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!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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.

#bookaddict #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #bookstagramer #bookshelf #booksbooksbooks #readersofinstagram #reader #booklove #bookreader

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.

This book was a decent read, but did fall a bit short of expectations. The thing that really, truly ruined it for me, though, was the ending. It felt like the author just gave up on writing, it was so abrupt.

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!

First and foremost, I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book!

Shady things happen on Locust Lane.

When a young woman is found dead, who’s to blame?

The young son of a chef? The town drunk? The “good son” with a god complex?

This novel had my head spinning. The inner plot lines were so well written. I’m waiting on a sequel(fingers crossed) if not; you will be left on a cliffhanger.

[arc review]
Thank you Celadon Books for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Locus Lane releases January 17, 2023.

Beautiful cover, but unfortunately I was nowhere near the intended target audience for this read.
The synopsis sounds wonderful, but it’s really just cluttered and overshadowed by all of these key words like “propulsive”, “taut”, “brilliant”, “intricately crafted”, “superb”, “terse”, “dynamic”, “intensely gripping” - when really, it just wasn’t.

Locust Lane is about this affluent town called Emerson. It gave off rich, pretentious, gated-community vibes, and every single character was unlikable or had ulterior motives.

The main purpose of the story is to determine who the killer was of a 20 year old girl.
It’s told through 5 different pov’s - all parents - however, most of them are also advocating for their teenage kids as well, so it makes for an extremely large cast of characters.

Straight away, this novel starts out with some pretty violent actions towards a dog. A character went as far as injuring one with his car, and even smashed the dogs head between the door. Yikes.

As I stated, every single character was unlikable and I couldn’t get past the many off-putting plot devices that were used. Among them were, cheating while married, on-page descriptive sexual assault, rape allegations, teenagers that are sadistic and self-flagellating, walking in on your kid masturbating to some extremely weird and violent torture porn. There’s also self harm, drug use, alcoholism, shoplifting, racism, and classism.

The writing was very repetitive. It *might* work as a highly exaggerated dramatic adaptation, but otherwise I found it very unrelatable.
The reveal at the end was just so… unnecessary I guess is the word to use without spoiling it.

I’m sure some people would enjoy the dynamics presented in Locust Lane, but for me it was a miss.
This leans more towards domestic fiction than thriller.

Locust Lane has all the elements of a murder mystery—a troubled teen found dead in an affluent neighborhood, a coverup, and a mother seeking justice. Author Stephen Amidon provides a quick, unputdownable read told through the eyes of unreliable yet intriguing characters.

Danielle discovers her daughter Eden is dead and seeks justice in a town driven by its wealthy, image-conscious residents. And four teens know what happened the night she died and are not talking. As an outsider, Danielle realizes their parents will do anything to save their children. She finds solace with the local drunk who also lost his daughter, swearing that he saw a mysterious figure on the night of the murder.

Locust Lane has an imperfect wrap-up with an elegant twist. I loved this thriller and plan on reading more of Stephen Amidon’s books. Thanks to Celadon Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review it. #NetGalley, #LocustLane #Thriller

*SPOILER ALERT* potentially--I'm not sure how to adequately describe my problems with this book without giving away some of the "mystery" of it. And advance apologies for the rant-like nature of this review.

Locust Lane--it's one of the most affluent suburbs in Massachusetts, and when a young woman is found dead, three prominent families close their ranks to protect their children--the only three people known to have been with her while she was still alive.

It's a simple plot that the author tries to infuse with issues of race and socioeconomic status, and I truly don't know how to rate it. Because I sort of really hated it, and I was hoping that sitting a few days before formulating a review would give me greater clarity.

The first twenty percent or so felt a different book entirely from the remainder, with such a pretentious voice that I expected Alice and Celia to break out in "it's time to meet Muffy and Buffy at the country club" in the smarmiest of Boston Brahmin accents. Which didn't fit Alice at all, given how low class she is described as being.

But then the voice changed, and it turned into a pretty compelling read that I flew through, though it's also one that infuriated me--yet I like when a book can bring out strong emotions. So it's weird--there are books I hated for a number of reasons, but then they don't stick with me. Locust Lane is one of those that I disliked, and yet I can't stop thinking about it.

Part of it is that I don't really understand what was the point was. Look, I'm as big of a Mama Grizzly as the next gal, and I get "protecting your kids at all cost" and "jumping in front or a speeding train to save them." But you gotta present me with kids that are worth fighting for. Jack? He's maybe the biggest dirtbag I've seen in literature lately, and if his mom couldn't see that, I don't know what to say. While we're here squawking about the patriarchy, EVERYONE is enabling this brat. No, I'm not going to have empathy for the type of character pleasuring himself to actual torture porn, nor for his mother for letting it go.

Or is this a story warning of girls caught in abusive relationships? Well, we've got a mom too busy plying her (well underage) stepdaughter with alcohol in order to have heart to hearts with her and a father not really irritated she's stealing his off market drugs to protect her from the dirtbag that's probably beating her and then...well, nothing. That thread has no closure either.

Is it a story of racism? Because there's a dead white girl and a Lebanese/French immigrant teen held for her murder, because we all know rich, white boys get away with everything, so we couldn't suspect the golden boy Jack. But I'm sorry, I'm not going to feel any sympathy for the kid who SPOILER ALERT admitted to literally sexually assaulting her while she was unconscious because he couldn't stand up to the above mentioned dirtbag. So maybe I feel a little bad that he's going down for the wrong crime, but he committed a crime nonetheless. And Jack is described as anything but golden boy.

And still! One of the most egregious literary crimes--the open ended ambiguous close. I absolutely hate books that don't end even more than I hate books that tie all the bows up too neatly. It feels like an enormous cheat to get no closure whatsoever, especially given that everything else about this book is so ridiculously bleak.

Oh--and -SPOILER- killing Patrick felt just so unnecessary. His whole addition in this book felt like a waste because of it. His entire character could be eased from this book and it wouldn't change anything.

Is this book part of the "male gaze" phenomenon I keep hearing about? Because it didn't sit well at all with me and after this sample, I wouldn't read anything else by this author.

If you couldn't guess already, this isn't a book that I would recommend. I mean, sure, there's an audience for everything and no judgment whatsoever if you liked this book. It just wasn't for me. And if asked, I would list dozens of books to read before this.

Special thanks to the Celadon Readers program for giving me access to this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for a review.