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A review by shesbecomingbookish
Locust Lane by Stephen Amidon
4.0
Quick and Dirty
-murder mystery
-explores social issues
-multiple POVs
-quick read
Synopsis
Nothing ever happens in the quiet little waspy town of Emerson, at least not until Eden is murdered. The troubled young woman was temporarily staying with a distant relative but seemingly has no other ties to the community. Not long after her murder, the police identify Christopher as their primary suspect. The quiet young man is the only son of an immigrant chef, who soon becomes the target of racial slurs and online harassment. Christopher is definitely hiding something, and his best friend, Jack, is determined to keep that secret under wraps. Meanwhile across town, a fallen financier is hitting the bottle hard, but not hard enough to forget what he saw on Locust Lane the night of Eden's murder. But will anyone believe him this time?
Musings
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it to be such a thrilling page-turner. It had a bit of everything: family drama, in-fighting, mystery, and intrigue. The unlikeable characters and ambiguous ending won't be for everyone, but if you don't mind those things I would highly suggest you give Locust Lane a chance. I especially enjoyed all the social commentary the author weaved into the story: classism, racism, cyberbullying/harassment, privilege, addiction, and mental health. One character, in particular, was so well-written that it made this book a standout for me. Not every author accurately captures the dance between addiction and grief, but Amidon does a wonderful job portraying the relationship between the two. Overall, this book is a great option for litfic lovers in search of a murder mystery!
-murder mystery
-explores social issues
-multiple POVs
-quick read
Synopsis
Nothing ever happens in the quiet little waspy town of Emerson, at least not until Eden is murdered. The troubled young woman was temporarily staying with a distant relative but seemingly has no other ties to the community. Not long after her murder, the police identify Christopher as their primary suspect. The quiet young man is the only son of an immigrant chef, who soon becomes the target of racial slurs and online harassment. Christopher is definitely hiding something, and his best friend, Jack, is determined to keep that secret under wraps. Meanwhile across town, a fallen financier is hitting the bottle hard, but not hard enough to forget what he saw on Locust Lane the night of Eden's murder. But will anyone believe him this time?
Musings
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it to be such a thrilling page-turner. It had a bit of everything: family drama, in-fighting, mystery, and intrigue. The unlikeable characters and ambiguous ending won't be for everyone, but if you don't mind those things I would highly suggest you give Locust Lane a chance. I especially enjoyed all the social commentary the author weaved into the story: classism, racism, cyberbullying/harassment, privilege, addiction, and mental health. One character, in particular, was so well-written that it made this book a standout for me. Not every author accurately captures the dance between addiction and grief, but Amidon does a wonderful job portraying the relationship between the two. Overall, this book is a great option for litfic lovers in search of a murder mystery!