If you love any and everything
secret society and Ivy League then you will LOVE this book. This book has a great cast of characters, just the right amount of family drama and suspense and kept me guessing right until the end. If you need a quick psychological thriller to read then you have to read this book!

This dark academia story about two sisters that find themselves entrenched in a sinister scheme bigger than themselves, was a fast-paced thriller and a solid debut from writer Lauren Ling Brown. Told from the viewpoints of the eldest sister Maya and her younger sister Naomi, the reader jumps back and forth through time while discovering more details about crimes committed in the shadows of their prestigious school- Princeton University.

I love that the main characters are POC and they share their experiences and thoughts while navigating a world that caters to the rich and powerfully connected. One such compelling scene is unfortunately too close to reality to be fiction, revolving around a racist officer. It was a sobering reminder of what many minorities face every day and an example of how remaining silent is being complicit.

I really enjoyed Maya's point of view since it is apparent that she is hyperaware of the role she must play to make sure there is a ladder for her sister to climb and be successful. As a result, her decisions are clouded by the weight of her role in Naomi's life and the guilt she feels for not being around more.

The morally grey decisions, mystery of Ivy league societies and their members, and a thrilling crime to solve made this novel an exciting read! It kept me guessing until the end with so many twists.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group!!

Writing in dual POVs and incorporating three different timelines is challenging. There were moments when I found myself double-checking whose perspective I was reading, aiming to avoid confusion with times and characters.

Despite the plot not being entirely groundbreaking, it remained intriguing and kept me guessing. The author adeptly created the atmosphere, immersing the reader in a dark academic setting with its secret societies, which I loved.

The pacing of the book was well-balanced, but I can see that some might think it was a bit slow. However, for me, each element was appropriately timed.

I also loved the author's exploration of challenging topics such as privilege, elitism, and racism. These are difficult subjects to address, and the book handled them well.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book, especially if you appreciate academic settings and secret society tropes.

Conceptually, this is fine, no better than fine, but still. Unfortunately at around 80% in the narrative becomes super jumpy and disconnected. Even if I thought this was intentional, which I don't, it's a terrible effect.

This revealed the antics and realities of multicultural societies. The characters seemed vindictive and evocative of other romance books by Bailey. That this should be read with suspicion.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group!

Two sisters, one secret society.

Maya has desperately tried to stop her younger sister from following in her own footsteps and has done what she can to dissuade her sister from attending Princeton. Despite her best efforts not only has Naomi become a student she is now a part of the same secret society she once was a part of.

Despite the sisters attending at two separate times, they have found themselves intertwined in the same scandal.... murder.

Society of Lies is a dark academia tale told in dual timelines. Lauren Ling Brown does a fantastic job at keeping you guessing and wanting to turn the page. This story will have you guessing down to the final page and just when you think you've got it, you will find out you certainly do not.

This debut novel is to be published August 13, 2024.

ARC by NetGalley and the publisher.

Princeton University, a top ten school known for it’s rigorous academic programs and notorious societal organizations called “eating clubs”. These clubs comprise of only the most elite members, with extensive investigations into its candidates ensuring the best of the best. Could they also be housing and protecting a murderer though. Maya, a Princeton alumni and past Sterling Club member has returned to her alma mater to watch her younger sister Naomi graduate. Instead of caps and gowns though Maya is now dealing with funeral arrangements when Naomi is found dead that same weekend. Naomi’s death is being deemed an accident but Maya knows better, her younger sister isn’t the first Sterling club member to wind up dead. The police may not know all the buried secrets of the upper class echelons of these societal clubs but Maya does and she’s determined to find out the truth.

Society of Lies is a thrilling debut murder mystery with an atmospheric academic setting. Prior to reading this book I had no previous knowledge of Princeton’s eating clubs and upon reading I found myself incredibly intrigued, I had to keep turning pages to find out more! Lauren Ling Brown does an absolutely fantastic job of transporting the reader to these historic buildings and younger college days. The plot is told thru multiple POVs and different time frames. Flashbacks from Naomi made me heartbroken knowing that no matter what she did her ending would be soon approaching. Not only do we get to see the months leading up to Naomi’s death but we are also given a POV flashback from Maya’s Sterling club days and Maya’s present day investigations into the truth. I was fully invested in Maya hunting down Naomi’s killer, as an older sister myself I resonated with Maya’s need to protect her younger sister and the guilt she felt of not being able to do so. I also have to note that I was pleasantly surprised to find that this book had so much more than just your typical twists as the author touches on subjects of sisterhood, societal class, identity, corrupt hierarchical systems, and also friendship. I enjoyed every minute of this read and cannot wait to pick up future works from this great new author!

Society of Lies comes out August 13, 2024.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing, Bantam for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

If you’re looking for a dark academia setting book, that puts you on edge and going down a rabbit hole trying to decide what actually happened… that is a book for you!

I liked the main characters, and I was really invested in the why’s of their motives throughout the story. I was praying for a miracle and that there would be another plot twist that she was actually alive just because I felt so connected to Naomi’. Maya was such a great character, her flaws made her so relatable and I found myself empathizing more and more with her with each of her chapters. The plot twists and betrayal in this were top tier, did NOT see those coming but had that “ahhhh” moment where you look back at something with a different set of eyes. Lauren’s writing style really brings you into the setting, I was there at Princeton, I was taken back to my college break up with Naomi and Liam, I felt the isolation that both sisters did at varying points.

Gosh I can’t say enough with how well Lauren addressed racial inequality. Overall this was a suspenseful and impactful story that shined some much needed light on the disparities in our education system. Yes there was overt racism, but it spoke volumes with the small things that you wouldn’t necessarily take note of if you or someone you loved hadn’t had a shared experience that opens your eyes to it.

Pacing was good, I really enjoyed the back and fourth perspectives and differing timelines that really tied into the previous chapter. At different points throughout my reading I was dying for the other sister’s perspective to come back. Lauren Ling Brown did an exceptional job of making both so intriguing but not outshining the other. It really played a role for me in the pacing. One sisters chapter would have me on edge and anxious with the switching to the other sisters POV at the next chapter but it kept the story on track. My only complaint is that you could forget whose chapter you were on because of the similar storylines and setting in both POVs.

This is a 3.75 star that rounds up to 4 for me. I can’t wait to recommend this come August. It’s a perfect spooky fall read!!

I love a book that contains a lot, and Society of Lies certainly does! It's an engrossing, hard-to-predict mystery, an exploration of the bonds of between sisters, and a look at class, race, and gender in privileged Ivy-League spaces. It was a delight to sit down to read it, and I was sad when it was over.

Society of Lies is a fresh take on the secret society and dark academia sub-genres. The multiracial character POV was portrayed with depth and authenticity. This is a great read if you like Lucy Foley but want a younger, more diverse cast of characters.

Thank you NetGalley and Bantsm for allowing me to read this ARC. This was a phenomenal book. The story detail and the writing made it easy to read. I didn’t want to put the book down. Just when you think you have it all figured out, you actually don’t. It was easy to go back and forth between Maya and Naomi once you had the characters set.

This story started out really strong. I was all in and completely invested in binging the book in one sitting. However, very early, around 20% with all of the back and forth between Maya in the present timeline, Naomi in the past and Maya in the past- it all just started to bleed together for me.

I constantly had to work to hard to remember who's POV I was reading - I don't want to work hard- I just want to enjoy a book.

Also, not a fan of any of these characters.

DNF @20%

Really, really slow! The dual pov of maya and Naomi made it feel as though I was reading the same thing over and over and over. The ending didn’t match the pace of the book. It was rushed to sum everything up. I think the author is a great writer and the idea of the book was good.

Really enjoyed this book. Have always been fascinated with Skull and Bones secret society books and this one did not disappoint.
I never figured it out and then the last part really threw me for a loop.
I feel some parts were rushed and could have been described a little more for effect..for example...the train station. That's all I'll give.
Definitely give this book a go!!!

Media involving secret societies is a subgenre that is always going to be my jam - Pause for me to tell you how much I love The Skulls and Dying to Belong. ANYWAY. This was a new addition to this type of thriller, and it's one I did enjoy. This is a dual timeline of two sisters who both have involvement with the same secret society at Princeton. The younger of the two sisters is dead, so various timelines are explored to figure out what happened to her leading up to her death, and it also explores her older sister's experiences. There were some good twists with characters that were intriguing and kept me reading. As a matter of preference, I wanted a bit more about the organization to add even more twists and thrills, but a dark twisty read to keep you turning those pages for sure. Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this August 2024 release!

What’s not to love here? Princeton setting, eating clubs, a unique cast of characters, mystery, and murder. Great fun and well written.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200704039

I was able to read and review this book thanks to NetGalley. Wow. What a read. I am an avid thriller and murder mystery reader. I am yet to read a book as thought provoking as this. The detail and thought put into this book are truly unparalleled. Coincidentally, I believe this was achieved through both a twisting plot and also brilliant writing on society. “My goal was to write an entertaining story that also encourages conversation around friendship, sisterhood, class, and multiracial identity.” Without a doubt I know this book will be a hit. The perfect combination of a plot in which I found myself questioning the realities of smaller details and diving deep into your subconscious on how people are treated. This book was absolutely thrilling and inquisitive. PS, I never got the murderer right in all my mental guesses.

This one got off to a slow start, but when it picked up MAN did it pick up. I’m a sucker for a good thriller , and can’t wait to add this to my physical collection

This is a little hard for me to rate. I did enjoy myself, but… I guess I found it to be just a little too long. I think it would have been a better story if 50-75 pages were cut out. The resolution took a very long time to get started, and I found myself a bit let down by the ending. The big reveal didn’t make sense to me, and their motivations didn’t ring entirely true. Now that I’m writing this out, maybe the ending bothered me more than I thought. It’s a little too neat, and I have some serious reservations about some of the other characters…but maybe that would make for a good sequel.

All this to say, I liked the main characters, and I cared about the whos and whys. You really feel for both sisters, as the timelines jump back and forth. There’s a fair amount of suspense here, and plenty of “footsteps behind me” scenes that will get your heart rate up. Before I read this, I knew next to nothing about Princeton, and now I know that an “eating club” is not a club where students have an internationally-themed potluck once a week. That was my first thought, haha! I was thinking, my goodness, they are SERIOUS about their food at Princeton!

Also, shout out to the author for keeping the romance non-explicit. We know characters are hooking up, but it ends quickly, and we’re moving on to the next scene—as it should be, in my opinion. We don’t need no stinkin’ sex scenes.

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

3.75 stars, rounded up.

The mystery had me hooked from the beginning! I loved the dark academia vibes in this. Naomi and Maya are two sisters at a corrupt Ivy League school that draw you into a secret school society. There are important issues and discussions present in this book which I loved.