I’ll say it right up front: LOCUST LANE is can’t-put-it-down splendid. It is a well written, character-driven story with a plot (which so many character-driven stories seem to lack).

And if you think this is a young-adult book because you’ve heard it is about teenagers—WRONG. First, it’s not YA. Second, while at the center of the story is a crime that was probably committed by one or more of the teenagers, LOCUST LANE isn’t about them as much as it is about the reactions of the adults around them.

A teenage girl, Eden, has been murdered after spending the evening with three other teenagers, Hannah and Jack and Christopher. Hannah and Jack are girlfriend and boyfriend. Christopher has a crush on Eden. Christopher is a suspect from the start. But it is their parents and their reactions and the drama of their lives that are the story.

Of course, they want to protect their children. But that issue is complicated. For example, Hannah‘s mother is actually her stepmother whose marriage to Hannah’s father isn’t going well. So she’s having an affair with Christopher's father.

More drama: Hannah’s stepmother and Jack’s mother are friends who become enemies when Jack’s mother learns of the affair. After all, she wants to protect her own child, not Christopher.

Eden’s mother also has a place in this story. And so does the man who hits Eden’s dog in the Prologue.

Oh, I know, this description makes LOCUST LANE sound like a soap opera. Honestly, though, this is so suspenseful! I was surprised and didn’t want to put it down. You won’t either.

Warning: you may hate the end or you may find it hopeful. You certainly will see how far some parents will go.