Maya is headed back to Princeton for her tenth reunion which is even more exciting because her younger sister Naomi will be graduating that weekend. The weekend takes an awful turn when Naomi is found dead. The police say it’s an accident but Maya believes Naomi was murdered. She also learns that Naomi had joined Sterling Club, Maya’s former eating club, which Maya had warned her against, and Maya fears that Naomi might have been part of the secret society within Sterling. She believes this is why Naomi was killed.

It seems Maya’s time at Princeton wasn’t as perfect as she portrays and Naomi wasn’t the first woman threatened. The story is told in alternating points of view between Maya and Naomi, then and now.

I love stories set in academia and give me a super secret college society every time. I enjoyed this, and also enjoyed the exploration of class and race here, Good stuff. Recommended.

THIS is how you do dark academia and how you unravel secrets! Absolutely thrilling and fascinating and I've now become such a fan of Lauren Ling Brown's writing!

Thank you Random House Ballantine for the digital ARC!

The underlying issues brought to light in this novel made it an interesting read. Between multi racial struggles and socioeconomic cult like societies, this mystery/thriller has the potential to be a sought after story. However, the quick changes in POV and stints of slow moving plot made it difficult to keep going at times.

I would definitely give this author another try as she releases additional works.

Thank to NetGalley for the advanced copy and opportunity to provide feedback.

I liked this one a lot. This is the kind of book you can sink into and binge. The writing is great, descriptions of places make you feel like you’re in the room with the characters, and all sorts of super secret societies and fun stuff. The story was great!

Why only 3 stars? The 2 character POV (which I’m ok with) was a PITA. I kept getting yanked out of the story to figure out which character it was and when. A lot of repetition, which got annoying after a while. This should have been have from one point of view.

Anyway, I really did like this, and would recommend it! Actually, I already have told people they need to read it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own

What would you do (or rather what wouldn't you do) to give your family a better life? "Society of Lies" exemplifies how one's actions can drift into gray areas, and once that line is crossed, how one can feel compelled to take things further to protect oneself and others. At Princeton, the most prestigious (fictional) eating club is the Sterling Club, and within the Sterling Club is an even more elite and powerful secret society, the Greystone Society. Its members hold positions of great power and influence in society, and they use that power and influence to benefit each other. However, that assistance is sometimes unethical if not illegal, and certain members are willing to do what is necessary to keep the secrets safe and the money and influence flowing. For sisters Maya and Naomi, involvement in the Sterling Club and Greystone Society will have fatal consequences -- some of which possibly could have been avoided if older sister Maya had been willing and able to be more open with her younger sister Naomi, and if others had been willing to speak up sooner.

I am glad that the author chose to feature multiracial main characters and major characters, especially having them as students at a prestigious ivy league institution such as Princeton. That type of representation is still relatively uncommon in literature, but it is important for people to see/read about.

I was somewhat disappointed in the amount of prejudice and racism involved in the story. That certainly happens in universities, including ivy league schools, so it is realistic, and the prejudice against Amy and Naomi for being Asian/part Asian was fitting for students attending college in the Covid years. However, I think the racism and prejudice somewhat diminished the characters of Maya, Naomi, Amy, etc., by portraying their "otherness" as threatening (which it certainly can be perceived as by some people/groups), and therefore the reason they needed to be targeted and controlled, as opposed to them being threats because of who they were as individuals and what they suspected or knew about the power players. Ultimately, I think the author handled this aspect fairly well, and especially as the book progressed, the individuality of Maya and Naomi is more prominent and developed.

The story has plenty of intrigue, and some really good surprises. Alternating between Maya and Naomi worked well, as the reader slowly but steadily discovers the situations the two young women have found themselves in, and how this led to Naomi's death (which happens early in the story).

What a wild ride! I had no idea where I was going to end up but I loved getting there! The dual POV in dusk timelines was a big rough to adjust to at first, but I ended up really enjoying it. The author wove together a group of characters that was super unique and likeable. It did read a bit cumbersome at times and I felt some of the immense detail drug on, but overall I look forward to reading more of this authors work!

Complicated twisty murder mystery thriller. The novel is written with different timelines and flashbacks, so it's important to notice the chapter headings. Naomi and Maya are sisters, and their inner voices are very similar.

I love a good mystery and this was a very twisty and turny mystery that had me on the edge of my seat all the way through. I honestly didn't see the ending/twists coming and was just as surprised as the characters were, and angry. The story was interesting, but there were so many different view points, there was a couple of times where I got confused and had to check the beginning of the chapter again to see who was speaking and when, but found that it didn't bother me too much. I was so interested in what was happening that I didn't notice too often.

This is a great book that explores the "secret" societies at Princeton and shows how their very nature allows those members to feel entitled and exempt from punishment. The novel focuses on two sisters, Maya and Naomi who become embroiled in these societies as it is told through a "now" and "then" format. As the novel opens, Naomi is dead and Maya must retrace her steps to determine who was responsible. But of course you are sworn to secrecy when you are "tapped" for one of these societies so getting clear answers is difficult--if not impossible! There is blackmail, collusion, the requisite drugs and alcohol, so even the authorities are unsure who is at fault. It's a mesmerizing read that makes me happy not in college!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

This was PHENOMENAL! I couldn’t put it down and was completely sucked into the story. Everything was done beautifully, I can’t believe that this is a debut author! She wove such a masterful tale that I couldn’t stop until it was over. The ending was an absolute blast, couldn’t had seen that twist coming a mile away! Bravo!

I had a hard time staying interested in this book. It was a good story, but I don't think it was for me. I'd maybe want to read it again another time, because I just don't think I was in the right mood for this kind of story when I picked it up

Oh I really enjoyed this. The privilege of so many of the characters was infuriating, but in a realistic way, and it was really well-written. I saw another review say the switching POVs was confusing, but I didn’t think so and it was a great way to build suspense. It made me sad getting closer and closer to Naomi’s death, especially her last chapter, but the ending was satisfying. Everyone got what they deserved!!!!!

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Secret societies and dark academia are usually right up my alley so I was excited to receive an ARC of this title. While it did hold my attention, I found the plot to be convoluted and I had to suspend my disbelief a bit too much. The dual viewpoints/timelines didn't confuse me as others had noted, and I actually felt it was helpful to the storyline. All in all, this was an easy, fairly enjoyable read but not one that will stick with me.

I honestly can't believe this is Brown's debut novel - I couldn't put this one down and finished it in one sitting! THIS is what I'm looking for when it comes to a strong suspense thriller. I'm fascinated with anything with dark academia/Ivy League/prep school/greek life/secret society (I honestly looked more into the eating clubs after reading this - I had never even heard of them!) and this one didn't disappoint - between the suspenseful writing, quick pacing, and surprising twists, it covered it all. On top of that, "Society of Lies" did an excellent job at touching on important themes like race, injustice, privilege, and social class just enough to feel real and leave an impression without it feeling forced. I thought the alternating POVs between the sisters were unique, especially with being able to see Maya's past and present. I appreciate that Maya and Naomi's stories were based on Brown's own college experiences, making them feel raw and authentic, but I found myself confused as to whose POV I was reading as the voices and experiences of both characters sounded very similar. The ending felt like a bit of a stretch and I wish there were some more clues and foreshadowing along the way, but still had me on the edge of my seat and was entertaining, nonetheless. Thanks so much for reaching out and providing this ARC - I'll be on the lookout for Brown's future works!

I really enjoyed the suspense in this book.. The main characters were well formed and I felt like I knew them. The story was truly believable, as I am sure crazy stuff like this probably happens and we never hear about it. I felt so bad for Maya. She lost everything but her immediate family. the story kept building and building and I could not put the book down.

I love dark academia novels and was thrilled to be given this ARC. For being a debut author, Lauren Ling Brown writes like a pro. Told from alternating POV's, the story is a bit of a slow burn which didn't bother me. I kept thinking I figured out the ending but was surprisingly wrong each and every time which was amazing. I've read a lot of mystery thrillers so, to not see the ending coming is a huge win. I'll be buying a physical copy in August to gift to my reading buddy because I can't wait to discuss this rollercoaster thriller with someone!

I constantly had to work to hard to remember who's POV I was reading - I don't want to work hard- I just want to enjoy a book. I was not a fan im sorry.

This book had a lot of potential, but the execution, especially towards then end, could have been so much better.

2 ⭐️. I struggled to get through this book over the past 3 weeks. I wanted to be true to NetGalley, the author and publisher and power through it to give it a fair shot and open mind. Once I got through the first 20% it picked up a bit but it still ended up a bottom tier book for me. This book follows Maya and her sister Naomi, who was found dead the day before her college graduation. Both sisters attended Princeton and were both a part of a food club and secret society at their school. It unfolds over multiple timelines, Maya’s past, Maya’s present and Naomi’s past leading up to her death. This book had WAY TOO MUCH going on… too many people, it was so confusing, too many time jumps, too many grievances trying to tackle the secret society, race inequalities, social inequalities, the list goes on and on. It tries too hard to be everything and the story ends up a hot mess. I was so confused and not invested in this story in the slightest. The ending is so underwhelming and unbelievable. The premise had so much potential and I am really bummed this didn’t work out for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The book tells about Maya who younger sister Naomi tragically died. Maya believes that her death was not an accident. Inside, there are secrets, lies, and other things. This book shows how, secrets and clues can be revealed. Thanks to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read this book and review it.