pinning mental red string across every page—and then flipping that whole board over when the next twist hits. It’s deliciously unpredictable. Trust no one. Especially not the charming, artistic sibling. (There’s always one.)
Writing Style:
Gothic and lyrical but easy to devour. Megan Collins writes like she’s handing you a warm cup of tea… laced with something suspicious. You’ll be lulled into comfort only to be smacked in the face with another twist five pages later.
Family Dynamics:
Think emotional damage meets murder mystery. Every sibling is deeply weird in their own flavor. It’s like the Breakfast Club but with more corpses and fewer life lessons. Dahlia’s struggle to separate love from loyalty and fact from fiction is both heartbreaking and wildly compelling.
Why You’ll Love It (Even If You Sleep With a Nightlight)
This isn’t just about murder. It’s about grief, identity, obsession, and what happens when your entire childhood is a crime scene. It asks: Can you trust your family when your whole life has been a reenactment?
Also, shoutout to Collins for weaving in meta moments about true crime culture—how we consume it, how we idolize killers, and the blurry line between fascination and fetishization. It’s sharp social commentary hidden in a haunting family drama.
You’ll read this for the mystery, but you’ll stay for the emotional gut punches and haunting reveals. And then you’ll go look over your shoulder… just in case.
Read This If You…
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Would 100% watch a Netflix series called Murder Mansion: The Lighthouse Files
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Like your thrillers dark, twisted, and emotionally deep
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Grew up on Dateline and low-key wanted to be Clarice Starling
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Have ever said “I could totally solve a murder” while watching Only Murders in the Building
Want More Twisted Tales?
If you loved this, check out:
The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell – Also features a creepy house, dark family secrets, and that same why-am-I-enjoying-this-so-much energy.
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell – Not a murder mystery, but emotionally heavy and full of psychological layers.
Home Before Dark by Riley Sager – Ghosts? Maybe. Creepy childhood home? Definitely. Unreliable narrators? Oh yes.
Still thinking about this book and need to talk about it? Come scream with me in the comments or send me a message. And don’t forget to check out more mystery reviews on my blog so your TBR can stay just as disturbing as your search history.
Final Verdict:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Murdery. Moody. Magnificent. This is one twisted tale you don’t want to miss.
