I really couldn’t stand this book. The writing felt so pretentious right off the bat, and then when one of the female characters had multiple orgasms back-to-back after stating something to the effect of ‘her partner didn’t even have to focus on her needs, only his”… um, 1) gag me, and 2) I don’t think this book was for me.

A rich suburb, a young woman killed, 3 teenagers who know more than they are letting on equals a compulsively readable neighborhood thriller.

TW: parental grief, alcoholism, social inequities, racial prejudice, misogyny, adultery.

There are a lot of characters in this novel but the author takes great care in distinguishing them so there is no room for confusion.

20 year old Eden is found dead in a posh home in the suburbs of Boston. Jack, Hannah & Christopher were there but each of them swear she was still alive when they left.

Patrick, an alcoholic, who finds himself outside the house where Eden was killed at 3am, having just hit a dog with his car. He gets out to help the dog and sees someone standing in the trees.

The parents, Celia, Alice, Michael and Danielle find themselves entangled in the case and their points of view give different perspectives of the situation.

As the story progresses and the perfect lives unfold into a complete mess you really don’t know which character you can trust.

I really enjoyed this read, my first Stephen Amidon book. The ending was perfectly crafted, all tied up in a nice little bow and I didn’t see it coming. I was totally duped.

I love reading about neighborhood drama and seeing behind the scenes of a variety of different families and their dynamics. I was definitely drawn into the mystery and deception surrounding Eden's death. I had a lot of theories and was left guessing up until the end. I questioned (and maybe judged) the parenting of many characters involved - and contemplated what I would do as parents in each of the different roles explored. This would make for an interesting book club discussion for sure - particularly among mothers with children who are friends and/or a group of neighbors.

Locust Lane by Stephen Amidon is a thriller that you can’t put down. It is a page turner. It is about family drama and a suspenseful murder investigation. This book is about wealthy people behaving badly and how willing parents will do anything to protect their children.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon books for the eARC.

This one wasn't for me. The themes really are ones I am sick of reading. Cough Cough, rich white people doing terrible things. The pace was decent but I really struggled with the content.

Maybe I read this book at the wrong time or it just isn't for me. It was very slow and I got kind of bored. I will probably give it another try later.

This was a really great domestic thriller that had me guessing to the very end. However, did we really need another book about rich white people who get away with murder and cause people of color to pay for their crimes? I'm over it.

I was so bored with this book, I couldn’t even get 25% of the way done with it. I didn’t like any characters and I thought they talked way too much and were too self absorbed. Maybe the book got better (I HATE DNF-into books) but I couldn’t get past the first part of this book…

*Thank you to Celadon Books, Stephen Amidon, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion*

In this mystery, domestic thriller, there are a lot of POVs. Too many and it becomes confusing. I had a hard time keeping the characters straight. Locust Lane is the story of a young girl who has been murdered. The story starts off with a man who randomly sees a dog outside while driving home late at night. He hits the dog and gets out of the car to see if he is ok and the dog bites him.

Eden is the young girl who has been murdered. From the wrong side of the tracks, she's had a rough time and is now living with an older couple and has settled down. Jack, the son of a wealthy businessman, is dating Hannah. Christopher, having just moved here from out of the country is friends with Jack, who bullies him and others constantly. These three teenagers are the last three to see Eden alive. The multiple Points of view include Hannah's stepmother, Jack's mother and Michel, Christopher's father. Jack's mother, Celia, is having an affair with Michel. When it comes to Jack, things have happened before, although not this bad. Jack's dad knows how to take care of things. Do you see how this may be confusing?

Everyone in this book is guilty in some way. There are so many messy adults who are not good at parenting. And with money, lawyers and bought cops, the outcome is anyone's guess.

DNF. No interest in continuing or investment in the characters. Low ratings from trusted friends confirmed my choice to DNF. Thank you for the advanced copy anyway!

Locust Lane was an interesting mystery to read as a mother. When a woman is found dead, the story is told from the point of view of the parents of the teens suspected. As the story unfolds you learn more about the families and their dynamics and some of the past challenges they've had with the teens and it becomes harder to figure out clearly who may have done what and who is hiding information that might help to save their child. I liked the concept but some of the pacing was very slow and while the focus of the crime was on the teens, there was more details on the mothers than I thought I needed.

I love a book about rich people behaving badly, but unfortunately this one was way too much of a slow burn and it seemed to drag on. The ending was short, rushed, and the 'big reveal' was revealed on the last page-after I stuck it out through the whole book just to be let down as well by that ending. UGH.

I will give Amidon another try with his next book, but this one was pretty disappointing.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3 stars.

I might be allergic to privileged kids and small communities in the north east of the US. I'm a private school kid too, but I wasn't acting like I created the little hills. These people are trying to get away with murder and abuse while putting all the blame on of course immigrants.

I don't find a lot of twist and turns that shock me or explain how this talk of privilege will play out or if there is a greater plan out there. I don't blame kids on anything: they do what they see. Their parents are all about status and CYA. Instead of teaching their kids right or wrong, they are encouraging them to be reckless and not to think about consequences as long as those consequences don't fall on them.

I don't know. It was a fast read and good for a reading slump, but characters and age old story just angered me.

Locust Lane grabbed me from the first chapter, and I finished it the next day. There is much more here than the conventional mystery/thriller; several of the characters affected me deeply. Will be recommending to book clubs as it is a compelling story that raises topical and searing issues for discussion.

This book was very intriguing. It is not a fast paced mystery/thriller, so one must go into it knowing that or it could be disappointing. However, it's very well written and the look at suburban teens through the eyes of their parents was really interesting to me. The central mystery is not all that mysterious, but that's also not really the point of this story. I liked getting to see the story from all the different angles and I was interested enough to keep reading because I had to know what happened to all of them. Very well done.

When Eden Perry is found dead in the most affluent section of Emerson, Massachusetts, the residents of this normally quiet town do whatever they can to protect their families. When it’s discovered that three teenagers, all from well know, powerful families, were partying with Eden the night she died, the detectives investigating her death have to figure out how far these parents will go to protect their children’s reputations. Told from multiple points of view, this book kept me guessing until the end. It was a quick read with some very unlikeable characters. While it seems to be marketed as a mystery/thriller, I feel like it’s more of a domestic suspense novel with a mystery component.

After teenage Eden Perry is found dead, the last known people to be with her are three other teens. Jack, Jack's girlfriend, Hannah, and their friend Christopher. What happened that night that led to Hannah's death?
The parents of the three teens are the primary narrators;
Jack's mom, Celia and Hannah's step-mother, Alice along with Christophers widowed father, Michel but we hear from Danielle, Eden's mother as well as a few others.

I would've loved to have heard some of this story told from the POV of the teens as well but that's just me.
This is a solid and enjoyable slow-burn murder mystery, 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 really enjoyed this one and can't wait to read more from the author.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 20%.

I found the premise of this book so compelling. But the book was just not for me. It did not pull me in after 20%. I would try this author again though.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book: Locust Lane
Author: Stephen Amidon

Thank you Celadon Books and Netgalley for granting me an ebook of Locust Lane. The following is my honest and independent review of this novel.

Rating: 4.5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Locust Lane as though it was a good suspense thriller movie! I hope Hollywood will make the book into one.

There were several parties to keep track of whose lives revolved around a murder of a young lady named Eden Perry at the home of Bill and Betsy Bondurant, a well respected couple and elite members on Locust Lane, in an upscale, white neighborhood of Emerson.

Patrick appeared at the opening scene, attacked by a dog, and followed by a shadow of a man (?). Next was Danielle, the victim's mom.

The story then got interesting and complicated as three families revealed their relationships in the affluent town of Emerson.

The first family included the parents, Celia and Oliver Parrish, and their son, Jack. The second couple, Alice, the stepmother, and Geoff the father, with his daughter Hannah from a previous marriage.

The last party was a renowned and well respected French Chef, Michel, originally from Lebanon and his teenage son Christopher, who hung out with Jack and Hannah. They were the last people with Eden at the Bondurant's house before she was found murdered.

If you can keep these names and relationships straight then you will find the story exquisite, compelling and enjoyable. The detectives played an important role in Locust Lane but they were easily forgettable, unlike the three families with the teenagers, and Patrick.

The ending was less satisfying but more realistic in life than a tidy ending, but again, I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, multiple POVs, and how they dovetailed with each other. I don't usually read suspense thrillers but this book has changed my mind. I recommend Locust Lane if you like suspense thrillers.

I was provided a copy of this book to share with my Little Free Library. I was blown away. This was the first time I read a book by this author and it will not be the last. This story was fast paced, dark, a thriller, and must be read.