First and foremost, I'd like to thank NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the free digital version of the Advanced Readers Copy of The Resemblance by Lauren Nossett in exchange for my honest review. I was excited and honored to receive a copy of this novel.

Right from the start of The Resemblance, it had my attention and was a page turner. There wasn't one slow part. The story was well written, realistic for the most part, and had a wow factor. As for the characters, they were well developed, and most of them were likable, so much so that I am hoping that there is a sequel to follow up with the main character, Detective Marlitt Kaplan.

With fraternity and sorority hazings being more prevalent in the news over the last few years, I was glad that Lauren Nossett didn't glorify Greek Life like other books tend to do. It also made me wonder if many of the hazings that get swept under the rug are political like the one in the novel.

Five out of five stars is what I give The Resemblance by Lauren Nossett. I'm already wanting to go back and reread the novel. Fingers crossed that there is at least one sequel. Even if there isn't, I will definitely buy more novels by this author should she publish more.

A solid debut novel from Lauren Nossett. Good police procedural about a hit and run at the University of GA in Athens. A lot of information on Fraternities and Greek Life and especially hazing. As a GA native, I liked the book setting at UGA. How far would one go to protect their Fraternity and the deep, dark secrets and lies? A lot of twists and an interesting ending. Thank you to Netgalley, Nossett, and Flatiron Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

A hit and run accident at The University of Georgia is investigated by homicide detective Marlitt Kaplan. Witnesses say the driver was smiling when he hit the victim and he looked just like the young man he hit.

What follows is a murder mystery / thriller with lots of twists and turns that becomes much more than a hit and run accident. The investigation brings the detectives to a fraternity filled with questionable traditions and secrets that the brothers will do anything to protect. It dives into the culture of hazing, parties, underage drinking, an antiquated view of women and to a lesser degree, race. The lead detective has a huge negative bias towards fraternities and connecting the accident to the fraternity becomes a personal vendetta for her.

This was a great debut novel for Lauren Nossett. It reads very quickly with the story takes many unexpected turns along the way., which made it difficult to put down. The main character was far from perfect and made many questionable decisions along the way, but I was rooting for her while simultaneously annoyed with her. Overall I enjoyed it a great deal. I will say the end became a little convoluted and rushed trying to tie up loose ends, but overall I enjoyed this book a lot.

Thank you to @netgalley and @flatiron_books for the advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review. This book will be released to the public in November.

This dark mystery is a solid debut by Lauren Nossett. The story is set in southern academia and explores fraternity hazing. The quick pace, interesting characters and plot twists kept me engaged.

Thank you NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the eARC. Pub. Date: Nov 8 2022
#NetGalley

I thought I'd really enjoy this, but it was a bit of a struggle. It's a police procedural mixed with a college story. I was never really able to connect with Marlitt Kaplan, which made it hard to root for her. Lots of background on fraternity life is given, which may be a bit tedious for some readers. The pacing was a bit off for the genre, and the characters weren't as developed as I'd expected. Some details of the hit and run were confusing and convoluted, even for fiction. I applaud the author for wanting to shed light on what can be the fatal consequences from fraternity hazing, but the story, overall, was a bit too unbelievable. Sadly, nothing about this story will stick with me.

A solid thriller set in the deep south at a university trying to cover up some serious fraternity hazing. When a fraternity brother is killed by a hit and run driver, the investigation leads down a rabbit hole of twists and turns. Strong female protagonist makes this a page turner.

The Resemblance did not work for me. This is a police procedural that follows Marlitt, a young cop, as she investigates a hit and run that seems like it may have been a planned murder. The "accident" happens in a small college town, and the victim is a member of a fraternity. Marlitt hates Greek life, and this drives her suspicions that the fraternity may somehow be involved.

I was initially intrigued, but as the story went on, I didn't feel it was well-paced. The story takes odd turns that do not work well. There is not a lot of character development either. We are supposed to believe that everyone in the town except Marlitt forgives frat boys for any bad behavior, and she is the lone person who can solve this case due to her suspicions of Greek life. It feels like a cliché and the characters are caricatures. She's tough to root for also - selfish and immature, with some background revealed at the very end that was baffling and added nothing to the story.

The actual story of the hit and run is explained at the end in a way that is confusing, convoluted, and completely unbelievable. It's just not plausible, and felt like a let down after the nice suspense developed at the very start of the book.

The author's note explains that she wanted to shine a light on fraternity hazing and its sometimes fatal consequences, but the story is so over the top that it just seems like she has an axe to grind. Her portrayal of Greek life is dark and one-dimensional in its portrayal of all frat guys as white racist misogynists who care only about sex, money, and power. I would have preferred a more nuanced story that highlighted how Greek life can turn something positive - a sense of community and loyalty - into something very negative and dangerous due to hazing.

Instead, it's a story with a clear agenda. Ultimately, it didn't end up being thought-provoking due to all the stereotypes and lack of complexity in the characters. A one star review may be a bit harsh, but I feel like this was sloppy , when it could have been a fascinating story that also made a strong statement about the dangers of conformity and the desire to belong.

Set at an university in Athens, GA this thriller immerses the reader in the intrigues of Greek Life. Detective Marlitt is visiting her professor mother on campus when she hears screams coming from an intersection. Upon arrival, a fraternity brother is found dead in the crosswalk having been the victim of a hit and run. What all witnesses agree on is the driver had an uncanny resemblance to the victim and he sped up as he entered the intersection; meaning this was no accident. As Marlitt and her partner investigate the case, not only do they find themselves in danger but Marlitt begins to unearth secrets she had kept buried.

Propulsive and hard to put down, this was a thrilling read. However, I did find myself anticipating more from the twists and turns, particularly what Marlitt was remembering of her past. Overally, intriguing but not amazing.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback. I was impressed for a debut novel. The author has a very descriptive writing style which gives the reader a real sense of life at college. Sometimes it seems a little all over the place, so the ending was satisfying to see how the hit and run related to a fraternity related to Marlitt's personal life. I read a lot of mysteries and thrillers, and I appreciated that this was a unique plot. I did find the reveal of the hit & run culprit a little confusing. Another twist near the end I found totally unnecessary unless the author is looking to turn Marlitt into the protagonist for a series of books. If so I could see how other books would unfold regarding her past, colleagues, more university mysteries, etc.

The Resemblance did not disappoint. I was captivated from the first page. It’s fast paced (but not too fast), and the mystery of who killed the fraternity brother in a hit and run continued to evolve throughout the story. Just when I thought I’d figured it out, there was a twist, and then another and another.

The main character, Marlitt, is likable and sympathetic…although there’s another mystery concerning her lurking beneath the surface. The fraternity brothers, university president, and police chief are complicated characters; both intriguing and, at times, villainous.

I found the setting, Athens and the University of Georgia, fascinating as well. Lauren Nossett has written a riveting and compelling mystery and I highly recommend it. 5 stars!

Thank you NetGalley & FlatIron Books for the ARC. Look for The Resemblance November 8, 2022.

“The Resemblance” is a college campus thriller by Lauren Nossett. This book was a bit to take in, as it first seems to be a sad hit-and-run accident, but it ends up being more about “frat life” and the horrors of hazing. The hit-and-run accident on the University of Georgia campus sparks an investigation into fraternity culture. When police detective Marlitt Kaplan witnesses the accident involving Jay, who belongs to a campus fraternity, she rushes to examine what she insists must be her case.
Merlitt became a detective after dropping out of college. She lost her best friend to a fraternity and that led to her hating them. Now that she’s working a hit and run case in a college town, her suspicion that a fraternity is involved causes rifs among the elites at the college. Marlitt tenaciously resolves to uncover not only the identity of the driver but also disturbing truths about Jay and his fraternity brothers.

I enjoy stories with an academia setting, and the plot was intriguing enough to grab and hold my attention. The mystery, however, seems to take a backseat to what emerges as an expose on fraternity hazing and issues on white-male-dominant culture.

For a debut novel, solid marks! I liked the premise, I liked the entwined storylines, the writing was pretty good though a little less engaging than I expected. It took quite a little chunk of the book to stay interested enough to want to keep reading just one more chapter. I feel like some interactions of the characters were a bit rough and unfinished - basically a seasoned editor could make a difference and raise my rating a star or two.
I did enjoy the fraternity storyline, and I had to look up the main fraternity name because I was unfamiliar! It was great to learn something new.
As is, I probably wouldn't read it again myself, but once it's polished up I would definitely recommend.
Thank you Netgalley for this complimentary copy.

I love a good campus novel and this setting at UGA in the Greek system is intriguing. I love the cover, the premise, and the mystery. The only thing I wish I had done was save this to read in September. It is atmospheric enough to read with those back to school vibes. I intend to revisit this then because I am definitely a mood reader.
This started with the son of a professor who worked with police to investigate a campus hit and run. There were some deep rooted secrets that the accident uncovered on campus!

This book initially caught my eye because of its setting at The University of Georgia, where I attended graduate school. The story was multi-layered and interesting; however, my view of the whole book is that it’s just average. I wouldn’t read it again and haven’t thought much about it in the few days that have passed since I finished it. I found some of the revelations about the main character (or her family, more specifically) to be confusing. I don’t feel like we are ever given enough of her past to explain her partner’s reaction to her at the end of the book. I guess I was just left with a lot of questions.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

As always I am drawn to mysteries and thrillers! This book has all the dark academia vibes that is perfect for a fast paced read. Marlitt is our main character of this story. She is a college drop out turned detective. We dive in with her when she tries to investigate a hit and run on campus!

What I loved:
- dark academia setting! This gives the thriller a nice dark, and spooky vibe at times
- The pacing is excellent for a thriller. You will keep wanting to turn the pages
- The twists

I highly recommend this book for any thriller fan! I look forward to reading more from this author. 4 stars out of 5.

In this engrossing and fast-paced read, Lauren Nossett announces herself as the new voice in dark academia. With the campus of the University of Georgia and the college town of Athens as her backdrop, Nossett’s work investigates secrets both personal and large. While I saw the twist coming, the work did not suffer for it. For any reader looking to discover a new voice in suspense/thriller writing, be sure to pick this one up when it comes out in November 2022!

Merlitt became a detective after dropping out of college. She lost her best friend to a fraternity and that led to her hating fraternities. Now that she’s working a hit and run case in a college town, her suspicion that a fraternity is involved causes waves among the elites at the college.

The witnesses of the hit and run swear that the person who hit the guy looked just like him. He was even driving the dude's car. What a great premise for a thriller! I was into it and enjoyed it all the way through. The beginning was slow but you could tell it was setting it up for some serious twists later and it definitely delivered.

I liked this book and recommend it to mystery and thriller readers!

Loved this book. Great escape from real life. I cared about the main character more than I did the victim of the hit-and-run accident. Her struggle was very realistic. Would be interested in reading a follow-up book about whatever's next for her.

The Resemblance by Lauren Nossett was a beautiful debut. The story takes place on a college campus which is always a great setting. Make sure to purchase this book when it comes out on November 8th! I can't wait to read more from Lauren. Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for this advanced copy.

Certain things in this really tugged at my heart. Maybe because four of my adopted kids have ADHD. But I could empathize with the female protagonist who knew what to do but had to get in her own way by sabotaging everything she tried to do. Excellent storyline the mystery was well plotted. But to me the characters were the key.

I received an arc of this book and voluntarily provided a review.