Megan CollinsReseñas
Autor de The Winter Sister
Reseñas
From characters named after murder victims to an eerie, isolated setting - it doesn't get more isolated than an island, right? – The Family Plot by Megan Collins is penned with killer precision. This is my second novel by Ms. Collins and I loved Behind the Red Door this novel was no different. The Lighthouse family knows everything there is to know about murderers and serial killers. They were home-schooled by their mom. She had been obsessed with true crime since her parents were murdered. Hence her children are named after murdered famous people. They are proficient in how murders occurred as well as placement of the murder victim’s body. Can you imagine that being the home school that you are accustomed to? Being a true-crime lover it would be cool and a bit twisted, and I think that is what drew me to this book.
Dahlia Lighthouse knew her family was different and did not fit in. How many families have the sheriff of the community constantly in their backyard with a flashlight? But the children stuck together until they were of the age to be able to leave the island. Then they moved away. Except when Dahlia left, she had to leave alone. Dahlia had a twin, Andy who had promised they would leave together. But on their sixteenth birthday, Andy disappeared, leaving a note. Dahlia was heartbroken that he left without her. So when Dahlia was able to leave the island, she spent all her time and energy trying to find out where her brother had gone and why he left without her. The death of their father brings everyone back but Andy why? What we find is that in the plot where their father is supposed to go we find the body of sixteen-year-old Andy. The story that unfolds after the body is found is one I think you should as the reader journey on your own. What I can say is that it is as spooky and as unexpected as you think and it is worth every page turn. After reading the arc I not only bought the ebook for a friend but have the audiobook for myself considering this was a book I will read again when Ms. Collins brings out her next book.
Insomnia is a good thing when it comes to reading some nights. I want to say that Megan Collins writes a very twisty story in this book and it was worth every minute of lost sleep. Before I continue I do want to say that this book does contain Child Abuse, Kidnapping and Mental Abuse so if these are triggers for you then I will say tread lightly. I do not want to warn you away from the book because it is such a great read so please give it a chance just go at your own pace.
Now that all the trigger warnings are out of the way let us talk about the good parts and why I loved this so much. Fern is a school teacher who has the summer off and gets a call from her father to come help him move and the call in my opinion came across like Fern was bothered by it. She is always looking for her father’s approval and she seems to never get it. When she comes across a book by Astrid Sullivan and for a reason, she couldn’t figure out it made her uneasy. It also is important to mention that Astrid was missing and is now missing again twenty years later.
I loved the creepy feeling that this book gave me and the questions I had all the way through. What Megan Collins does beautifully in this book is that she answers all your questions and still leaves you wanting more. While this is my first exposure to this author it will not be the last. I enjoyed the fast paced ride that this book was able to offer. I do want to say I was sorry to all parties involved in deciding in my arc of this novel. My delay has nothing to do with the book and more to do with life.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2023/10/the-family-plot.html
Reviewed for NetGalley.
Behind the Red Door is the story of protagonist Fern as she struggles to unlock her repressed memories to help find a missing woman.
20 years ago Astrid Sullivan was kidnapped, help prisoner in a basement by a masked assailant, then sensationally returned weeks later. Fern has no memory of this event even though she would have been old enough to remember it being all across the news, but when Astrid goes missing again 20 years later, Fern becomes convinced that she knew Astrid, that the two girls are somehow connected. The recurrent nightmare she has been having since childhood begins to take on the face of the young Astrid. Could her dreams be more than just a dream? Is it actually a flash of memory she is seeing in her sleep?
For all of the serial killer thrillers, psychological suspenses and thrillers, even horror novels, this truly is one of the most deeply disturbing and terrifying books I have read.
There is no need for gory, blood soaked depictions, no monsters in the classical sense, no sadistic killers on the loose, no gothic, dark, eerie houses, and yet; for every component that makes up a scary story that this book doesn’t have, doesn’t need, the tension is so precision perfect, sharper than any surgical scalpel and delivered so accurately that you don’t register the fatal cut to the jugular until it’s to late! It may not have you jumping at shadows, checking under your bed or have your heart rate soaring with every creak and groan of the house in the dead of night. This is so much worse because it’s all psychological, its all inside your head. Your mind trapped, at war with itself as it digests the horrors that our own minds can inflict.
This book poignantly embarks on a road paved with anxiety, mental health and afflictions of the mind and how the people you love, the people that are meant to keep you safe can be the very people that harm you the most. But even worse, the damage our own minds can do to ourselves.
The writing is so incredibly immersive that you feel as though as though you are also part of Ted’s research, like one of his subjects. As you feel the fear seeping off the pages and follow the plot lines about deceptions of the mind this book will have you questioning your own mind as well as what is about to be revealed next and doubting Ferns mind as well as your own! Have I been right all along or have I fallen for one of the red herrings scattered throughout the book?
If you are a fan of psychological thrillers then this book needs to be at the top of your tbr list! Behind the Red Door will be published on 04 August 2020 but you can preorder it now. I can promise you, it will be worth the wait!
Julia knows Jason has been dishonest with her, taking $5,000 from their dream vacation account. She’s more open that Sienna to the idea that Jason might be guilty. However, while the police seem content to blame Jason, both of them pursue clues to, they hope, exonerate him.
This is the second time I have liked a Megan Collins book more while reading it, than after I finish. When I first read Thicker than Water I was not feeling well and did not immediately write down my thoughts about it. So, last week I picked it up and began reading and I was about a quarter of the way through before I realized I had already read it. I was willing to blame that on being sick, but between last week and today, I again forgot large portions of the story. A mystery should not be that forgettable.
I think Collins had admirable intentions in writing Thicker than Water. There is a #MeToo lesson about what being an ally to women really means. Sometimes when we fail to do the right thing, we over-correct the next time a similar situation arises and, perhaps, do the wrong thing again, making a bad situation worse. As a mystery, the story is not particularly strong, however, it does a good job of showing how family is affected by suspicion. It’s not just Sienna and Julia, but also Julia and Jason’s child who are all tested by suspicion. The emotional context is well done.
I received an e-galley of Thicker than Water from the publisher through Edelweiss
Thicker than Water at Simon & Schuster
Megan Collins author site
The Family Plot by Megan Collins TW Review
Behind the Red Door by Megan Collins TW Review
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2023/09/16/thicker-than-water-by-meg...
Gavin was Jason's boss and was murdered on a night that Jason had an alibi, but one with holes in it.
Then Jason is in a bad accident that leaves him in a coma.
No one can believe Jason would kill anyone let alone his boss, and he can't even tell his story and defend himself.
There is a lot of drama, a lot of lies, a lot of untrustworthy characters, and a lot of what ifs and unbelievable situations.
I kept wavering about who the murderer was especially when surprise things popped up.
The book is a slow burn, but it still wasn't one I was anxious to get back to. 3/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
Julia and Sienna Larkin are sisters-in-law, best friends, and business partners. Julia is married to Sienna’s brother, Jason, and the two have a teenage son, Aiden. Sienna is sure her brother is perfect, while Julia knows he isn't but that he tries to do his best. Their relationship is tested when Jason's boss is found brutally murdered and Jason is hospitalized and in a medically induced coma after a serious car accident. Then the police reveal that Jason is the prime suspect in the murder. The two are convinced Jason is not guilty so they set out to investigate on their own.
The narrative is told through the alternating points-of-view of Julia and Sienna, which works out well because, although they are great friends, they also have very different personalities. Both of these women are portrayed as fully realized individuals with unique personalities.
The actual plot is a slow-burner. The interest lies in the very different approaches and temperaments of the two women and their search for evidence to prove Jason's innocence. Readers who like to explore complicated female friendships will appreciate this aspect of the plot. The mystery is more low key and somewhat predictable.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Atria Books.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2023/07/thicker-than-water.html
This was a fun thriller and I whipped right through it. Definitely recommend.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Fern Douglas has returned home at the behest of her father, Ted, to help him pack for a relocation to FL in the wake of an impending separation from her mother. Fern, who grew up constantly seeking her father’s approval, leaps at the request for help. Flattered that her father, Ted, with whom she has an unconventional relationship, says he “needs” her.
Once home, a story surfaces about the re-disappearance of Astrid Sullivan, a recent memoirist who has chronicled her childhood abduction in a now bestselling book. Fern can’t help feeling like she was part of the original ordeal, if not a witness to it, and dives in to help unravel the mystery in a then and now story that unfolds neatly. Astrid appears to have been taken by the same, untraceable captor as held her before, only who was it? Where is she now? And had she been taken alone?
To say more would give away things best left discovered by the reader, but trust me when I say, you will want to know what happened. Even if some of it appears obvious, the author has a definite knack for stopping and starting chapters at the exact right points to keep the reader turning the page.
I have a bit of fatigue where unreliable narrators are concerned. Folks with repressed memories. Mysteries that hinge on the obvious. Somehow, Megan Collins has managed to use familiar tropes, but to create such unique characters that I almost (reason for four instead of five stars) didn’t notice. A father whose primary interaction with his daughter is to study her responses to fear? That’s a new one on me, and a great job was done fleshing out folks that live and breathe on the page—despite, and maybe because of, their eccentricities. A compelling story from beginning to end, Behind the Red Door is an enjoyable, recommended read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC.
Dahlia goes on a quest to make sense of the family history and gets more she could ever imagine. This story has everyone looking suspicious with motive including the grounds keeper and creepy neighbors.
Megan has became a favorite of mine. I just read The Winter Girls and really enjoyed that book!
The Family Plot--
A dysfunctional, true-crime obsessed family, a missing brother, a serial killer, and an island mansion filled with murder and mystery!
I loved the characters--
Full of wonderful brilliant characters. Dahlia, Tate, and brothers Charlie and Andy
The story is told from Dahlia's POV. Her twin brother Andy just up and left when they were teenagers and she has spent everyday since trying to find her missing twin!
Tate is an Instagram Influencer and Charlie is an actor!
Honestly I enjoyed every character. They each had their own issues they are dealing with and trying to come face to face with their past won't be easy!
The story--
Was intriguing and held my attention. All in all, this book was a fantastic read. I enjoyed the journey and everything in it. It's fast-paced, totally unpredictable, and one with a twist that will basically blow your mind!
I did not see what was coming!
My Rating--
I Liked It! Enjoyable, fun, different, easy read!
Thank you again for giving me the chance to read and review this ebook.copy.
Anyhow, as I stated before isn't it an overly complex story. We have Sylvie the surviving sister, guilt-ridden who travels home to take of her sick mother. Her mother hasn't truly been the same person since Persephone was murdered and their relationship is not what it used to. Sylvie starts to unravel the mystery surrounding her sister's death. There are not many suspects, and the red herrings were pretty easy to spot and the book just doesn't have that many surprises. It's simply a decent thriller. Hence, the rating. If the story had grabbed me more, the character moved me more had I been able to give a higher rating. As it is, it's just an OK thriller, the story kept my interest up all the way to the end and I felt that the ending was if not that surprising at least satisfying.
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
Anyhow, as I stated before isn't it an overly complex story. We have Sylvie the surviving sister, guilt-ridden who travels home to take of her sick mother. Her mother hasn't truly been the same person since Persephone was murdered and their relationship is not what it used to. Sylvie starts to unravel the mystery surrounding her sister's death. There are not many suspects, and the red herrings were pretty easy to spot and the book just doesn't have that many surprises. It's simply a decent thriller. Hence, the rating. If the story had grabbed me more, the character moved me more had I been able to give a higher rating. As it is, it's just an OK thriller, the story kept my interest up all the way to the end and I felt that the ending was if not that surprising at least satisfying.
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
Each of the four Lighthouse children was named for a famous murder victim. Their mother homeschooled them but their curriculum was anything but traditional. Her lesson plans included detailed studies of famous killings and killers, murder reports composed by the children, and special commemorative ceremonies on the anniversaries of the crimes. In the first-person narrative Collins employs to relate the tale, Dahlia recalls that their mother "crowded our walls with her murdered parents." Their mother told her children that she moved to the island at the age of twenty-one after her parents were killed in their Connecticut estate during a home invasion. She met Daniel Lighthouse on the island and their marriage endured because he "indulged her eccentricities, encouraged them even, and did not protest as she turned the mansion into something like a mausoleum." Growing up, the Lighthouse children were shunned by their peers, so they only had each other for company and as playmates.
As the story opens, the three grown Lighthouse children make their way back to the island when they learn their father has died. Charlie, the eldest, is an actor. He's also an alcoholic with a dark view of the world and bitingly morbid sense of humor. Tate is an artist who uses Instagram to showcase her intricately-crafted dioramas of crime scenes. More particularly, the scenes of killings that have taken place on the island. Over the course of two decades, seven young women have been murdered on the island and the cases remain unsolved. The killer hasn't struck for ten years, but the islanders still dead bolt their doors. Charlie and Tate have a strong bond that Dahlia characterizes as "codependent."
Dahlia has spent the last decade searching for Andy, her twin, who ran away from home when they were sixteen years old. She explains that each of the four siblings had reasons for never returning to the island. Charlie claimed he had to be in the city in case he landed a role and without him, Tate would not return. Dahlia left when she was nineteen years old, finally accepting Andy's declaration in the handwritten note he purportedly left that he was never coming back. She saw no reason to attempt to get close to her other family members. Their mother was absorbed in reenacting the murders she made the children study, and their father paid no attention to her. Charlie and Tate were "a unit," and it was Andy who made Dahlia feel "valued, complete." But. Andy "left without telling me why, without even saying goodbye, and I've had to live all these years in the not knowing, which is a lonely, comfortless place," she relates. She knew that Andy had troubles she didn't understand -- he used to go into the woods with an ax and cut tress down in order to control his anger and frustration. He told her he thought their family lived an "unnatural" life, but was that reason enough to abandon her and the rest of the family? She's holding out hope that wherever he is, Andy will learn of their father's death and return.
But Dahlia's hopes are dashed when Fritz, the family's long-time, faithful groundskeeper, announces that when he was opening the grave within the family plot in which Daniel was to be buried, he made a shocking discovery. "Somebody's already buried in Mr. Lighthouse's plot. And I think it's Andy." Soon detectives arrive to investigate, pending identification of the remains. It seems that the body was buried with an ax belonging to Andy and there are fractures on the skull consistent with the blade of that particular ax. The body is positively identified as Andy.
The Family Plot explores the disturbing killing of Andy Lighthouse, whose body has been buried right there on the island in the family plot for a decade, unbeknownst to the family members. Or did one of them know exactly where he was? Who killed Andy? And why?
Collins compassionately portrays how Andy's death impacts Dahlia who, by her own admission, has dedicated her life to finding him. It was her only dream, "so now what do I do?" she ponders. Andy had wanted the two of them to run away when they were thirteen, but Dahlia resisted. Now, knowing she has spent ten years believing that "his heart [was] still beating in sync with" hers is almost too much for her to bear. "I always thought that, if he died, I'd feel it, like a coffin snapping shut on my own body. But all this time, I've been breathing just fine; all this time, I've been wrong."
Collins depicts, from Dahlias perspective, how each of the family members reacts to the news of Andy's death. Ever the actor, Charlies decides the home will become a memorial museum, open for public viewing. In preparation, Tate feverishly begins work on another diorama -- her own brother's murder scene. Their mother begins behaving uncharacteristically maternal and domestic, obsessively baking cookies. Dahlia is determined to learn what happened to Andy and, in the process, makes a number of disturbing discoveries.
Collins says she most enjoyed bringing the flamboyant Charlie to life, but took great care with her depiction of Dahlia. "She’s going through so much over the course of the novel —- mourning her brother, investigating his murder, navigating her dysfunctional family -— so I wanted to make sure I did justice to her journey and balanced all of its different components in a way that would push her toward growth." Collins succeeds at making Dahlia relatable and empathetic, despite the fact that she is surrounded by eccentric and, in some cases, sinister characters and the story itself is exceedingly dark and quirky. The tale proceeds forward at a steady pace with the revelation of shocking details bringing into question her characters' motivations and what additional secrets they may be hiding. Collins cleverly makes several of them possible suspects both in Andy's murder, as well as the killings of the seven young women. The island itself and, more particularly, the Murder Mansion serve as inanimate characters in the broodingly atmospheric story.
The Family Plot is an inventive and clever look at the relationships between the siblings, as well as with their parents. It is an insightful examination of long-held family secrets and the inherent danger in assumptions, as well as the cost of escaping familial bonds. Collins delivers a jaw-dropping, explosive conclusion that answers all of readers' questions. But at its core, The Family Plot is a character study -- a searing exploration of a thoroughly dysfunctional family. And how the surviving members discover the truth and, ultimately, reconcile themselves to it in order to escape the past and move on with their lives.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book and to Atria Books for a physical copy.
I definitely had no issue with the completely weird family situation in which Dahlia grew up. That it was bizarre is an understatement as she, and her siblings, were home schooled in the macabre, writing reports of serial killers as opposed to learning Math, Science, and English. Dahlia's mother had apparently lost her parents to a serial killer and wanted to teach her children how to survive in world she saw full of death and darkness. Okay, I can swallow that, if uneasily. I can even swallow the ceremonies the family had to remember the victims of various serial killers. Oh, it was macabre and I will admit to shuddering a bit, but not because of fear, but because it was so over the top. I really felt like the author was throwing all of this at the reader to try and get a reaction, but when you do too much, the shock value kind of wears thin after a while, and the whole effect just becomes silly. I had difficulty connecting to the characters the way it was written, and really wished the author had used the spooky atmosphere of the house a bit more to develop her characters and the plot.
I actually thought the title to this book was quite interesting, and quite clever. But the story itself was disjointed and I found Dahlia's inner monologue to be lacking. There was so much telling rather than allowing the reader to try and figure things out, so it was rather easy to figure out who was actually responsible for the deed. Except for the first chapter or so, the tension was rather lacking, and while I don't always like the use of dual timelines, I did wonder if maybe this book would have benefited from the use of one, or even the use of different POVs.
Verdict
The Family Plot had so much potential; it had the creepy atmosphere, the setting was perfect, and there was the dysfunctional family. Unfortunately, the plot itself was lacking tension and was kind of bland, and I didn't really like the characters. Overall, this wasn't really a mystery thriller, but an author's use of creepiness to try to set the scene rather than use tension, and it didn't really work. I just couldn't suspend my belief in some of the things that were going on.
The Family Plot is one of those “treat” reads. One that makes you love reading all over again.
The Rest of It:
"At twenty-six, Dahlia Lighthouse is haunted by her upbringing. Raised in a secluded island mansion deep in the woods and kept isolated by her true crime-obsessed parents, she is unable to move beyond the disappearance of her twin brother, Andy, when they were sixteen.
After several years away and following her father’s death, Dahlia returns to the house, where the family makes a gruesome discovery: buried in their father’s plot is another body—Andy’s, his skull split open with an ax." ~ Indiebound
Let’s just say that discovering her missing brother’s body in her own backyard is enough to make Dahlia lose all hope in her true-crime obsessed family. Andy was her twin, but he was also everything to her. Basically, the other half of who she was. Losing her brother at the age of sixteen, with his “goodbye” note the only thing left behind, meant that she saw him every time she turned a corner, searched endlessly online for him, and basically lost touch with her two other siblings because they didn’t seem to understand the depth of her loss. They had each other, and she had no one.
When their father dies and they all return home it’s not a happy homecoming at all. Too many memories buried in that house. They were raised by parents who were obsessed with true crime, specifically the local murders which involved many young women, and the killer was never found. Their walls covered with the news of those murders, gruesome pictures and even dioramas that Dahlia’s sister constructed as a way to work through the horror.
When Andy’s body is discovered in their own backyard, Dahlia cannot make sense of it. He’s been gone all this time and yet, he was right there. How did he end up there? Who killed him? Is it related to the other killings on the island?
This was a marvelous read. Fun, twisty, not that predictable. I enjoyed spending time with this quirky family and I could not turn the pages fast enough. I was hoping it would be good but it will probably end up on my fave list at the end of the year. I was happily surprised by how much I loved this one.
Recommend.
For more reviews, visit my blog: Book Chatter.
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Julia and Sienna soon find themselves seeing Jason through different eyes for the first time. Julia's mother had warned her to never trust men so this starts whirling in her head since she married Jason because she was pregnant and now share a son Aiden. She questions the life they have built together. His sister, Sienna, is strong willed and determined to prove her brother's innocence. Her personality is rather annoying with her impulsive nature jumping into investigating the murder herself. Although they hired a private investigator, Sienna ignores his instructions to not do anything as it starts to compromise the investigation. She seeks the help of her ex-boyfriend, Wyatt, who is a police officer and still in love with her. I found myself disliking her aggressive and argumentative behavior like nails on a chalkboard. I did not find her a likeable character given her disregard for the concerns of other people.
Ultimately, they need to determine what happened and why it appeared that Jason knew more than he admitted and why the evidence points to him. Will Sienna's determination to prove his innocence work in his favor or jeopardize his case? Will Julia be able to trust Jason or will the evidence change her mind? Will the relationship between Julia and Sienna survive this test of this commitment to family?
Thank you Edelweiss and Atria/Simon & Schuster for providing this book for review
consideration. I have read this digital book and all opinions expressed are my own.