if you like drama and academic-based mystery thriller then this one is for you! lots of secrets and twist and turns but the pacing was a bit slow

Upon returning to Princeton to attend her sister Naomi's graduation, Maya is unprepared for the startling news awaiting her arrival in “Society of Lies," a compelling academic thriller by Lauren Ling Brown that exposes the darker sides of a prestigious college's secret society through the interconnected perspectives of two sisters in this dual-timeline murder mystery.

Learning that Naomi has drowned, Maya embarks on an investigation to uncover the truth surrounding Naomi's death, campus life, and the exclusive organizations to which she belonged.

"A Society of Lies" is a captivating, atmospheric novel about privilege, entitlement, promises kept, and secrets broken. I highly recommend this dark academia / twisted secret society suspense thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley, Author Lauren Ling Brown, and Publisher Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine | Bantam, for providing me with an Advanced Reader’s Copy Electronic Edition to review!
https://www.goodreads.com/joyreadergirl1

a tense, atmospheric thriller that delves into the dark side of Ivy League prestige and the lengths people will go to belong. Maya returns to Princeton for her college reunion, eager to celebrate her sister Naomi’s graduation. But the weekend takes a tragic turn when Naomi is found dead, and Maya is left reeling. Though the police call it an accident, Maya suspects foul play—and her suspicions lead her down a chilling path.

As Maya investigates Naomi's death, she uncovers disturbing truths about the secretive Sterling Club, an exclusive social group both sisters were part of. Maya's own involvement with the club and its hidden society becomes a key part of the mystery, and she starts to wonder if her own past is linked to Naomi’s death in a far more dangerous way than she could have imagined. The novel expertly blends past and present, revealing the dark undercurrents of college life and the brutal cost of power, belonging, and privilege.

The pacing is gripping, and the unraveling mystery kept me hooked. Maya is a deeply sympathetic character, caught between her protective love for Naomi and the guilt she feels about the secrets she’s kept. The tension between Maya’s idealized memories of her college years and the unsettling truths she uncovers adds emotional depth to the plot.

3.5 stars rounding up to 4. I liked this book - the story held my attention and I was surprised by the ending. But I felt like the characters of Maya and Naomi could have been fleshed out a little more and I would have liked more about their relationship.

I was excited to read this book as I really like the genre of Dark Academia. Unfortunately, this one didn't work for me. The writing was fine, the premise was interesting. That said, I didn't feel anything for the characters, and the story was wildly implausible. Secret societies are often responsible for some dastardly acts, but this was beyond all credibility. I suspended my belief and enjoyed this for what it is...fiction!

Society of Lies is a thrilling and sharp exploration of deception, power, and the consequences of secrets. The plot twists and reveals are expertly executed, keeping readers hooked until the very end. A fascinating, fast-paced read for fans of suspense and intrigue.

This one was not for me the plot was pretty slow but I had such a hard time keeping the timelines and which characters belonged to what that I quickly lost interest. This book follows two POVs of sisters who went to the same college and ended up in a secret society. After the younger sister ends up dead Mya the older sister begins to try to solve the murder. This book had an ok story but the back and forth kept me so confused. I feel like this was made worse by the short chapters and the characters being the same in both sister’s stories. I often found myself going back to remind myself who and when I was reading from. This is my first book by this author but I would give them another chance. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

Love that this book was picked for Reese’s book club! I’m a fan of dark academia books and this was a great fit for me. Suspense, intrigue, mystery that keeps you guessing. Loved it!

Mayas younger sister Naomi is found dead in a lake near Princeton campus, the same school Maya attended 10 years ago. Maya has suspicion's about her sister’s death and unravels secrets at the college.

I didn't get the opportunity to go to college and have always regretted it. But sad stories like this that show the vicious and predatory side of men, women, alcohol, and drugs thrown into a petri dish and stirred make me feel relieved. I'm aware there's a much more positive side to attending college, but that wouldn't make a thrilling read, now, would it? This is a tense and entertaining read.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

📝 University
🏛 Secret Societies
🔍 Suspicious Deaths

This book was so good! I really enjoyed the twists & turns & the dual POV stories playing out.

"How often, in the world, is silence what allows horrible people to get away with their crimes?"

I am learning that I absolutely love Secret Society mystery books! This one was very interesting in that one sister had a past in one during her college experience, and the younger sister had her own experience with them during hers. Two sisters with intersecting plot points.

A great dark academia, thriller/mystery book!

Such a good book. I loved the back and forth with the two points of views and with Maya trying to figure out what all else she wasn't remembering. Overall a good story and worth reading!

I was so excited to read this book. I liked the premise of this book and I liked the dynamic of the sister's relationship. I had to look up to see if the eating clubs were a real thing and it turns out they are real. How cool!

I wasn't sure why we had to wait so long to understand how Naomi ended up with a family that wasn't related to them. It made sense later on. I'm just impatient AF. This was a slower-paced book. I’m used to thrillers being fast-paced so it did take me a bit to finish this one.

I chose this book for the book club that I run at my favorite boutique @freckledpoppyboutique where I also got a job this past July. Pinch me because it is still a dream come true. ❤️ The girls loved this book as well. I received a lot of positive feedback from them!🤗

Maya's little sister Naomi is found dead at her campus at Princeton. Maya knows it wasn't an accident. She also suspects it has something to do with her own time at Princeton 10 years ago. Could Maya's past at Princeton be the reason her sister is dead?

Society of Lies was a fun twisty thriller with lots of secrets, new and old. I really loved that the voices of both sisters actually felt different from each other. Even past Maya's voice felt different than her current voice. There was also a lot of depth to the issues of class and race especially in the academic and professional spaces.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC!

I value the opportunity I was given to read this in advance, but I still haven't read this. With so many books ahead of me, I cannot return to this title.

I don’t have much to say! The concept was enough to lure me in, but overall it was just average for me. I liked the switch between the POVs, but it was hard for me to feel attached to the characters. Pacing was a little slow. The ending was exciting, but I ended up with a lot more questions than answers.

This book starts off strong, and doesn't stop until the last page! This is told through different perspectives, giving us as the reader a bunch of information and timelines. I would recommend to anyone looking for a page-turning thriller!

started off so strong, but then felt like it dragged on…. Not the biggest fan of lack of communication being an issue in the book. switched between two POVs but it would switch between time periods as well which made it confusing at times. It held promise but I couldn't connect as much as I would have liked to with the characters and storyline. Cultural pieces in play, but felt they were only touched on briefly. Overall an okay book, ending wasn’t my favorite.

Maya gets a call that her sister has been found dead. Reeling from her death, Maya goes to the scene of the crime to figure out what happened to her little sister Naomi. Not only is Naomi attending the same school that Maya graduated from, she also is in the same society, a society that holds many deadly secrets. What happened to Naomi? Can Maya piece it all together and without bias? Is her past coming back to haunt her? The answers are closer than she thinks!

I very enjoyable read that left me very surprised! I seriously did not guess the ending!

it was hard to put this book down.
The flashbacks. The plot twist. It had me wanting more while also screaming at the characters for their stupidity.
the writing was impeccable, it was a perfect pacing and I would enjoy reading more by Lauren Ling Brown.