This had a good plot, but I really struggled to get into it. Maybe it was the alternating narratives. We hear from Naomi in the recent past , her sister Maya from 10 years in the past and Maya in the present. All of them trying to figure out the mystery of a secret society. I felt like it had good writing and good plot, so I’m not sure what was missing!

I received an early copy through Netgalley, but all opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing!

A sister attempts to get to the bottom of her younger sister’s mysterious death, right before her college graduation. Readers are tossed into the world of Princeton, and the secret societies where the most powerful movers and shakers matriculate and then move on to run the world. I could not stop reading, as the book took us through the older sister’s past, that may have had something to do with her younger sister’s death, then jumping forward to the months and weeks right before the death, then moving into the time after this tragedy. Jumps in time like that can often be confusing, but the author weaves the story and pulls the reader through like a champ. Big recommend!

Secrets, lies, and murder haunt the Ivy League elite in Laura Ling Brown’s thrilling new novel “Society of Lies.” Spanning over a decade, Brown captivates with a twisting tale of two sisters caught up in the dark underbelly of privilege and power at Princeton University.

Brown alternates between Naomi and Maya’s present-day struggles and their isolated teen years on Princeton’s lonely margins. The dual narrative offers chilling parallels between the sisters as they become more enmeshed with covering up dark truths. Even as shocking revelations stack up, Brown manages to keep the killer’s identity artfully obscured until the final pages.

This multilayered thriller simmers with noir atmosphere then boils over with exhilarating plot twists. Brown’s characters shine with moral complexity that will keep readers guessing about motives and loyalties. With chilling suspense, emotional depth and pitch-perfect pacing this is a must-read for 2024!

Such a great read for their first book! Hooked me at the front and had me wanting to never put it down. I look forward to more from this author.

This is an incredible debut from the author. The dual timelines and POVs from Maya and Naomi really added depth to the story as they hurtled toward their endings.
I had my suspicions from the start as to who was behind everything. But it wavered off and on.
I admit I was really hoping that somehow Naomi wouldn't have really died. I just feel like with all they both went through, they deserved HEAs. They worked so hard and I think that was the most heartbreaking thing: Naomi is dead. Maya lost everything she worked so hard for eith that loss. I'm glad she got closure but it sucked.

You guys! This book was SO good! Even more impressive is that this is the author’s debut novel! Society of Lies is about sisters Maya and Naomi - both attendees of Princeton. Maya had already graduated and was back at the school to attend Naomi’s graduation when she receives a call that her sister was found dead. Told in dual POVs between past and present, we go on a deep dive into the corruption, lies and cover ups within the university and secret societies. I LOVE anything dark academia and this did NOT disappoint! I thought I had everything figured out a few times but when it came time for the reveal, I was shocked! Get your copy of Society of Lies when it comes out on August 13th!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for this amazing ARC in exchange for an honest review

I liked this one . It hooks you from the beginning and gives you dark academia vibes . I felt the story kept you engaged and focused on the ending

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC. I really enjoyed this read. It reminded me of The Secret History. It had a bit of everything…privilege, mystery, dark academia, relationships, confusing power dynamics… I also appreciated how Maya and Naomi’s viewpoints reflected the author’s experience as an outsider in her college years.
I don’t really want to give too much away, but this kept me on my toes, connected me to the characters, and was not a typical formulaic mystery.

A pretty solid and gripping mystery with dark academia vibes. It was fun to follow, really stressful where it needed to be and had a solid ending. I can recommend it to fans of the genre.

Thank you Netgalley, Lauren Ling Brown , and Random House Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Wow, this book! First of all, I loved the back and forth narration of the two sisters. It was so easy to go back and forth in time as there was one big time jump as well as a smaller one. I loved both voices, and their very real feeling experiences, with navigating the world. This book is so well written and really gave such a rich descriptive of the settings. I never felt like it was filler though (which is often the case) ,just important parts of the story.
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to more from the author.

Also, I really liked the author’s note at the end of the book. That you for sharing your personal history and connection.

Great take on dark academia. Starts if strong and hooks you in! Good for fans of Ninth House who are looking for dark academic minus the fantasy.

Thank you Netgalley, the Author, and Random House Publishing for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

In Society of Lies, the story follows a young woman who struggles to find her place within the elitist on Princeton. She finds herself entangled in a web of lies and deceit, ultimately leading to a tragic incident that haunts her for years to come.
Central to the narrative is the complex relationship between the protagonist and her sister. Their bond is tested by secrets buried in the past, and the weight of guilt hangs heavy as the protagonist grapples with the possibility that her actions may have led to her sister's untimely demise.
I do have a critique regarding the pace of the novel - it felt a bit sluggish at times. This was written from a dual POV, which is something I typically enjoy, however, it became confusing due to the repetition of characters and the settings.
With that being said, it still was a fantastic read. I was captivated by the authentic portrayal of the secret society. Just when I believed I had unraveled another layer of the mystery, the author skillfully unveiled yet another, keeping me engaged and pleasantly surprised by the twists and turns. The strained relationship between the sisters, fraught with misunderstandings and miscommunications, tugged at my heartstrings and left a lasting impact.

Thanks to NetGalley & Random House Group for the opportunity to read this book prior to release date! This was a petty good story. I liked the back and forth and the different timelines. Great whodunnit. Surprising ending. Good read.

I loved the first half of this book: the intro to Princeton, the eating clubs, the secret society...but for me, the last half was somewhat of a struggle. It just seemed to drag a little. The constantly shifting time frames and POVs were a little hard to follow at times, and I found myself going back to the beginning of the chapters to see who was speaking and when.

Overall this was a compelling book with an interesting backstory. I enjoyed it.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being given freely.

Maya is headed back to Princeton for her tenth reunion which is even more exciting because her younger sister Naomi will be graduating that weekend. The weekend takes an awful turn when Naomi is found dead. The police say it’s an accident but Maya believes Naomi was murdered. She also learns that Naomi had joined Sterling Club, Maya’s former eating club, which Maya had warned her against, and Maya fears that Naomi might have been part of the secret society within Sterling. She believes this is why Naomi was killed.

It seems Maya’s time at Princeton wasn’t as perfect as she portrays and Naomi wasn’t the first woman threatened. The story is told in alternating points of view between Maya and Naomi, then and now.

I love stories set in academia and give me a super secret college society every time. I enjoyed this, and also enjoyed the exploration of class and race here, Good stuff. Recommended.

THIS is how you do dark academia and how you unravel secrets! Absolutely thrilling and fascinating and I've now become such a fan of Lauren Ling Brown's writing!

Thank you Random House Ballantine for the digital ARC!

The underlying issues brought to light in this novel made it an interesting read. Between multi racial struggles and socioeconomic cult like societies, this mystery/thriller has the potential to be a sought after story. However, the quick changes in POV and stints of slow moving plot made it difficult to keep going at times.

I would definitely give this author another try as she releases additional works.

Thank to NetGalley for the advanced copy and opportunity to provide feedback.

I liked this one a lot. This is the kind of book you can sink into and binge. The writing is great, descriptions of places make you feel like you’re in the room with the characters, and all sorts of super secret societies and fun stuff. The story was great!

Why only 3 stars? The 2 character POV (which I’m ok with) was a PITA. I kept getting yanked out of the story to figure out which character it was and when. A lot of repetition, which got annoying after a while. This should have been have from one point of view.

Anyway, I really did like this, and would recommend it! Actually, I already have told people they need to read it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own

What would you do (or rather what wouldn't you do) to give your family a better life? "Society of Lies" exemplifies how one's actions can drift into gray areas, and once that line is crossed, how one can feel compelled to take things further to protect oneself and others. At Princeton, the most prestigious (fictional) eating club is the Sterling Club, and within the Sterling Club is an even more elite and powerful secret society, the Greystone Society. Its members hold positions of great power and influence in society, and they use that power and influence to benefit each other. However, that assistance is sometimes unethical if not illegal, and certain members are willing to do what is necessary to keep the secrets safe and the money and influence flowing. For sisters Maya and Naomi, involvement in the Sterling Club and Greystone Society will have fatal consequences -- some of which possibly could have been avoided if older sister Maya had been willing and able to be more open with her younger sister Naomi, and if others had been willing to speak up sooner.

I am glad that the author chose to feature multiracial main characters and major characters, especially having them as students at a prestigious ivy league institution such as Princeton. That type of representation is still relatively uncommon in literature, but it is important for people to see/read about.

I was somewhat disappointed in the amount of prejudice and racism involved in the story. That certainly happens in universities, including ivy league schools, so it is realistic, and the prejudice against Amy and Naomi for being Asian/part Asian was fitting for students attending college in the Covid years. However, I think the racism and prejudice somewhat diminished the characters of Maya, Naomi, Amy, etc., by portraying their "otherness" as threatening (which it certainly can be perceived as by some people/groups), and therefore the reason they needed to be targeted and controlled, as opposed to them being threats because of who they were as individuals and what they suspected or knew about the power players. Ultimately, I think the author handled this aspect fairly well, and especially as the book progressed, the individuality of Maya and Naomi is more prominent and developed.

The story has plenty of intrigue, and some really good surprises. Alternating between Maya and Naomi worked well, as the reader slowly but steadily discovers the situations the two young women have found themselves in, and how this led to Naomi's death (which happens early in the story).

What a wild ride! I had no idea where I was going to end up but I loved getting there! The dual POV in dusk timelines was a big rough to adjust to at first, but I ended up really enjoying it. The author wove together a group of characters that was super unique and likeable. It did read a bit cumbersome at times and I felt some of the immense detail drug on, but overall I look forward to reading more of this authors work!