I was excited to receive an eARC of this as I've been hearing about it all over social media. The book has three time lines: current day, 10 years ago and several months leading up to current day. We have two narrators: Maya and her much younger sister Naomi. The sisters were orphaned when Naomi was quite young and Maya has spent years attempting to provide the life she feels Naomi should have. This has led to some questionable behavior in the past and of course, that leads to trouble in current day. The plot involves an eating club at Princeton in which Maya was a member in the past and Naomi is a member currently. I did not understand much of the characters' actions or motivations..(why did the scheme at the ski camp seem plausible to these highly educated people??) Made no sense to me. So I'm afraid I did not think this book lived up to the hype.

Started off interesting, but unfortunately I didn’t get immersed like I expected to. I didn’t get anything new or fresh from this story, though the writing was strong. Id try her again but with a different plot.

This was my first time reading a book by this author and I thought the story was really intriguing. I loved the way she moved between perspectives, and I especially liked Maya’s perspective. Honestly, I felt like her POV made the whole story. I wasn’t so fond of Naomi though. Her sections almost seemed repetitive sometimes. It could be because the story overall was a lot slower than I prefer, especially in the middle. Not that there’s an issue with slower stories, it’s just a personal preference. But I kept finding myself getting distracted during Naomi’s chapters. Overall though, I liked the story and would definitely read more from this author!

Huge thanks to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!

Many thanks to Netgalley for the e-arc.


So I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was a good pace with good characters.

Lies and deceit at an Ivy League secret society? Yes, please! If you have not yet read Lauren Ling Brown’s debut novel, do it NOW! This one was such a fun twisty ride! After a life of hardship, Maya is finally a Princeton graduate and is heading back to her college reunion. It’s been 10 years and her little sister is following in her footsteps as a Princeton Legacy with graduation just days away. The weekend quickly turns into Maya‘s worst nightmare as she discovers that her sister Naomi has been killed in an “accident”. This is not the first time a young girl has been found dead on campus. Maya cannot help but believe that the ultra prestigious and exclusive Sterling Club members might have something to do with it. Brown shakes up the timeline of the book by going back and telling the stories of both Maya and Naomi‘s experiences at Princeton, showing the reader their shared experiences and missteps along the way. This novel answers the question: How far would you really go to belong? Are wealth and power worth the price? The dark side of Princeton’s fictional dining clubs is revealed, showing the lengths its members will go to keep their secrets safe. Would you join? Thank you to @netgalley and @bantambooksuk for the E-Arc in exchange for my honest review. #laurenlingbrown #societyoflies #reesesbookclub #thrillerbooks #readerlife #suspensebooks #thrillerbookaddict #readmore

Dark academia and mystery that I enjoyed. Book started off with a bang...got a little slow in the middle...but then finished strong!

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for the chance to read and review this book!

This is the first book I've read from the author - I feel so very fortunate I've had the opportunity to read such amazing "new-to-me" authors lately!

In Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown, Maya heads back to her old stomping grounds, Princeton, to celebrate her sister's, Naomi, graduation. While Maya is there, she also plans to meet up with some of her college friends she keeps in touch with but doesn't often get to see.

But her happiness turns into heartbreak when she learns Naomi has died. While the police call it a tragic accident, Maya is convinced there’s more to the story. As she starts to investigate what happened, she finds out Naomi had joined a secret society made up of those who have a lot of power and influence over its members; it's the same club Maya belonged to and is tied to some of her darkest and deepest secrets.

The book follows Maya as she uncovers shocking secrets about the club and her past while trying to keep her family safe from growing danger. What Maya doesn't realize is that the answers to her questions could be answered by someone in her close circle.

Again, this was an amazing read and I can't wait for more from the author! This is an absolute must-read if you haven't already done so!

First, let me say I love dark academia books and this one did not disappoint. Told from varying points of views between sisters in the months/weeks/days before the death. I knew nothing about eating clubs at Princeton, so this was interesting, so much so that I looked up more about Princeton eating clubs. I think the writer did a great job laying out the bread crumbs for multiple mysteries, one during Natalie's timeline and one during her sister's Maya's own college timeline. Good mysterious read.

Started off so strong, and immediately had me intrigued. It did lag a little bit in the middle though, but I was pleasantly surprised by the ending.

Murder, mystery, secret societies, multiple pov and timelines? Obsessed. Both sisters are interconnected due to the same secret society, death, and college. It was a somewhat fast paced book that had me reading faster to get to the answers of who killed Layla and Naomi

Society of Lies is a mash-up of every trope I love! Secret society mixed with scandal and academia! Yes, please!

Maya is excited to both attend her own college reunion and her sister’s graduation but then she gets the horrible news that Naomi is dead.

I loved how past and present were done with two different POV, Maya’s along with her sister, Naomi’s. While this is a slow burn to start and a bit detail oriented to begin with, I personally enjoy some of the more detailed accounts in this type of setting.

Highly recommend this one to fans of the genre!

My thanks to Ballantine for this gifted DRC!

Lauren Ling Brown's dazzling debut, SOCIETY OF LIES, is set at Princeton University and follows biracial sisters Maya and Naomi as they uncover a corrupt secret society within one of the social clubs while asking the question: How far would you go to belong?

About...

Maya returns to Princeton for her college reunion. She is quite excited because she will also be attending the graduation of her younger sister, Naomi. What she uncovers turns into a nightmare when she learns Naomi is dead. They say it's an accident, but Maya's instincts tell her there's something more sinister at play.

What was her sister hiding?

Despite her warnings, Naomi had joined the most exclusive social club on campus, Sterling Club. Unfortunately, it was the same club she had belonged to.

Was Naomi chosen to join the secret society within? Did Naomi follow in her footsteps? Her time at Princeton was not as grand as she had let on. Her sister was not the first to turn up dead, which led her back to the past and her dark secrets.

My thoughts...

SOCIETY OF LIES is a captivating debut!

From the stunning front cover, the SOCIETY OF LIES draws you in from the first page to the spine-tingling climax—a powerful debut exploring the dark side of elite academia, both dark and haunting!

It is told in four parts and two twisty alternating POVs: Maya (2023/2011/2010) and Naomi (2022) before her death, adding a layer of intrigue in learning the thoughts and actions of each.

Maya: Naomi's older sister. Married to Nate
Naomi: Maya's younger sister

Cecily: Maya's college friend
Nate: Maya's husband
Liam: Naomi's ex-boyfriend
Ben: Naomi's friend/crush
Matthew: Maya’s former Sterling mentor/Princeton Professor

The author keeps you engrossed with the alternating POV, providing glimpses of the past and exploring the underbelly of a secret prestigious society at an Ivy League University. The exciting cast of characters in this atmospheric setting adds a layer of complexity to the story.

Pulled in by initiation into Sterling Club, Princeton's most prestigious eating club, and allured by the fun and its golden escalator to a future. Once inside, you are bound by their secrets, creating a deep blond—dangerous, cultlike, and reckless environment.

SOCIETY OF LIES is an entertaining tale filled with secrets, collegiate scandals, and murder. Dark and unsettling, well-plotted, showcasing the darkness and menace of the Sterling Club and Greystone Society (fictional). With emotionally charged topics of race, family, friendship, class, sisterhood, multiracial identity, power, and privilege. An author to watch!

An ideal choice for book clubs: The author's website offers an extensive book club kit and a fun Character Profile.

Recs...

SOCIETY OF FANS is for readers who enjoy dark academic thrillers and murder mysteries. For those who enjoy the works of Ruth Ware, Carol Goodman, Lauren Nossett, Fiona McPhillips, R.J. Jacobs, and David Bell.

Thanks...

Thanks to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced digital reading copy for an honest opinion.

blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Oct 1, 2024
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Secret societies, mysterious deaths, relationship issues…there’s a lot of suspense and unknown piled into this novel. I liked the depth in which race and privilege was examined and how it tied into the main story.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown.

Unfortunately this is a DNF. I made it about 40% until I realized that I had lost the plot and had no interest in getting it back.

The beginning was strong, I love a shady secret society at a University. I love a good murder mystery. I think where it lost me was keeping the two sister's stories straight, and the slogging pace eventually exhausted me, and I just didn't care anymore.

Society of Lies is a dark academia novel about the goings on of an exclusive eating and social club at Princeton University and the secret society buried within. The novel tells the story of two sisters, Maya, a former graduate of Princeton and her little sister Naomi, soon to graduate.

Unfortunately during the graduation weekend Maya received word that Naomi is dead. As Maya chases the truth and beings to uncover the events leading up to Naomi's death events from her time at Princeton also threaten to come to light.

I enjoyed parts of this book. The premise of secret societies within societies was intriguing and I found the description compelling. Unfortunately I struggled to get through it and DNF around the 70% mark. I found this book well written and with unique concepts, but the build was just too slow for my personal taste.

I recommend this book to anyone who has understood the dangerous allure of wanting to belong.

Thanks to Netgalley, Lauren Ling Brown, and Random House Publishing for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

If you love dark academia, secret societies, and family mysteries, Society of Lies will have you hooked from the first page.

Maya returns to Princeton full of nostalgia, but everything takes a chilling turn when her sister, Naomi, dies under suspicious circumstances. What was supposed to be a weekend of celebration becomes a spiral into dark secrets, toxic traditions, and buried guilt. As Maya digs into Naomi’s life and their shared past, she realizes the Sterling Club—and the hidden society within—might be more dangerous than she ever imagined.

This book is thrilling and twisted in all the right ways. It’s a slow-burn mystery where every page peels back another layer of deceit. The narrative explores sisterhood, privilege, and the dangerous allure of elite institutions, all while keeping you guessing until the very end.

If you love stories where the past refuses to stay buried, characters with hidden motives, and endings that make you question everything, this one’s for you!

I'm a fan of all things dark academia, so Society of Lies instantly grabbed my attention. Unfortunately, it fell a bit flat for me and took far longer for me to get through than anticipated. Overall, I didn't find it to be a terrible story— I liked the plot alright— the pacing just dragged and I found the two narrators' stories & voices to be a bit too similar to one another. If it were slightly shorter, I likely would have enjoyed it a lot more. I'd still recommend this one to anyone looking for an easy, uncomplicated thriller to escape in!

All of my thanks to NetGalley & Random House Publishing - Ballantine for the ARC!

Maya, a graduate of Princeton, returned after ten years to celebrate family weekend and for her sister Naomi’s graduation. They planned to meet on campus but she receives tragic news instead. Naomi’s body was found in a pond and the police are treating it as an accidental death. Maya had been a member of the Sterling Club, one of the most prestigious eating clubs on campus, as well as the secret society within its’ membership. She had warned Naomi against involvement with Sterling, but her sister followed the same path. Now Maya is afraid that events from the past may have led to her sister’s death. The story alternates between Maya’s and Naomi’s experiences on campus. A death that occurred during Maya’s time may be the key to discovering Naomi’s killer. She had been looking into the death, but if the truth comes out it could ruin Maya and destroy her family. The truth had been covered up but it is now time for Maya to face her past. Having lived in the Princeton area, I was looking forward to Lauren Ling Brown’s story and I was not disappointed. Murder, wealth, privilege and a love triangle gives you a mystery with unexpected twists . Princeton is a beautiful setting but it hides some dark secrets. I would like to thank Random House - Ballantine for providing this book.

Dark academia, secret societies, murder, secrets and scandal will capture your attention in this debut.
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Brie Carter and Chandler Gregory did an excellent job bringing these characters to life.
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Sisters Maya and Naomi attend Princeton about ten years apart. Just before Naomi’s graduation, she turns up dead. The police believe it was an accident, but Maya isn’t buying it.
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Maya starts investigating and realizes there was so much she didn’t know about Naomi. Naomi joined Sterling Club, an exclusive social club at Princeton to which Maya had also belonged. Maya suspects she was also in a secret society.
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Maya uncovers secrets and won’t stop until she uncovers the truth. Even if it reveals a secret she’s been keeping for more than a decade.
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Loved the dual timelines of the two sisters’ time at Princeton and how it delved into their social status, or lack thereof, and how they interacted with others.
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Solid debut and I look forward to more from this author.

When Maya returns to Princeton for younger sister Naomi's graduation she experiences a flood of emotions. Princeton originally represented everything Maya wanted: acceptance by an elite institution and by an elite crowd, a brilliant education, and networking opportunities with doors opening to wealth and success. It also represents a dark time in her life, when her famous eating club's most secret society, The Sterling Club, lost one of their members and Maya's friend in an accident. Maya realized that the Sterling Club had more power than she thought possible and knew the danger it represented-everything she warned Naomi about. Shortly after Maya's return to Princeton she receives tragic news that Naomi has been found dead-accidental drowning and overdose. Unable to accept that as truth, Maya digs into Naomi's recent past and discovers that her sister had a life she barely knew about and may have made some of the same mistakes Maya did=trusting the wrong people in Sterling-and paying the ultimate sacrifice. Told in alternating timelines and perspectives, Lauren Ling Brown's debut Society of Lies, is a psychological thriller that has twists a long the way after a slow burn in the beginning (some readers may see coming-but still enough they will not). I look forward to reading her future releases.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.