The god of the Woods

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fiction / Moore, Liz	4-week checkout	On Hold Shelf
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fiction / Moore, Liz	4-week checkout	Due 02-26-2026
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fiction / Moore, Liz	4-week checkout	Due 02-18-2026
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fiction / Moore, Liz	4-week checkout	Due 02-26-2026
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fiction / Moore, Liz	4-week checkout	Due 01-31-2026
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fiction / Moore, Liz	4-week checkout	Due 02-24-2026
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fiction / Moore, Liz	4-week checkout	Due 01-04-2026
Malletts Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Thriller / General / Moore, Liz	4-week checkout	In transit
Malletts Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Thriller / General / Moore, Liz	4-week checkout	On Hold Shelf
Malletts Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Thriller / General / Moore, Liz	4-week checkout	Due 02-08-2026
Malletts Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Thriller / General / Moore, Liz	4-week checkout	Due 02-20-2026
Malletts Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Thriller / General / Moore, Liz	4-week checkout	Due 02-28-2026
Malletts Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Thriller / General / Moore, Liz	4-week checkout	Due 02-24-2026
Malletts Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Thriller / General / Moore, Liz	4-week checkout	Due 02-25-2026
Pittsfield Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Thriller / General / Moore, Liz	4-week checkout	In transit
Pittsfield Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Thriller / General / Moore, Liz	4-week checkout	In transit
Pittsfield Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Thriller / General / Moore, Liz	4-week checkout	Due 02-19-2026
Pittsfield Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Thriller / General / Moore, Liz	4-week checkout	Due 01-04-2026
Pittsfield Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Thriller / General / Moore, Liz	4-week checkout	Due 03-03-2026
Pittsfield Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Thriller / General / Moore, Liz	4-week checkout	Due 02-18-2026
Traverwood Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Thriller / General / Moore, Liz	4-week checkout	On Hold Shelf
Traverwood Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Thriller / General / Moore, Liz	4-week checkout	On Hold Shelf
Traverwood Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Thriller / General / Moore, Liz	4-week checkout	Due 03-08-2026
Traverwood Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Thriller / General / Moore, Liz	4-week checkout	Due 02-25-2026
Traverwood Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Thriller / General / Moore, Liz	4-week checkout	Due 03-09-2026
Traverwood Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Thriller / General / Moore, Liz	4-week checkout	Due 02-03-2026
Traverwood Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Thriller / General / Moore, Liz	4-week checkout	Due 02-27-2026
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Thriller / General / Moore, Liz	4-week checkout	On Hold Shelf
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Thriller / General / Moore, Liz	4-week checkout	Due 02-28-2026
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Thriller / General / Moore, Liz	4-week checkout	Due 02-21-2026
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Thriller / General / Moore, Liz	4-week checkout	Due 02-04-2026
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Thriller / General / Moore, Liz	4-week checkout	Due 03-07-2026
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Thriller / General / Moore, Liz	4-week checkout	Due 03-01-2026
Downtown 1st Floor 2-week checkout	Express Shelf Fiction / Moore, Liz	2-week checkout	Due 02-09-2026
Westgate Adult Books 2-week checkout	Express Shelf Adult Book / Fiction / Thriller / General / Moore, Liz	2-week checkout	Due 02-17-2026

"When Barbara Van Laar is discovered missing from her summer camp bunk one morning in August 1975, it triggers a panicked, terrified search. Losing a camper is a horrific tragedy under any circumstances, but Barbara isn't just any camper, she's the daughter of the wealthy family who owns the camp--as well as the opulent nearby estate, and most of the land in sight. And this isn't the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared in this region: Barbara's older brother also went missing 16 years earlier, never to be found. How could this have happened yet again? Out of this gripping beginning, Liz Moore weaves a richly textured drama, both emotionally nuanced and propelled by a double-barreled mystery. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the community working in its shadow, Moore's multi-threaded drama brings readers into the hearts of characters whose lives are forever changed by this eventful summer: Barbara's wounded, grieving mother; the "townie" whose family makes a living off this land; the 13-year-old camper struggling to find her way; and the outsider tasked with seeing the bigger picture, and uncovering the truth."-- Provided by publisher.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

Library Journal Review
Publishers Weekly Review
Summary / Annotation
Fiction Profile
Author Notes

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

My first Liz Moore book, but will not be my last submitted by danibersche on July 18, 2024, 9:13pm Intricately plotted, with so many little threads that somehow get all tied up in the end. The ending is both heartbreaking and hopeful.

A suspenseful thriller submitted by shannon5 on July 23, 2024, 12:42pm I don’t normally read thrillers but I enjoyed this. The reveals felt perfectly timed and made me want to keep reading, even if the prose isn’t the best.

a sprawling family mystery submitted by jlopez2 on July 31, 2024, 4:22pm While I found this book to be less-thriller and more mystery, I really appreciated how slow moving this plot is. We learn so much about each narrator but not enough to be convinced by one theory. I wasn't into it in the first 20%, but I am glad I stuck to it.

Good Characters and Plot submitted by vtabor on October 15, 2024, 4:16pm I found myself thinking about this book and these characters even when I wasn't reading it. It was much more of a mystery than a thriller but I enjoyed it that way! So many different characters and plot threads, that are all tied up at the end.

Too long for a story about missing campers submitted by Kerrie Ferrell on November 2, 2024, 10:25pm If this book had been edited at 300 pages instead of 475 or so, I might have enjoyed it more. But it rambled and meandered on far too long. Editors needed to trim quite a bit. Otherwise, a so-so story.

Another excellent Liz Moore mystery submitted by mecunningham on November 3, 2024, 8:13am The God of the Woods is the third book by Liz Moore that I’ve read, and she’s impressed me with her ability to change location, time period, and narrative style while crafting tight plots and compelling mysteries. In this novel, she sets the disappearances of two children—a brother and sister who never met—at a summer camp and its adjoining estate in the Adirondack Mountains. In sections that move among the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, Moore lays out the secrets of the wealthy Van Laar family and those they’ve ensnared in their web. With an ability for dissecting the dynamics of relationships and setting her stories firmly in time and place, Liz Moore continues to develop her talents while exploring new literary ground.

The perfect mix of mystery and class commentary submitted by xsydmoorex on June 11, 2025, 12:33pm I knew I needed to read this book because of all the hype it was getting, but I didn't expect to love it so much. I am not typically a mystery reader, but found myself really engaged in the mystery. I loved the class commentary, a rich people's summer camp set within a working class community. Really good stuff!

A fantastic book! submitted by carrienemo on June 12, 2025, 12:00pm This book was just as good as the hype, and it was clear after just a few pages in. It is a great mystery, has great characters that are well-developed and believable, and has plenty of threads that keep you guessing. I was also impressed at how every single plot thread was tied up and came together by the end. Very impressive!

Ridiculously overhyped... submitted by cgoforth on June 12, 2025, 9:14pm ...and completely nonsensical. 2/5.

Enthralling submitted by sellis612 on June 13, 2025, 10:56am Really well written and captivating mystery. It wasn't easy for me to figure out the "who done it" until the page before it was revealed. The characters are dynamic and the plot is intriguing. It hops around alot between characters and time, which can be confusing. I suggest a physical copy vs audio to help keep characters straight. Otherwise excellent read.

best book i've read this year submitted by harringtonm on June 16, 2025, 8:58am SO good

Keeps You Reading submitted by egarred on June 19, 2025, 2:44pm I finished this book very quickly because I kept wanting to pick it up and read it! Gets a little slow in some parts, but overall very engaging!

LOVE submitted by samanthaschmitt on June 20, 2025, 5:36pm Such a good, steady burn of a book. Really appreciated the thoughtfulness and development of the plot. Did not even feel like a mystery until halfway through / the end as details emerged, and even then, was so fun to follow and read along. Never saw things coming. Only dislike was there were a lot of characters and perspectives to bounce between and different time periods, but never was overly distracting or non-value add.

***For Kindle readers - chapters are only seen by book section, not actual chapter, which was annoying

Loved it, story pulls you along submitted by alharman1022 on June 26, 2025, 12:59pm Switches a bit between past and present and keeps you guessing

A bit long but reads easily submitted by kiranewman on July 3, 2025, 3:27pm I was worried this would turn into a slasher-esque tale of extreme violence, and it was a relief to read a thriller with some restraint. Common premise (camper goes missing) but written well.

I wish I could read for the first time again submitted by annwilkinson on July 7, 2025, 8:27am This was a perfect book to end a reading slump. Gripping and well written.

absolutely not a thriller submitted by hbcarter on July 9, 2025, 7:51pm I didn't mind this book as a quiet, meandering character study and a look at generational trauma and classism. A bit longer than necessary, but well-written. 3-4 stars.

But billed as a thriller? Incredibly disappointing. There was not a single moment of fearful tension, and barely a feeling of a mystery to solve. The big reveals didn't feel particularly revelatory, both because there were not enough hidden clues for you to say "oh, wow, how did I miss that?" nor enough misdirects for you to have come to the wrong conclusion. Frankly, it felt like any combination of perpetrators were possible 95% of the way through the book. "Okay, I guess that works" is not the feeling you should have at the end of a mystery. And I can't explain this without spoilers, but the final conclusion/title is absolutely not justified by the evidence provided in the book.

Difficult Read submitted by Susan C on July 14, 2025, 7:24am Diffiult to keep the characters apart. I wondered when something was going to happen. I didn't like the story… or the ending. Still, I finished the book.

A Haunting Adirondack Mystery submitted by rohansachar on July 21, 2025, 9:49am Liz Moore masterfully weaves a gripping tale of two disappearances, years apart, from an elite summer camp in the Adirondacks. This novel is a brilliant exploration of class, family secrets, and the enduring pull of the wilderness, keeping you utterly enthralled with its rich atmosphere and compelling characters.

Chilling Secrets, Unforgettable Landscape submitted by arpitashah on July 21, 2025, 9:50am With "The God of the Woods," Liz Moore delivers a taut, atmospheric thriller that dives deep into a wealthy family's dark past and the working-class community caught in its shadow. It's a beautifully written mystery, full of suspense and profound emotional depth, showcasing how old secrets can resurface with devastating consequences.

Engaging mystery submitted by ankilbou on July 28, 2025, 1:32pm I'm not a mystery reader, and I greatly enjoyed this book. The meandering storytelling style worked for me and I enjoyed the history, the misdirection, and the characters. The setting was perfect for the story.

Well written, sometimes confusing submitted by denisekim on August 5, 2025, 10:16pm A mystery that jumps around in time and between many characters which makes it very confusing. In the end it all comes together and reveals a lot about human nature. It’s a lot of work to get to the end

A great read submitted by zdyrkoem on August 9, 2025, 6:56am Engaging, well- written, not predictable, with interesting characters. I was completely wrapped up in this and bummed when it was done. Highly recommended!

A compelling read submitted by ingahuff on December 21, 2025, 6:12pm The length of this initially scared me, but in reality it's not long as it is told from the perspective of the characters in each chapter that has a lot of white space. I read this book quickly and was pleasantly surprised in how it ended. The book takes its time sharing the plot that includes back stories for the characters giving it depth. I found it a fun read that made me ponder how it was developed. Don't be concerned about the length, give it try and then decide whether to finish or not.