Twisty novel based on the actions of wealthy white people (living in a wealthy suburb somewhere north of Boston) closing ranks and doing whatever is necessary to protect their own and their reputations when something happens that threatens their children. Same old premise but at least the vehicle is different and more interesting than normal. The excessive naval gazing of the bored moms got old so I skipped a bunch of those paragraphs. Otherwise, a good book. 3.5 stars.

When twenty-year-old Eden Perry is found murdered in a house on Locust Lane in an affluent Boston suburb, three teenagers Hannah, Jack, and Christopher who were the last to see her alive are suspected to be involved. While Eden’s mother wants justice for her daughter, the families of the teens scramble to protect their children, often turning against one another while juggling their own complicated family issues. Added to the fray is an unreliable witness who might have seen the killer. Who killed Eden and why? Drugs, money, love or is there more to the story?

Stephen Amidon’s Locust Lane has its share of murder, lies, indiscretions, cover-ups, and a whole lot of family drama. The narrative is shared from the perspectives of Patrick, an alcoholic who is grieving the loss of his own daughter due to a drug overdose and who might have seen the killer while driving on Locust Lane, Danielle (Eden's mother), Alice (Hannah's stepmother), Michel (Christopher's father), and Celia (Jack's mother). I liked the plot structure and found the writing in tense moments quite compelling. Realistic characters (most of whom are flawed and unlikable), strong dialogue (in parts) and a powerful ending (the final 25% was a gripping read) are the strengths of this narrative. Please note, however, this is more of a family drama with a murder mystery at its core than a “thriller” in the true sense of the term. On that note, I found the writing a tad too descriptive and more than mildly repetitive. I generally have no problem with multiple perspectives but I think the pacing suffered due to the same in this book while also contributing to the repetitiveness. I was surprised that we do not get much insight into what’s going on in the minds of the teenagers barring their individual versions (often more than one) of the events from the night of the murder that they share with the adults. I do feel that the mystery angle was well-executed but the “drama” was a bit too much and often took the focus away from the mystery. I do enjoy domestic thrillers only when there is a balance between “domestic” and “thriller” which sadly was not the case with this story.

In short, while I did not dislike Locust Lane, I did not love it.

Many thanks to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This book is due for release on January 17, 2023.

A bedroom community of the socially and financially affluent is rocked by the murder of a young woman of dubious reputation and social status. The three teens that were reportedly the last to see the victim alive are reporting versions of events that aren't lining up with the facts. The families of the witnesses begin to circle the wagons to protect their children's futures and the social standings of their respective families. Meanwhile, the trolling on the internet becomes its own jury and judge.
Locust Lane is a gripping story that pulls you in from the first page. Assumptions are made quickly and acted upon without confirmation to their truths. Though fiction, it was so easy to imagine this as a true crime story. And as such, there are no easy endings.

Thank you to Celadon for providing an early copy for review. All opinions are mine.

When a young woman is found dead in a Massachusetts superb, an investigation begins of the three teens that were with her that night. Each one of them had reasons to be a suspect, and their families will do just about anything to protect them.

This was an interesting slow-burn thriller. I thought the author did a beautiful job at showing how each person responds differently in an unimaginable situation. The story was also very emotional, as it dealt with the death of this girl and dug deeper into the people who knew her. The emotional aspect and the intricately woven relationships of the characters reminded me a bit of Ethan Joella’s “A Little Hope” (which I enjoyed). I have to say, I both loved and hated the ending. I felt like it wrapped things up nicely, yet still left a few questions. Maybe that was the point, but it unsettled me a bit. No matter, I still was left thinking about this story long after I finished it.

Thank you to Netgalley, Stephen Amidon, and Celadon Books for the ARC! “Locust Lane” released January 17, 2023.

This review will be shared to my Instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. It has a very slow start, for a thriller. Jumping around to different characters and POVs and I didn’t really know what was going on, yet I didn’t really care to find out.

This is my first book by this author and it was obvious right from the prologue that Stephen Amidon is a gifted writer. The story of unrequited love gone astray is interesting. Despite their flaws, there was an effort to make the characters seem likable and human but I found I could not stand them. The story also carries a lot of suspense and is very much character driven.

Stephen Amidon knows how to create hugely realistic characters and a finely woven plot that keeps the pages turning. Tense, tough, and powered by brilliant dialogue Amidon is a writer who sees the bigger picture so this novel isn't just a thriller, it is a psychological study of what makes people act the way that they do. His central characters are people you recognize: beset with the everyday problems and concerns that we all experience they connect directly with the reader. You feel you know them or understand the emotions that drive them.

Locust Lane does not disappoint. It transcends the thriller|crime genre to rate as great literary fiction. It succeeds not because it just tells a gripping story, which it most definitely does, but because it turns the mirror onto ourselves and our own fears. This was such a gripping, out-of-the-ordinary crime novel, powerful and bleak. It is an exquisitely written exploration of violent crime and its consequences in an upper-class Massachusetts neighbourhood. I will have to check out the author's other works.

This was a great read! I was hooked from the very beginning and did not want to put it down! I enjoyed the multiple point of views and the flow. I only knocked one star off because I personally did not like the ending. I look forward to reading more from this author.

This was an ARC from NetGalley.
Immediately upon finishing, I thought about reducing the number of stars I had thought I was going to give and then I sat on it and realized the ending could really have been no other way. A solid 4.5 stars!! Great writing and a very brave way to end the book. Highly recommend .
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A slow burn that started off with a serious bang! This story was engrossing and well plotted. Timely and done so well I had to find out missing pieces of information so I turned the pages faster and faster. This was a well written book!

Wow 😯 this was a great story. I usually read romance and fantasy but recently am interested in thrillers/mystery. The blurb sounded good so I decided to give this a try. I was hooked from the prologue. This story has multiple pov which I love. I really felt for Patrick’s character. This small quote town harbors so many secrets and lies. I really disliked Celia and jack. I was not thrilled with the outcome of the story. I really wished that it had different results. The end left it semi open to maybe more which I also like but don’t because I do not know if there will be more. I’m a person that needs closer or wants to expect more. Overall it’s a great read with mystery, and suspense. I totally recommend check it out.

I received an arc for my honest review. 💕

The book is about a girl, Eden, who is found dead and three friends that were with her the night of the murder. Quickly all of the teen’s parents are involved and we’re reading the story from their various perspectives. The book was hard to put down and kept me wondering until the end. It definitely wasn’t predictable. I very much enjoyed this book. Thank you for the opportunity to read it!

Thank you to Celadon Books and #NetGalley for the digital ARC of #LocustLane. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This book grabs your attention right away and I couldn't put it down. The story centers around the murder of a young woman. The story is told from multiple viewpoints of the people who are impacted by the murder - the dead girls mother, the parents of the kids who were with her and the alcoholic witness who saw something. It tackles modern issues like addiction, infidelity, prejudice and bullying, but it was the "white privilege" themes that really stuck with me. The advantages of the wealthy & well-connected and what they will do do to protect their kids will stun you.

Reminded me a little of A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler. I definitely recommend this modern tragedy.

Wow! And I mean that in a good way! I started reading this book and didn’t put it down until I was finished. POVs from what would normally seem a ridiculous number of characters are woven together brilliantly, delivering one of the most enjoyable mysteries I’ve read this year. Everyone is a product of their past (at least in the town of Emerson).

Locust Lane starts out with a bang, and keeps you wanting to see the story unfold. After a night of teenage partying one person is dead. The story is told and unfolds through the view of the teenagers parents, that have their own conflicts between them as well. Your opinion changes multiple times with this read and keeps you guessing. I enjoyed this twisty book and somehow at the end still felt unfulfilled with the unraveling. Overall, a good suspense. 3.5 star read for me. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

A murder happens in a New England suburban town. The investigation leads detectives to three teens who were with the young woman the night she died. Was it one of the teens? What are the teens hiding? What are the parents hiding? Everyone in this town seems connected in some odd way. I wanted a different outcome for so many involved. This is a good mystery that keeps you guessing. Surprise twists and turns.

Thank you, Net Galley and Celadon Books for allowing me to read an uncorrected advanced copy of this book.

A powerful, gripping slow burn.

The town of Emerson, a beautiful suburb in Massachusetts, is rocked by the news of a young woman’s death. It’s revealed that 3 teenagers were with her on the night of her death, but all three claim to have left her while she was still alive. The parents of the teens in question will do anything to keep them safe, but each one ultimately wants to find out the truth of what happened that night. That goes for the dead woman’s mother as well.

As POVs switch and timelines bounce around, you will be hooked! I know I was…even though it’s definitely a slow burn. I’ll point out that the story was always interesting, and it’s the kind where I didn’t want it to end even though I was rapidly turning the pages to see how everything would end.

This novel is moving, thought-provoking, intense, and heartbreaking. The only MINOR downside for me was the ending. I wanted a bit more.

I would highly recommend this one. 4.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 1/17/23.

Absolutely yes! I really enjoyed reading this novel. The characters were fun, it held my interest, and provided an escape from reality. I would definitely recommend!

I enjoyed the idea of this novel more than the execution. A story about small town secrets, characters who make questionable decisions, families with checkered histories…all components for a great read, but I felt it didn’t quite live up to its potential.
While the plot kept my interest, I found it difficult to connect with the characters. They were all flawed in a very human way, but their redeeming personality traits were not presented in a way that balanced out their negative ones.
The structure caused me to lose interest as well. While an alternating POV can be used to great effect when revealing different perspectives of the same situation, here it felt a bit redundant.
I also found the death of a main character about 2/3 of the way into the book to be a bit too convenient. I felt the author just wasn’t sure how to tidily wrap up this person’s storyline and found this was the easiest way to do so.
There were multiple important, relevant issues that were brought up in this storyline, but none were explored sufficiently to really alter the reader’s viewpoint.
My biggest problem with this novel, however, was that a character who was presented as someone to root for turned out to have committed a horrific act that was pathetically excused by some twisted form of peer pressure. Anyone who can pull a Brock Turner doesn’t deserve our empathy or a sympathetic spin.
There was much to keep the reader engaged in this novel, but I ultimately encountered too many issues to recommend it as a must-read.
My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for m honest feedback.

Wow, I was so pleasantly surprised by this book! To be totally transparent, this is a book that I definitely judged by its cover. I saw it and immediately requested it from Netgalley, because I loved the Fall vibes on the cover; once I saw that it was set in New England, I was all in.

I have never read anything by Stephen Amidon before this, and had zero expectations going into it. I also tried to avoid reading other reviews, and only skimmed through the synopsis, so I could have the "blind" reading experience. I think that really paid off for me here!

I would categorize this book as a slow-medium burn, domestic drama/mystery. While it is a "slower" burn, I definitely never felt bored while reading. I love a domestic/neighborhood drama, and this delivered for me. Inter-family relationships, secret affairs, kids hiding things, a dead body....I just eat that sh!t up. I think people that enjoy books like [book:Big Little Lies|33516773] will like this one.

Set in the idyllic Emerson, Masschusetts where nothing out of the ordinary happens, a high school student is murdered, throwing the residents into a frenzy of fear, gossip, and accusations.

From the perspective of the parents, this book asks a lot from them: How far are you willing to go to protect your children? What laws would you be willing to break? What lies are you willing to tell?

This one kept me invested with page turning reveals that never felt contrived or unfounded. There were several scenes reflecting on sexual assault that were uncomfortable, but otherwise a good, page-turning novel.