Sorry it took so long for feedback. Ended up reading a physical copy and really enjoyed.. Thank you to the publisher for the ALC.

5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I will be honest, I requested this novel because the cover looked amazing and I adore the narrator. Cassandra Campbell can do no wrong as far as I am concerned! Luckily this novel was really, really good.

Stephen Amidon did a great of writing in very distinct voices for each character. The mystery was well crafted and because there was so much going on with each character this did not feel like a typical domestic thriller. No offense to domestic thrillers because I love them but this was a cut above.

I was pleasantly surprised by Locust Lane by Stephen Amidon. When I learned the murder mystery centered around the death of a young woman and the three teens who were with her on her final night, I expected the story to focus on them.

Instead, the majority of the plot featured the parents of the young people - their wealth and influence (or lack thereof), their connections, and their secrets. It includes the themes of wealth, power, privilege, addiction, and race.

The story is told from multiple points of view, including one parent from each of the four youth's families, and two additional individuals/couples. Each plays a role in their affluent New England suburb, and they are connected in more ways than is initially evident.

Along the way, readers learn about the personalities of the youth and the dynamics of their relationships with each other and their parents. The plot includes many characters and it's necessary to track them to follow the story, so I found it helpful to make a list to connect spouses, children, etc.

This is not a thriller or a suspense novel but a character-driven mystery. More family drama than page-turner. Overall, the tone is sad and depressing so readers should pick this up when they're in the right mood for this type of book.

I appreciated reading this via audiobook performed by Cassandra Campbell, one of my favorite narrators, while on a road trip I've driven many times. The bad behavior, secrets, and intrigue made the miles fly by. However, the ending felt me sad, angry, and disappointed and lowered my rating from 4 to 3 stars.

Thank you to Celadon Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the print and audio review copies.

This is a murder mystery/domestic thriller that is set in the affluent community of Emerson, MA. In this slow-burn suburban story, a young woman named Eden is murdered. As news of the murder spreads through the town, an investigation will lead to three other teens and the secrets they share. The story is told from five different points of view, four of which are the parents of each one of the teens involved. The other POV is of an alcoholic, grieving father who just so happened to be driving past the house where the murder took place at just the right time to see...something...a shadow of someone hiding behind a bush.

I really liked this one. I did have a hard time connecting to the characters but I did enjoy the multiple POVS. Full of gossip, small surburban town drama, and a few twists to keep you guessing.

Money, power, love and lies.

Eden, a local 20 year old, ends up dead. Three teens are the laat to see her alive. One of them gets arrested, but the pieces don't seem to fit perfectly. The parents get involved and some friendships are destroyed while other alliances are formed.

This was an addictive domestic drama filled with some vile people, but who knows the lengths we'd go through to protect our children. It gave off vibes of Desperate Housewives and Defending Jacob. A guilty pleasure of people behaving badly mixed with a great who-done-it.

I was surprised and heart broken by the ending. It has left gutted, in the best way.

I found this book really interesting, but ultimately it kind of just fell flat for me. It was definitely a slow burn. I had heard so many positive things, I’m almost thinking if I read instead of listened to it that I would’ve liked it more

A very good domestic suspense novel!

I had both the ebook and audiobook for Locust Lane and once again it was great being able to switch back and forth between the two. I do think I listened more than read.

Three teenagers are suspects in a young woman's death after a night of partying.

This book pulled some unexpected emotions out of me. There were multiple POV's and some of the characters could be infuriating. However, the story was gripping and I didn't want to stop listening. Great story with terrific narrating.

I look forward to reading and listening to more from Stephen Amidon.

TW: abuse, rape, alcohol and drug addiction

People rarely expect things to go wrong in the fancy Emerson suburbs in Massachusetts. But a young woman is found dead and the last people to see her alive were three teenagers, two from affluent families and one who is just doing his best to fit in. As the investigation commences, the parents of each teen begin to get involved, doing whatever it takes to protect their own children even if it means exposing each others’ secrets.

Like so many “thrillers” I’ve read recently, this work is much more of a mystery. However, I still enjoyed the plot and the gradual unfolding of the secrets and lives of the characters. It was told from the three mother’s POVs, one father’s POV, and one man who saw something related to the murder. While I enjoyed the insight this gave into the teen’s lives, I felt that the POV from the man who saw something didn’t add to the story but instead slowed it down. I think the book would have been more impactful if it had been narrowed down to only two or at most three POVs so more depth could have been included. Having it told from the parents’ POVs also made it feel as if the murder was more of a secondary plot as the focus was more on family drama and dynamics.

All of the characters in this work were quite flawed, some worse than others. It made it difficult to root for any of them, and even the ones I thought were good ended up having done some awful things. The characters were adequately written overall, though it did feel that some of the characters were more developed than the others, which led to an unbalanced feeling throughout the work. It’s been a while since I’ve read something where I disliked all the characters yet enjoyed the book overall and I quite enjoyed that this was the case.

This was a slow burn mystery that isn’t wrapped up neatly but was entertaining overall without being anything too special. My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I have become enthralled with suspense and mystery books. The twist and turns throughout books in this genre are what keep me coming back for more.
But Stephen Amidon did something very different in Locust Lane, he schooled us all on who gets the happy ending.
Locust Lane starts with multiple narrators sharing their daily lives on the night of a young girls murder. The story goes on to intertwine the characters only to keep you guessing at who was involved and how much.
The writing style was perfect as you didn’t trust anyone nor did you develop an opinion of a protagonist in the story.

And the ending, it was bold and brave. It is interesting when an author chooses to not make the reader his first audience. Instead the author let the characters tell their stories without forcing the storyline to be what “we “ may have wanted it to be.

Thank you @netgalley for the ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the author Stephen Amidon, publishers MacMillanAudio, and as always NetGalley, for a advance audio copy of LOCUST LANE, narrated by Cassandra Campbell.

I went into this book with very little information (other than it was a domestic thriller with a large cast) and very few expectations (as it has gotten wildly mixed reviews). Normally I'm not a fan of large casts in an audiobook, but I have been often pleased with MacMillan Audio's productions.

Cassandra Campbell narrated the cast really well, but some of her ability to do this was because of Amidon's writing. He doesn't try to generate artificial static by having the characters fight for page time. Each one comes on the page, shows the reader their hand, and steps off. Then, importantly, they stay off until they have more to show, and not before.

I loved how the information comes together, as a result of how Amidon writes each character's section. Suspense is thick and the story felt compelling to me the entire way through.

My only complaint is about the very last scene!! I listened to it multiple times and couldn't figure out how it connected back to the main conflict, which I felt had been resolved already. I couldn't even figure out what was really happening in the scene. Perhaps Amidon intends this bit of obscurity, since this book is in part about the nature of small town justice being subject to the imperfect gaze of the spying neighbor.

Rating: 🦗🦗🦗🦗 / 5 locusts
Recommend? Absolutely!
Finished: February 2 2023
Read this if you like:
🏡 Domestic thrillers
🔪 Murder mysteries
🔭 Spying neighbors
⁉️ Unreliable narrators
🏘 Small town justice

Unable to fully listen to title before archived. No review just didn't want it messing with me NetGalley %

This was a very well done audiobook as far as the narration and production was concerned. The story on the other hand I think just wasn't for me. It felt like a lot of thrillers I've read in the past and was kind of forgettable. The writing was good, but the plot just wasn't my favorite. I think others may enjoy it though, and it wasn't a bad book in the slightest, just a bit middle of the road. I gave it three stars.

I will begin by saying that the prologue of this book is fantastic! I found it really gripping. Unfortunately, the momentum didn't last. I found a lot of the book to be slow and repetitive. It wasn't super memorable for me. ⭐⭐⭐

When a young woman is found dead in an affluent part of Emerson, Massachusetts, those who knew her are reluctant to talk with the police. Eden Perry’s death leads to the investigation of the lives of three teenagers who were partying with her that night. Hannah, soft spoken and filled with anxiety. Jack, rich, popular around school with the reputation of being on the edge. Christopher, always on the outside looking in. As the police hone in on one of them, the others and their parents will do anything to keep the bullseye squarely on the young suspect. Will the truth be told or only the perception of the truth?

Locust Lane went down the predictable path and stayed there, to my disappointment. The author had an opportunity to change the narrative, but instead reached for the cliché. Though the police bias was not overly explained, it was implied. The novel ended exactly where I knew it was going, though it took a long time to get there. Having read other books like Locust Lane in the past, it just did not stand out for me.

The audio version of Locust Lane was well narrated, with veteran voice actress Cassandra Campbell lending her skills. However, this was not enough to propel the novel higher than three stars.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Audio Copy of Locust Lane by NetGalley and the publisher. The decision to listen to and review this book was entirely my own.

Locust Lane is a slow-burn mystery, asking the question: "Who killed Eden Perry?", a teen staying in an opulent neighborhood of Emerson, MA. She's quite popular with local teens, especially Jack Parrish (of the prominent Parrish family), his girlfriend Hannah, and Christopher (son of the owner of a popular French/Lebanese restaurant). In fact, these three were the last to see Eden alive. Told from the POV of the four teens' parents plus a man who may have witnessed the key to solving the mystery but is struggling with depression and alcoholism after losing his own daughter, this book weaves a web of misdirection, making it difficult to know who is truly responsible until the very end. Unfortunately, it also makes many of the POV characters, with the exception perhaps of Michel, rather difficult to like. An affair between two major characters throws an unfortunate wrench into the entire quest to solve the mystery, one complicated by two rather inept detectives who seem hell-bent on pinning everything on one individual.

The biggest issue is the ending. The ultimate discovery of who killed Eden is a decent reveal, but those who prefer to see justice served will find no such resolution in this book. As realistic as it unfortunately is, it's a bit of a letdown, amplified by a "Lady or the Tiger" ending that connects nicely to the first chapter but may be difficult to swallow for readers who like a definitive conclusion.

If you can get past that, it's a powerful read, and I don't think I've spoiled any of the surprises for you. The audiobook was deftly narrated by Cassandra Campbell, who does an excellent job making each voice distinct, although I will say Oliver's voice grated on me perhaps more than necessary. Thank you to the author, MacMillan Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

When a young woman is found dead in the 'nicest part of town' in New England, the powerful neighbors close ranks to keep their families safe. This book did have me asking myself - how far would you go to protect your child? What secrets would you keep? What laws would I break? I enjoyed this book and appreciated the narrative and cast of characters - flawed and all. The audiobook narration was fantastic!

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* I did think i would like this book more, dont get me wrong, I liked it but i thought it was going to be a five star, still a four star though

Thanks to NetGalley & MacMillan Audio for providing an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It's never a good start when a book opens with a dog being hit by a car (the dog survives). Locust Lane is the street on which a murdered young adult is found, a woman named Eden who has been staying with a couple, family friends, after having spent several years being a hellion. The dog belongs to the couple and figures into the story in a more meaningful way later.

This is being promoted as a "mystery," and I guess it is, in loose terms. Fans of traditional mystery novels will not see it as such; it's really a domestic drama. Not quite as camp as Wisteria Lane, but not too far off, either. Emerson is an affluent bedroom community near Boston, and its residents are well-heeled and have plenty of money to throw around, perhaps to pay off the girl assaulted by their son, in the case of Celia and Oliver and their men's rights trainee son, Jack.

Everyone here is terribly flawed and most are pretty unlikeable. Strong female characters are also erstwhile con artists. One noble gentleman who tries to follow his conscience is an alcoholic mess. The cops are abhorrent and seem mostly interested in railroading their "persons of interest" and questioning them without their parents being present.

I guess this book is trying to say something about white, privileged teens and how they skate on serious crimes, and how kids of color are not afforded the same opportunities, and that definitely is true. But the lack of enjoyable, relatable characters is a hindrance. The only person I could feel comfortable with was Eden's heavily-tattooed mom, trying to navigate her new world as the mother of a murdered girl.

I will say that I didn't see the ending coming (I like to be surprised but I had a different perpetrator in mind). The final scenes of the book are pretty depressing but entirely realistic. The book was better than I expected, but not what I'd classify as an enjoyable read. The voice actor is extremely capable and does a good job navigating a large cast of characters.

3 stars - I liked it!

There was a lot I enjoyed about this one, but I think overall will not be a memorable one for me. I really liked the audio narration and thought it was done well.

"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. " from review on Amazon

I enjoyed this book very much. I liked the fact it is not your typical murder mystery tied up with a bow. So many real life issues, life is messy and complicated. Then there is the how far would you go to protect your child, your family. What is your version of right and wrong? It kept me guessing and I guessed correctly, but it did not end the way I thought it would! That was a nice surprise. I will recommend this book and look forward to more books from Stephen Amidon.