Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of <i>The Sorority Murder</i> in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

<h4 style="margin-top: 84px;">The Gist</h4>

<i>The Sorority Murder</i> by Allison Brennan is a moderately engaging mystery that introduces readers to the secrets and scandals within the sorority world. While the novel has its moments of suspense, it falls short of delivering a truly gripping experience.

<h4>The Details</h4>

The central murder mystery within the sorority sets the stage for intrigue, and Brennan successfully captures the essence of the collegiate setting. The characters, though somewhat stereotypical, are distinct enough to maintain reader interest. The pacing is generally steady, with occasional moments of tension that keep the narrative moving forward.

The exploration of themes like sisterhood, loyalty, and rivalry adds depth to the story, offering readers a glimpse into the complex dynamics within the sorority. However, the novel could have delved further into these themes to create a more immersive and emotionally resonant experience.

While the twists and turns in the plot are present, they may not be as surprising or impactful as some readers might expect from a mystery/thriller. The resolution of the mystery, though satisfying, lacks the wow factor that elevates a mystery novel to a higher level.

The writing style is accessible, making it an easy read for fans of the genre. However, certain aspects of the narrative might feel formulaic, and the characters' motivations could have been explored in greater detail to enhance the overall depth of the story.

<h4>The Verdict</h4>

Overall, <i>The Sorority Murder</i> is a decent mystery that offers an entertaining exploration of the sorority world. While it may not reach the heights of a thrilling page-turner, it provides a satisfactory reading experience for those looking for a lighter mystery novel.

This one just didn't pique my interest. I normally like mysteries that have a podcast element to them but sadly I'm just bored with this book. I'm half way through and going to DNF this one. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review it. I also got the audiobook to try that way but this one is just not for me.

"The Sorority Murder" by Allison Brennan is a gripping mystery that delves into the dark secrets of a sorority, offering a compelling read filled with suspense.

I enjoyed this, I just was busy with life and did not write an entire lengthy review as I usually do. It was a solid story and it kept me fixated and reading.

I picked this up just because I was in a sorority. which I understand is not a good enough reason to read a book but I'm very happy I did. it was way better than I expected. if you're looking for something a little different give this one a go.

The premise of this book is great - on-campus murder! true-crime podcast! - but it just fell a little flat for me with its execution. The characters were underdeveloped and all ran together so I found myself losing interest fast.

I would call this more of a mystery than a thriller, but I enjoyed the story and found it compelling - it could stand to be a little more chilling, IMO, but still worth a read.

The Sorority Murder is a thrilling, twist-filled murder mystery about a guy obsessed with the murder of a girl who left a sorority party only for her body to be found two weeks later and the case to go cold. Now he works at the medical examiner's office and discovered new information that no one seems interested in, so he creates a podcast investigating the murder himself. The story is filled with plenty of twists, compelling characters, and a solid whodunnit. Highly recommended! Be sure to check out The Sorority Murder today.

Thank you very much for the chance to review this book - I read the arc in a very delayed fashion, but I did read it!!

This was an enjoyable mystery that kept me flipping the pages. The first half was especially intriguing, but once a few clues were dropped it became fairly obvious what the result was going to be and then it was more of a criminal investigation which is less my jam.

Overall, I'm glad I read it but it's not a new favourite.

I love all of Allison Brennan's work and this one was no exception. The mystery surrounding the death of Candace Swain is intriguing and really keeps you guessing. I like the character dynamics in this book. It was a quick read because I had to know what was going to happen. Definitely recommend and can't wait for next one!

RATING: 3.5 STARS
2021; Mira/Harlequin

If you enjoyed the YA novel A Good Girl's Guide to Murder you will like this one. While this is for an adult audience, it does take place at a college and with younger characters. I think older teens would be okay to read this one. The Sorority Murder is another novel using a true crime podcast as a plot device. I listen to many true crime podcasts as I work, so I enjoy reading books that include this in them. There was a novel, the title escapes me, that I didn't think worked as well, but I liked this one. I thought this was a standalone novel when I first started this book, and then realized it's a first book in a series. The amount of background information given about the main character, Regan was a bit much and vague if it was for just one book. I am looking forward to learn more about Regan as the series progresses. I do enjoy her father as a secondary character and hope there is more of him. The murder in this book was interesting but didn't have any suspense for me. I won't say led me to it, in case I ruin it for others like me.

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

I had never read an Allison Brennan before, and I get the sense that this might be a bit of a different take for her. I found this originally a fairly compelling entry into the “podcaster turns investigator” genre, but it took a fair amount of time to build to actually progressing the investigation after its initial start, and some of the characters, such as Lucas, felt extremely thin. I also thought some of the other characterization of side characters was clunky. But, that could be because Regan was really the main character after all, and once I embraced that, it worked a bit better for me. The pacing felt a bit off as well — we spent a lot of time in certain phases of the plot, and it felt a bit slow and circuitous, and there were a lot of side relationships that felt like laying the foundation for a series, rather than presenting possible other suspects. I also thought it didn’t do a lot with some of the ethical questions it sort of raised around podcasting and inserting ones self in the investigation (or the ethics of how some of the information was obtained! Or how the town turned on certain individuals! It just kind of brushed on past a lot!).

As alluded to in the blurb, this book also ends up with a pretty high body count for a relatively small town, that felt like someone should be like, wow, what’s happening in Flagstaff?

This book was okay, but that’s it, it was just okay. I got halfway and there still hadn’t been a hook to drive you to finish it. I kept waiting but by the end there still hadn’t been a hook. It was alright but not fabulous

The Sorority Murder by Allison Brennan is a highly recommended murder mystery.

Three years ago Candace Swain was a popular sorority member and senior nursing student at Northern Arizona University when she left the sorority Spring Fling party and disappeared. A week later her body was found in a lake at a golf course. Her case remained open with the only suspect, a homeless alcoholic, missing. Now Lucas Vega, who was a freshman when Candace was murdered, has decided to do a podcast focused on Candace's murder for his senior capstone project as a forensics major. He is hoping to review the case, present some new information he has found, and have listeners call in with any additional information they might have.

When Regan Merritt, a former US marshal, is a guest lecturer at the university, Lucas invites her to share her expertise on his podcast. When reviewing the case and the information Lucas has discovered, Regan decides to join him on the podcast. She stays on to help as new information is brought to light and she believes Lucas may actually be able to solve the murder. It is also clear to her that Lucas is holding a secret of his own that may have been the impetus behind the podcast idea.

Regan is a great, fully realized character and hopefully she'll be back in her own series. She provides the maturity, intelligence, knowledge, and experience that the novel needs to make the investigation into the murder mystery seem believable. She has a lot of her own resources and contacts in the area that are of great help. Lucas is also a believable character, but he seemed younger than a senior in college. It is clear from the start that he is hiding something, but he is clearly dedicated to solving Candace's murder. He and Reagan make a good team.

The Sorority Murder is a compelling, complex, solid murder mystery and held my attention throughout despite the fact that the pacing of the plot is a bit uneven at the beginning and it does have a slow start while setting up the story. Once things get moving and new information is slowly coming in, the pacing picks up. Along with following Lucas and Regan, there are also excerpts from a journal Candace kept. The narrative approaches solving the mystery like a procedural. I enjoyed this approach where new information is discovered or uncovered in the quest of solving the mystery.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of MIRA Books.
The review was published on Barnes & Noble, Edelweiss,Google Books, and Amazon.

Am I now jaded on Thrillers? Maybe so. Because basic mystery's listed as Thrillers and described as chilling is not cutting it for me anymore.

The Sorority Murder started out great. A nice intro, a murder, an unknown killer and a student who, several years later, wants to start a podcast to look into the murder and find the killer. Great set-up.

Then the story begins and it just goes....nowhere. There are only a few evidence pieces and they are talked about ad nauseum. I was putting my book down and pressing my fingertips to my eyes by the end. I just couldn't handle it anymore. So repetitive!

Then there is the fact that the chapters go from present to past/Candace's experiences, to present to past Candace's journal and back and forth and back and forth. Why were we learning things from a journal when a journal hadn't even yet been spoken about in the story?

The ending was just ok. The unraveling of the whodunnit was interesting, but just barely. There certainly weren't twists as so many people have stated in their reviews. This seemed like a basic mystery, with mostly unlikable characters. I do not understand all the hype around this one.

Thank you to #Mira and #NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was not as great as I had hoped, honestly. The killer was obvious and the motive was just absurd. I enjoyed the true crime podcast aspect, though!

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was interesting enough to keep my attention but didn't have me guessing at the end. I didn't really fell an attachment to the main characters and I felt there were some unnecessary distracting things. It was okay to me.

This book grabbed me by the title. I love books about murder and the thrill of finding out who did it and such.

Lucas Vega is hosting a podcast called The Sorority Murder as a capstone project, where he elaborates the facts that happened three years before, when the sorority member Candace Swain was found dead in a lake. Lucas doesn't believe the homeless man convicted for the crime is the real killer, so he's trying to gather new information to prove his theory.

I think it was a slow start. It took a while to actually get moving in the book. There could have been more character development as well. I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over. The plot has a good ring to it but it could have been written better.

Overall I finished the book and while I thought it could have been written better, I still enjoyed it.

4.5 Stars

Chilling, unsettling and compulsively readable, The Sorority Murder is the latest top-notch crime thriller from Allison Brennan.

The death of Candace Swain has long fascinated Lucas Vega. Candace had gone to a sorority party and never returned. Her body had been found after two days, but the case had soon grown cold and Candace’s killer remained at large. Lucas’ interest in this case had never wavered and when three years later, he discovered new information while interning at a medical examiners’ office, he vows to do whatever it takes to discover the truth about Candace’s murder. With the police not being remotely interested, Lucas decides to do his own investigating and creates a podcast inviting members of the public who were at the party to share their insights, memories and suspicions. With guest lecturer Regan Merritt agreeing to come onto the show, Lucas is convinced he will get to the bottom of this mystery. But just why is he so interested in this case? And what is it about Candace Swain and her murder that so intrigues Lucas?

With the public’s ever-increasing interest in true crime, the podcast is a huge success for Lucas and Regan and when a tip comes in that gets them closer to Candace’s murder than they’ve ever been before, they are both elated. However, their happiness is short-lived when one of the podcast callers turns up dead. More shocks are on the way when a theory is put to Lucas and Regan that implicates other sorority sisters. Yet, the biggest twist of all is the discovery of a dangerous secret about Lucas that has Regan wondering whether she can trust him or whether he has an ulterior motive for getting so involved in this case.

With a ruthless killer on the loose desperate to shut down the podcast and silence Lucas and Regan for good, can they uncover the secrets of that fateful night? Or will their curiosity about Candace Swain end up costing them dearly?

Allison Brennan certainly knows how to keep her readers turning the pages and The Sorority Murder is a superb thriller that kept me engrossed all through the night. Allison Brennan grabs her readers from the get-go and takes them on a heart-stopping and nerve-jolting journey where the pace never flags, the shocks come thick and fast and the twists and turns will leave them breathless.

The Sorority Murder packs plenty of punch and its beguiling blend of spine-chilling suspense, nail-biting tension and creepy atmosphere continues to cement Allison Brennan’s standing as one of the best writers in the business.

So – I have a mixed review on this one. I liked it and I enjoyed reading it, but it felt long to me (I just looked – as I read on my kindle – and it’s 448 pages). It felt like I had to keep a lot of characters and events straight in my head, which was sometimes confusing (remember – I often read late at night when I’m tired). So, while I liked it, I do wish it moved a bit quicker and was shorter.

If you like suspenseful murder mysteries, you’ll enjoy this one! I got my copy as part of the Harper-Collins blog tour for this title.