the description of a book about secret societies piqued my interest as i am fascinated by secret societies. The first half of hte book was slow paced but it picked up in the second half. there were times that the vocies sounded familair and had to keep reminding myself when i was in past/present. overall an okay book

“Society of Lies” is a thriller by Lauren Ling Brown. This book should have worked for me - its got a college, it has a murder, it has a secret society, it has dual timelines … but for some reason it didn’t. While I found the three timelines interesting (and sometimes a bit difficult to keep track), I was okay with it - except that the pacing was uneven. Additionally, there wasn’t a lot of “voice” difference between the two sisters, so when I was skimming the more slow sections (I know, my fault) I’d get confused as to who was speaking - and when. There are a number of minor/supporting characters - and I wish that some of their stories had not been left loose at the end. This wasn’t a bad book - and for a debut novel it was a great idea - but it just didn’t always work. A huge plus was the short chapters - very convenient to read a few chapters, put it down to do something, and then return. I’d give this author another try as I see the potential. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Society of Lies have all the makings of a good thriller. I admit I found Part 1 dull. The plot does pick up, but unfortunately it felt like an effort to get through the book. There were so many characters to keep track of and the multiple POVs and timelines made it confusing to keep track of. Its difficult to keep track of which chapters are Maya and which are Naomi as they were written so similar. Theres a lot of repetition and it would be better if it was shortened. I never became invested in any of the characters.

Society of Lies
Written by Lauren Ling Brown
Published by Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine
Release Date August 13,, 2024

How far would you go to belong?

Princeton University has a special place in Maya’s heart and she is returning to the school for two reasons. It has been a decade since she stepped foot on the campus and now it is her reunion. Maya is excited to return and see her old friends and possibly make new ones. Her sister, Naomi, is also graduating. Naomi has always followed in Maya’s footsteps. Even when Maya tells her not to. But Maya will get news that will shatter her world. Naomi was found dead. The story that Maya is told about her sister’s death just doesn’t make sense. As Maya investigates, she learns that Naomi was a member of The Sterling Club.
Maya is familiar with the exclusive club because she too was a member. She also has hid a secret from everyone for a very long time and as she looks deeper into the death of her sister she learns that her past and her secret could be the reason Naomi turned up dead. But can she figure out what happened before it’s too late?

I was somewhat disappointed in this book. The premise was great and the publishers blurb really made it sound awesome but there were parts that were just unbelievable. Overall it did have some twists that kept me reading to figure out why Naomi was dead.The characters were well developed and the way the author told the background was excellent. While the book was not totally what I expected, I really did find the ending to be a surprise. It certainly was not what I expected.


4 stars

Disappointed in this one. The description sounded so great, but I had trouble distinguishing between the sisters, and then the different clubs/societies inside the story.
Also had trouble getting worked up about the actual murder.

Ultimately didn't finish the book

I love thrillers and dark academia is my favorite sub genre! Society of Lies starts out strong, but falls a bit short. That strong start slows down (gets bogged down) with a lot of (needed, but tedious) back story.
Years apart, mixed race sisters Maya and Naomi pledge Princeton eating club Sterling and are tapped for the elite branch, Greystone. This allegiance will not only open doors, but guarantee successful careers. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is, When Maya was a a member, a friend ended up dead. Naomi’s roommate, Amy is investigating that murder and Naomi finds herself pulled in.
Themes of racism, classism and teacher/student sexual situations. Told from dual timelines and POV, this is a great summer read and a great conversation starter.

Society of Lies takes us into the lives of two sisters who have joined a secret club at Princeton with dark and deadly consequences.

It took a while to get into and the two voices were very similar but it was an engaging story that touched on pertinent social issues such as class and race. I loved the dark academia vibe of the story and the conspiracy theories were fun to untangle. Great suspense and twists! Thank you to the publisher for the e-arc.

I really enjoyed this story. I liked and appreciated a lot of the serious topics it touched on. The mysteriousness of secret societies within these prestigious schools are always so interesting! I had fun reading this one, though I do have to say it seemed like it was dragging a bit through the middle and I was having a hard time focusing. But, toward the end it really picked up and the secrets finally unraveled! The timeline really jumped around which could get confusing. This was definitely a twisty and dark read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam for this ARC! "Society of Lies" by Lauren Ling Brown is a riveting thriller that delves into the dark underbelly of social manipulation and deceit. The story follows protagonist Emma, who finds herself drawn into a web of secrets and lies within an elite social circle. Brown’s writing is sharp and fast-paced, with a knack for building suspense and creating intricate plot twists that keep readers on edge. The characters are well-crafted, each with their own hidden motives and complex personalities, making the unraveling of the truth all the more engaging. The book explores themes of trust, betrayal, and the masks people wear in society, offering both a thrilling and thought-provoking read. "Society of Lies" is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and anyone intrigued by the dynamics of social power and deception.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Society of Lies.

The premise was interesting and even though I'm not a fan of dark academia, I was curious to read about a biracial character.

Not surprisingly, there's a lot going on in the narrative; racial identity, elitism, bribery, sexual predation, the haves versus the have nots, many topics our society is not longer inured to.

My biggest issues with the narrative included:

Maya and Naomi. Despite the age difference, their voices sound painfully alike, as some reviewers have noted.

In fact, Maya sounded childish and immature despite her being nearly 30 years old, so it wasn't surprising I got confused who was talking.

I didn't like Maya and Naomi nor did I dislike them.

There was something shockingly naive about them despite how they grew up, being the children of a Asian mother and Black father.

The past and present timelines was super confusing. We get Naomi in the past, Maya in the past and present, and since both women sound the same, all their voices blurred together.

The narrative wasn't suspenseful or interesting; it was boring.

The pacing dragged; I mean, how long can we keep reading about the Richie Riches drinking and partying and having lavish parties? Or maybe rich people are just boring.

I wanted to know more about the secret societies and eating clubs. I've heard of them but would have enjoyed further background.

I guessed whodunnit very early in the plot and it was a downer.

I didn't like any of the characters except Margaret. I liked Margaret.

Lauren Ling Brown’s debut, Society of Lies, captivated my attention from start to finish! Murder, mystery, and secret societies blend into a gripping tale that had me hooked.

Society of Lies takes you behind the elite walls of Princeton’s exclusive Sterling Club and the secret society within it, where sisters Maya and Naomi find themselves (decades apart) entangled in a web of secrets and danger. Years after Maya’s departure from Princeton she is forced to return following her sister Naomi’s mysterious death. The unfolding revelations about the Sterling Club’s dark history force Maya to confront not only the truth about her sister’s fate but also her own past.

What I particularly enjoyed was how Brown weaved together the dual timelines of Maya and Naomi, creating a suspenseful narrative that keeps you guessing at every turn. Brown brings you in to Maya and Naomi’s unique sisterhood and childhood setting the tone for their experience with elite campus life adding depth to the plot.

I couldn’t put this book down—I devoured it on a cross-country flight, completely absorbed in Maya’s journey and the secrets waiting to be uncovered. Brown’s ability to build tension and suspense kept me eagerly turning pages until the mystery is solved. This is your must-read book of August!

What if the very community that gave you everything was also what took everything away?

Society of Lies delves into the lives of two sisters who have joined the hallowed halls of a Princeton eating club only to discover that there is something deeper and darker at play than they realize.

It was a slow start for me, but I think it was due to building the context and story of how entrenched in the society’s lies members could become. When the suspense kicked off, it was enjoyable! I also loved that this novel touched on some other, heavy topics such as class and race. I mentally cataloged it in a similar vein as When No One is Watching.

If you like conspiracy theories, plots to take down powerful people, and, as always, thrillers and suspense, you’ll enjoy Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown!

I think a prologue can be tricky, some are really captivating and others don’t hook you into the story. Within the first paragraph of this prologue I was hooked. the last line, pure perfection!

From the moment I started reading this I could not put it down!! I needed to know what would happen next, what happened in the past and how these three timelines align!

I enjoy the three timelines, Maya when she was in college, Naomi prior to her death and Maya after Naomi’s death. Being able to see the relationships of these sisters and how their lives went individually is really important to their character development. I would have liked to see more of their relationship when Naomi was alive and even during their childhood but I understand that there was another mystery happening at the same time.

Having multiple POV’s and timelines within them allows for me as a reader to see the beginning of certain relationships like Maya and Nate or Naomi and Liam and then how they all connect and intertwine with one another. I think this was sooooo well thought out with so many relationships to juggle alongside multiple mysteries and conflicts she did a great job. The characters were flushed out, relatable and ever changing. I appreciate the back and forth of a timeline because it allows for the reader to see characters and plots grow giving new information throughout the book and I think she did a great job with that!

want to see more of her books! It was such a fun read! I will definitely be recommending this to everyone!

I really liked the covers structure, the building with various windows exposing various characters.

I will be posting about it on the release day for sure!!!!!!! On my instagram and TikTok in Aug.

Society of Lies is a mystery that takes place at Princeton University. Maya has returned to campus for her reunion and also to visit her younger sister, Naomi, who is currently a student. After Naomi's body is found in the lake, Maya is convinced she must have been murdered and is determined to find the culprit. This involves eating clubs, secret societies, the uber wealthy, and a whole cast of characters. The chapters are told from each sister's point of view. I usually love this writing style, but this time, it was just confusing. There are too many similar characters, and the shuffling back and forth from past to present just added to the confusion. The plot also dragged, and the storyline just did not mov quickly enough. Unfortunately, this was just not the book for me. Thanks to NetGalley and Bantam for the ARC.

All in all, I thought this was a pretty good book. Sometimes it was hard to keep the storues straight, as the character perspective would change, along with past and present. Not too earth shattering of a twist at the end, was able to figure it out pretty easily. However, it was an entertaining read that kept me hooked til the end.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read and give an unbiased review of this book.

Debut Mystery/thriller? Check.
Secret societies among the elite? Check.
Murder? Check.
Dual POV? Check.
Flashbacks? Check.
EXTRA mysteries within the murder mystery? Check!

This book has all of the pieces to be a great book and it unfortunately fell flat. First, I feel like this book was just way too long. I’m all for a great build up and a slow burn but there was not enough exciting things happening to make up for it. This needed to be way shorter. There was also a lot going on with not a lot actually happening. The pacing was so slow, I actually ended up skimming a good chunk of the middle of this book and still had everything I needed for the end.

I had such high hopes for this book and it let me down every chapter I got closer to the end.

I’m always looking for debut thrillers. First of all, I really enjoyed the way it was written: between Maya and her sister Naomi, going present day for Maya, and a death countdown for Naomi. BUT this beast got issues. Yes beast, and that’s the first issue. This is way too long. Way way too long for a murder mystery. Also, I felt that while it started out strong it fell a little flat. Some of the reveals at the end seemed to be after thoughts that didn’t make any sense:

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book! This will be out this August.

This book was just kind of strange. Elite Ivy League universities and secret societies - let's goooo, right? So we got all the downsides here - murders! cover-ups! financial crimes! the consequences of same! - but what it felt like we never got was the old three act structure chestnut of the "promise of the premise". Both of the main characters get into the Greystone Society and it kind of immediately sucks: they're wrangled into doing illegal shit they feel bad about, there are personal betrayals, and it all just seems like an instant source of stress.

Which, fine, maybe the good shit comes later. But it doesn't!! One of the main points of belonging to the society is that you basically get handed some fancy job that makes you rich as hell, but Maya, our surviving lead, just gets some job at a gallery (doing...what? does she care about this job at all? what did she ever even want to do with her life?) and lives in what sounds like a small-ish fourth story walk-up apartment in Brooklyn. So...what was the point of it all, my guy? Plus she makes this huge deal about doing all of this for her sister and her sister's future, but when it comes down to it she doesn't actually show this care in a material way - up to the end of Naomi's life Maya seems to be constantly blowing her off, not having enough time for her, etc. And when Naomi literally dies at the beginning of the book, we never actually experience Maya grieving in any real way or seeming to regret anything.

It's too bad, because there was some interesting depth here, particularly with regard to the sisters' racial identities and growing up having lost their parents. Naomi in particular was a more sympathetic character with clearer motivations, so it was unfortunate that she was the one doomed by the narrative. Anyway, I might go rewatch The Skulls (2000), because it least it has fast cars and Joshua Jackson.

My thanks to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC of this novel.

Maya and Naomi have a somewhat strained relationship as sisters, 10 years apart in age, and whom grew up differently. Nonetheless, Naomi follows in her big sisters footsteps when she chooses to attend Princeton, and again when she joins an elite eating club. What Naomi doesn't know is that she again follows in her sister's footsteps when she joins the secret society within Sterling. Maya loves her younger sister and did her best to give her a life she couldn't have had without these clubs. When Naomi ends up dead the night before her graduation, Maya knows that foul play was at work and that the society is at the heart of the matter.

This was a thriller at it's core, a great "who done it" mystery, but best of all an intricate exploration into secret societies, and socioeconomic and racial issues alike.

Lauren Ling Brown did an excellent job of showing us that a thriller can have both depth, solid plot, and entertainment all at once.

I would definitely recommend this book if you like books that have:
- Dual POVs
- Dual Timelines
- Investigative Journalism
- Secret Societies

This was a good story and I like how we got to see things from Naomi's and Maya's perspectives during their times in college. I felt there were parts that were just a little too slow at times. I think the little twist at the end was good, but it wasn't anything that really had me with my jaw on the ground.