I scooped this up on NetGalley from the description just bc I love summer camp, even though I don't normally love mysteries. It was definitely a page turner for me and I liked the different POVs. For me I sort of......might have preferred a book that just focused on Barbara's disappearance rather than Bear's? Or I don't know, I see how it all comes together, I think I mostly just didn't like the reveal that <spoiler>the real killer was the mentally ill mom??? and/or I suppose her husband and doctor who overmedicated her? :|</spoiler>

But overall I liked the voices here and the depiction of the camp was so realized to me.

The god of the woods. The second child of the camp*s owner family. What terrible secret are they are hiding

Four thumbs up! I don't always enjoy skipping between timelines, but I was along for the ride thanks to the gripping story!

The God of the Woods follows the story of the Van Leer family and those around them from one tragedy to the next. The story jumps between narrators and periods taking us back and forth as we learn more about the Van Leers, their lives, and their property in the Adirdondacks. We learn Barbara Van Leer is going to attend the camp on their property for the first time in the summer of 1975 and that Barbara's brother Bear went missing from the same woods back in 1961. The book starts out laying a solid groundwork for what is to come but once Barabara disappears without a trace from camp, the pace ramps up keeping you turning pages to find out the truth about Barabara and maybe even the truth about Bear. I could not read this book without seeing the obvious parallels of Great Camp Santanoni in Newcomb, NY. It was owned and built by the Pruyn family - prominent Albany bankers. There was also a farm located on the Santanoni Preserve making it self-sufficient (self-reliant?). In 1953, the camp was purchased by the Melvin family. One summer in 1971 the family was going to go on a hike. Douglas Legg, then 8 years old, was not dressed properly for the hike and sent back to the main lodge by his uncle to change. His cousin and brother reported seeing him walking toward the house but he was never seen again. I think knowing about Douglass Legg added a different layer to this story.

I was excited to read a book with a summer camp as a setting. I fell right into this book, but I was really torn away once we started getting into the backstory of the characters and families. It cut the tension immediately and I felt no compulsion to keep reading, unfortunately. I think it's clear the writer is a talented one, but this particular book didn't work for me.

What a mystery/thriller! I could not put this down. A teenager from a wealthy family disappears from a camp in the Adirondacks .
Years before, another child had disappeared from the same area. What connects these two characters? A fascinating read of who done it and who knew what. The character development and description of the area are superbly written. I did not have a clue as to the ending. I plan to go back and read the author's previous books; this one I will strongly recommend.

This book is fantastic. I am very hard on thriller/mystery type books because I had crazy plots and lazy writing/twists. None of that is in The God of Woods, which is everything I love in literary fiction mysteries. (My own personal classification.)

One early morning in August 1975, a camp counselor finds that one of her campers is missing from their cabin. The missing girl, Barbara Van Laar, is the daughter of the Van Laar family who owns the camp sits and live in a mansion up near the camp. Fourteen years ago, Barbara’s younger brother, Bear, went missing in the same woods and was never found. Among the characters we meet are:

Tracy: A shy girl who becomes Barbara’s best friend at camp.
Louise: Barbara’s counselor who comes from a tough family situation and is stuck in a cycle she cannot break out of.
T.J.: The camp director who has a long history with the Van Laar family
Judyta: A young Polish woman who has become a police investigator and is on the case.

Thank you to Riverhead Books and Netgalley for the advanced reader’s copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are honest and my own.

Go in blind. It’s a long book, but it NEVER dragged for me.

Oh, how I wish I could read this book again for the first time! Instead, I’ll be telling every reader I know to pre-order it.

This was my most anticipated book of the summer, and it truly did not disappoint. I always say that while I love all genres, I REALLY love two kinds of books: character studies and thrillers. This was truly a perfect blend of both.

I cared so much about the characters. I loved Tracy and her vulnerabilities; I loved Barbara with her rough edges and kind heart; I loved Hayes’s mentorship; and I especially loved Judy, with her intelligence and caring and integrity.

I could not tear myself away from this book. I had to know what happened, and I truly did not see any of it coming. To immensely enjoy a book all the way through and then be surprised by the ending: what a treat.

In the summer of 1975, Barbara Van Laar, a resident at an Adirondack Camp that her family owns, goes missing. Fourteen years earlier, Bear Van Laar, the bright, charming son of the same owners, disappeared there without a trace. The stunned rural community questions how the only two Van Laar children could vanish in similar ways! Both were trained in woodcraft to keep them safe while exploring the massive property that surrounds the camp.

State troopers are called in, among them Judyta, the only woman on the force. Her ability to look beyond the obvious proves extremely effective, as she interviews, not only the family but the camp staff, as well. The Van Laars remain aloof, limiting their contact with the searchers and the police. Alice Van Laar, trapped in an unhappy marriage, has become an alcoholic, which insulates her reaction to the loss of her children. Lastly, add to this cocktail of mystery and suspense, a murderer has escaped from prison and may be in the area.


This novel, which spans decades and generations, centers around a particular Adirondack Camp, its owners and directors. Both of whom, retain equal but disparate claim, to the unspoiled woodlands. Told from multiple viewpoints and a number of historical perspectives, the story gradually unfolds. Set against the brooding forest of the Adirondacks, this book doesn't let go until the final page!

It's interesting that I have a hard time recalling an author's name but I never forget an author's style. I knew as soon as I started this novel, that I'd read this author before, but couldn't put my finger on the book. Roughly a quarter of the way in, I finally did a "look up" and realized that Liz Moore also wrote "Long Bright River" which I also loved.

With "The God of the Woods," she's got a real and true best seller. There is a solid mystery and the way the storytelling unfolds is simply magical. I was swept in from the first paragraph and help completely captivated until the last page.

This is one of those books that you need to put on your TBR list today. And if it's already on there? Move it to the top and prepare yourself for a fantastic really great experience.

I received this ARC from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion. I feel like I've done that here. When this title hits my library, I'm definitely marking it "Staff Pick."

So enthralling! I was skeptical when I picked up "The God of the Woods" because the premise seemed too similar to a summer-camp-killer style movie, but I was wrong. With lifelike characters and a totally unique plot, Moore avoids stereotypes and keeps the reader wanting more. Despite the large size of this book, it felt like a quick read because I couldn't put it down. This is definitely a book I'd recommend to anyone, not just horror lovers.

She is only thirteen. Barbara is only thirteen when she disappears from the summer camp her parents, the Van Laars, own. Her counselor, Louise, is only twenty-three and struggling to get her little brother out of a fraught living situation with her mostly-absent mother when she wakes to find Barbara's bed empty. The camp leader, T.J. is only trying to care for her ailing father, stuck under the financial control of the Van Laars, when she must notify the family their daughter is gone. Judyta, an officer who arrives to work the disappearance of Barbara, is the only female detective in the nation, determined to prove herself on this big of a case. Alice, Barbara's mother, is already a grieving mother after her young son disappeared in similar circumstances nearly two decades prior. Flickering between the past and the present in lyrical prose, The God of the Woods explores the lives of these women and the men around them, as they orbit the Van Laar family who have enough money to bend morals to their will.

As much of a love letter to the great outdoors, specifically The Adirondacks, as a dual timeline mystery and exploration of two families through time.

Barbara Van Laar vanishes from her bunk one night while attending the camp up the hill from her family's mansion. Further complicating matters is that Barbara is not the first Van Laar child to disappear. Her older brother went missing from the same area nearly 15 years earlier. The investigation into exactly what happened to both of these children will unearth secrets some people would do anything to keep buried.

This book draws you in and wraps around you like a blanket on a chilly night around the campfire. Rich in both atmosphere and characters, God of the Woods is a book you want to take your time with and linger in. Thank you to Netgalley and Riverhead Books for the review copy.

A solid mystery from a great mystery writer. This book has great deep-woods vibes with sufficient twists and turns that kept me guessing. A lot of POV switching, which can make it a little more challenging to fully invest in any particular character, but a satisfying read nonetheless.

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore was absolutely riveting. Moore masterfully weaves multiple timelines, story arcs, and a great many different character points of view into a truly engrossing and satisfying read. Perfect for fans of Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book.

In August 1975, Barbara Van Laar vanishes from her summer camp in the Adirondacks. This was fourteen years after her older brother Bear, had gone missing from the same camp, never to be found again. The premise seems intriguing and I was excited to read this one, but I was bored with it about halfway through. Unfortunately this book didn't work for me.

Opening in the summer of 1975 at a fancy sleep away camp in the Adirondacks, this generation spanning story follows the Van Laar family and those closest to, and hired by, them over the years. When Barbara Van Laar goes missing, it is a haunting echo of her older brother’s unsolved disappearance thirteen years prior. Moore layers perspective and plots one upon the other, but never does the novel feel muddled or unwieldy. In fact, the multiple voices lend depth to the story and create a complete picture of this community and the characters within it.

A fantastic character study and exploration of class and gender roles. Moore deftly blends social and historical commentary into this thriller.

This is definitely the best mystery/thriller I’ve read in a long time! I would give it 10 stars if I could.

When Barbara Van Laar is discovered missing from her summer camp bunk one morning in August 1975, it triggers a panicked, terrified search. Barbara isn’t just any camper; she’s the daughter of the wealthy family that owns the camp. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared in this region: Barbara’s older brother also went missing sixteen years ago, never to be found.

Following the timelines of each disappearance, Moore slowly and skillfully unravels the layers of mystery and secrets that the Van Laar family is hiding and the impact this has had on their family and on the people from the small town that led the hunt for both missing children. We meet a lot of people who are hiding things that they desperately don’t want discovered, but we also meet Judy Luptack, a brand new investigator at a time when there weren’t many female investigators. Judy follows her instincts instead of following orders and you can’t help but like her.

I have already read Long Bright River but now I’m going to read everything she’s written!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

This was interesting! I feel like I should have expected the turns it took, as it turned out to be a mystery much more about trauma and wealth then actual violence. All in all a good story, just dragged a little for me!