 Stephen Amidon was born in Chicago and grew up on the East Coast. He lived in London for 12 years before returning to the United States in 1999. He now lives in Massachusetts and Torino, Italy. His books have been published in 16 countries and include two works of nonfiction, a collection of stories and seven novels, including Human Capital, adapted as a film directed by Marc Meyers in 2019, and Security, also adapted as a film and released by Netflix in summer 2021. His ninth novel is Locust Lane (Celadon, January 17, 2023), about the search for justice and the fault lines of power and influence in a seemingly idyllic town. Handsell readers your book in 25 words or less: A murder in suburbia sets three families on a collision course as they scramble to protect their treasured children from the consequences of the crime. On your nightstand now: Down and Out in Paradise: The Life of Anthony Bourdain by Charles Leerhsen. I was always deeply impressed by the broadcasting and writing of Bourdain, who possessed such a humane, wise and unpretentious presence. I'm curious to see how such a seemingly ideal life could have gone so terribly wrong at the end. Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby. I read Blacktop Wasteland last year and was immediately sold on Cosby's brand of hard-bitten Southern noir. More, please. The Night Shift by Alex Finlay. I'm about halfway through this and think it's terrific. It's only Finlay's second novel, but he writes with immense authority and skill. Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez. I've heard nothing but good things about Olga and plan to see what all the fuss is about. Read more here.  Stephen Amidon has spent considerable time in London, so perhaps that’s why he’s so good at conjuring the nasty wittiness of a mid-century British novel (which is exactly the tone I want to find in a book about wealthy people behaving very, very badly). The characters of Locust Lane bicker snidely, make harsh judgements about those they despise, and willfully ignore the faults of those they love. When a girl is found murdered, the parents of the three teenagers who were partying with her will do anything to protect their own, prepared for victory by a lifetime of privilege yet vulnerable to the consequences of a lifetime of secrets. –Molly Odintz, Crime Reads
One week to publication, and Moira Macdonald, The Seattle Times' arts critic, includes Locust Lane in a round up of old and new mysteries. "I ... disappeared for a goodly while into Stephen Amidon’s taut domestic thriller 'Locust Lane,' which is just coming out this month. Amidon’s work is new to me but he’s been at this a while (this is his seventh novel), and his experience shows. It’s the tale of a murder in a well-off New England suburb, and the reverberations of that murder among three teenagers who knew the victim, and the three teens’ parents. Everyone has a story, everyone has secrets, and all that enthusiastic page-turning created a refreshing breeze. Amidon’s very good at twisting in and out of his different characters’ consciousness; you keep wondering who to root for, right up to the end. Very satisfactory, and I’ll be looking for Amidon’s other work."  After last week's fabulous pre-publication reading at Vintage Books and Wine in Austin, coming up is a publication day event at Brookline Booksmith, in Boston: Jan 17th at 7 p.m.
Register here.  Early press for Locust Lane includes a starred review by Michael Cart in Booklist and "Stephen Amidon's day of the locust" by Philip Womack in The Spectator World.
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