The god of the Woods

"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

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.