I received the Audiobook on NETGALLEY in return for an honest review.

This multiple POV mystery thriller follows the parents of a group of four teenagers after a death occurs in town. I was really excited to be able to listen to this book early. However, I was quickly confused on which character I was listening from as the narrator does not change for different characters. This I found to be a very big flaw in the audiobook as the narrator’s town and diction does not change or differ for the characters. That being said, I then found myself not connecting with the characters or even caring about them.

I did really enjoy the premise of this book and liked what the author tried to do, but ultimately rating it a 2.5 stars.
Maybe reading instead of listening would have eliminated my troubles. Unfortunately, I am reviewing the audiobook and 2.5 stars feels correct rating for me.

By the end of this book I was so angry I could scream and anything that invokes this kind of reaction I think is worthy of praise.
There are a lot of characters involved in this but ultimately it is the way people who don't fit in with the posh white neighborhood are treated. There is the alcoholic who witnessed a man standing in the woods the night Eden is murdered who isn't taken seriously and looked at suspiciously due to his addiction, the tattooed mother of Eden who is not always treated well by police or prosecution, and the step mother of one of the kids involved who has a shady past.

Anti-immigrant rhetoric is slipped in here and there by cops and other parents, and the whole book ultimately boils down to the haves and have nots.

Whether you believe it or not the justice system is broken and unjust, black, brown and immigrants are often unfairly prosecuted while white perps get lighter sentences or get off with a slap on the wrist. This book is excellent at highlighting these flaws and the privilege of thinking this is right.

I forgot to write a review after listening to this and the oddest thing happened. I don’t remember much of it and can’t really remember how it was resolved. I know that I enjoyed it while reading but the plot, aside from small bits, is completely gone. I think it’s worth the read when you want a solid mystery, but, as you can see, it isn’t extremely memorable.

Thank you netgallley and the publisher for my ALC of this book. Pub date: Jan 17!

This book was just okay for me. I did enjoy the premise/murder investigation part of it. What kind of made it less enjoyable was that tho it was told from multiple POV, there was only one narrator. So it was sometimes hard to tell who’s POV we were getting. Also, the POV’s are all from the adults of the kids involved in the actual murder. That also led me to not be fully invested in the story.

Overall, I liked the plot, but the POV was where it lacked for me.

I wanted to love this book. It started out so promising. It fell apart the last 25%. I'll give it 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. I loved the pace of the book. I was intrigued by the characters. They ending did not do this book justice.

3 stars

This is a moderately engaging read filled with many characters. Though some characters are significantly more compelling than others, all of them fall into pretty obvious stereotypes, and this makes the overarching effort less mysterious than I hope for in this genre. For me, it was a bit too predictable and relies too much on the expected.

One central struggle I experienced with this read is the repeated discussion of sexual assault and rape. This is a central piece of the plot, but it is a lot. We're not talking a mention; we're talking repeated, detailed descriptions of the victimization of multiple people from varied perspectives. If you are also sensitive to reading this kind of material, you might think twice about this book. It's not a quick, one-time skip.

Though this kept me interested enough to listen to the end (I do recommend the audio format when and where available/accessible), it's not my favorite thriller, and readers should be mindful of the sensitive content.

This is the type of read that leaves you desperate to discuss it with someone. The plot and ending lived in my mind rent free for several days afterwards. The first 25% of the book I was worried there might be too many POVs, but the plot gathered momentum quickly afterwards and I began to see how all the plotlines were brilliantly woven together. The audiobook narration was intense and deeply affecting; kudos to the narrator!
As a suburban mom myself, I was invested in how each set of parents would react to the incident and felt Amidon accurately captured the cracks in the seemingly idyllic town. Often difficult to read, he reveals undercurrents of addiction, racism, classism, abuse of power and betrayal found in any town across the US. If you enjoy flawed characters, domestic thrillers, and murder mysteries with twists and turns, I strongly recommend this read or listen.

In a wealthy homeowner’s association a teenage girl fwho is an outsider is murdered and the three students being questioned in her death are not immediately forthcoming. The story is told from the POV’s of the parents of all four.

Lots of stereotypes and expected racism within those stereotypes here. It feels like this would have been even better if it was not painted with such a broad brush. While I appreciate the author drawing attention to systemic racism and economic inequality, I felt it was a bit heavy handed and I knew about 10-15 percent into the audio who was going to take the fall for the murder. The unfortunate truth of the matter is this has happened too many times within our society so knowing early on in the story may simply be learned experience.

The writing is very good and the narrator does a good job voicing so many different people of different sexes and dialects. Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillanusa for an early audio copy.
Pub date: January 17, 2023
Pages: 320

Locust Lane was a slow burn with a shocking twist at the end. The story starts with a creepy scene that hooked my attention and then shifts to multiple POV’s about the night in question and what occurs in the days following. There is a lot of misdirection and everyone seems plausible as a killer. I did not guess the ending but in retrospect, I don’t feel that I should have been surprised. I’m not sure if the fact that I listened to the audiobook rather than reading a physical copy contributed to that or not. This did not make me enjoy it any less, however. I really enjoyed this audiobook.
I would consider Locust Lane to be more of a mystery or suspense rather than a thriller. The action has taken place and the book is mostly focused on the aftermath and everyone’s desire to solve the crime.
The narrator was great. None of the voices given to the many characters were obnoxious or over the top and it didn’t take long to distinguish each one by the small subtleties in her voice.

I liked this book, I really enjoyed the story and the narration and I felt like it read well. I was very invested in the characters and kept trying to guess who did it and I was pleasantly surprised to find out I was wrong. I cannot wait to read more by this author!

Big little lies feel . Sketchy characters and a murder to solve. The narrator was a bit too monotone at times which made me wander off. Overall a good story.

3.5
A story surrounding an evening of teenagers drinking, doing drugs and who knows what else except that one of them ends up murdered by the end of the night. The book follows these teens and their stories of what happened that night, intermixed with all of the adults. You know, those parents of the children! They sure complicate things as they stir the pot with concern for their children, and their own sketchy behaviors. There are lies, cover-ups, and bad behavior in general regardless of age!

There was a struggle listening to this with the wide array of characters that I was expected to keep straight. You have 4 teens and then all of their parents. So I don't know---does that get us to around 12ish people? I started taking notes on how they were all connected, who was married to who and who their child was, and then other interconnections.

I'm starting to grow weary of teenagers behaving badly and someone ends up dead. I feel like this is starting to be a little tropey in the mystery section of books. Especially when people "can't remember" what happened. It kind of drove me crazy!

I did like that this intermixed the teens and the adults POV's/stories. It was a complex weave of lies and the story itself that it was well formulated. I liked how it ended and it was creatively done.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio and Netgalley for the advance audiobook!

The murder of a young woman is the common thread in "Locust Lane," but it's so much more than a murder mystery. It's the story of how one death can affect so many whether through a direct connection or one far removed. It's a tale about where fault lies and how far some will go to bury it.

When Eden Perry is found dead, affluent families in a New England suburb aren't too concerned. She was an outsider, a nobody in their social circles. When three friends become suspects, powerful families close ranks to protect their own, even if it means pointing fingers at the other families.

Author Stephen Amidon does a great job building characters that you can't help but hate, feel sorry for, and applaud at the same time. His storytelling has been compared to Dennis Lehane and Celeste Ng. And there's good reason for that. The plot and character development are multi-layered with much to think about. You'll be left questioning what you'd if you had money and power. How far would you go to protect your family -- and reputation?

"Locust Lane" is available as a novel or an audiobook. Kudos to the narrator who brings the different characters to life with distinction.

NOOOOO... my immediate reaction once I finished the book...

can't decide on 3 or 4 stars ugh..

The story kicks off with a young girl (Eden) found dead in one of the nicest parts of town where you can count the crimes on one hand. On the night she dies, three other teenagers are with her: Hannah, Jack, and Christopher. Each teenager is sticking to their own story, but shortly after the parents start to become involved. There are about five different POVs told throughout the entire story (none of which are the teenagers). I thought with this many characters to keep track of, it would be difficult. HOWEVER I found it extremely easy to follow along... I wanted to know what was going to happen next from the very beginning. I listened any chance I could get.

The narrator was incredible!! there were no unique elements in the book, but you could easily tell when a new POV started. It wasn't hard to determine which character was speaking and the narrator did an excellent job at capturing each character's personality.

I do wish there was a bit more information and background on certain characters. It appeared that one of the character's past was opened up, but the author didn't dive into the situation described. There are a few references on mental health and drug addiction which in my opinion fit in perfect with the story. My heart ached while listening to the parts regarding drug addiction and a father's role during this time. I did find the plot to be not as unique as I would have preferred and I've definitely heard this type of plot line in a few other books which took away some of the book's umpf.

Overall, I really did enjoy this story and will be recommending to my friends. However I wish the conclusion didn't end the way it did.. I don't want to say more and reveal anything, but that's one of the biggest reason for why I couldn't settle on 4 stars. sadly I'm sure it happens more often than not in the states.

This is a solidly written mystery that keeps you guessing what to believe until the very end. Locust Lane opens with a girl found murdered. While the police rather quickly find a suspect, we soon learn that there were 3 other teens at the house the night she was murdered and it's not exactly clear what exactly happened. The story shifts views from one parent to the next as each works to defend and support their own child's version of events. There is Christopher who is somewhat of an outsider and lives with his father who runs a local restaurant. Then we have Jack who is wealthy and privileged yet has somewhat of a suspicious past and can definitely be a bully. And then Hannah, who is sweet and meek and dating Jack. All the stories intertwine and intersect. It's clear the children are all hiding something and yet the parents seem to be just as secretive as well. If you are fan of domestic drama, I think you will like this one. The town is small and the gossip is big. It kept me entertained until the end and I found I had guessed it all wrong.

The audio is really well done. Despite all the shifts in narrative, it was never difficult to keep track of who was who and what was going on in the story. The pacing kept me engaged and I found it difficult to put down.

Synopsis: When a young woman named Eden is found dead in the nicest part of an affluent suburb, the powerful neighbors close ranks to keep their families safe. Her death kicks off an investigation into the three teenagers who were partying with her that night, each a suspect. When their parents get involved they will do anything to protect their children, even at the others’ expense.

Thoughts: The first thing I read about this book was that it's for fans of Dennis Lehane's Mystic River. I loved Mystic River so my expectations were set high from the start. The prologue hooked me in immediately, but then the pace slowed way down...too slow for my liking. Despite the main event involving teenagers, the story is primarily told from their parents POVs, who had back stories of their own, and it all made me feel like I never got invested in any of the characters really. The ending did ratchet up the tension, but still left me wanting. Given how many POVs there were, I wish the narrator had made each of them a bit more distinctive in tone/voice.

This is a slow burn mystery but i was gripped from the start. I didn’t have a little trouble in the beginning with the different character povs because there’s quite a few but they’re so distinct and i was able to figure them out and go with each story and see how they all intertwined and added to the story. So many layers.

But damn did it take a turn! I did not expect the development at the end! I felt like you just knew the whole time so i liked that i didn’t.

Everyone is super flawed in this book and i liked how real everyone felt. The only person i didn’t actually like was Celia. She was such a privileged character and it SHOWED. Ugh. She irked me. I think she was meant to tho.

This was a great way to start the year and i loved it. I did wish for a more solid ending. But i still enjoyed it.

LOCUST LANE is a twisty “whodunit” thriller that kept me on my toes but not so much for the thrills.

For starters, the format was very different. There were only a handful of chapters and POV would switch mid chapter with all the heads we got inside. The paragraphs were broken up with character names to indicate said POV switch, so you weren’t completely lost by any means.

The more I think about this thriller, the more questions I have. Because again, I think this thriller was good, just not topping the charts for me.

My biggest question is, why only POVs for the adults? A teenager is murdered, yet we only have the POV of the parents, not the kids themselves who were at the scene of the crime / witnesses. Sure, the parents were all somewhat connected, but a few of those relationships were a stretch and it felt very forced. Not only that, one character who doesn’t know the parents or teenagers plays a pretty big role.

Without divulging too much to avoid spoilers, the murderer was pretty obvious and there were a lot of storylines thrown in that seemed kind of unnecessary.

Do I think this is something worth reading? Yes, because it definitely was a quick read. But if you consider yourself a thriller snob, it may not be for you.

Content warnings: alcoholism, death, sexual assault, addiction, bullying, racism

Big thanks to Celadon for the gifted ARC! You can get your copy January 17, 2023.

4 shining stars for this thriller that asks: how far will parents go to protect their children, guilty or innocent?

A wealthy neighborhood is rocked with trauma and drama after a young woman is found dead. With slow-burn pacing, the narrative takes us through multiple POVs, long-held secrets, and suspicions cast in multiple directions. It left me wondering who the true criminal was: the perpetrator, or those who would do near anything to cover it up.

Never was I asked to suspend my belief too far, and while I wish the ending had gone in a slightly different direction, the fact that it didn't is perhaps the most realistic part of the plot.

Locust Lane was a bit of a slow burn for me. I did not get sucked in quickly and found myself getting a little lost early on while I struggled to picture it all. A couple of chapters in, I started to picture it, and then I got heavily invested in the story.

A young girl is murdered and the immediate suspect is a kid named Christopher. Everyone who knows Christopher doesn't think he is a killer but he is definitely hiding something. I enjoyed learning about Christopher and what happened during the night in question.

Most of the characters were a little too unremarkable for me. When they would start to talk about a character it took me a little bit to remember who most of them were. There were not many that I immediately recognized.

With my issues with the characters and the slow start, I really did not think I was going to like Locust Lane but in the end, I really did love it. Personally, I really liked the ending but I can see it being a conversation to have with others who have read the book. I don’t know if that ending is for everyone but it was for me.