What an excellent, twisty mystery! The story is told in multiple timelines and points of views, which could get confusing, but Brown pulls it off really well. The protagonists were sympathetic -- though it was heartbreaking reading Naomi's POV knowing how things go for her from the start -- and I was rooting for them the whole time despite knowing how one of their stories ends. I also love a good campus thriller, especially ones with secret societies. So well done!

Maya is looking forward to her college Reunions where she’ll see her sister, Naomi, who is graduating and her friends when attending Princeton 10 years ago. Maya was notified that Naomi died is an apparent accident. Maya had joined a secret society when she was at Princeton and member had been killed. She tried to discourage Naomi from joining, but she joined anyway. When Maya reached the college to pick up Naomi’s ashes, she began an investigation of her sister’s death with the help of her friends. Many secrets surface and Maya becomes a target.
This novel had some interesting twists.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing

Secret societies, suspicious deaths and Ivy League schools? Yes please!

This book really had it all, suspense, mystery and murder. The author did a great job of really making you feel like you were there solving the mystery with Maya.

The cast of characters was great and you really were suspecting every one of either being involved or having some knowledge and looking the other way. Secrets were revealed and lives were changed.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be on the lookout for more from this author!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book

This is a debut novel of college students on the cusp of adulthood and how sometimes it does not turn out as expected. They are starry eyed with excitement and the opportunity to belong to a group like never before. But there are always those that are quickly accepted and those that are always on the outside or on the fringe, never quite fitting in, but longing for the time when they will.
This is the story of Maya and Naomi two sisters who attend Princeton 10 years apart. It is also a story of murder, betrayal and regret.
Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Ballantine for the early copy. Except for the slow burn and back and forth of the two POV’s timelines which became tedious for me, the book was decent in its conclusion, if not sad. This review is my honest opinion.

3 generous stars.

Prestigious secret societies, great storyline, loved the setting.

Maya and Naomi, sisters-12 years apart, both lucky enough to be in the society’s and both involved in a mystery while there. Didn’t see the killer coming, thought l did but nope.

Very slow burn mystery, definitely not thriller. Took me forever to finish despite being ready for it to be over. Hindsight wish I would have stopped sooner.

Lots of underlying tones/statements involving race threaded throughout that to me were unnecessary, not very classy and added nothing good to the story. As well as some demeaning police statements.

Thanks to netgalley for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are mine.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I am always up for a college setting mystery! The story was slow to progress and I almost gave up several times. Ultimately, I did enjoy the way the ending wrapped things up nicely. 3 stars

Thank you to Netgalley for letting me read this book. I found that it possessed both notable strengths and areas for improvement.

Pros:
- The initial half of the book was captivating and effectively held my attention.
- I appreciated the inclusion of mystery and the alternating points of view and settings.
- The characters were engaging, and the overall atmosphere had an intriguing and unsettling quality.

Cons:
- The pacing felt slow overall, resulting in a longer reading time than anticipated.
- The second half appeared to lack cohesion, which diminished the initial appeal.
- The way the characters interacted with the settings seemed more obstructive than beneficial.

While the book didn't fully resonate with me, I recognize the author's potential and remain open to exploring more of their work in the future. Overall, it wasn't a displeasing book, but it did come across as somewhat disjointed, particularly in the latter half. However, I am open to reading other works by this author in the future.

I am going to start off by saying I did like the concept and theory of this book. Sisters (Maya and Naomi) sharing college experiences together, one will stop at nothing to get answers for the others murder. I was in fortunate enough to receive this book in January of this year. With that being said, it took me that long to get through it.

In the beginning of the book, I thought this was going to be a one sitting read. I enjoyed the dual POV and the two settings, than toward the middle, it slowed way down. I felt like the story started to lose itself in the second half and started to lose its luster for me.

I know this book did not work for me, but that does not mean it may not work for others. It was not a bad book, it just was a bit longwinded for me, as a thriller.

Hard to believe this interesting, well written thriller was a debut novel! Dark academia is one of my favorite sub-genres of thrillers. Throw in secret societies, wealthy coeds, and a mysterious death and you have the basic plot for this one. I loved the fact that the book alternated between Maya's story and her sister Naomi's story, sad as it was. The author throws in lots of shady characters and keeps the story going at a somewhat quick pace. The ending wraps up nicely too. I will definitely be reading more from Ms. Ling Brown.

Wow! This is an intense, twisty, and suspenseful read that will have you guessing along the way.

There was a lot to keep track of and I think it could have been a bit shorter. The second half drug on a bit and the story was a little slow.

Many intriguing characters trying to find their place, discovering secret societies and questioning personal decisions and beliefs.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the complimentary copy.

Took me a little bit to get into this with the jumping between three time frames. I kept getting confused about where I was in the story but once it their stories got fleshed out more, it was easier to orient myself in the story.

It was a little uncomfortable reading the viewpoint of a character you know isn’t going to survive. It’s hard not to get attached and wish for a different outcome.

The is a debut mystery thriller from the author. The setting of Princeton eating clubs and secret societies within those clubs makes a great backdrop for the story. Maya and Naomi are multiracial and are up against some of the richest and most privileged of Princeton. The pacing was a bit slow, but ultimately this is a story about sisters, friendship and struggling to belong. The story is told in two POVS (Maya and Naomi) and three timelines. Often, the storyline was so similar I had to go back and confirm whose POV I was reading. The story kept you guessing, and it touched upon some of the issues of these secret clubs and the power they hold. The academic setting is dark, and the storyline keeps the reader guessing. With a but quicker pacing and a less confusing POV swap, this could have been a great academic thriller.

3.5/5

3 very generous stars

I am not gonna say much about this book because I honestly have nothing much to say. I don't have anything to rant about 😭 it' was a good concept and the idea was very well pitched, the cover and the blurb were solid, easy to lure anyone however there were some things that just did not work out but before we get into it, let's see what did work out;

What I liked:
• The first half was well done, I was hooked and I was intrigued and I wanted to binge it.

•The mystery aspect and the back forth during the first half was really nice between the two povs and two settings.

•The characters were fun to read about and the unsettling feelings that revolved around them + the overall vibe was fun.

What I didn't like:
• The pacing overall was very slow, despite being hooked during the first half it took me a fair amount of time to get through it and during the second half I lost it sm I even skimmed a bit.

• Story started to lose itself in the second half everything got so messy with execution and the thing just lost their charm which overall dulled my experience.

• The characters and their back and forth with the settings proved to be more of an hindrance. I tried to like Naomi and Maya but all the attachment that I felt to them and the story vanished into thin air.

Overall, it may work for some of you but it definitely was not for me or atleast the second half was. I do believe that this author can do better and I may read more of her books in the future. It wasn't a bad book, it was just very messy.

I started the book off very strong, but found myself reading it as a chore around 20% through and then DNFing at 50 %. The pacing was incredibly slow, but not in that building suspense way, at least not for me. And I do enjoy dual pov's but it didn't feel as if there were actual distinct differences to warrant the dual pov.

I was shocked to learn that SOCIETY OF LIES by Lauren Ling Brown was a debut as the writing was so clear and concise and the story so expertly crafted, like that of a much more seasoned author.

Maya Banks has been looking forward to reuniting with old Princeton classmates and celebrating her younger sisters graduation. She had shared only the best stories with Naomi as she was growing up. She never revealed the dark side of the Stirling club and campus secret societies. Was that an attempt to protect Naomi or to protect herself from what happened there 10 years ago. But celebration turns to grieving when Naomi is found dead with drugs in her system. Maya can’t believe that Naomi would jeopardise everything this close to attaining her goals after everything they’ve been through in the past. So she begins looking into the last year of Naomi‘s life trying to answer some lingering questions.

As Maya meets with roommates, boyfriends and her own ‘ sisters’ from her time there, she begins to piece together the picture of what Naomi was investigating on her own regarding the secret societies on campus, professors past and present, and an admissions scandal. And what exactly happened that night 10 years ago that Maya has kept hidden all these years?

I love any dark academia book and this one was no exception. While I wish I had the (normal) college experience, I’m grateful that I never ran into these situations. I could feel myself sorting through the clues with both Naomi and Maya and felt my triumph in the end. I will certainly be watching where this author takes me next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam Books for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

Ohhh this one was good! It was a fast-paced engaging story about the secret societies at Princeton University filled with lies and manipulation by using wealth and powerful connections. I found this topic fascinating and was googling to learn more about these societies. The dual POVs and timelines from Maya and Naomi kept me hooked and I couldn’t wait to learn more about each of their backstories. There were a few surprising moments and because so many characters were questionable, it kept me guessing. Overall, Society of Lies is a unique and interesting plot and with a suspenseful, dark tone throughout! A fabulous debut by Lauren Ling Brown! 👏🏻

Society of Lies is definitely a slow burn! The premise is super exciting initially, but the pacing is definitely set to string the reader along.
Maya graduated from Princeton and had been a member of one of its extremely secret societies. She has returned to her alma mater to watch her sister graduate only to find out that Naomi has been found dead under suspicious circumstances. As Maya investigates the circumstances leading up to Naomi’s death, she begins to realize that she doesn’t really know her sister at all. Naomi has also been admitted to the Greystone Society and what happened all those years ago resulting in the death of a previous student may now have come full circle in Maya’s life.
I wish the pacing was a bit faster or it allowed for the suspense to build to more anticipation. However, the story is incredibly intriguing and well worth the read.

This was told in alternate points of view and timelines by both Maya and Naomi. You get to see Mayas past Princeton experience as well as her present day. You are given a peak at Naomi’s life months prior to her untimely demise. Maya being the older sister did have to grow up very quickly and I could sense the motherly vibe she had towards her sister since she was the only family she had left. I felt their relationship was real, with miscommunication being at the forefront between the both of them.

I really did think I had this one figured out, and I was actually surprised at the reveal. I was not expecting things to play out how they did, so that was a great shock to me, the thriller queen. There were themes of race and privilege, which I can appreciate a light being shined on these topics. I stayed up late to read this as well as sneaking a few pages in during downtime at work. I love a dark academia thriller, and this one did not disappoint with the secret society and privilege.

Let me tell you what I enjoyed about this book:
1. The Ivy league, academia setting
2. Secrets societies, coverups, etc. of the wealthy/priveleged
3. Suspense and intrigue
4. Dual timelines.

Silence can allow crimes to go unpunished.

Maya is returning to the Princeton campus ten years after she graduated; she will be meeting up with the friends she made there, but more importantly she will attend her younger sister Naomi’s graduation from that same university. Maya’s memories of her time at Princeton are decidedly mixed; as a mixed race person who was not from a monied background and who was shy and awkward when she arrived, she did not readily fit in to the culture there. She was also then mourning the death of her widowed mother and worrying about Naomi, who had been sent to live with an aunt in California. Junior year changed her life not just on campus but forever, when her friend Daisy encouraged her to “bicker” to join an elite eating club, one which would offer her connections and opportunities of which she could otherwise only dream. All things come with a price, and this was definitely the case for Maya’s admittance to the groups, so she was not at all pleased when Naomi decided to attend Princeton as well. Not only that, Naomi also became a member of the same eating club, Sterling, as well as gained entry into the Greystone Society, the secretive organization unknown to most of which Maya had become a member. With graduation just hours away, Maya is finally feeling relief that Naomi has made it through her four years without incident….and then she gets a phone call that changes everything. Naomi’s body has been found in a nearby lake, presumably an accident caused while under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Maya is devastated, and also unsettled. She remembers only too well another student, her friend Lila, who also died accidentally during her senior year. There were disturbing things happening within Greystone back then, including a professor with a reputation for having affairs with students, and neither Maya nor her circle of friends believed that Lila’s death was an accident. They were, however, young and afraid, doubtful that anyone would listen to their suspicions and unwilling to jeopardize their futures just when they were about to launch their adult lives. Did Naomi anger the same people who Lila was accusing of misdeeds ten years earlier? Did Maya, by keeping silent all this time, contribute to the circumstances that took her sister’s life? Maya can no longer keep silent…and if she trusts the wrong person, her own life may be in jeopardy.
With all of the stories in the media about what goes on at elite universities like Princeton (the Varsity Blues scandal where parents found ways to buy their child’s way into schools otherwise out of their reach, “legacy” admittance enabling generation after generation within certain families to secure admittance, and the general bacchanal that the children of the ultra rich enjoy in between classes), the setting for this thriller is both familiar and exotic. Maya, and later Naomi, are not the typical Ivy League students….part black and part Asian, they don’t seem to fit into either culture yet don’t feel fully accepted by the white students either. Their quests to belong make them willing to do things they might otherwise not choose to do, which also makes them vulnerable to those for whom acceptance is a given. Each will find friendship and betrayal, experience racism and bump up against issues of class, and find their own methods to deal with them even while they recognize that a large part of the student population is not experiencing nor are even aware of those challenges. Both women will find the courage to dig for the ugly truths that lie at the heart of the mysterious society which they joined without knowing the full price of admission. There are plenty of possible villains, plots twists and unexpected betrayals, and not until the end of the book does it become clear what happened to Lila a decade earlier, and what cost Naomi her life in the present day. Readers of Donna Tartt, Julia Bartz and Jodi Picoult should definitely give Society of Lies their attention, as should anyone who wonders what really goes on behind those ivy-covered facades. Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine/Bantam for allowing me early access to this dark thriller.