Locust Lane

On the surface, Emerson, Massachusetts, is just like any other affluent New England suburb. But when a young woman is found dead in the nicest part of town, the powerful neighbors close ranks to keep their families safe. In this searing novel, Eden Perry’s death kicks off an investigation into the three teenagers who were partying with her that night, each a suspect. Hannah, a sweet girl with an unstable history. Jack, the popular kid with a mean streak. Christopher, an outsider desperate to fit in. Their parents, each with motivations of their own, only complicate the picture: they will do anything to protect their children, even at the others’ expense.

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.

Locust Lane by Stephen Amidon
Out now from Celadon Books

I don’t read a lot of thrillers, but this one grabbed me from the first page. There is the mysterious death of a young woman, a crew of secretive teenagers and their parents who are harboring secrets of their own. Throughout the book, Amidon expertly pulls at the threads of the mystery which binds all of these people together. The story is told through multiple points of view, but interestingly only those of the adults. I usually have a tough time when there are a lot of characters in a book, but I followed these plot lines quite easily.

Locust Lane is very much a slow-burn mystery, with the tension mounting in the last quarter of the book. I felt the ending was a bit unsatisfying but other than that this character-driven story is worth a read.

Thank you to Celadon Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.