Society of Lies was a captivating murder mystery about the deaths of two young women involved in the secret Greystone Society at Princeton University. The story was told from the alternating points of view of two sisters, Maya and Naomi, and seamlessly navigates between three timelines!! I was hooked from the first chapter! The pacing was masterfully done where I always wanted to keep going to see what was going to happen next and I never felt bored while reading it. I loved the main characters, the campus drama, and all the twists and turns along the way! This was much deeper than your average thriller. The book explored various themes including sisterhood, privilege, and race. I would definitely recommend this book! Lauren Ling Brown did an amazing job with her debut novel, and can’t wait to see what she writes next!! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

The premise for this book was interesting and I liked the idea of focusing on Black characters, with compelling backstories, navigating a kind of place like Princeton. I wanted more from the book, in terms of really believing the character relationships. I struggled with really understanding how Cecily, Kai, and Maya remained friends all that time later. I also didn't see the group actually being friends with Lila, so their commitment to helping her didn't quite ring true for me. Naomi's story felt like the threads connected together a bit better.

While certainly there's many novels of this genre, none give us the plasure of exploring secret societies at elite institutions through the lens of these two sisters. Propelled with intrigue, this novel explores the odds POC and women have to overcome to have a seat at the metaphorical (and literal) table and the sacrifices women make to speak truth to power.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

This book was great and much more than just a psychological thriller. I enjoyed it a lot, but there were a couple things that kept it from 5 stars for me:
- The middle third or so of the book was somewhat slow.
- Multiple times I had to return to the title of the chapter to remember whose POV I was reading. I found it really confusing and difficult to differentiate the POVs (especially in the middle of the book).
That said, I think it was a fantastic debut! I would absolutely read more from Lauren Ling Brown.

I’m going to go slow with this review as I had to go slow with reading. This isn’t a book that will warrant a humorous response from me as it’s much too real.

The content of this book touches on social class, racism and inequality in gender.

The hidden secrets of an ivy school and the unsuspecting young minds that are preyed upon by those that should be trusted.

Maya, Naomi, two sisters who hold a bond so strong yet both of them unaware at how strong that bond really is . Naomi, feels abandoned, Maya, the one who would stop at nothing to have protected her sister . The lengths she went to will have you on your knees in sobs.

The secrets, the lies, the unburied truth no one wanted to expose…

Honestly, I’m at a loss of words. I didn’t expect this and it was a culture shock and an unsuspecting glance at privilege .

I’ve already reached out to many of my “bookish” friends to encourage them to purchase this book. This is a book that needs to be read by all no matter the preferred genre.

The amount of time and research that went into this book shines on each page . I was always a fan of Lauren Ling Brown, her grace is prominent every time I have engaged with her but to see her showcase her literary talent has me in awe .

Lauren Ling Brown, has entered the bookish circuit and if you haven’t heard or her just yet, you must . She’s not going anywhere, not if I can help it.

This book exceeds any star rating but it’s an obvious 5 star, plus.

Check out this teaser :

When a young woman is found dead on her college campus, her sister doesn't believe it was an accident—and her search for answers leads her closer to home than she ever would have imagined in this thrilling debut novel from an exciting new talent.

Maya can’t wait to return to Princeton for Reunions—it’s been a decade since she graduated, and she is looking forward to seeing old faces and reminiscing about her college days. This year is even more special because her little sister, Naomi, is graduating.

But what should have been a dream weekend becomes Maya's worst nightmare when she gets a call no one ever wants—Naomi is dead. The police are saying it’s an accident, but Maya suspects there is more to the story than they are letting on.

As Maya pieces together the months leading up to her sister’s death, she starts to realize how much Naomi hid from her. Naomi had joined Sterling Club, the most exclusive social club on campus—the same one Maya belonged to—despite Maya’s warnings. And if she had to guess, she'd say Naomi was also 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 always pretended it was—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 secrets she’s kept all these years.

I love a book set in academia, and as someone familiar with Princeton and its eating clubs, I ate this right up. The dual POV worked for me and I liked that we were learning about both sisters’ college experiences. I do wish the ending was a bit more fleshed out (how did they make sure Lila took the right shot at the ski weekend, for example?), but overall very enjoyable and I look forward to more from this author.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately this book just wasn’t for me. The writing lacked depth and made it hard for me to connect to the story.
I did enjoy the characters and the storyline held so much potential.
Overall, I just felt like it didn’t really deliver for me.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the copy of Society Of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown. I love reading debut novels and this one had a great premise. I loved the idea of a creepy secret society on campus and how Naomi gets involved just like Maya did. This led to some overlapping characters in their POVs, which was sometimes confusing. In Parts One and Two, the multiple timelines were difficult to follow. There was a lot of backstory, but a lot of it didn’t make sense until later on in the book so it didn't really hold my interest. Parts Three and Four were more interesting, the action picked up, and I got really engaged in the story. I look forward to Brown’s next book. If you’re looking for a smart thriller, filled with lots of interesting characters, pick up this one! 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

My review and playlist for this book has been posted on my GoodReads account.

What a gripping ride this story was....

Brief Summary-
Maya is supposed to be celebrating her little sister Naomi’s graduation from Princeton the same college she attended 10 year prior. But instead, Maya ends up investigating her sister death. As Maya keeps digging for the truth she realizes the secret society she was involved in when attending college might be the key to finding out who killed Naomi. This is a dark academia story with the rich acting unhinged. Told from the alternating viewpoints of Maya and Naomi, the reader is given two different time periods with each POV leading up to the murder.

My Thoughts-
This book had a very intriguing plot. The characters were very well liked. The author does a great job with weaving in the dark campus vibe and the suspense to this story. The writing in this book was very detailed and vivid. I felt like I was standing on the room with each character. I love how this book touched on privilege and race and how it applies an elite school like Princeton. Money and power is everything, am I right?

I do have to complain about the pace. It was very slow. I think the reason I felt this way is because given the dual POV (which I love in books) it was very confusing, because of the repetition of characters and settings. I had to stop reading to go back to the beginning of the chapter just to confirm who perspective it was. The POV were just way too similar to each other. There was a lot of miscommunication in this story between the sisters. 😭 Which I did not like. But overall, it was a fun ride. The story kept you guessing the whole time. I kept thinking I figured it out but in reality I kept coming up wrong.

🗣️I do recommend this book. This is my first book by the author and I can’t wait to check out her future work.

✨Thank you to NetGalley, the Author and Random House Publishing/ Ballantine/ Bantam for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review✨

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this advance copy for review.

Maya should be celebrating her sister Naomi's graduation from Princeton, but instead, she is grieving her tragic death. Maya suspects foul play, possibly tied to a secret society and a prior mysterious death. As the story unfolds from the alternating perspectives of Maya and Naomi, clues from the past and present shed light on the events leading up to Naomi's demise. While some plot elements may be anticipated, the story is fast-paced and engaging, with Maya and Naomi serving as compelling protagonists. "Society of Lies" is a solid choice for mystery fans and would make for a great book group selection.

Society of Lies
by Lauren Ling Brown

Publication 13 Aug 2024 by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam

Princeton, prestigious Princeton. What a dream, right? How could there be possibly dark secrets involved?
Maya is an alumni herself and cannot wait to get back to the university to catch up with old friends and remember her days. It will be even more special as she will be seeing her little sister Naomi graduate.

But celebration will turn into a nightmare, when police inform her that Naomi had an accident and did. It survive it. But Maya is suspicious from the start. She finds out that Naomi has stepped into her footstep and joined Sterling, a most exclusive club, even though Maya has warned her not to do so.

Will Maya uncover the truth about what happened to Naomi?

Delicious! Lauren Ling Brown masterfully weaved a tale of secrets on an exclusive campus around well crafted characters. The story was delightfully dark and full of suspense.

As much as I enjoyed the story itself, I think the pacing could need a bit of work, it dragged along at times. Also, I felt confused by the POV’s. While I think the characters were well done and multidimensional, I still think they could difference even more from each other, as at parts they sounded too alike.
I did like the aspect of race and meaning of family for the sisters. These were nice touches to the story, good layers. You could question, did Mayas need to survive and take care of her sister lead to her ultimate demise in the end? This book brought up some interesting questions.

I liked both sisters but my heart broke a little bit more for Naomi.

All in all, a very enjoyable thriller!

#SocietyOfLies #NetGalley
Typical psychological thriller.
Maya can’t wait to return to Princeton for Reunions—it’s been a decade since she graduated, and she is looking forward to seeing old faces and reminiscing about her college days. This year is even more special because her little sister, Naomi, is graduating. But what should have been a dream weekend becomes Maya's worst nightmare when she gets a call no one ever wants—Naomi is dead. The police are saying it’s an accident, but Maya suspects there is more to the story than they are letting on. As Maya pieces together the months leading up to her sister’s death, she starts to realize how much Naomi hid from her. Naomi had joined Sterling Club, the most exclusive social club on campus—the same one Maya belonged to—despite Maya’s warnings. And if she had to guess, she'd say Naomi was also 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 always pretended it was—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 secrets she’s kept all these years
It was a lovely book. Order your copy today.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for giving me an advance copy.

I couldn't put the book down! I love campus dramas and this was layers of secret societies and mystery. I would definitely read more in the same genre by this author.

I was so excited to have been given an ARC of Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown! From the moment I read the synopsis, I was intrigued and excited to read the book. I absolutely loved the concept and I enjoyed the writing of the book and thought it was very well done! I'm looking forward to recommending this novel once it is released.

Thank you so much to the publisher, the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of Society of Lies!

The idea was great - secret society in an exclusive University setting and 2 murders. It was a good book but it was hard to negotiate the 2 POVs and 2 different time periods, along with the cast of characters having completely different roles in each period. It was hard to follow who was responsible for Naomi at each time in her life. A good read, just think it could have been better if it was streamlined a little.

This was juicy and oh so good. I enjoyed the premise and was sucked in from the beginning. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The premise of Society of Lies is SO. GOOD. An elite social club with an even more elite, secretive society within in? Sign me up. And while I'm confident there's a solid story here, it was really hard to focus on. The three narratives — told by two people across multiple timelines — was very confusing, particularly because of the repetition of characters and settings in each perspective. I think the plot would have been much more successful if the author had stuck to one or two narratives and allowed the reader to discover through Maya's eyes what happened.

I'm hooked! The mystery surrounding the dark society of Greystone in Princeton, where devoted attendees vie for their futures through powerful connections, intertwines with the enigmatic drowning of a young student: Maya's sister Naomi, who harbors a dark past within the same college. Maya, doing everything in her power to conceal a tragic incident related to the death of a student connected with one of the teachers, takes us on a thrilling journey.

WOW! This might be one of the longest summaries I've written. My mind is about to be blown because I couldn't stop reading this thriller with so many layers, incredible characterization, and a balanced, paced trajectory that keeps your attention intact. The narrative transports you 13 years back, where young Maya, biracial with a Chinese mom and a black father, recently orphaned with her 8-year-old sister Naomi, finds herself part of a secret society surrounded by privileged students. Maya does what she can to adjust, providing extra funds to send her sister to school, even if it involves her into the pyramid scheme of the institution. We then move seven months before the present time, witnessing Naomi, Maya's little sister, unfortunately following the same footsteps, estranged from her sister and part of a secret society, entangled in a love triangle that may be doomed with heartache!

We witness how Naomi's actions may resolve with her death as she attempts to uncover the mystery of a student's death under suspicious circumstances that was swept under the rug. When she discovers her straight, cold, career-oriented sister may be one of the last persons who has seen the dead girl alive, and the possibility that the girl has been silenced for knowing too much about the secret society connections, Naomi teams up with her roommate, an intern at the New York Times, to unravel the dirty secrets! Could her attempts to face the past be the reason for her demise? Or is she the victim of a love triangle that has gotten out of hand?

Maya has to confront her dark past, face the consequences of her actions, and find out the truth about her sister's death, even though it may ruin her entire future and the family she's built.

Overall: As soon as I started to read Naomi's narrative, I easily connected with her, and I wished there would be a miracle that she could be alive, that the entire mystery might consist of misunderstandings. Her story broke my heart. I also easily understood the reasoning behind Maya's actions. She's burdened with too much baggage at a young age and needed to find a way to survive, which may have led her to dangerous roads.

I loved the realistic execution and depiction of the secret society. As I thought I finally pieced up another layer of the mystery, the author perfectly presented another layer, and I hardly guessed some parts of twists, which are perfectly executed. It's a one-sitting, intense read that also wrecked my heart with a realistic but sad conclusion. Especially the sisters' miscommunications that affected their entire relationship broke my heart. This is great reading that earned my five unputdownable stars I highly recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/ Ballantine/ Bantam for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest feedback.

I was so happy to be approved for this arc. Omg I loved this book!!! A suspenseful, dark academia but also includes themes of sisterhood while be a captivating read. I’m already anticipating this author’s follow up.

First of all, I loved this novel because I work where it was set, in Princeton, New Jersey!

As a high school counselor I am used to hearing about the myths and mystique of the Ivy League school only 4 blocks away. This book takes these myths and explodes them! Think secret clubs, and spy-level connections.
Society of Lies is a thrilling story of what a Princeton Alum does when her younger sister dies at Princeton only days before graduation. Lauren Ling Brown provides multiple points of view and a variety of flashbacks to build a story where no one is safe. Ling Brown creates fascinating characters and a believable setting. Through her own experiences and those of her friends, Ling Brown is also able to detail on campus racism and the feeling of being "other," which an especially poignant layer to the story.

If you love a bit of dark academia with your thrillers, this book is for you! #Randomhouse #societyoflies #Laurenlingbrown