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marissaknee's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
anemonemily's review
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I hated the ending
judithdcollins's review
4.0
4 High School Students
9 Adults
1 Unsolved Murder
LOCUST LANE by Stephen Amidon is a slow-burn whodunit domestic mystery family drama of parents, their teens, and the deadly toxic secrets they hide.
A young woman is dead in Emerson, MA, an affluent New England Boston suburb. A brutal crime shakes the entire neighborhood to the core.
Told from multiple parent POVs:
~ Patrick—an alcoholic father grieving the loss of his daughter due to a drug overdose and who might have seen the killer while driving on Locust Lane
~ Danielle (Eden's mother), the girl who was murdered
~Alice (Hannah's stepmother)
~Michel (Christopher's father)
~Celia (Jack's mother)
Teen friends:
~Eden Perry (found murdered)
The last ones to see her alive and suspects:
~Hannah
~Jack
~Christopner
Hannah's father, Geoff, a scientist spending his time in his study; her stepmother Alice is secretly in an affair with charming Parisian restaurant chef Michel.
Jack is the youngest son in the Parrish family. His father, Oliver is a fixer and his mother, Celia, goes to extremes to protect her children.
Christopher's father is Michel, and they have recently moved to the US. Christopher had a crush on Eden but was too shy to act on it.
An investigation gets underway, with the story alternating between the various key characters. The parents turn against one another and an unreliable witness who might have seen the killer.
Who killed Eden, and what was the motive? How far will the parents go to protect their children?
Thought-provoking, gripping, and intense. From murder, lies, deceit, indiscretions, and cover-ups. There is a lot of family drama here, which often overshadows the mystery and suspense of the novel.
The author slowly lt exposes the dark side of the perfectly privileged families, with complex human characters thrust into suspenseful, page-turning situations.
LOCUST LANE has an eclectic vibe, crossing between— Liane Moriarty's [b:Big Little Lies|33516773|Big Little Lies|Liane Moriarty|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1559835163l/33516773._SY75_.jpg|27570886] (family drama), Dani Shapiro's [b:Signal Fires|59573299|Signal Fires|Dani Shapiro|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1648606891l/59573299._SY75_.jpg|93667345] (psychological literary fiction), and Celeste Ng's [b:Little Fires Everywhere|34273236|Little Fires Everywhere|Celeste Ng|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1522684533l/34273236._SY75_.jpg|94930152] (psychological mystery)— versus a riveting suspense thriller.
While it would have been nice to hear more from the teens and backstories versus the parent's drama, diving deep into their psyche, ultimately, it was the parent's perspective. The novel wasn't focused only on the murder but on the lives of everyone it affected and the aftermath.
The ending was thought-provoking and fitting; however, it left me wanting a little more, and I found myself rewinding it a few times.
AUDIOBOOK: I listened to the audiobook, and as always, I adore Cassandra Campbell, one of my favorite narrators. Her voice is so soothing; I could listen to her all day. Her narration made the book and gave an engaging performance for all the characters. 5 Stars
However, keeping up with all the characters via audio was challenging, and I recommend the accompanying e-book.
My first book by the author, and I look forward to reading more. Locust Lane would make an ideal book club pick for further discussions.
Thank you to #MacmillanAudio and #NetGalley for an e-ALC to read, review, and enjoy.
Blog Review posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: Jan 17, 2023
Jan 2023 Must-Read Books
9 Adults
1 Unsolved Murder
LOCUST LANE by Stephen Amidon is a slow-burn whodunit domestic mystery family drama of parents, their teens, and the deadly toxic secrets they hide.
A young woman is dead in Emerson, MA, an affluent New England Boston suburb. A brutal crime shakes the entire neighborhood to the core.
Told from multiple parent POVs:
~ Patrick—an alcoholic father grieving the loss of his daughter due to a drug overdose and who might have seen the killer while driving on Locust Lane
~ Danielle (Eden's mother), the girl who was murdered
~Alice (Hannah's stepmother)
~Michel (Christopher's father)
~Celia (Jack's mother)
Teen friends:
~Eden Perry (found murdered)
The last ones to see her alive and suspects:
~Hannah
~Jack
~Christopner
Hannah's father, Geoff, a scientist spending his time in his study; her stepmother Alice is secretly in an affair with charming Parisian restaurant chef Michel.
Jack is the youngest son in the Parrish family. His father, Oliver is a fixer and his mother, Celia, goes to extremes to protect her children.
Christopher's father is Michel, and they have recently moved to the US. Christopher had a crush on Eden but was too shy to act on it.
An investigation gets underway, with the story alternating between the various key characters. The parents turn against one another and an unreliable witness who might have seen the killer.
Who killed Eden, and what was the motive? How far will the parents go to protect their children?
Thought-provoking, gripping, and intense. From murder, lies, deceit, indiscretions, and cover-ups. There is a lot of family drama here, which often overshadows the mystery and suspense of the novel.
The author slowly lt exposes the dark side of the perfectly privileged families, with complex human characters thrust into suspenseful, page-turning situations.
LOCUST LANE has an eclectic vibe, crossing between— Liane Moriarty's [b:Big Little Lies|33516773|Big Little Lies|Liane Moriarty|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1559835163l/33516773._SY75_.jpg|27570886] (family drama), Dani Shapiro's [b:Signal Fires|59573299|Signal Fires|Dani Shapiro|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1648606891l/59573299._SY75_.jpg|93667345] (psychological literary fiction), and Celeste Ng's [b:Little Fires Everywhere|34273236|Little Fires Everywhere|Celeste Ng|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1522684533l/34273236._SY75_.jpg|94930152] (psychological mystery)— versus a riveting suspense thriller.
While it would have been nice to hear more from the teens and backstories versus the parent's drama, diving deep into their psyche, ultimately, it was the parent's perspective. The novel wasn't focused only on the murder but on the lives of everyone it affected and the aftermath.
The ending was thought-provoking and fitting; however, it left me wanting a little more, and I found myself rewinding it a few times.
AUDIOBOOK: I listened to the audiobook, and as always, I adore Cassandra Campbell, one of my favorite narrators. Her voice is so soothing; I could listen to her all day. Her narration made the book and gave an engaging performance for all the characters. 5 Stars
However, keeping up with all the characters via audio was challenging, and I recommend the accompanying e-book.
My first book by the author, and I look forward to reading more. Locust Lane would make an ideal book club pick for further discussions.
Thank you to #MacmillanAudio and #NetGalley for an e-ALC to read, review, and enjoy.
Blog Review posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: Jan 17, 2023
Jan 2023 Must-Read Books
kyleg1007's review
4.0
This was a very good thriller about a murdered young woman in an affluent neighborhood. It is a good thriller that kept me entertained throughout. All the main characters are super flaw and pretty bad people. I really enjoyed the story, solid 4 ⭐️ book.
mellabella's review
4.0
I received this ARC from a Bookish First raffle.
The epilogue drew me in. It was just creepy enough. Locust Lane isn't a thriller. It's a character driven and sometimes moving mystery that seems ripped from todays headlines.
A young woman named Eden is murdered. Eden was hanging out with a teenage boy named Christopher (who had an unreciprocated crush on her) and his friends Jack (who comes from a very powerful and influential family) and Hannah the night that she died. Christopher is blamed for her death. While the evidence seems to suggest that he did... There is glaring proof that maybe he didn't. No one cares though. When they have a boy that wasn't born in America to scapegoat.
The book is told from multiple povs: ( Alice- Hannahs stepmother, Celia-Jacks mother, Michel-Christophers father, Danielle- Edens mother, and Patrick-a man who lost everything when his daughter Gabi died. Losing himself in the bottle.). All the characters are people that live in, or around the wealthy suburb of Emerson, Massachusetts. But not all of them are wealthy.
The book tackles classism, sexism and bigotry with fleshed out and well developed, nuanced characters the whole time. I'm hoping for a sequel.
The epilogue drew me in. It was just creepy enough. Locust Lane isn't a thriller. It's a character driven and sometimes moving mystery that seems ripped from todays headlines.
A young woman named Eden is murdered. Eden was hanging out with a teenage boy named Christopher (who had an unreciprocated crush on her) and his friends Jack (who comes from a very powerful and influential family) and Hannah the night that she died. Christopher is blamed for her death. While the evidence seems to suggest that he did... There is glaring proof that maybe he didn't. No one cares though. When they have a boy that wasn't born in America to scapegoat.
The book is told from multiple povs: ( Alice- Hannahs stepmother, Celia-Jacks mother, Michel-Christophers father, Danielle- Edens mother, and Patrick-a man who lost everything when his daughter Gabi died. Losing himself in the bottle.). All the characters are people that live in, or around the wealthy suburb of Emerson, Massachusetts. But not all of them are wealthy.
The book tackles classism, sexism and bigotry with fleshed out and well developed, nuanced characters the whole time. I'm hoping for a sequel.
blossom16's review
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Enjoyed it but could see the plot twist coming and guessed before it happened so it was hard to finish without getting the satisfaction of being surprised.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual violence
aleape's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Interesting perspective from the parents
I wish the different characters POV was split into chapters for better page breaks and to follow who was narrating
Some unnecessary big words
The conclusion was frustrating but satisfying
I wish the different characters POV was split into chapters for better page breaks and to follow who was narrating
Some unnecessary big words
The conclusion was frustrating but satisfying