Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this new to me author. I really loved the story, the mystery and seeing how it unfolded throughout. I enjoyed how they switched between different characters and time lines to tell the story. Sometimes I have trouble with stories that do so, but this one helped to heighten the story. I feel like there were still a few minor loose ends I would have like tied up but overall it was a great read. I will look to read more from this author in the future.

The Secret History vibes with Get Out social commentary! A character-driven suspense about two sisters who get involved in a secret society, ten years apart. Recommended for readers who like moderately-paced thrillers with depth in character and ideas, like In My Dreams I Hold a Knife, White Ivy, The Maidens. Love it!

Interesting story and I liked inside look at the “eating clubs”. Jumping timelines with overlapping characters was a little confusing at times. I found it a little slow to get into, but overall I enjoyed the story.

*A sincere thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing the advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review!”

It feels like your standard three-star appeal-to-the-masses thriller, and I’m guessing that’s where it will land. I did stop after chapter 1 (4%).

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

*** I received an e-ARC of this book from Random House Publishing Group through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review***

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Summary: Maya returns to Princeton after 10 years to celebrate her sister Naomi’s graduation. When Naomi doesn’t show up and the expected time, Maya is irritated. Checking her phone, Maya notices an update about nearby police activity. Shortly thereafter she discovers Naomi is dead. The police say it’s an accident but Naomi doesn’t think so. Past and present blur together as Maya tries to separate her history from her sister death.

Thoughts: This story is told from the alternating POVs of Maya and Naomi. Naomi’s POV is the months leading up to her death, and Maya’s is her past at Princeton and the present. The story was good, but you have to pay close attention to both the narrator and the timeline or you may get confused. The same characters appear in all POVs, and there is a noticeable disconnect between the two sisters. I struggled getting into the story but 1/3 of the way through I was intrigued. I kept thinking I knew who was responsible but I was wrong.

🗣️This was my first book from this author and I would read more of her stories in the future.

✨ Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley.

We love a debut author! 👏🏼👏🏼 Lauren Ling Brown crushed it. I give this a 3.5, rounded up!

As an older sister who loves their baby sister more than life and would protect her at all costs, this book hit all the way home. I lovveeee a changing POV and timeline. It kept the story moving forward at a great pace that kept me engaged and wanting more.

This is a classic whodunnit and let me tell you…when the twist comes I wanted to start the whole book over again to see how I missed it! You can’t go wrong with Society of Lies

This had a good plot, but I really struggled to get into it. Maybe it was the alternating narratives. We hear from Naomi in the recent past , her sister Maya from 10 years in the past and Maya in the present. All of them trying to figure out the mystery of a secret society. I felt like it had good writing and good plot, so I’m not sure what was missing!

I received an early copy through Netgalley, but all opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing!

A sister attempts to get to the bottom of her younger sister’s mysterious death, right before her college graduation. Readers are tossed into the world of Princeton, and the secret societies where the most powerful movers and shakers matriculate and then move on to run the world. I could not stop reading, as the book took us through the older sister’s past, that may have had something to do with her younger sister’s death, then jumping forward to the months and weeks right before the death, then moving into the time after this tragedy. Jumps in time like that can often be confusing, but the author weaves the story and pulls the reader through like a champ. Big recommend!

Secrets, lies, and murder haunt the Ivy League elite in Laura Ling Brown’s thrilling new novel “Society of Lies.” Spanning over a decade, Brown captivates with a twisting tale of two sisters caught up in the dark underbelly of privilege and power at Princeton University.

Brown alternates between Naomi and Maya’s present-day struggles and their isolated teen years on Princeton’s lonely margins. The dual narrative offers chilling parallels between the sisters as they become more enmeshed with covering up dark truths. Even as shocking revelations stack up, Brown manages to keep the killer’s identity artfully obscured until the final pages.

This multilayered thriller simmers with noir atmosphere then boils over with exhilarating plot twists. Brown’s characters shine with moral complexity that will keep readers guessing about motives and loyalties. With chilling suspense, emotional depth and pitch-perfect pacing this is a must-read for 2024!

Such a great read for their first book! Hooked me at the front and had me wanting to never put it down. I look forward to more from this author.

This is an incredible debut from the author. The dual timelines and POVs from Maya and Naomi really added depth to the story as they hurtled toward their endings.
I had my suspicions from the start as to who was behind everything. But it wavered off and on.
I admit I was really hoping that somehow Naomi wouldn't have really died. I just feel like with all they both went through, they deserved HEAs. They worked so hard and I think that was the most heartbreaking thing: Naomi is dead. Maya lost everything she worked so hard for eith that loss. I'm glad she got closure but it sucked.

You guys! This book was SO good! Even more impressive is that this is the author’s debut novel! Society of Lies is about sisters Maya and Naomi - both attendees of Princeton. Maya had already graduated and was back at the school to attend Naomi’s graduation when she receives a call that her sister was found dead. Told in dual POVs between past and present, we go on a deep dive into the corruption, lies and cover ups within the university and secret societies. I LOVE anything dark academia and this did NOT disappoint! I thought I had everything figured out a few times but when it came time for the reveal, I was shocked! Get your copy of Society of Lies when it comes out on August 13th!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for this amazing ARC in exchange for an honest review

I liked this one . It hooks you from the beginning and gives you dark academia vibes . I felt the story kept you engaged and focused on the ending

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC. I really enjoyed this read. It reminded me of The Secret History. It had a bit of everything…privilege, mystery, dark academia, relationships, confusing power dynamics… I also appreciated how Maya and Naomi’s viewpoints reflected the author’s experience as an outsider in her college years.
I don’t really want to give too much away, but this kept me on my toes, connected me to the characters, and was not a typical formulaic mystery.

A pretty solid and gripping mystery with dark academia vibes. It was fun to follow, really stressful where it needed to be and had a solid ending. I can recommend it to fans of the genre.

Thank you Netgalley, Lauren Ling Brown , and Random House Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Wow, this book! First of all, I loved the back and forth narration of the two sisters. It was so easy to go back and forth in time as there was one big time jump as well as a smaller one. I loved both voices, and their very real feeling experiences, with navigating the world. This book is so well written and really gave such a rich descriptive of the settings. I never felt like it was filler though (which is often the case) ,just important parts of the story.
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to more from the author.

Also, I really liked the author’s note at the end of the book. That you for sharing your personal history and connection.

Great take on dark academia. Starts if strong and hooks you in! Good for fans of Ninth House who are looking for dark academic minus the fantasy.

Thank you Netgalley, the Author, and Random House Publishing for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

In Society of Lies, the story follows a young woman who struggles to find her place within the elitist on Princeton. She finds herself entangled in a web of lies and deceit, ultimately leading to a tragic incident that haunts her for years to come.
Central to the narrative is the complex relationship between the protagonist and her sister. Their bond is tested by secrets buried in the past, and the weight of guilt hangs heavy as the protagonist grapples with the possibility that her actions may have led to her sister's untimely demise.
I do have a critique regarding the pace of the novel - it felt a bit sluggish at times. This was written from a dual POV, which is something I typically enjoy, however, it became confusing due to the repetition of characters and the settings.
With that being said, it still was a fantastic read. I was captivated by the authentic portrayal of the secret society. Just when I believed I had unraveled another layer of the mystery, the author skillfully unveiled yet another, keeping me engaged and pleasantly surprised by the twists and turns. The strained relationship between the sisters, fraught with misunderstandings and miscommunications, tugged at my heartstrings and left a lasting impact.

Thanks to NetGalley & Random House Group for the opportunity to read this book prior to release date! This was a petty good story. I liked the back and forth and the different timelines. Great whodunnit. Surprising ending. Good read.

I loved the first half of this book: the intro to Princeton, the eating clubs, the secret society...but for me, the last half was somewhat of a struggle. It just seemed to drag a little. The constantly shifting time frames and POVs were a little hard to follow at times, and I found myself going back to the beginning of the chapters to see who was speaking and when.

Overall this was a compelling book with an interesting backstory. I enjoyed it.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being given freely.