I love a book set in academia, and as someone familiar with Princeton and its eating clubs, I ate this right up. The dual POV worked for me and I liked that we were learning about both sisters’ college experiences. I do wish the ending was a bit more fleshed out (how did they make sure Lila took the right shot at the ski weekend, for example?), but overall very enjoyable and I look forward to more from this author.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately this book just wasn’t for me. The writing lacked depth and made it hard for me to connect to the story.
I did enjoy the characters and the storyline held so much potential.
Overall, I just felt like it didn’t really deliver for me.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the copy of Society Of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown. I love reading debut novels and this one had a great premise. I loved the idea of a creepy secret society on campus and how Naomi gets involved just like Maya did. This led to some overlapping characters in their POVs, which was sometimes confusing. In Parts One and Two, the multiple timelines were difficult to follow. There was a lot of backstory, but a lot of it didn’t make sense until later on in the book so it didn't really hold my interest. Parts Three and Four were more interesting, the action picked up, and I got really engaged in the story. I look forward to Brown’s next book. If you’re looking for a smart thriller, filled with lots of interesting characters, pick up this one! 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

My review and playlist for this book has been posted on my GoodReads account.

What a gripping ride this story was....

Brief Summary-
Maya is supposed to be celebrating her little sister Naomi’s graduation from Princeton the same college she attended 10 year prior. But instead, Maya ends up investigating her sister death. As Maya keeps digging for the truth she realizes the secret society she was involved in when attending college might be the key to finding out who killed Naomi. This is a dark academia story with the rich acting unhinged. Told from the alternating viewpoints of Maya and Naomi, the reader is given two different time periods with each POV leading up to the murder.

My Thoughts-
This book had a very intriguing plot. The characters were very well liked. The author does a great job with weaving in the dark campus vibe and the suspense to this story. The writing in this book was very detailed and vivid. I felt like I was standing on the room with each character. I love how this book touched on privilege and race and how it applies an elite school like Princeton. Money and power is everything, am I right?

I do have to complain about the pace. It was very slow. I think the reason I felt this way is because given the dual POV (which I love in books) it was very confusing, because of the repetition of characters and settings. I had to stop reading to go back to the beginning of the chapter just to confirm who perspective it was. The POV were just way too similar to each other. There was a lot of miscommunication in this story between the sisters. 😭 Which I did not like. But overall, it was a fun ride. The story kept you guessing the whole time. I kept thinking I figured it out but in reality I kept coming up wrong.

🗣️I do recommend this book. This is my first book by the author and I can’t wait to check out her future work.

✨Thank you to NetGalley, the Author and Random House Publishing/ Ballantine/ Bantam for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review✨

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this advance copy for review.

Maya should be celebrating her sister Naomi's graduation from Princeton, but instead, she is grieving her tragic death. Maya suspects foul play, possibly tied to a secret society and a prior mysterious death. As the story unfolds from the alternating perspectives of Maya and Naomi, clues from the past and present shed light on the events leading up to Naomi's demise. While some plot elements may be anticipated, the story is fast-paced and engaging, with Maya and Naomi serving as compelling protagonists. "Society of Lies" is a solid choice for mystery fans and would make for a great book group selection.

#SocietyOfLies #NetGalley
Typical psychological thriller.
Maya can’t wait to return to Princeton for Reunions—it’s been a decade since she graduated, and she is looking forward to seeing old faces and reminiscing about her college days. This year is even more special because her little sister, Naomi, is graduating. But what should have been a dream weekend becomes Maya's worst nightmare when she gets a call no one ever wants—Naomi is dead. The police are saying it’s an accident, but Maya suspects there is more to the story than they are letting on. As Maya pieces together the months leading up to her sister’s death, she starts to realize how much Naomi hid from her. Naomi had joined Sterling Club, the most exclusive social club on campus—the same one Maya belonged to—despite Maya’s warnings. And if she had to guess, she'd say Naomi was also tapped for the secret society within it. The more Maya uncovers, the more terrified she becomes that Naomi's decision to follow in her footsteps might have been what got her killed. Because Maya's time at Princeton wasn't as wonderful as she always pretended it was—after all, her sister wasn't the first young woman to turn up dead. Now every clue is leading Maya back to the past…and to the secrets she’s kept all these years
It was a lovely book. Order your copy today.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for giving me an advance copy.

I couldn't put the book down! I love campus dramas and this was layers of secret societies and mystery. I would definitely read more in the same genre by this author.

I was so excited to have been given an ARC of Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown! From the moment I read the synopsis, I was intrigued and excited to read the book. I absolutely loved the concept and I enjoyed the writing of the book and thought it was very well done! I'm looking forward to recommending this novel once it is released.

Thank you so much to the publisher, the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of Society of Lies!

The idea was great - secret society in an exclusive University setting and 2 murders. It was a good book but it was hard to negotiate the 2 POVs and 2 different time periods, along with the cast of characters having completely different roles in each period. It was hard to follow who was responsible for Naomi at each time in her life. A good read, just think it could have been better if it was streamlined a little.

This was juicy and oh so good. I enjoyed the premise and was sucked in from the beginning. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The premise of Society of Lies is SO. GOOD. An elite social club with an even more elite, secretive society within in? Sign me up. And while I'm confident there's a solid story here, it was really hard to focus on. The three narratives — told by two people across multiple timelines — was very confusing, particularly because of the repetition of characters and settings in each perspective. I think the plot would have been much more successful if the author had stuck to one or two narratives and allowed the reader to discover through Maya's eyes what happened.

I'm hooked! The mystery surrounding the dark society of Greystone in Princeton, where devoted attendees vie for their futures through powerful connections, intertwines with the enigmatic drowning of a young student: Maya's sister Naomi, who harbors a dark past within the same college. Maya, doing everything in her power to conceal a tragic incident related to the death of a student connected with one of the teachers, takes us on a thrilling journey.

WOW! This might be one of the longest summaries I've written. My mind is about to be blown because I couldn't stop reading this thriller with so many layers, incredible characterization, and a balanced, paced trajectory that keeps your attention intact. The narrative transports you 13 years back, where young Maya, biracial with a Chinese mom and a black father, recently orphaned with her 8-year-old sister Naomi, finds herself part of a secret society surrounded by privileged students. Maya does what she can to adjust, providing extra funds to send her sister to school, even if it involves her into the pyramid scheme of the institution. We then move seven months before the present time, witnessing Naomi, Maya's little sister, unfortunately following the same footsteps, estranged from her sister and part of a secret society, entangled in a love triangle that may be doomed with heartache!

We witness how Naomi's actions may resolve with her death as she attempts to uncover the mystery of a student's death under suspicious circumstances that was swept under the rug. When she discovers her straight, cold, career-oriented sister may be one of the last persons who has seen the dead girl alive, and the possibility that the girl has been silenced for knowing too much about the secret society connections, Naomi teams up with her roommate, an intern at the New York Times, to unravel the dirty secrets! Could her attempts to face the past be the reason for her demise? Or is she the victim of a love triangle that has gotten out of hand?

Maya has to confront her dark past, face the consequences of her actions, and find out the truth about her sister's death, even though it may ruin her entire future and the family she's built.

Overall: As soon as I started to read Naomi's narrative, I easily connected with her, and I wished there would be a miracle that she could be alive, that the entire mystery might consist of misunderstandings. Her story broke my heart. I also easily understood the reasoning behind Maya's actions. She's burdened with too much baggage at a young age and needed to find a way to survive, which may have led her to dangerous roads.

I loved the realistic execution and depiction of the secret society. As I thought I finally pieced up another layer of the mystery, the author perfectly presented another layer, and I hardly guessed some parts of twists, which are perfectly executed. It's a one-sitting, intense read that also wrecked my heart with a realistic but sad conclusion. Especially the sisters' miscommunications that affected their entire relationship broke my heart. This is great reading that earned my five unputdownable stars I highly recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/ Ballantine/ Bantam for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest feedback.

I was so happy to be approved for this arc. Omg I loved this book!!! A suspenseful, dark academia but also includes themes of sisterhood while be a captivating read. I’m already anticipating this author’s follow up.

First of all, I loved this novel because I work where it was set, in Princeton, New Jersey!

As a high school counselor I am used to hearing about the myths and mystique of the Ivy League school only 4 blocks away. This book takes these myths and explodes them! Think secret clubs, and spy-level connections.
Society of Lies is a thrilling story of what a Princeton Alum does when her younger sister dies at Princeton only days before graduation. Lauren Ling Brown provides multiple points of view and a variety of flashbacks to build a story where no one is safe. Ling Brown creates fascinating characters and a believable setting. Through her own experiences and those of her friends, Ling Brown is also able to detail on campus racism and the feeling of being "other," which an especially poignant layer to the story.

If you love a bit of dark academia with your thrillers, this book is for you! #Randomhouse #societyoflies #Laurenlingbrown

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC to review.

Maya is supposed to be celebrating her little sister Naomi’s graduation from Princeton; instead, she is mourning her death. Initially, it seems like Naomi tragically drowned in the lake, but Maya knows there is something much darker at play – something likely involving a secret society and another mysterious death ten years earlier. Now it is up to Maya to figure out who is behind what happened to her sister and if it is connected to Maya’s past.

Told from the alternating viewpoints of Maya and Naomi, the reader is given clues from ten years earlier, the months leading up to Naomi’s death, and the present day. Some of the plot is a bit predictable (Maya and Naomi are women of color from less privileged backgrounds taken in by a wealthier group of friends – some of them questionable; there is a prestigious club with powerful people covering up dastardly deeds) but it is a fast-paced read with an intriguing plot. Maya and Naomi make for solid protagonists, as both women are likable.

Overall, this is a solid choice for fans of mysteries and would be a good selection for a book group.

I love a good dark academia story and I also love stories of the rich behaving badly—and this fit both bills! I could see this being a popular Summer release,

Thank you to the Publisher for my arc!


Where do i begin? this book had me in a choke hold from the first page. you are drawn in to this heartbreaking story about two sisters and the corrupt Ivy League college that they find themselves in. I loved the discussions on race, the difference between upper class and lower class and the relationship between Naomi and Maya made me cry because there was just so much left unsaid and the ending left me speechless. highly HIGHlY recommend this book.

This was an okay read. It felt as though I have read this before, but it was not bad. No complaints, but it was also nothing special.