This is a slow burn, a desperate thriller as it rushes towards tragic ends. Three teenagers are there when a fourth is killed. All troubled teenagers. Their parents know each other and have various entangled relationships. This is also the story of the murdered girl's mother and the witness, who is struggling with his own grief and alcohollsm. Will there be justice or will the most vulnerable be punished. Moving and tragic with a resolution that stings

A suburban nightmare that highlights the lengths parents will go to in order to protect their children, their standing in the community, and their own secrets. Amidon's writing is striking and beautiful, but never bogs down the story. Equal parts heartbreaking, shocking, and terrifying, Locust Lane is a must-read story from a must-read author.

I expected to like this one a lot. Locust Lane is described in the book blurb as "a taut and utterly propulsive story about the search for justice and the fault lines of power and influence in a seemingly idyllic town."

The story is set in motion when a young woman, Eden, is found dead in her home in an upscale New England town. It's an especially tragic murder, because it sounds like Eden was dealing with a lot of personal struggles before her death, but we don't really meet her as a character. Three kids from the rich part of town were partying with her... well, first they all insist they weren't, then that they were but there wasn't any drinking, then that they were drinking but a stranger must have come in after they left, etc. I wasn't really a fan of the pacing, it didn't feel suspenseful. I felt like I read 10,000 pages in which each of the three teenagers insisted it wasn't them and then gave one more detail about that night. There were endless scenes of characters refusing to tell other characters anything,  and it just took ages. I probably should have stopped here when I noticed I was picking up my phone to check Insta and my games while I was reading this book. 

I felt like there weren't enough surprises to make this feel like a thriller or a mystery. From the beginning, readers know that Jack is rich and cruel, his girlfriend Hannah will do anything he wants, and his best friend, Christopher, is bullied and teased by him. And then, the story unfolds kind of as you expect. There aren't any big shocks with the evidence, either.

There are some references to The Scarlet Letter in Locust Lane, and I thought that was appropriate, because I felt the same letdown in the conclusions of both. The Scarlet Letter is a lot of words for Hawthorne to reach the not terribly surprising conclusion that maybe people who call themselves good Christians aren't always moral. Locust Lane was the same -- a lot of words to draw the not terribly surpising conclusion that money means a different set of rules and consequences. It's not a new idea, and the book doesn't really explore further. I've enjoyed murder mysteries where privilege, money, and connections play into the solution (The It Girl and The Lake of Dead Languages come to mind), but this didn't work for me.

The ending of Locust Lane is weirdly unsatisfying. This was an odd novel where I found I cared less and less about the characters as the story went on, but I still wanted some resolution of the main mystery. There's a letter with the solution to the mystery of who killed Eden, and how it was done, but the novel ends before it's read.  Oddly flat novel where neither the murder or the privilege that led to the murder are really investigated.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher to review. All opinions and reactions on my book blog are my own, as always.

Locust Lane
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When Eden Perry is found dead in her distant cousins house in Emerson, an affluent suburb, the police want the case closed as quickly as possible. Three teenagers from powerful and influential families were at the house the night of her murder: Hannah, Jack and Christopher. With all the parents doing everything they can to protect their kids, they are bound to quit being friendly to each other. However will justice actually prevail?
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If you love psychological thrillers you will love this book. Each chapter is based on a day after that murder from the different parents of the kids at the house, Celia, Alice and Michel, points of view. Eden’s mother, Danielle, and Patrick’s, whose daughter died and saw something that night of the murder, points of view. Each persons point of view leaves you hanging until you read from the next person’s. It constantly has you guessing who the killer is and second guessing yourself. The whole book weaves all the twists and action together until the very end. The ending in my opinion is absolute perfection. This book will make you feel sorry for the kids and parents, hating the kids and parents, feeling sorry for some characters and thinking other got what they deserved

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I had high expectations for a nice dark book, but it was not what I’d hoped, unfortunately. The pacing was quite slow, which I generally don’t mind if there is character building involved, but I did not feel this was the case. It just seemed like so much drama.

Annoying relationships, rich people making stupid decisions, bad reality show.

I found it difficult to like any of the POV characters introduced. No real surprises in the big reveal.

Ending was too ambiguous for my liking.

The writing was good and I did actually finish it so it was interesting enough for 3* rating.

I always love books that are set in States I’ve lived in. It’s great to be able picture the place. Despite the fact that the city in Locust Lane was made up, I could still picture it and the kind of people that lived there. I really enjoyed the different narrators throughout the book. It helped get to know the characters much better. I felt like this book was very well written and thought out. Great character development as well. That said, I didn’t like many of the characters in the book. A number of them (mostly in the same family) were just so awful. They remind me of upper class people that don’t see any of their own faults and seem to get away with everything. That said the good characters made up for the rest. I’d highly recommend this book, it’s a great read.

“Relationships are negotiations, Jack. Don’t judge them unless you’re at the table when the deal is done.”

A murdered girl. One shy boy and one questionably violent one. Both were with her the night she died. Both claimed they didn’t do it. There are protective moms. Deceptive dads. Cops. Money. Corruption. And at the heart of it all, a web of lies and deceit where no one is trustworthy and everyone has an agenda.

Ok, I need a minute here. My mind is blown. I am left wanting sooo much more from this story.

I received an invitation to read this from Celadon Books and immediately downloaded and started it, even though I never do that. The synopsis just had me needing to read it. And I flew through it! I could not stop reading. Did I read a book or watch a movie of it?! That’s how deep into this story I was. I can vividly see the characters. The neighborhoods. All of it.

This is a book hangover book. A book you compare other books to. This one drops January 17th so add it to your tbr, preorder it, request an arc. Whatever you have to do to get your hands on this one, do that. You can thank me later.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Celadon Books, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

To start the book with this thrilling and chilling of a prologue was a masterpiece. From the first sentences I was captured and it set the ton for the entire book. In this town there is tragedy that no one expected and it leads to the reveal of secrets, deceptions and lies that no one expected. Not only did this book have a fantastic thrill and mystery to it, it also told of heartbreaks and love and unfortunate parts of life. This book was very well written and I had absolutely no clue as to how it would end. There were moments where I thought oh I know what happened and then it would completely change and I would once again be back in the dark! The development of characters through this story is also something to take into consideration. At the beginning we see young teenagers who already have a lot going on get involved in the most unimaginable ways. As we go through the book we start to realize they are not as naive and uninformed as we think. There is a secret within them and unfortunately it creates a tension between the different youth. There is some concerns as race goes addressed in this book as well and there is conversations that deal with the making of a scapegoat. I really enjoyed the thrill and mystery behind this novel. Thank you Net Galley for the ARC

Locust Lane was the first book I’ve read by Mr. Amidon so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I enjoyed the story very much. It’s essentially a murder mystery but ultimately a character study and an meditation on class, privilege and grief, with a bit of toxic masculinity in the mix as well. It reminded me a bit of The House Party by Rita Cameron but I liked this a bit more.

The story is told from multiple narrators which was a wise choice for this tale since it allowed both the mystery of who killed Eden to build along with unraveling more about each narrator and their backstories. I liked Alice the best and felt saddest for Patrick.

POTENTIAL SPOILER: while you do learn who the killer is, the reckoning for that person isn’t on the page so the ending is a bit ambiguous and up to interpretation which I suppose reflects real life. I like to believe that the guilty party was eventually held accountable in the end.

Eden Perry is murdered while throwing a party for three of her friends. This story is told from multiple characters. It was a very gripping read and hard to put down. I can’t wait to read more by this author. Thanks NetGalley and Celadon Books for this ARC!

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Locust Lane by Stephen Amidon is a terrific whodunit with several suspects who could have killed Eden, the girl from the wrong side of the tracks. This is a cautionary tale about the fact that in a wealthy town, anyone not in the “inner” circle will always be out. No matter how hard you try and how much work you put into climbing the social ladder, it is still a bit out of reach. There were numerous options as to who the killer was, and I’ll be honest; I didn’t figure this one out until the end of the book. Don’t read ahead. It’s worth the wait. This story reminds me of the saying “The rich are different.” It wasn't lost on me that terrible things happen on Locust Lane because the species Locust (in the grasshopper family) is typically solitary until disturbed at which point they swarm and attack. Locust Lane was full of miserable people who wanted a life-changing moment…just not this kind of moment. I think this will be very well received when published on January 17, 2023. It is truly something to look forward to reading. #justice #murder #power #money #influence #socialclass #whodunit #injustice #race #suspicions #infidelity #abuse #manipulation @celadonbooks @netgalley @stephenamidon #locustlane #secrets
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I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and the author for the opportunity to read this book.

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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
I read this one within a few days. Very well written and kept my interest the entire time. Definitely a few surprises including the ending.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good mystery/thriller that keeps you guessing who did it till the end.

Beautifully constructed thriller with multiple POVs spooled out Roshomon-like. There is a murder, there is a witness of dubious believability to the other characters except that the reader was there with them (no spoiler here, the book opens this way), and layers of conflict and complexity infiltrate the plot. While the resolution didn't please me as much as it could have (hence 4 instead of 5 stars), the finality made sense. Looking for more from this guy.

Privilege, money and a classic whodunnit are at the center when an affluent New England suburb is rattled by the murder of a young woman and three local high schoolers are tied to the scene. The teens, as well as their parents, have complicated motives of their own and the parents will do whatever it takes to protect their children, no matter the cost. With an investigation underway, the story unfolds in a slow-burn, alternating between key character POV’s and surrounded by mystery. The author cleverly planted clues throughout the story to help the reader pinpoint the murderer, but my guess was still WAY off when the perp was ultimately revealed.

This book was shockingly realistic in its ending and I hate that this is so. It had enough of that psychological thrill that I’m tempted to reread it knowing what I know now. This was a great mystery that kept me on my toes from the beginning and painted these unique characters and storylines that I won’t forget anytime soon. The story featured themes of small town secrets, the length that parents will go to protect their children/family, racism, classism and addiction.

A special thanks to Netgalley and Celadon Books for my eARC in return for my honest review! Locust Lane is available 1/27/23 and I can already tell it will be a smashing hit.

Thank you for the opportunity to preview Locust Lane.
This book is so well written with deep characters that it will break your heart.
It starts with a car accident late at night. A man slightly injured and drunk. From there we have a murder. In between we meet the people living near Locust Lane. This is. Well to do community. Murder does not happen.
A young woman is found dead and soon the list of suspects becomes the talk of the town.
But all is not what it appears and each chapter tells the story of one of the principle characters and how their lives intersect with the dead woman.
This is not a typical who done it. This is truly one of the best books I have read this year.
Excellent writing and one that gripped me emotionally.
5 stars. Recommend.

I wished for this book and was so excited when I was approved but it fell short of my expectation. It was long, drawn out, very un thrilling, and the abrupt ending made me scream at my Kindle. Are we supposed to use our imagination and hope for a better ending? Will there be a sequel? There’s so many thoughts running through my mind but I mostly feel like I wasted my time reading this.

Locus Lane was an okay read. I never felt connected to any of the characters and the writing style just didn’t grab me as a mystery. I think for me it was the rotating POV’s and the 3rd person perspective. It was almost too many characters where the mystery lost its focus. I did enjoy the small town feel where everyone has secrets and no one was who they said they were. That kept things a bit more interesting but overall this just wasn’t for me. I normally love mysteries and thrillers but this just fell kind of flat. Overall it was a bit of a disappointment but maybe others would enjoy it if they are looking for a small town solving a murder with lots of secrets type story.

Thank you Celadon Books and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Locust Lane by Stephen Amidon was an extremely enjoyable read. I'm so grateful for the opportunity.
I devoured this one.
This is my first book by Amidon and I'm very impressed.
The story drew me in immediately.
I loved the multiple POVs.
I could feel the atmosphere of Emerson, Massachusetts and I could feel the emotions and the lives of the characters in the story. They were so well written and complex. Well protrayed and very flawed individuals.
The writing style was spot on, giving us a complex and gripping story that held my attention from start to finish.
This was, an edge of your seat, suspenseful, gritty, pretty amazing story... With so many layers.
Not one single time did I became bored.
Stephen Amidon is a master storyteller! I hope he continues to bring us more stories like this one!
A very powerful tale of murder, power, family, suspense, and betrayal, everything you want from a mystery, and it leaves you wanting more!
This is exactly what I look for in a suspense novel.
A taut and utterly propulsive story. And that had me wanting it to last 100 pages more.

'With a brilliantly woven, intricately crafted plot that gathers momentum on every page, this is superb storytelling told in terse prose—a dynamic read that is both intensely gripping and deeply affecting.'

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Celadon Books,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

WOW! This was such an intense and engaging pyschological thiller that just keeps you guessing until the end. Who do you trust? Eden Perry has been murdered. This is a brutal crime that shocks the small, affluent community.

So many different POV to keep you on your toes. I thought I figured it out but I was wrong. A great whodunit mystery.

Thank you #celadon for the gifted copy of Locust Lane.
This was such an interesting and intense psychological thriller. So many characters and perspectives that it was impossible to guess who did it!
I love this and it kept my interest!