Locust Lane is a road or lane in a community where most of the residents are wealthy or come from wealthy families. This tight knit community is turned upside down when there is a girl found murdered in one of the houses where she is a caretaker. A girl who has a checkered past and who is taking a break from her mother. The community is shaken even more when it is discovered that three friends from the local high school may somehow be involved. Many of the characters are dealing with ghost or demons from their past and secrets that they want to keep hidden. As the clues and stories start to be revealed so called relationships and friendships will be tested and they will find out who their true friends are. This a good read

I read 2/3 of this book before I was just over it and had to walk away. It got to the point where the story was so over-saturated with tropes that I did not care about any of the characters, or who the murderer was. I have watched soap operas with less trope-filled, backstabbing storylines.

Locust Lane by Stephen Amorim is a mystery thriller told in multiple points of view following a murder of a local house sitter and the chase to find her killer.

All in all I enjoyed the plot of this book. It was interesting to have the police so dead set on a killer and have the evidence seem to point to him. I also loved the twist. I didn’t see it coming until it was revealed in the book, which is a bravado from me. I typically can guess the twist and it leaves me disappointed.

This book was written in an interesting structure of point of view of the parents instead of the children, whom are the actual characters of the novel, this gave the book a distance that didn’t allow the reader to engage or invest in the characters. It felt more like a TV show then a book. Personally I enjoy being in the middle of the action, not set apart, so this distance made it hard for me to stay engaged. There also felt to be a lot of background about the parents that wasn’t needed. They were just the catalyst for telling the story.

Thank you to Celadon Books and Netgalley for this ARC!

This was a cinematic book that was actually a bit more thrilling than I expected from the description. There were a lot of characters and story threads but it was easy to keep them straight. The twists weren't shocking but they were well utilized to move the story along.

Great characters with many twists and turns. I kept thinking I had it figured out only to discover more details and change my mind yet again..

I recently came across this title but I'm so glad I did because it was right up my alley. I enjoyed this one and I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it! It was a highly engrossing read and I think most people will enjoy it as well. I enjoyed the characters and enjoyed the writing by this author. I'm excited to see what the author comes out with next as I'll definitely be reading it!

On Locust Lane, in a wealthy suburb of Boston, a young woman is found murdered. The investigation into her murder involves three teenage friends who go to high school together. Their parents all become concerned that they seem to be lying about the night of the murder. The story is told from varying perspectives including the parents of the teenagers and the victim. In addition to the murder, the parents have their own drama and entangled relationships. The book is about the parents as much as it is the teenagers mixed up in the murder. It was an interesting story about the lengths parents will go to in order to protect their children. It also explored power dynamics related to wealth and privilege. It's more of a domestic drama than a thriller or mystery but it did keep me reading to find out who was guilty.

I first picked this up in the middle of my The Winners book hangover and only got a few pages in. I picked it up again and could not put it down! This is a thriller/murder mystery involving four teens, and their parents, in posh Emerson, MA. As the story unwinds, secrets are divulged and the parents close ranks to protect their children, but all for very different reasons. This one is very well written and to the point, which kept me turning pages well into the night! For fans of Mystic River and Little Fires Everywhere, also One of Us Is Lying, and a Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, with a dash of We Need To Talk About Kevin. Thank you @netgalley and @celadonbooks for this early copy in exchange for my honest review.

When a young girl is found murdered in the supposedly safe and perfect town of Emerson, the race to find out what happened is on. It comes to light three local high schoolers were with her that night. The town wants the culprit identified and brought to justice so they can go back to their peaceful existence. But will the truth come out when not only the suspects but also their parents are working to write the narrative?

When the first page is about a dog getting hit by a car, it kind of put me off. However the dog survived so I kept on, and I’m glad I did. The rest of prologue and first chapter immediately pulled into the story.

A murder in a quiet idyllic town with juicy secrets? Sign me up! It gave me Little Fires Everywhere vibes which I also enjoyed. Similar to Little Fires Everywhere, this book is a slower burn that is more character driven but still had an intriguing murder mystery to go with it.

The story is told in multiple POV, five to be exact. Having that many POV was overwhelming at first but once I got into the story it got easier to separate them. In the end I actually loved getting so many sides to the story.

At first I did not like the ending, it left me with a weird feeling. However upon further reflection I believe it was the right call for the story.

P.S. Think it’s worth mentioning that the story got a little deep at times, with trigger warnings of self harm and racism.

I had really really high hopes for this book. I thought it was good, it just seemed to string along for too long. I liked the twist at the end, but thought overall the book just moved too slowly.

Locust Lane promises to be a twisty thriller but I think it was less a thriller and more suspense?

Emerson is a quiet, idyllic New England town. Most of the families are financially well-off with jobs that give them status and connections in high places.

When a young woman named Eden turns up dead at one of the affluent homes in the neighborhood, accusations are made that narrow the suspects down to three teens, Jack, Hannah, and Christopher.

Jack is everything that everyone hates about White, upper-middle class males. He benefits from privilege and believes that he is entitled to anything he wants. Hannah is a troubled teenage girl with a history of self-esteem issues and mental illness. While her father is frequently consumed with work, her stepmother lovingly does everything that she can to form a bond with and protect Hannah. Christopher is a French citizen but has been raised by his father in Emerson since his mother died. The new kid in town, Christopher gravitates toward Jack and the protection that is offered by being in his orbit. Nevermind that Jack isn't particularly nice to him.

As accusations are made and stories change, the parents of these teens, and the teens themselves, become a bleak study of class, privilege, power, and influence. The parents and teens reveal the lengths that some people will go to for family, loyalty, and reputation.

This thriller didn't "thrill" me as much as it just made me sad. My favorite character was Patrick. His brokenness and vulnerability were so real. His acceptance of his situation and the honesty he had about himself and his relationships was bittersweet.

I figured out the twist pretty early. It isn't all that surprising. Also, there are a lot of characters and POVs to keep track of and it can become jumbled. The mothers and fathers of Jack and Hannah felt very similar and were portrayed in ways that made them difficult to empathize with. Still, a 3⭐ read.

I think if you go in expecting a more character-driven book with deeper themes about society then you might like it a lot more than I did.

4 Stars!

This story has all of my favorite elements, an affluent neighborhood (bonus points for it being in a fictional Massachusetts town ;) ), multiple points of view, lies, and secrets. A young girl dies and 3 teenagers are potential witnesses. All the lives are intertwined in juicy delicious ways. Mwah ha ha.

No spoilers here, I loved how the story unraveled, just a little disappointed in the big reveal and how everything ended. I would love to see this turned into a series with the two detectives.

A special thank you to NetGalley, Stephen Amidon, and Celadon Books for providing me with an ARC.

The premise of this book sounded promising but it’s just a big ball of unfair depression. Very well written but unsatisfying. A murder of a young woman is committed out on Locust Lane in the town of Emerson, MA,a highly affluent small town. 3 local teenagers were the last to see Eden Perry alive. They all get accused and you just know they’re all lying. When the real culprit is revealed, there’s no justice. It’s completely unfair and I’m not a fan of this kind of harsh social criticism. All the parents close ranks and someone definitely gets away with this accidental murder. There are more sad , pathetic characters in this novel than Les Miserables. I’m giving it 3 stars because it’s well-written and we’ll-plotted. But the end is going to make you angry.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Celadon. Books for this e-arc.*

Locust Lane by Stephen Amidon

A murder of a young woman turns a small town upside down. The story starts with an eerie Prologue. This sets the story up nicely. We then go into the perspectives of the parents, who's children know more about this murder than they let on. I kept wondering when this prologue was going to weave its way into the story.

I really liked the change of perspective. We get bits and pieces of the story as none of these parents really know what happened..they are trying to clear their child's name. I do wish we could have gotten the perspective of one or more of the teenagers, it would have given us a bit more clarity. I was always wondering how much of their story was true. It just kept unraveling.

I really enjoyed this quiet slow burn murder mystery.

Thank you Celadon books for the review copy of Locust Lane! This is a solid 3.5 star read for me, mostly for the writing and approach taken to the story. Overall though this one wasn't a big win for me, perhaps more because as a reader I was looking more for a mystery and this is more a small town privilege theme drama with a mystery backdrop. The beginning is strong and the unfolding of a mystery involving high school youth/young adults from the perspective of their parents was interesting and a change of pace. I felt though a lot of the book was internal thoughts/dialogue and that rarely works for me, I want more interaction and between person dialogue, less internal reflection and thoughts, especially as I didn't really connect with any specific character and didn't want to read so much of their thoughts/internal dialogue. The interchanging perspectives grounded in the same locale and experiences also left me feeling a lot of the story was repetitive (for example, a scene with a series of school alerts, each chapter had the parent getting the alert and it just didn't feel needed). Eventually I found myself wanting the insights from the children themselves, to get more in touch with the mystery itself.

For me this is a 4 star rating as I think the author did achieve very specific goals with storytelling and tone and style it just wasn't a book that worked for me as a reader.

Strengths though abound with a focus on social class, a slow burn drama pace that likely will work for many readers, and intersections of themes of addiction and alcoholism that were important. These themes make for great book discussions so this is a good pick for literary oriented book clubs!

4.5 Stars

This character-driven mystery focuses on privilege and secrecy in a small town when a local girl turns up murdered. How far will people go to protect their family? Who will they sacrifice to keep their loved ones above suspicion?

The mystery itself is intriguing, but is not the center of Locust Lane; the characters and are the focus of the book. The narrative shifts between multiple points of view, giving you perspectives and insights on characters and their motivations. The mystery is the backdrop for a study on human behaviors and relationships.

The narrator (Cassandra Campbell) is good, she handles the multiple PoV well as the chapters change perspectives.

Definitely pick Locust Lane up if you are interested in this type of character study; the mystery is good, but it's the look into these characters that make the book great.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The synopsis of this book sounded interesting to me so I requested a copy to read.
Unfortunately, I have tried reading this book on 2 separate occasions and during this 2nd attempt, I have
decided to stop reading this book
and state that this book just wasn't for me.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

Thank you, Netgalley and Caledon Books, for an eARC in return for an honest review.
3.5 rounded to 4.
This is a slow burn book about a murder in an affluent town. Told through multiple ( like 6 or maybe more)povs. Danielle, the mother of the deceased daugher(Eden), Patrick, who thinks he may have seen something suspicious the night of the murder. The 3 teenagers who were the last to see Eden alive and the parents of the 3 teens. I struggled through the first half of the book, and then, out of nowhere, things started getting very interesting. This book has lies, deceit, scandal, and, of course murder.

It was okay, but not my favorite thing I've ever read. This to me felt for like a family drama rather than a thriller but alas it was a descent read.

We LOVE a slowburn!
This is incredibly gripping and tense. A psychological thriller you won't be able to put down until you turn the very last page.