| Title | : | The Sorority Murder (Regan Merritt, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0778311686 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780778311683 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Mass Market Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 448 |
| Publication | : | First published December 28, 2021 |
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 (Regan Merritt, #1) Reviews
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3.5 stars, rounded up
This is a creative mystery with some good points and a few shortcomings, but the good outweighs the bad overall.
The Good
The main premise of this book is that college student Lucas Vega has started a podcast in order to find more information and possibly solve the disappearance and then murder of Candace Swain three years previously. Candace was a senior nursing student at Northern Arizona University when Lucas was a freshman, and she disappeared after a sorority party and was found dead a week later. The podcast angle is fresh and interesting and done well in the story.
Regan Merritt, a former US Marshal, home visiting her father in Flagstaff after some devastating personal issues, volunteers as a guest expert on the podcast. She then gets invested in helping Lucas to find out what happened to Candace. I loved her as a character and she added some depth and maturity that the storyline really needed.
Overall the mystery works, it's a bit unbelievable at the end, but for the most part the story kept me interested and wanting to discover the answers. Once the pacing picks up (see below) the book moves rapidly to an exciting conclusion.
The Not-So-Good
The book takes forever to get going. It felt like we were spinning in circles because we went over the same evidence over and over (and over) with each new character's addition, and then Lucas rehashes the same evidence on his podcast. The repetition was grating after a while and threw the pacing completely off. Once things actually start to occur in real time (rather than just Lucas talking about what he knows) and people start coming forward with more clues and information, the pace picks up rapidly and the book becomes much more interesting.
Lucas was difficult for me to like for quite a long time. I knew he must be hiding something from Regan, but in general he acted like a high school student instead of a college student with some of his antics and ways he was speaking. I wish the author would have made him more intelligent and less hysterical.
**WHY oh why do these authors insist on having characters with similar names? In this book we have Rachel and Regan. Argh, it was difficult to keep them straight sometimes, I had to go back and re-read certain sections to figure out who was in the scene. ** There are a MILLION names out there, why pick ones that are SO similar?
Overall, this is an engaging mystery if you realize that the beginning is going to be a bit slow. I really hope Brennan brings Regan back in the future, she's a complex character with a lot to add to mystery investigations.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own. -
2.0 stars— The whole time I was reading “The Sorority Murder” by Allison Brennan I asked myself why am I not liking this more. Now that it took me over 2 weeks to finish it, I can finally answer that question .. I was bored. The book has a good premise as it follows a college student’s investigation into a murder that occurred on campus as he attempts to get answers by hosting a live podcast on the subject. The student, Lucas, and a former Federal Marshall, Reagan begin hitting nerves with some of the last individuals who saw the dead student alive and the book travels a familiar path to resolution from there. I guess I have gotten spoiled by the Alice Feeneys of the author world and expect some twists and turns in my mysteries, not such a straight forward approach as this book lays out. There were a lot of characters but only one obvious suspect virtually from the beginning of the book. I also felt that the author didn’t develop her characters very well as I found myself not caring what was going to happen next and to whom throughout the book. Maybe I was just preoccupied and cranky when I read this one, but it definitely wasn’t one of my favorites.
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This was right up my alley, an everyday person trying to solve an unsolved crime from the past. I like to imagine that I too could have the smarts to find and follow the clues, then solve the mystery while maintaining a humble, aw shucks, I just got lucky, attitude.
Unlike other reviewers, I didn't find this to be slow to start. In fact, I was very much invested in the first third or so, then the middle part just dragged on without much excitement or credible clues. The last third piqued my interest again, but not as much as the beginning had. I enjoyed the podcast element and thought it was a good way to introduce new clues that might or might not be relevant. I would have liked more of the podcast as it offered different perspectives and provided moments of excitement as new information was revealed.
Minor potential spoiler: I did guess the killer early on, mainly because I didn't find most of the characters to be plausible suspects. Their characters as fellow students or sorority sisters were sound, but as possible killers the characteristics weren't provided to illustrate them as such. I couldn't identify animosity or motive for the majority, thereby eliminating them as suspects. I daresay I wanted more drama!
I had hoped for a more thrilling execution but overall the inventive format still makes for an adequate story even if at times your attention wanders. -
the setup…
Regan Merritt is a former US Marshal who has returned home to Flagstaff, Arizona, having only recently decided to leave the service. After agreeing to be a guest lecturer for her former Northern Arizona University professor, she meets with one of his students following the session as a favor. Forensic major Lucas Vega has created a podcast, The Sorority Murder, for his senior capstone project and its focus is on the disappearance and murder of nursing student Candace Swain three years ago. He recently learned some information about the circumstances surrounding her death while interning at the morgue that might prompt listeners to call in with new information. Regan not only agrees to participate as a guest on his next episode but is impressed and intrigued enough with Lucas to assist him with the investigation and his project.
the heart of the story…
I was highly impressed with Lucas’ podcast and how he didn’t fall prey to developing lots of conspiracy theories or anything that wasn’t grounded in facts. I’ve read several stories where podcasts are the main thrust but this one was well done, more like following a police procedural. Regan was critical to his program, giving him invaluable guidance and, to his credit, Lucas took the coaching. But, it was obvious he was hiding something as were just about all of Candace’s former sorority sisters who were the last to see her before she disappeared and was found a week later. The lies and subterfuge were almost maddening but expected from teens and college students interacting with adults. It wasn’t even a question that they were lying but about what was the thing to discover.
the narration…
Most of the characters in the story were young adults and the narrator seemed to capture their youthfulness without them sounding “young.” I could distinguish them easily and she paced the story extremely well, especially near the end. I’m glad I chose the audio format.
the bottom line…
Even though I’d pretty much identified the probable killer early on, I didn’t know why and the big secrets these young women were so desperate to keep hidden. That kept my interest though I thought the story took longer than it should. Regan emerged as an interesting character who I want to learn more about. She’s got plenty of baggage that had her leave the US Marshal service and return home. It only touches the surface and she still hasn’t figured out what’s next. I’m really glad this is now a series because Regan has skills I’d like to see in future investigations and follow her journey. It’s a strong start and I’m definitely in for the duration.
Posted on
Blue Mood Café
(Thanks to Harlequin Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.) -
The moment I saw this cover and read the blurb, I was obsessed with reading this book and, like an itch you can't scratch, I couldn't properly do anything until I started reading The Sorority Murder and get it finally out of my system.
Now that I finished it, though, it's not with a tad of bitterness that I'm saying the idea of this book was way better than its outcome.
Lucas Vega is hosting a podcast called The Sorority Murder as a capstone project, where he elaborates the facts that happened three years before, when the sorority member Candace Swain was found dead in a lake. Lucas doesn't believe the homeless man convicted for the crime is the real killer, so he's trying to gather new information to prove his theory.
So far so great. I mean, it sounds like the combination of factors I usually go crazy for in a book.
But, alas, I have more complaints than compliments.
First of all, this book took forever to start and the writing is so stiff and repetitive I felt like I was reading something written out of spite or without really trying.
Because of this I had a hard time getting into the story properly and had to force myself to actually keep reading because I wanted to know if it was going to eventually get better.
It never did, but I finished it anyway though not without effort.
I think Lucas could have been a good main character, but he lacked substance and had nothing that earned him the title of MC, so he fell even flatter in the end.
The mystery and drama weren't that bad, hence the two stars up there, but the script-like writing, underdeveloped characters, heavy and repetitive info-dumping and the way the author managed to have things explained via dialogue most of the time instead of incorporate them into the narration, penalized the entire work too much to give it more. -
3.5 stars, rounded up
Sometimes, I just need a good old fashioned mystery. The Sorority Murder fit the bill.
Candice Swain’s body was found 8 days after she left a sorority party. Lucas Vega saw her that night. Now, three years later, he’s obsessed with her murder and is hosting a podcast to try and obtain info on what happened to her. Regan Merritt is a retired US Marshall that Lucas interviews on the podcast and they end up teaming up. I found Regan an interesting character, with a compelling backstory, and it was easy for me to relate to her.
The story is entertaining and rolls out at a steady pace. It worked really well as an audio experience. Starting at about the 75% mark, the story veers into both the unbelievable and the predictable. (I know that might sound like an oxymoron, but it’s not.) Despite that, I found it enjoyable. Amy McFadden, as the narrator, enhanced my enjoyment of the story. -
Loved the audio on this one. The narrator is Amy McFadden and she is awesome. She did a wonderful job with the different character voices and added just the right amount if inflection when it was needed. Really great. The story itself was a cold case mystery with a twist. I loved how Brennan made the most of new technologies and crafted her plot around the rising prevalence of true crime podcasts. Her new heroine, Regan Merritt, has a sad past and is slowly putting her life back together. The college kids were tenacious in their pursuit of justice and I loved them. The case at the foundation of the podcast was personal and it took a while before true motives were revealed.
Lucas Vega, a college senior, is working on his capstone project at Northern Arizona University. He is a Criminal Justice major and has chosen the murder of Candace Swain, which remains unsolved three year later, as his subject to build a podcast around. His stated goal is to find out what happened to her the week she was missing before her murder and the discovery of her body. But his real goal related to an event that took place more than six years ago. His podcast has enraged a killer and they will do whatever they need to do to silence him.
When Lucas needs help former US Marshel Regan Merritt agrees share her experience and insights on air and to help him follow up on the tips he receives. Regan quickly realizes that Lucas could be in danger after a podcast caller is found dead. The sorority at the center of it all has closed ranks, but not all the girls agree with the edict and several have information critical to solving the murder. Regan has to work quickly before the killer claims another victim. -
Dark academia murder vibes
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She was at the party, and now she is dead.
Who saw Candace when she left the party after an argument three years ago ?
Where was Candace for a week before they found her in the lake?
Candace was a popular sorority sister, and the publicity for the sorority with the re-opening of this case through podcasts is not what they wanted.
Many sorority members were nervous when, Lucas, a friend of Candace’s started podcasts to try to get people to remember that night in hopes that after three years new clues would surface and help find her killer.
There was only one suspect the police looked at, and this homeless man was seen disappearing the same day they found Candace's body, and he still hasn’t been found.
When other things start happening, questions pop up….could it be that the homeless suspect isn’t the real killer? But…where can he be?
Hints about other friends knowing things and becoming nervous makes the tension increase as Regan comes on the scene to help Lucas with his podcasts.
Someone is hiding something that they know about Candace and the sorority, but what is it?
We follow Regan and Lucas as they put themselves in danger as they begin to uncover the truth.
THE SORORITY MURDER is engaging, has a great story line, and complicated, interesting characters.
One character is pretty evil and cunning.
Thriller fans and amateur detectives will really enjoy this book especially when the tension ramps up as they get closer to solving the mystery. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. -
3.5 stars
Sorority girl Candace Swain leaves a party one night and disappears, her body is found two weeks later in a nearby pond. Now three years later, the case has grown cold. Student Lucas Vega creates a podcast to revisit the timeline of Candace’s last known movements after the party in hopes of solving her murder. Former US Marshal Regan Merritt is invited to share her expertise and with the help of new tips from podcast listeners, Lucas and Regan begin a solid investigation!
I listened to the audiobook and became invested in this story almost immediately. Author Allison Brennan did a wonderful job of creating a solid story as readers delve into the podcast calls, the police procedures, interviews, and gain insight into Candace’s thoughts from journal entries from her final days. The story held my attention completely but I did get bored with how often information readers are given throughout the investigation is repeated, dragging the story out longer than necessary and losing a bit of momentum.
Regan Merritt is a character worth revisiting, so I’m looking forward to more in this promising series.
For more reviews, visit
www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com -
So I am a huge true-crime podcast lover and these books that use a podcast as a way to work through the story and crime I am really enjoying!
Let's start at the beginning. A very popular Sorority girl is murdered. Candace was at a sorority house party and when she left that night she was never seen alive again. Two weeks after that night her body was found. That was three years ago, now her murder is a cold case.
Lucas is a forensics major and he is interning at the medical examiner's office. He is also obsessed with Candance's murder. While originally the suspect was a homeless drunk man he has not been seen since her murder, so that is kind of a dead-end there. While interning at the medical examiner's office Lucas finds some new information, however, when he goes to the police they really aren't interested in the information. Knowing that he has quite a bit of pieces of the puzzle Lucas decides to create a podcast that goes over the last hours of Candace's life. He soon pairs up with Reagan and she was a US Marshal so she can share her expertise in this case. Now, his listeners start sharing information and this leads to another case as well. you
I loved this book! I was hooked by the first chapter. So, I was guessing and trying to work out who the villain was and I felt like I was going in circles over and over but it was soo good! If you love shows like law and order or are fans of Karen Slaughter then this should be your next read! It was soo good! I also really enjoyed the mystery and the suspense that was built up in the book until the very dramatic reveal!
Thank you Netgalley and Mira for the opportunity to read and review this one! -
Popular sorority girl Candace Swain left a party one evening and was never seen again. Two weeks later, her body was discovered. The case was never solved. Three years later, Lucas Vega finds new information while interning at the medical examiner’s office. The police brush him off showing no interest. Lucas becomes consumed with the case creating a podcast focusing on Candace and the events leading up to her disappearance. He encourages listeners to call in if they remember anything or have any information regarding the case. Lucas has numerous important pieces of information but can’t seem to put it together.
Lucas calls in former U.S. marshal and lecturer Regan Merritt to help with the case. Tips start flooding in and the pair believe they are on the right track. Unfortunately one of the callers ends up dead. The plot thickens as they uncover Candace’s secret double life.
To add fuel to the fire, Lucas is hiding something himself. Can Regan uncover what happened to Candace? Will Lucas tell the truth about why is he so invested in this mystery?
I enjoyed this thriller. I thought it was unnecessarily long, but as the story unfolds, the end is worth the wait. What a tangled web the author Allison Brennan weaved! -
Three years ago, Candace Swain, a senior at Northern Arizona University, disappeared after attending a sorority party. Her body was found in a lake a week later. Authorities believe that she may have been murdered by a drifter who had been seen in the area.
Lucas Vega is a senior Forensics major who is doing a podcast for his senior project. Lucas wants to revive the cold case of Candace Swain and try to renew interest in the case. He invites Regan Merritt, a former U.S. Marshal, to come onto the program. As the podcast picks up listeners and more people call in with tips, Regan and Lucas realize that they may be on their way to solving this crime.
The first book in the Regan Merritt series is a solid mystery. It didn't take long for me to guess who was behind the murder; but I had to continue reading to fill in all the answers to my unanswered questions. I liked both Lucas, who had a compelling reason for choosing this subject for his podcast; and Regan, who has left the U.S. Marshals because of a tragedy in her family. I thought the book was a little too long in some places. It could have been streamlined with some editing. I'm looking forward to reading more books in this series. My rating: 4 Stars. -
This book definitely connected my love of reading and true crime podcasting. This mix really made for a fast read that I could not put down. As a reader you are on the frontlines of a cold case investigation as new evidence is coming to light and not everyone is as they seem.
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A popular sorority girl
An unsolved murder
A campus podcast with chilling repercussions.
The beginning of a new series by Allison Brennan that is dripping with tension, action-packed and sure to please. And introducing Regan Merritt, an ex-United States Marshal, who has returned to her hometown after the tragic death of her young son. With a father who was the former sheriff for years, it doesn’t take long before she’s drawn into the mysterious death of a young female student who attended the hometown university.
An edgy and perplexing plot with lots of layers to peel back in a well-written whodunnit with rich characterization and an intriguing thriller centered around a criminal justice student’s podcast dealing with a three-year-old unsolved murder case of a popular sorority member and the sisterhood living in a house full of tangled secrets and diabolical lies.
From a seasoned author, there were some surprisingly sloppy editing spots scattered here and there throughout the book. Nothing that interrupted the storyline or the flow – just shoddy editing.
A compelling, well-conceived and executed psychological thriller. Plenty of twists, turns and intrigue certain to pull you into this story and hold you in its grip to the very end.
Note: Don’t Open the Door (Book #2 “Regan Merritt Series”) was released on 1/24/23 so I’m moving directly forward to read it without a break. I'm anxious to learn more about Regan's background, her broken marriage and what she's up to next. i have a feeling that she's not giving up on hunting criminals. -
3.5 rounding down to 3. There were a few times in this book where I was like, yeah, I can get into this. Unfortunately, those moments didn't last long enough for me to round this one up to 4 stars and overall, it just fell a bit flat. Right off the bat, I found there were way too many characters, most that were unneeded in the grand scheme of things. I also felt like there were a number of plot lines that were hinted at but never really fleshed out and shouldn't have been there in the first place.
The main mystery of the book was intriguing enough and the resolution of it made total sense but I just never felt truly connected to the storyline or any of the individual characters. It could've been the sheer number of them but I also just think they weren't developed to the extent that they could've been in my opinion.
Looking back after reading it, the book was fine. It's nothing that I would shove into anyone's hands but it was okay. At times, I got very YA vibes from it overall, almost like a not-as-good Good Girl's Guide To Murder. I would've been perfectly fine with it being YA but unfortunately, it wasn't intended to be and instead feels a little lost as a story overall. -
This is a well-written, entertaining, fast paced thriller. It intrigue, suspense, twists and turns, and an engaging mystery. Regan is a strong, capable, and likable female protagonist. I hope that Ms. Brennan features her in more novels.
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Favorite Quotes:
A lie for a good reason is still a lie.
When there is no place to go, you go home.
Regan had to really dig down to dredge up sympathy for her. A pathetic, selfish, sociopath. Maybe she didn’t have any sympathy.
My Review:
I preface my review with the confessions that it has been decades since I stepped on a college campus, I have always had a negative opinion of Greek life, I have never listened to a podcast, and I had to Google what crowdsourcing and capstone projects were. This tense written and slowly developing tale has me convinced that I have become a complete and total goober!
The writing was tensely emotive and highly evocative although I often felt frustrated with the pacing. The story seemed to be progressing at a turtles pace with the main characters going off in all directions while battling to gain ground by inches and thwarted from every side. Yet despite my impatience, I was invested, engaged, and incurably curious and hooked into Allison Brennan’s fiendishly confounding storylines.
My cuticles became increasingly ragged as I worried for the determined and tenacious young podcaster and spun and discarded my own useless theories. The reveals exposed events that were realistic and relatable as well as clever with the final chapters being a maelstrom of peril. Allison Brennan took me down a rabbit hole. I may need to wear gloves for a while… -
This was my first book by Brennan and I truly enjoyed it. Part amateur sleuth, part police procedural, part capturing the perpetrator - the Law & Order fan in me really connected with the writing.
Somewhat of a disclaimer, I don’t actually like podcasts (I’ve just never been able to get into them) and was a little worried I wouldn’t click with that aspect. However, Brennan used it as an intriguing catalyst that led to a full scale investigation and vehicle for sharing information in a unique way. It really worked for me.
I also enjoyed the dynamic of a personally invested college student partnered with a newly retired US Marshall. Lucas & Regan made a very complimentary team despite or maybe because of all their differences.
While the perpetrator was evident fairly quickly in the story - the point wasn’t as much whodunnit at that point as it was actually having the proof to back up what was superficially evident. Lots of twists and turns kept the pacing pretty enjoyable.
Narration:
I actually chose this book because Amy McFadden posted about it on her Facebook page earlier this year. I always love how she can expertly portray a variety of characters: any gender, age, and all the emotions. Such a great listen! -
If I ever go missing, I want Lucas Vega on the case.
The Sorority Murder followed Lucas Vega in his pursuit to uncover the truth about a campus crime. Along the way you find out just why this case meant so much to him. Lucas never once gave up and did not stop until he achieved his goal, even if it put his life in danger.
This is a hard book to review as I don't want to give away any spoilers!
The only qualm I had was that the book did drag a bit and I was still left with a few questions on the back history of Ragen . I also wanted to know if she got her happy ending? Maybe there will be a sequel to an another case she helps with?
Allison Brennan, does an incredible job incorporating different points of view in order to have the story make a full circle and come together. I would be interested to see if this develops into a series with Ragen Merrit. I absolutely love college thrillers so of course this will be one that I add to the list of books I suggest.
All in all, great story and I really enjoyed this one! -
Who killed Candace Swain? The popular college senior at North Arizona University went missing after the Sigma Rho sorority’s Spring Fling and her body was found several days later. Three years later, student Lucas Vega starts a podcast which is approved by the university as his Senior Project. He names it The Sorority Murder and hopes it will do what the local police had failed to do. Solve the murder. The sorority members won’t talk to him and others are afraid to speak up. And why is Lucas so determined to find out what happened? When Regan Merritt, a former U.S. Marshall offers to help Lucas, it is clear he is not being forthcoming about his motives. Together they start to piece together what happened to Candace.
In an intriguing book that falls in the “dark academia” category, author Allison Brennan has created an appealing mystery thriller. It takes its time to get moving but once it does, it moves along nicely. Not as tense as some other books in this category but a worthwhile read.
Rated 3.75 stars. -
Somewhere between 3- and 4-stars, this is an entertaining read that I highly recommend grabbing on audiobook.
An unsolved campus mystery...
College student Lucas Vega starts a podcast to help solve the disappearance and murder of former student Candace Swain. Lucas was only a freshman when senior Candace disappeared and the case splashed across the headlines the way cases do when the victim is young, beautiful, and salacious. Candace was a nursing student at the time and she disappeared after a sorority party. Her body was found two weeks later and no one was ever convicted of the crime.
A former U.S. Marshall becomes involved...
Regan Merritt has taken leave from her job as a U.S. Marshall in the wake of a personal tragedy and is home visiting her father. When she becomes involved in the case, she agrees to guest on Lucas's podcast and offer her expertise. And soon Regan becomes as invested in Candace's murder as Lucas is.
Another murder...
When a caller to the podcast winds up dead, things begin to spiral quickly. Lucas and Regan must have stumbled onto a lead that someone wants to stay buried...
An engaging mystery that works well on the audio medium due to the featured podcast content. Some things I saw coming and others were a complete surprise. The mystery takes a bit to get going and I did think the book could have been shortened without losing anything major to the plot. -
Lucas Vega, a criminal justice student at North Arizona University, starts a Podcast investigating the 3.5-year-old murder of Candace Swain, which was never solved. Joining him at the behest of his professor is ex-US Marshal, Regan Merritt. Together they start asking questions on Lucas’s Podcast, looking for information on Candace’s whereabouts for the week she remained missing, before being found dead.
But their probing ruffles quite a few feathers, especially as it becomes clear that some people know a lot more than they have revealed. Will that prod the killer into doing something that will endanger Lucas or Regan’s lives?
Please read my detailed review from the link below:
https://www.aniblogshere.com/review-t...
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3.5
This was fine. I kind of guessed everything, but I liked the concept and the characters. I wish the podcast was a bigger element. -
Lucas Vega is hoping to uncover answers in the cold case of Candace Swain, a fellow college student murdered three years earlier. A homeless man was the main suspect, but Lucas has evidence that suggests otherwise. So far, he’s been railroaded by Candace’s sorority sisters and the Flagstaff Police, but he hopes with the help of Former US Marshall, Regan Meritt, he’ll be to get answers. Lucas has a personal stake in finding the truth, one he doesn’t want to share just yet.
I really liked Regan and Lucas and they made a good investigative team. I think a podcast, so popular right now, would be an excellent way to propel a cold case back into the spotlight. In this case it really got the attention of the community putting both Lucas and Regan in danger as they edge closer to the truth.
I’m a big fan of Allison Brennan’s mysteries and I’m always eager for her next release. Even though it was easy to guess at the identity of the killer I was sucked into the story eager to find out the motivations, what exactly happened and what the killer would do next! Regan Meritt was a confident, interesting female lead, coping with a personal tragedy, back in her hometown regrouping. She’s on leave with the US Marshal Department, and things were not all wrapped with her story. There was also a potential romance. I wonder if Ms. Brennan intends to continue her story in future books. I look forward to solving more mysteries with Regan if that’s the case!
A copy was kindly provided by MIRA in exchange for an honest review. -
The Sorority Murder is a gripping novel of loyalty, betrayal, and murder from Allison Brennan.
For his college Capstone Project, Forensics student, Lucas Vega has launched a podcast in the hopes of solving the cold case murder of popular nursing student, Candace Swain. Three years ago Candace left the Sigma Rho Spring Fling after an argument with a few of her sorority sisters, and disappeared, her body was discovered a week later in a nearby lake. The podcast isn’t gaining the traction Lucas hoped, even with some bombshell revelations, until his advisor connects him with former US Marshall, Regan Merritt. As listeners finally begin to respond to his pleas for information, Lucas and Regan attempt to make sense of the secrets they uncover, but someone is determined that the truth remain buried, even if it means more die.
Though the story is a little slow to get moving, I soon found myself engrossed in The Sorority Murder. The mystery surrounding the disappearance and murder of Candace is intriguing. Though the police believe an alcoholic, homeless vet known to trespass on the University grounds is likely responsible, as additional details surface, it becomes clear that the circumstances of the crime don’t support the theory.
Short diary entries by Candace placed through the narrative hint at a dark secret she carried, which Lucas and Regan slowly piece together, bringing them closer to exposing the killer. I had an inkling of the ‘who’ early on, that was proved correct, though I didn’t fully grasp the ‘why’ until Brennan chose to reveal it. There’s not a lot of suspense in the novel until Lucas begins receiving threats, and then the tension rises sharply when another young woman dies.
Lucas is an appealing character, while his motive for the Sorority Murder podcast isn’t quite as it seems, his intentions are good, he’s just a bit naive to the realities of what he is trying to achieve. Former US Marshal Regan Merritt tends to overshadow Lucas once she is introduced. She’s a more well rounded and capable character, and I found her, and her backstory, to be interesting. There is a suggestion that The Sorority Murder will be the first in ongoing series to feature Regan, which I think could work well.
Entertaining and absorbing, I enjoyed The Sorority Murder. -
The death of a college student. Another college student wanting answers. A cold case. Why is Lucas Vega so determined to uncover facts pertaining to Candace Swain's death?
Lucas is a criminology student with a college podcast. His podcast is the vehicle he uses to exercise his vested interest into a case that has dried up with little or no clues. Lucas is not alone in his endeavor, however. He ends up working alongside Regan Merritt, a former US Marshal. What is it that draws Lucas so into the crime? Will he and Regan be able to find out what really happened to Candace?
As Lucas does his podcast he gets more than a few callers who are providing tips. However, not everyone is willing to identify themselves, but slowly pieces of this confusing puzzle begin to fall into place. In fact, the deeper Lucas and Megan dig into the case, the clearer it becomes as to why the murder was never solved. Will secrets and lies bring about his undoing? Will danger face Lucas before the truth is finally told?
The Sorority Murder is a stellar read by Allison Brennan. The drama, twists and turns, as well as the exciting conclusion, captured my attention as I felt I was walking alongside Lucas and Regan as they peeled back layer after layer in this intriguing case. Imagining myself listening to the podcast late into the night kept me riveted to this book.
Many thanks to MIRA and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion. -
Im still unsure how to accurately review this one. I did enjoy aspects of it, however there were things about it I did not enjoy as well.
Lets start with the positives first. I love novels that include podcasts/true crime aspects. This one definitely delivered that. It gives you all the podcast behind-the-scenes and also the background and footwork that goes into a podcast. The mystery in the story is also well done. Now, I am not sure if it was because the book is quite long, or there were several details that were put into the novel. I was unsure who the "killer" actually was until closer to the end. Regan's additional story line was unnecessary but since I enjoyed this tourtured character I also enjoyed the added information regarding her background.
Now the not so good. I hate this part. This book TOOK FOREVER to get going. I felt like I was spinning in circles and rereading the same 10 pages over and over again for about 100 pages. I almost DNF'd it. Lucas also could have used a bit more character development. He seemed cold/rigid and I didn't find him all that believable. My last challenge was the ending. I did enjoy the twist however, it was EXTREMELY far fetched.
All in all I feel middle of the road about this one. -
In the sorority murders we follow Lucas Vega, a college student, who tries to solve the murder of another student, that happened three years ago.
This was a really nice and cozy thriller. I liked the idea of Lucas’ podcast, with which he tries to find new evidence and witnesses who might not know that they have witnessed a crime. The mystery behind Candace vanishing and her death was cleverly reconstructed even though it wasn’t a huge surprise who the killer turned out to be.
Lucas was likable but a bit annoying at times. He constantly did what he wasn’t supposed to, like breaking into a crime scene after a potential witness died. His decisions were stupid and didn’t even help him get very far with his investigations. Regan on the other hand was a delight and I still have some hope that we might get to see more of her if she becomes a PI.
This won’t be the last book I read by Allison Brennan.
