This book was an unexpected surprise and I recommend reading it if you are looking for a thrilling mystery, this is the book to read this October.

This is a dual timeline, as well as a dual POV, mystery thriller that is a dark academia novel.

It is somewhat predictable, but in the same way it wasn't.. The book begins really strong but the last 10% was unputdownable in my opinion.
I did not see the twist coming, but it was a bit so fantastically unrealistic. It was a lot going on at the end, but the book itself is well written.

It's hard to write a review because I don't want to give away this book but I definitely did enjoy this one.

This is the year for thrillers and this story is right at the top. I love that you get Maya and Naomi's perspective. It builds the suspense and the pacing is perfect. I was so engrossed in the story that hours had passed before I knew it. The jaw dropping reveal left me reeling. This is an author to watch!

Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown #eightysixthbookof2024 #arc #societyoflies

CW: death, murder, secret societies, alcohol and drug use, abuse of power and inappropriate teacher/student relationships

This duel perspective novel follows two sisters who both went to Princeton: Maya, in the aftermath of her sister’s death, and her sister Naomi, in the events leading up to her death. It’s a tried and true formula, and I honestly didn’t suspect the reveal at all. That said, it was a very slow burn, bringing to account the death of another friend during Maya’s college days with flashbacks, and the ending wrapped up very quickly, too quickly. I did appreciate the author discussing racism in college settings and secret societies, but I was a little bored throughout the entire story, and the book was a tad too long in my opinion.

Thank you to @penguinrandomhouse and @netgalley for the advance copy. (pub date 10/1/24 - today!)

Society of Lies is a perfectly crafted thriller that will keep you on your feet from start to finish! Lauren Bing tells the story of two sisters both attending Princeton at different times throigh personal viewpoints. Each sister through their journey at Princeton experience horrible events ending with one of them paying the ultimate price and the other trying to find out what really happened.

The plot centers around secret societies at one of the top colleges and the lies and deception that surround those organizations. Through multiple characters we learn the true nature of those who are the top 1% and rule the world through lies, deception, trickery, cheating and more.

This is an expertly woven thriller that will keep you on your toes from start to finish. Between the morally ambiguous characters to the hunt for the truth to the multiple unfortunate events that occur you will be guessing to the end!

The layout of this book is interesting. It is both set in the past and present. However, two pasts are being told simultaneously. Through all three of these retellings a broad picture is painted of a secret that has haunted a family. And a legacy that could cause one of the sisters to go to jail. This book is very fast paced and there is a lot to keep track of, but the final reveal is worth it.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, Bantam, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy o fthis title.

I am a sucker for a dark academia book and after reading the blurb for this I was itching to be approved for an ARC of Society of Lies so I wouldn’t have to wait until October to read it. Luckily, I was approved, Then I read it. I’m unfortunately not a huge fan. I think the idea for this book was great, but the execution was just not entirely to my liking. The dual POV’s mixed with dual time lines was confusing at times. I had to restart several chapters because I forgot who I was reading about. I do however LOVE how one of the author’s goals was to spark conversations within the reading community about important topics, like privilege and to teach us to learn to be accepting of everyone’s ideas and opinions. That’s so very important. I regrettably am only rating this book 3 stars. As this was the author’s debut novel, I will 110% read the next book she publishes and I believe she will definitely write a banger!

I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book from NeGalley. This review is honest, unbiased, and completely my own.

Society of Lies centers around Maya and Naomi, sisters who attend Princeton University ten years apart from each other. They used to be close, but their relationship has grown more distant over time. Right before graduation, Naomi turns up dead. Given what Maya knows from her time at Princeton, she is confident her death wasn't an accident like the police are claiming. Both Maya and Naomi were members of the exclusive Sterling Club, a secret society where lies and corruption are the norm. Maya knows from experience that the club and its influential alums will do anything to keep from being exposed. As Maya begins investigating Naomi's life at Princeton for clues as to what happened, she uncovers that her sister was hiding more than she led on. Thrown back into a world of deceit that she thought she had put behind her, Maya is left wondering who she could trust and whether or not her sister's death is connected to her somehow.

I gave this book 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4! The book's setting at Princeton and the allure of secret societies is what initially drew me in. The author had an excellent idea for this story and I thought the book started out really strong. It was definitely a slow-burning academic mystery with many twists. However, the last quarter of the book is where things started to splinter off in many different directions. It felt more thrown together than the carefully executed first half and there were just too many loose ends at the end. The multiple POVs were tricky to keep track of and confusing at times because Maya and Naomi were so similar. The story is told from three POVs - Maya in the present, Maya when she was at Princeton, and Naomi before her death. Overall, I thought this was a great mystery with a few minor flaws. I think the author shows a lot of potential and I will definitely be checking out the next book she writes!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown started out to be a mystery that grabbed me and would not let go as I was reading. I tried to figure out who was guilty and why. The author did a good job of making it full of guessing and that for me is a good mystery book. The longer I read the more I just did not care what was happening or who the guilty people or person was.
After about halfway into the book I had lost interest of who was telling the story and why it had happened. When I got to the end of the book, I knew it would not be one that I would think about long after reading.
Thank you NetGalley, Lauren Ling Brown and Random House Publishing Group for the copy of the book. This is my personal review.

My thanks to NetGalley and Bantam Books/Penguin Random House for the ARC of "Society Of Lies" in exchange for an honest review.
Every time I find myself hooked by a college set thriller like this one, I wonder how I managed to get out of college alive.
But then I didn't go to Princeton, which 'Society Of Lies' depicts of as a viper's nest of corruption, murder and high level corporate wheeling and dealing that stretches from the campus quads to Wall Street's most wealthy and powerful one-percenters.
Two sisters, generations apart, face way more than keeping their GPA up, as three separate timelines unfold.. In present day, alumni Maya, returns to campus for her 10 year reunion and to celebrate the graduation of her beloved kid sister Naomi. But Naomi's found dead as a result of a suspicious drowning accident. And in her sister's death, Maya's forced to re-live the same kind of traumatic events and danger she experienced as an undergrad. . Because just like her big sister, Naomi also joined an exclusive club whose membership allowed her a place in the Greystone Society, an all-powerful cabal dedicated to the financial achievement of its members. And those who dare to expose or thwart Greystone in any way, put themselves at high risk of their lives.
As Maya probes into Naomi's death, parallel past timelines show the sisters' separate but similar entanglements with the evil and influential Greystone Society, whose tentacles stretch in all directions and whose members aren't above murdering anyone posting a threat to their power.
For me that's a surefire recipe for a fast, zip-through-the-pages suspense thriller loaded up with twists and surprises right to the very end. Not to mention making me breathe a sigh of relief that the Greystone Society is fictitious........we hope.

Society of Lies is the debut novel from Lauren Ling Brown.

"Maya is excited about going to her ten year reunion at Princeton. She's also happy to see her little sister, Naomi, graduate. But the weekend quickly becomes a nightmare when she learns that Naomi has been found dead. Police are calling it an accident but Maya is afraid that Naomi got involved in the thing that Naomi tried to hide. Was it her secret that got Naomi killed?"

Slow start to this one. The story takes a bit to get going. There are actually three timelines - the present and backstory timelines for Maya and Naomi. It can be confusing at times because all of the characters are in every timeline in some form. You really have to pay attention to the chapter heading. It's a lot of work for a story but it gets better. There are lots of rich people doing rich people things to protect their status and money. (Do not get in their way!) The villain comes from a surprising place. Brown almost paints herself into a corner a couple of times but finds her way out.
Be sure to read the author's notes about secret societies at the end of the book.

Nice debut from Brown.

The elite secret societies of the Ivies is definitely a compelling backdrop for a tense mystery. The sibling relationship, the bonds of friendship, and the complexities of race in these settings makes for a lot of fodder for this story.

Three timelines was one too much for me! I loved the story of the secret societies on an Ivy League campus and all the dark academia goings on. I felt a lot more for Naomi than I did for Maya. The latter should have felt guilty for allowing Naomi to put herself in a dangerous position! Once again, keeping secrets hurts people! I know the book tried to weave racism into the storyline, but I didn't feel like it was presented as strongly as it could have been, if that had been the author's intent. And while the book seemed to lag at times, overall it was a solid thriller and I'm not sure many people will figure out the twist early. Good debut and I look forward to more from this author.

Thank you @penguinrandomhouse #partner for the gifted copy of this book!

Secret societies ✔️
Dark Academia ✔️
Privileged lives ✔️

Ooooh I wish there were more books with those secret ingredients because if there were I am buying it. Every. Single. Time. Two sisters, Maya and Naomi, both are Princeton graduates ten years apart. Maya is excited to get back on campus, reminisce and get back to her old stomping grounds. It should be a weekend to celebrate but it goes south quick when she gets the worst call of her life that Naomi is dead. Maya immediately thinks there is more to the story and starts to look at the past few months of Naomi’s life. What she uncovers hits a little too close to home!

The secret societies get me every single time! I love how mysterious they are…kind of like secrets walking in plain sight. I inhaled this book in one sitting for those reasons alone. It just felt so realistic and honestly I could feel the pain and despair from Maya trying to understand Naomi’s life. Ahhh it was sad! I loved how the alternating viewpoints and timelines in this book helped keep my attention and made it so this book was impossible to set down. If you loved, “In My Dreams I Hold A Knife”, you need to read this one! Plus….that cover alone is worth buying this book for! 🥰

Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy this very much. I found it slow and repetitive and the writing style just wasn’t for me. I wasn’t engaged and the main characters fell flat for me.

I was intrigued by the plot but I don’t feel like it was a true thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. I wanted to love it but it was just ok.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for allowing me to read it in exchange for a review.

Thank you to Random House & NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

If I’m being generous this book was a 3, but felt more like a 2.5 star read for me. The premise of this story was so unique and captivating because the Eating Clubs at Princeton are something that always fascinated me. I wanted to love the story and in the beginning things were going well, but then it all got chaotic, too wordy, and hard to follow.

The alternating timelines and POV, by the end felt very confusing to follow. The story started taking so many chaotic turns with things happening that just felt like they weren’t necessary to the story. It also started to get so long winded toward the third part of the book, where I felt like okay can we just wrap it up? I will say the ending and the last page I was truly shocked at, did not see that twist at all.

Overall this was a decent thriller with the unique setting of prestigious secret societies was something I hadn’t read before. But ultimately the story just felt too chaotic and too much for me to fully enjoy. I would say if you’re looking for a thriller with a different premise then the typical ones definitely give this one a try!

Maya is excited to return to Princeton for her ten-year college reunion. She is also there to attend the graduation of her little sister, Naomi. But what should have been a dream weekend becomes Maya’s worst nightmare when she receives the news that Naomi is dead. The police are calling it an accident, but Maya suspects that there is more to the story than they are letting on. As Maya pieces together what happened in the months leading up to her sister’s death, she begins to realize how much Naomi hid from her. Despite Maya’s warnings, Naomi had joined the Sterling Club, the most exclusive social club on campus—the same one Maya belonged to. And if she had to guess, Naomi was likely tapped for the secret society within it.
The more Maya uncovers, the more terrified she becomes that Naomi’s decision to follow in her footsteps might have been what got her killed. Because Maya’s time at Princeton wasn’t as wonderful as she’d always made it seem—after all, her sister wasn’t the first young woman to turn up dead. Now every clue is leading Maya back to the past . . . and to the secret she’s kept all these years.

This debut novel was full of twists and turns. I love books in academic settings, and this had the added bonus of secret societies. I did find that the book was a little slow at time, but overall I found this book enjoyable. If you are a fan of twisty thrillers, then you should definitely check this out.

This debut novel is perfect for fans of dark academia and gothic settings as this story revolves around a secret society at Princeton University. The story is told in dual timelines in dual perspectives by two sisters who both are in the same secret society at Princeton University 10 years apart. I think it was well written but the story did move slowly at times. I enjoyed Naomi’s perspectives much more than Maya’s and really didn’t care for her character at all. The book does tackle some tough topics and does it well.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballatine for the ARC.

Naomi was about to graduate from the prestigious Princeton University when her body was discovered. The authorities say it was an accident. Her older sister, Maya, doesn't think so. In fact, the situation is eerily similar to another death when she was in school. Through multiple timelines and both Naomi's and Maya's perspectives, the unfolds.

This may be a great fit if you enjoy:
- dark academia (a mystery set on a college campus)
- rich people problems
- flawed yet strong female characters
- a splash of social commentary

I had a great time with Society of Lies! With school back in session, fall is a great time for books with a college setting. The consistent unraveling of secrets of the elite Greystone Society at Princeton is interesting, and honestly, it didn't seem that unrealistic that the members will do everything possible to protect their status and prosperity.

Rating: I really liked it! (4)

4.5 stars / This review will be posted on BookwormishMe.com & goodreads.com today.


It’s hard to believe this is a first novel for Lauren Ling Brown. The incredible way this was written, I can only imagine a wall of notes with strings connecting different people and themes together. It is a sincerely wild ride through a secret society and the lengths some people are willing to go to protect their lives and livelihood.

Maya is Black-Asian. She’s never quite fit in. Ten years older than her younger sister Naomi, she attends Princeton, while her sister lives with a relative’s family in California. It was the only way after their mother suddenly died.

At Princeton, Maya works so hard to achieve, to study and try to make it so that Naomi can have a better life someday. Just as before, Maya doesn’t really fit in until she meets Daisy. Daisy is a member of Sterling, an eating club. Princeton had outlawed secret societies many years before, but eating clubs grew out of that ban. Daisy convinces Maya to try to become a member, and wanting a place of connection, Maya agrees.

Not all is right in Sterling, but Maya has her group - Cecily, Kai, and Daisy - and they stick together through everything. Though when a classmate suddenly dies, the four know their are secrets they will be forced to keep for a lifetime. So when Naomi wants to attend Princeton, Maya cringes. It only gets worse when Naomi also joins Sterling. Maya kept secrets for years trying to protect those she loves, and now Naomi is right in the middle of it all.

Truly exceptional thriller. Never saw the ending coming, which is an amazing mark of a thriller. I would gladly line up to read every novel that Lauren Ling Brown writes. If they’re even half as good as this one, they’ll be excellent.

Thank you to the publishing team for the review copy! I really enjoyed the themes in Society of Lies, I can never say no to books set in college/school settings, especiaiyl when they explore secret societies, themes on social class and identity, and how abuses of power have complicated, long term effects.

I really appreciated how Lauren Ling Brown deftly wove together a present day story with a backstory, connecting two deaths, and two sisters' stories, together to examine how secrets and privileged lives influenced two murders. The pacing was effective, if a bit sluggish as the back and forth between storylines was hard to adjust too even though I think it really aided in developing the plot, and I enjoyed how the backstory helped explain many of the present day characters stories, relationships, and behaviors. What worked a little less for me was the development of themes on race and ethnicity, they were there but never as developed as they could be, with the story becoming more and more about criminal behaviors and figuring out a past and present day murder... themes on race and interracial relationships and friendships, the why perhaps of how some characters were targeted, was never fully developed for me and some threads about the secret society never fully tied together. I wanted a little more from the secret society plot, I never fully got into the reason for the why some people were tapped for it and why others were not, and how they functioned within an eating club... The darker story became one a little predictable to me about unhealthy and toxic relationships, money and power, without leaning into the darker themes and corners lurking in the plot.

It's still a book with a lot to enjoy and I will eagerly see how this author develops her voice and style in future books!