Stephen Amidon

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.… (mere)

Thank you CeladonBooks for my gifted copy of this arc. I was able to listen to the audiobook while reading and let me tell you, narrator Cassandra Campbell was perfect for this book.

The book hooked me from the start and it grew in suspense the further it went. When a young woman, who isn’t a local in a small upper class community,is found murdered in her uncles home, the police have their work cut out for them.

Told from multiple POVs with well developed characters. This is a slow burner suspense book you will have a hard time putting down.… (mere)

Brief story, then review) I was at the airport a few weeks ago and sitting by me were a mom, dad, and three grown boys. Two were older, beefy in tight t shirts, and the mom was chatting with them about what their college coaches should be sending to scouts - I think it was baseball stats - and she was clearly in charge. The third son was younger, not as buff, smaller, quiet, and basically ignored by the mom. The dad stayed on his phone and was silent. This family unit sprung into my mind as I read the worthy domestic thriller Locust Lane, deserving of comparisons to The Ice Storm and Defending Jacob. The novel features five family units - a very wealthy family, similar to the one I observed in the airport; a dad and stepmom dealing with an unhappy daughter who cuts herself but has recently fallen in love with the third son of the first family (stay with me); a single mom whose daughter was sent to live with wealthy relatives in the same wealthy suburban Massachusetts town, a la Lincoln/Weston/Wellesley; the fourth family consists of a chef-owner of an up-and-coming restaurant, a widower with a teenage son; the fifth is a floundering divorced dad whose daughter, a long suffering addict, had overdosed in a MacDonald's restroom. The families intertwine in surprising ways and the result is two unexpected deaths. The plot is intricate and fascinating, and all the characters are realistically portrayed. I raced to the finish and then reread the denouement again because I'd devoured it too quickly the first time. Highly recommended.… (mere)