this book would be perfect for "netflix limited series".

i liked the specificity of all the characters and the chapters told from different points of view.

it's been touted as having some sort of intricate plot but i didn't find it to be especially noteworthy or gasp-inducing. it was a solid plot that was trying to be obscured by the writing, which it mostly did.

pure beach read.

Honestly it took me wayyy too long to read this one - but I absolutely loved how fast paced this story was. I always love a good mystery with different perspectives. And getting to the bottom of what the friends were hiding about the night Eden died kept me on the edge of my seat

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

This story, told from multiple perspectives, follows three families after a young woman, Eden, is murdered. Her mother is shocked, but the families know their teenagers, who were with Eden, are hiding something.

The families intertwine with friendships, relationships, and affairs. And just who the murderer is… well, that’s not an easy answer. This book does a great job of illustrating the differences between cultures, social status, and showcases every person’s faults.

I thought this book was well-written and would say it’s more of a family drama/mystery than a thriller. Even though most of the characters weren’t great people, I was still interested to see what happened.

Locust lane is a slow thriller that depicts a murder in a small Massachusetts town. I'm honestly not the biggest fan of thrillers that have more than 2-3 perspectives, as I feel it gets easy to lose track of what's going on and who knows what. This book was no diffrent. I felt that perspectives got lost at times, and was confused by some story lines. Some things wrapped up well, while other plot lines could have been handled better. While the ending isn't perfect, and the wrong person ends up in prision, this is an accurate reflection of our justice system. HOwever, I felt the author could have dove further into how racism and islamophobia may play a part in this.

This one sounded so good and unfortunately the execution was a let down for me. I would have liked to see the plot do deeper and not wider. There are times I felt the information I was reading was irrelevant to the plot and just put there in attempts to give depth to characters that felt shallow. I can the intent behind a lot of what didn't work for me. This could work for other readers though.

I appreciate having the chance to read this book as an advanced reader. I was surprised by this story. It was dark, emotional, and twisted beyond my expectations. I enjoyed the depth to the characters and the emotional pain they experienced that motivated their plotlines. Even though a few of the main characters were teenagers, it didn't feel too unrelatable or out of touch age-wise. The ending was kind of a gut-punch in its closeness to reality, but I admire that the author went in that direction. This was a solid story.

I enjoy a domestic thriller/drama including smaller community mysteries so I was glad to give this a read. I liked the mystery around Eden’s death and I always love an unreliable narrator as I think this makes stories more interesting as I try to determine what information is more useful than others. I think it was realistic to watch the parents of the children evolve in how they handled the situation by doing what they could to protect their children from the repercussions rather than looking towards justice. The ending ultimately wasn't surprising so I wished it packed a little bit more of a punch.

I am very behind on my reviews, so I just finished this one. I found this one to be a bit confusing, as it was a slow burn with multiple points of view. I would get hooked and then my attention would wander. I think others will love this book, it just was not really my liking for now.

Slow burning book with multiple POVs. Once I got all the characters figured out I was very interested, however the slow pace of the story had my attention wandering. There was a lot of back story for each of the characters that didn't add anything but distraction from who actually killed Eden. I felt a huge disconnect from Eden's mother and felt her behavior was completely unrealistic. Overall, the actual story line pertaining to Eden's death and the pursuit of her killer was very interesting with some good plot twists!

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this highly anticipated book, courtesy of NetGalley (thank you!). The storyline was intriguing and focused on the murder of a high school girl. It was told from multiple perspectives that painted a picture of the relationships between townspeople and potential suspects of the murder.

I normally love books with multiple POVs but unfortunately this fell flat to me. It was such a slow burn that I lost interest in finally finding out who committed the murder at the end. Tangential stories involving affairs, social classes, and other small storylines muddled the book too much. I believe this author has potential and I would be willing to try another book by him in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my e-ARC of Locust Lane!

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I tried again and again to read it but the plot just couldn’t keep my attention and I didn’t like the multiple POVs. I will definitely check out more from this author in the future though!

Finally!! I finally finished this book but ultimately had to listen to it as an audiobook to get it done. I got this an ARC from the publisher and started it but stalled at 14% The characters were not likeable and it was unclear who you were supposed to be rooting for in the story. Told from the points of view of the parents, you only see what they are going through in relation to the murder. The language is over the top in a lot of places and the ending was very unsatisfying in my opinion but understandable since the premise is rich parents protecting their kids. Overall, the mystery wasn't compelling enough to make me want to read it when I got it.

Locust Lane is a riveting story of what powerful families will do to protect their own.

One night, in the middle of the night, a murder occurs on Locus Lane in Emerson, Massachusetts. Eden Perry, a visitor, is found dead. The three teens that were with her say when they left she was alive. But was she? And if so, then how did she end up dead?

I enjoyed the complexity of this story as the characters grapple with this tragedy in their community. Although Eden was the one murdered, she is not the only victim of the crime. There were many nuanced and difficult choices made. I found the ending, while not completely satisfying, realistic.

I recommend this book to any readers looking for a thoughtful and reflective winter read.
Thanks to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book for review.

What an amazing book! I really feel like this is one of those books where the less you go in knowing about it, the better. Great writing, awesome story, and amazing characters.

Read if you like:
•character driven stories
•twisty thrillers
•great pacing that makes you keep turning the pages
•bingeable reads

Run, don’t walk and grab this one!

I love a book about rich people and their secrets. Given this, I was all about the premise for Locust Lane by Stephen Amidon. This book delves into the depths to which parents will go to protect their families and how privilege can be at odds with justice.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

I must admit that I was a little wary of Locust Lane and put off reading it for a while. Total surprise for me when I enjoyed it so much! I am tough on thrillers, but Locust Lane kept me interested, engaged and guessing right from the start. Recommend!

Wowzers, this one had me on the edge of my seat! It was propulsive, engaging, gripping, and took me on an emotional and anxiety-filled ride. Like others have said, taking notes for this one helps you keep the characters and their connections to the plotlines straight, so definitely do that in the beginning!

This may be my first Stephen Amidon novel, but it won't be my last!

Thank you to @celadonbooks for my gifted copy!

The book opens with a promising setup—a small town with its share of secrets and a mysterious lane that seems to hold the key to a host of untold stories. However, as the plot unfolds, it becomes evident that the initial intrigue fails to evolve into a compelling narrative. The pacing is uneven, with long stretches of stagnation punctuated by brief moments of attempted excitement that feel forced and out of place. The characters, unfortunately, lack depth and fail to engage the reader. There is a noticeable absence of character development, leaving the protagonists feeling one-dimensional and uninteresting. Their motivations and actions remain unclear, making it difficult to invest emotionally in their journeys. As a result, the supposed twists and turns in the story fall flat, lacking the impact they could have had with more well-rounded characters.

The setting? Incredible. I love a little rich New England neighborhood.

The plot? Decent. Your typical rich families and their dramatic children.

The characters? Eh. I'm sure they're meant to be unlikeable and they definitely were.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

This was more of a drama than a thriller. It was a slow paced story and while I liked the premise, the overall story fell a little flat for me.