I have a difficult time with stories that paint the police as corrupt. I know minorities are often locked up unfairly, while white criminals go free, but this seemed a stretch too far. An ambiguous ending left this reader feeling cheated.

Good premise and skillful writing, but the ending was disappointing.

Sure to be one of the top book club books of 2023! Fans of Liane Moriarty’s books will like this twisty book following the affluent parents of teens involved in a murder investigation. Three teens return home at odd hours. The next day, their friend is discovered murdered. I was guessing right to the end of the epilogue.

Rather than take a traditional route following the suspects, this story focuses on the intricate motivations of their parents and step parents as they vie to uncover the truth and protect their children. I was left pondering ethical dilemmas, and these are sure to entertain many book club discussions as well.

The first half of the book was mainly setup (not boring, just ground work being laid). The second half had several big bombshells. Overall, I think the pacing was great.

I listened to this book. The narrator, Cassandra Campbell, did a good job differentiating characters and gave a steady performance throughout.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ALC of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I was sent a copy of the audiobook for review.

Sadly, I just could not get into this one. It started off strong with the introduction, but then it lost me. I had no clue what was going on. There was too many other things happening and I found it confusing and a little boring. I had high hopes for this one, but sadly I did not finish it.

Locust Lane is a mystery/suspense/thriller with a complicated plot told from multiple points of view. When a young woman turns up murdered in a small, wealthy town, solving the murder becomes complicated when privilege and influence are thrown around. It wasn't always clear what the significance of some of the narrators would be, but everything was woven together nicely at the end.

This story doesn have an HEA, but it was fast paced and I was legitimately suprised by the ending.

The audio narration was stellar, with clear vocal characterizations of all of the participants.

I chose this audiobook s an ARC because of the narrator, Cassandra Campbell. She is brilliant.
I wasn't sure about the premise of the story, however.
I ended up loving every word and I am still thinking about it days later.
So Eden ends up murdered. The book focuses on the adults in her life/the lives of her "friends."
I really felt for her mother. Eden reminds me of my oldest child. A free spirit, beautiful, with no sense of danger. It is nearly impossible to mother these impulsive types. But we do it.
There is no happy ending here, but that's reality. The author makes a lot of good points about how we treat people who are not like us, rich kids, and policing. It was amazing.

A tiny New England town is rocked when a women is found murdered.

How can a women be found in this affluent town! As the details start to come forward everyone is in protective mode.

Eden was partying with teens the night before, so of course there are suspects. Hannah, Jack and Christopher and their parents all have a motive. Will they do anything to protect themselves and their children or turn on each other?

This story is complicated and woven that there are so many possibilities and will keep you turning the page to find out what’s next.

I really enjoyed this novel and look forward to more.


Due out January 17, 2023. Thank you Celadon, NetGalley, Macmillan audio and author Stephen Amidon for this advanced copy.

This soapy drama is the perfect easy listen for the new year. Conquering tough topics gently, it strikes a chord without becoming overwhelming.

Locust Lane is the nice part of town. Why it's named after locusts is anyone's guess. Anyway, a death occurs in one of the happy homes on the street.

The death of the teen girl weaves a web that spans the entire town. It comes to light that 3 friends were with her the night of her death. These friends are more privileged than she, so their parents are trying to cover their butts and sail a less affluent kid down the river.

This focuses less on the actual murder than it does the effect it has on the fragile ecosystem of the town relationships. The privilege is laid bare for all to see and we hear about it through the narration of several town parents.

It is an interesting book with a unique structure that was the perfect weekend listen. The narration was great.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to listen and review.

With multiple POV‘s great character development and a fast pace dialogue Stephen Amiton has done a great job creating a thriller that is so worth reading in the case of the audiobook listening to. Although I wasn’t a fan of the ending this book still deserves four stars. It is a rare book that authors create characters and remain true to their distinct flavor throughout the book but that is definitely the case with Locust Lane I thought this book was A great thriller and I could definitely see this happening with “the golden families“ around the country and probably the world. As I said I didn’t like the ending but at the very least it makes you think it is a great testament to the innocent paying for the sins of the powerful with the support of the public. I really enjoyed the bookn highly recommend it. I received it from NetGalley at the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review

Book Title: Locust Lane
Author: Stephen Amidon
Narrator: Cassandra Campbell
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: January 17, 2023
My Rating: 2.5 rounded up

I read this novel finished it but really lost interest in it. So when I saw the audiobook and the narrator was Cassandra Campbell who is one of my favorite audiobook performers -. I knew I wanted to give it another try.
I was originally drawn to this when the blurb stated for fans of Celeste Ng’s “Little Fires Everywhere”.

Story is told from multiple POVs.
Eden Perry is a twenty year-old dog walker who is taking care of an elderly couple as she moved out and away from her mother Danielle after a situation at home.

Now she is found dead.
Police are investigating the three teenagers who were partying with her earlier that night.
Hannah is a sweet girl with an unstable history.
Jack is the popular kid with a mean streak.
Christopher is an outsider desperate to fit in.

Story is told from the POV of their Parents
Hannah’s father Geoff who is a scientist mostly spending his time in his study and her stepmother Alice who is secretly in affair with charming Parisian restaurant chef Michel.

Jack is the youngest son in the Parrish family ~ His father Oliver who is quiet fixer and his mother Celia who has been known to go to extremes in protecting their children.

Christopher’s father is Michel have recently move to the US. Christopher had a crush on Eden but was too shy to ever act on it.

So whodunit?
I always enjoy an audiobook narrated by one of my favorite performers so really strange that my opinion of this story actually lowered. Not a fan of nasty language and it is always worst in an audiobook. Plus these characters were so unlikeable and hearing them made them even worst.

Want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this early e-Galley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 17, 2023

First of all, thank you so much to Macmillan for the chance to listen to and review this audiobook prior to release.

This book may be a slow burn, but it really does hook you from the first few lines!

The storytelling was very well done and narration was perfection thanks to Cassandra Campbell.

My complaint was only in some of the characters that were a little to trashy for my preference.

I'm very eager and excited to see what Stephen Amidon will write next and can't wait to read it!

This book and audiobook will be available for purchase on January 17th!

Thank you to #celadon and #netgalley for the #giftedcopy and #giftedaudiocopy

Available January 17, 2023

This novel was such a surprise! To be honest, I felt portions of the beginning were low energy, but I soon became engrossed in the story and could not put it down!! I literally almost canceled my plans to read the ending. That being said, this book ends with a definite need for a sequel. If there is no sequel, I will be upset! Help me out, Mr. Amidon! Is there going to be a sequel???🤣 The ending does not satisfy. Perfect for a book club!

3.5 Stars

If you're going to read this, make sure to have a pen and paper ready because there are a lot of different characters and POVs. Since I was listening to the audiobook while commuting to work, I couldn't differentiate between some of the characters. Which made things a bit confusing.
I did enjoy the main plot. A teenage girl was found murdered. Her mother is now on the hunt to find the truth. Was it her friends? A potential love interest? A stranger? It was an intriguing read, but I wish there was more to it. Sometime to make this one stand out. Also I wasn't too happy about the ending. It felt a bit unsatisfying.

Overall, a decent suburban mystery novel.

***I would like to thank NetGalley, Stephen Amidon (the author), and Macmillan Audio for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.*

As soon as I was approved for this one on NetGalley, I started listening to it. Seriously, I go through it in one sitting.

There is a murder, and everyone is trying to figure out who did it, particularly the parents of the teenagers involved.

There are no real redeemable characters in this one. Some of them do great things, but they are really horrible people. The dynamic of the various relationships is fascinating. Seeing their personalities, and how they interact with one another while they all try to figure out who the murderer is is pretty much what propels the entire book.

I will say that for me there was only one holy shit moment and that is when the killer is revealed. I really did not see that coming.

I listened to this novel to about 20%. There were so many characters and POV that I found it didn't hold my attention. The writing sounded very ordinary to me and I didn't feel the desire to finish this one.

Since I didn't finish the audiobook I will not post a review on any purchasing sites.

Thanks for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook

When a young woman, Eden, is found murdered in a small, affluent suburb, it threatens to expose secrets that everyone is trying to hide.

This story is a spectacular work of fiction that examines the drama of a suburb filled with wealthy families, class issues, and what people will do to fit in. It combines it with a murder mystery that will leave you guessing to the end about who is guilty and what their crimes are!

Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for allowing me to listen to this audiobook ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

This one is definitely a slow burn, but still keeps you engaged throughout.

A young woman is murdered in the upper middle class town of Emerson. Three teens - Christopher, Jack and Hannah - were with her that night prior to her death. Each family quick to deny their child was involved and wanting to get out of being connected to this as quickly as possible.

This book definitely shows how money, power and influence allows the truth to be manipulated.
It is wrong and sad. And also happens in the real world.

This is a new to me author but I definitely will check out more by him. There were quite a few characters, but I felt it was easy to follow them and learn each of their stories. And it was difficult to know who to believe. I changed my mind several times and still wasn't correct on what happened.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Celadon Books and Macmillan audio for both an ARC and ALC copy. I was engrossed and able to switch between the two and finish in a day!

This is a really compelling thriller. A girl is found dead, and the last boy who saw her is the prime suspect of the police. But is it that simple?

I completely enjoyed this. The audio production was flawless, and the narrator's ability to portray each character in a unique way was excellent.

The story itself was intriguing, and there are plenty of twists and turns. We spend a little bit too much of the book going down rabbit holes with some of the characters, who spend a lot of time in their own heads, but that is my only slight criticism of this novel. The suspense, secrets, desperation, and passion are well-balanced. The story builds up to a perfect conclusion. Highly recommend.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from Macmillan Audio. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

When a book is compared to Little Fires Everywhere, I can’t not give it a shot. LOCUST LANE centers around a Highschooler murdered at a small gathering. With a plethora of ulterior motives, the families of the students involved desperately try to prevent their children from being at the center of a murder investigation.

What I appreciate most about the story is the questions it raises surrounding privilege, race and class. Who is considered credible and whose perspective can be dismissed? What does accountability and justice look like when there is a conflicting story? This one would make for a great book club discussion.

For a quick read, the story tackles some heavy topics including infidelity, sexual assault, and addiction. The narration by Cassandra Campbell perfectly captured the emotion of the story. If you enjoy a small town setting and a slow burn mystery, be sure to pick up Locust Lane in January!

RATING: 4/5
PUB DATE: January 17, 2022

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Coming at ya strong with my second audiobook!

Hot damn! Listening to audio might be a new “thing” for me . Car rides have taken on a whole new meaning and I’m left sitting in my car long after I am supposed to be at work.

I am definitely still challenged with focus at times but I am getting better and able to follow along .

I was honored to be approved for:

Locust Lane

I am in complete awe. The narration is executed with precision. The story is magnificent and had me grappling with my emotions. I hung on any word. I just could not get enough.

There was no way I could just “pause”. I got to my desk, plugged my ear buds in my ear and spent the day listening all while I worked and guess what? I was actually still extremely productive!

Teaser :

On the surface, Emerson, Massachusetts, is just like any other affluent New England suburb. But when a young woman is found dead in the nicest part of town, the powerful neighbors close ranks to keep their families safe. In this searing novel, Eden Perry’s death kicks off an investigation into the three teenagers who were partying with her that night, each a suspect. Hannah, a sweet girl with an unstable history. Jack, the popular kid with a mean streak. Christopher, an outsider desperate to fit in. Their parents, each with motivations of their own, only complicate the picture: they will do anything to protect their children, even at the others’ expense.

This book needs to be read/listened to by all. Although it’s not your run of the mill thriller it has so many impacting moments you will be left in astonishment.

Locust lane has been described as a cross between little fires everywhere and big little lies. It was a little too much of everything for me and not enough relatability. I listened to the audio in one day of driving and while I was t bored by any means I also never really connected to the characters. I never really understood who they were and they didn’t resonate as anyone I know. The idea of the wealthy mom and her affected speech rubbed me the wrong way on audio. I grew up in an affluent town and I don’t recall anyone sounding like these people. Anyway, the story follows teens one of whom is murdered. But we don’t get the teens perspectives just the dysfunctional parents povs. We are supposed to question what people think of the kids and the adults based on social standing class, race but that part just didn’t really stand out or do much for me. It was ok at the end of the day for me.