Allison Brennan

"Fans of Jeff Abbott and Karin Slaughter will find this crime novel hard to put down." --Publishers Weekly on The Third to Die New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan's latest suspense is about a college senior's podcast that delves into an unsolved campus murder of a popular sorority girl, with individual callers exploring facts previously thought to be true. Lucas Vega is obsessed with the death of Candace Swain, who left a sorority party one night and never came back. Her body was found after two weeks, but the case has grown cold. Three years later while interning at the Medical Examiner's, Lucas discovers new information, but the police are not interested. Lucas knows he has several credible pieces of the puzzle. He just isn't sure how they fit together. So he creates a podcast to revisit Candace's last hours. Then he encourages listeners to crowdsource what they remember and invites guest lecturer Regan Merritt, a former US marshal, to come on and share her expertise. New tips come in that convince Lucas and Regan they are onto something. Then shockingly one of the podcast callers turns up dead. Another hints at Candace's secret life...a much darker picture than Lucas imagined--and one that implicates other sorority sisters. Regan uses her own resources to bolster their theory and learns that Lucas is hiding his own secret. The pressure is on to solve the murder, but first Lucas must come clean about his real motives in pursuing this podcast--before the killer silences him forever.

The Sorority Murder

Denaiir

I loved the plot, the rhythm and the characters. It was original and even though the ending was a bit unhinged, it was just really entertaining!
The only thing I was not a fan of was the narration, some of the female characters' voices were way too over-the-top, but it didn't affect my enjoyment too much

Claire Durand

This book kind of dragged on in the beginning but once you get into it it's really interesting. Again love the concept of a book taking place at a school, the added element of the sorority is pretty good too. I like that there are essentially two very different characters that have very different sets of issues that are working together to solve the mystery. I like the mentoring aspect of it more than anything. It was pretty interesting with so many different characters. This one was suggested by my mother.

kendall p

I was provided an e-arc of this book by harper collins. release date 12/28/21. 

Allison Brennan surprised me with this. it took me until around 40% to get invested, but once I was i couldn’t put it down. 
we are presented with a lot of characters throughout this story ; i didn’t really care for it at the beginning, but allison does such a good job at providing backgrounds for every single one. i will admit, having two main characters named rachel and regan did throw me off - especially when i was reading while tired hahah. 
if you think true crime, this book reads exactly like a true crime case. you’re on the outside looking in as you try and help lucas and regan figure out what happened to candace swain 3 years ago. the sorority aspect is really what drew me in, i don’t participate in one but the premise behind sororities and thriller always draws me in. 
i loved how the clues just slowly came into play, and we as readers were able to piece things together for ourselves. everything that intertwined this case, and all the backstories took a while to be brought to light and i liked that. i don’t like when we are given the truth early on. 
i think this book is a good, quick read. 
there were some things i didn’t really like about it as well ; 
the jeep was the main thing. we are given clues of a jeep that is following lucas and regan around or showing up at pivotal moments. 
i get what the author was trying to do, and it worked until we are literally shown the character that drives the jeep - regan is an ex marshal. she notices everything but yet didn’t put 2 and 2 together as soon as she saw the jeep? plus - as soon as i read who was driving it i just knew they were involved in a big way. it didn’t kill the story for me, but it irritated me a little. 
the story flip flops povs in a way that is kinda confusing. it won’t even be a new chapter and it will just jump onto someone else. 
i wish we could have gotten more backstory / journal from candace’s perspective. they were really interesting, and i enjoyed them a lot but we didn’t get a lot of them. 
over all, the story was good. it was easy to follow, and kept me interested. if you like true crime, i recommend.

BROOKE A

I wanted to like this more. Right off the bat it gave me Good Girls Guide to Murder vibes with the kid trying to solve the case… but it soon fell flat for me. Too many characters, I felt that there were a few story lines that could have been left out (Regan’s son for example), and I figured out the killer quickly simply bc it was the only one that made since as the story plot was built. Also I felt like the whole last chapter could have been nixed, it was basically a recap of the whole book. I think it should have ended when the killer was caught and the last entry of the journal. I basically skimmed the last chapter.  All in all not a HORRIBLE book, I enjoyed parts of it, but I just fell like there’s better books with the same plot line. 

Totally Addicted to Reading

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Allison Brennan is quickly becoming a favourite author of mine. Therefore, when the opportunity to read her latest novel came my way, I didn’t hesitate to pick it up. The Sorority Murder delivered an intriguing, complex and slow burn mystery which held me captive from start to finish.

The Sorority Murder introduces Lucas Vega, a student of forensic science. He started a podcast, intending to garner more information regarding the three-year-old murder of nursing student Candace Swain. She was found murdered after mysteriously disappearing a week before  said murder.

On the recommendation of his college advisor, Lucas teams up with former US Marshall Reagan Merritt. With Reagan’s help and expertise, new information came to light and more clues revealed. Soon danger comes knocking as someone is determined to stop the truth from coming to light.

Lucas and Regan made a great investigative team. The concept of using a podcast in solving a cold case intrigued me. Not everyone was on board with the podcast as it opened up old wounds. Despite this, it proved to be an excellent concept as it propelled persons with information to come forward.


Although it didn’t take long to figure out the identity of the villain, putting down the book proved a challenge. Learning about the events leading up to the murder and the motive of the villain drew me in.

I liked how the author portrayed Lucas and Regan. Her portrayal made it easy to understand their motivations and relate to their pain.. Despite dealing with personal tragedies, Regan’s confidence and strength shined throughout the story. Lucas was like a dog with a bone. Even with the threat  of danger, he was determined to uncover the truth. However, in doing so, he ruffled some feathers. I have to admit; I didn’t like the fact he hid the true motive behind the podcast. He had a personal stake in finding the truth, however, he failed to inform Regan of this fact.



Narration

I enjoyed Amy McFadden’s narration. I would listen to anything she narrates. She brought each of the characters to life and her tone for each was distinct. Her narration enhanced my enjoyment of the story.

Conclusion/Recommendation

If you are looking for an engaging mystery, then The Sorority Murder will be a great addition to your reading list. This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading

Allison Brennan is quickly becoming a favourite author of mine. Therefore, when the opportunity to read her latest novel came my way, I didn’t hesitate to pick it up. The Sorority Murder delivered an intriguing, complex and slow burn mystery which held me captive from start to finish.

The Sorority Murder introduces Lucas Vega, a student of forensic science. He started a podcast, intending to garner more information regarding the three-year-old murder of nursing student Candace Swain. She was found murdered after mysteriously disappearing a week before  said murder.

On the recommendation of his college advisor, Lucas teams up with former US Marshall Reagan Merritt. With Reagan’s help and expertise, new information came to light and more clues revealed. Soon danger comes knocking as someone is determined to stop the truth from coming to light.

Lucas and Regan made a great investigative team. The concept of using a podcast in solving a cold case intrigued me. Not everyone was on board with the podcast as it opened up old wounds. Despite this, it proved to be an excellent concept as it propelled persons with information to come forward.


Although it didn’t take long to figure out the identity of the villain, putting down the book proved a challenge. Learning about the events leading up to the murder and the motive of the villain drew me in.

I liked how the author portrayed Lucas and Regan. Her portrayal made it easy to understand their motivations and relate to their pain.. Despite dealing with personal tragedies, Regan’s confidence and strength shined throughout the story. Lucas was like a dog with a bone. Even with the threat  of danger, he was determined to uncover the truth. However, in doing so, he ruffled some feathers. I have to admit; I didn’t like the fact he hid the true motive behind the podcast. He had a personal stake in finding the truth, however, he failed to inform Regan of this fact.



Narration

I enjoyed Amy McFadden’s narration. I would listen to anything she narrates. She brought each of the characters to life and her tone for each was distinct. Her narration enhanced my enjoyment of the story.

Conclusion/Recommendation

If you are looking for an engaging mystery, then The Sorority Murder will be a great addition to your reading list. 













Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Sorority Murder

Author: Allison Brennan

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 4/5

Recommended For...: mystery, thriller

Publication Date: December 28, 2021

Genre: Thriller Mystery

Recommended Age: 18+ (violence, gore, language, death)

Explanation of CWs: The book focuses on a murder that happened and it has violence, death, and gore in it. There is also some cursing in it.

Publisher: MIRA

Pages: 448

Synopsis: Lucas Vega is obsessed with the death of Candace Swain, who left a sorority party one night and never came back. Her body was found after two weeks, but the case has grown cold. Three years later while interning at the medical examiner's, Lucas discovers new information, but the police are not interested.

Lucas knows he has several credible pieces of the puzzle. He just isn't sure how they fit together. So he creates a podcast to revisit Candace's last hours. Then he encourages listeners to crowdsource what they remember and invites guest lecturer Regan Merritt, a former US marshal, to come on and share her expertise.

New tips come in that convince Lucas and Regan they are onto something. Then shockingly one of the podcast callers turns up dead. Another hints at Candace's secret life, a much darker picture than Lucas imagined—and one that implicates other sorority sisters. Regan uses her own resources to bolster their theory and learns that Lucas is hiding his own secret. The pressure is on to solve the murder, but first Lucas must come clean about his real motives in pursuing this podcast—before the killer silences him forever.

Review: I loved the premise of this book! I like that the MC has a podcast and that he is into true crime. The book is told in kind of a true crime podcast fashion as well, which is so much fun. I loved how the characters were developed and how the world was built. I also thought the mystery worked well for the most part and the plot kept me interested in the story enough to find out what happened at the end.

However, the pacing is so so slow in this book in the beginning and it picks up in the middle. The book is a bit of an info dump in the beginning, which put me off of it for a bit. The book spends a lot of time going back over old evidence and repeating the same thing over and over again. The ending was also a bit of a letdown and it kind of was outside of the realm of expected.

Verdict: it was good.


"Fans of Jeff Abbott and Karin Slaughter will find this crime novel hard to put down." —Publishers Weekly on The Third to Die "Downright spectacular… [A] riveting page turner as prescient as it is purposeful." —Providence Journal on Tell No Lies A popular sorority girl. An unsolved murder. A campus podcast with chilling repercussions. Lucas Vega is obsessed with the death of Candace Swain, who left a sorority party one night and never came back. Her body was found after two weeks, but the case has grown cold. Three years later while interning at the medical examiner's, Lucas discovers new information, but the police are not interested. Lucas knows he has several credible pieces of the puzzle. He just isn't sure how they fit together. So he creates a podcast to revisit Candace's last hours. Then he encourages listeners to crowdsource what they remember and invites guest lecturer Regan Merritt, a former US marshal, to come on and share her expertise. New tips come in that convince Lucas and Regan they are onto something. Then shockingly one of the podcast callers turns up dead. Another hints at Candace's secret life, a much darker picture than Lucas imagined—and one that implicates other sorority sisters. Regan uses her own resources to bolster their theory and learns that Lucas is hiding his own secret. The pressure is on to solve the murder, but first Lucas must come clean about his real motives in pursuing this podcast—before the killer silences him forever.

A Novel

danielle bush

I really enjoyed this book, the podcast angle really brought the story to life. I really loved following Lucas as he is trying to solve the murder of Candace Swain.. Three years ago Candace was last seen after leaving a sorority party, and found dead over a week later.. As Lucas and Regan begin their journey using the podcast to ask people for help solving this crime, secrets are uncovered, and some of the witnesses that come forward end up dead.. This podcast has uncovered so much more than they thought and it has put everyone who is involved in danger. 
The story was a more of a slowburn mystery at least in the beginning.. Once the big things begin to be revealed the pace really picks up..
 Lucas and Regan really take their time building their case amd asking people questions to try and put all the puzzle pieces together. It really makes you feel like your apart of their investigation.. 
Im really hoping that this is the beginnin of a new series, I would love to see Regan with the help of her father solve some more cold cases!

The Sorority Murder

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