Thank you to Net Galley and Penguin Random House for an early copy of The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

New investigator Judyta is at the center of this multi-layered and expansive crime novel when a second member of the same family disappears without a trace. Judyta will use common sense, intuition and a courageous spirit to solve not one but both crimes.

The story begins at a summer wilderness camp where Barbara Van Laar, a young teenager, has disappeared overnight. This sets in motion a sweeping police presence determined to locate the girl. The chief of police is a personal friend of the family with a clear motivation to find Barbara and return her to the family.

A congruous back story involves Barbara's older brother, Bear, who disappeared in the same area several years previous. Bear's disappearance has unhinged his mother, Alice, who is now under a doctor's care. Bear's body has never been found, but a local man had been named as a strong suspect and died before any charges could be filed.

Author Liz Moore leads readers through the intricate lives of the characters involved in each of the Van Laar disappearances. Readers will also be following Judyta closely as the two investigations begin to come together.

Moore has a real gift for developing characters and situations that readers will remember long after reaching a story's conclusion. The interactions of her characters have truly been strengths in her writing.

Based off the other reviews I've read, I appear to be in the minority here, but I just didn't like it that much. Nearly 500 pages, the slowest of slow burns, and for extremely little payoff. The alternative POVs and timelines was not my jam-- I kept getting Tracy and Louise confused but it ultimately didn't really matter. I don't understand Barbara's motivations and was frustrated by how neatly it wrapped up. Also, because this was bothering me while I was brushing my teeth this morning, why would Barbs show off her woodland skills during the Survival Weekend, or whatever it was called? Surely someone might have put two and two together-- that she could in fact live off the grid and might be doing so? Her faking it and making it seem like she knew nothing about building a fire/skinning squirrels/etc would have been a much better ruse.

I understand what the author was trying to do, but it was a slog and I wouldn't recommend it.

I was so blown away by this one! I read Moore’s previous book, Long Bright River, and really liked it; but I loved this one even more.

Our basic premise is the disappearance of a teenaged girl at a summer camp in the Adirondacks—which eerily echoes the disappearance of her younger brother in the same area several years before. Both are the children of the wealthy owners of the camp. We follow the local detectives as they seek to unravel both cases, as we also get looks into the many threads of drama that have tangled everyone together across the years, from the campers and camp counselors to the owners and their wealthy visitors.

It offers so much that I consider to be my catnip tropes: a summer camp setting, kids going missing, complicated and outright toxic families, class tensions, explorations around gender dynamics—and so much more. The fact that Moore manages to pull all of this off brilliantly, while bouncing between various points in time from the 1950s through the 1970s, without ever losing the reader or dropping a single thread, is incredibly impressive.

I burned through the back half in a single day; it was a true “can’t put it down” read which I’ve been desperately in need of. Definitely add this to your summer TBR. Thanks to @netgalley for the advanced copy.

Really enjoyed this story in part for the 1970's setting. The alternating POV can be a bit much but that may just be me as it seems to be a device that several authors I've read recently have used.

Liz Moore’s suspenseful mystery is a can’t put down ride. The time period of the 1970’s is the perfect place for this complex cast of characters. Girls materially develop their sense of self and purpose into women, as the daughter of a land owner disappears from the summer camp held on their property. Status, stereotypes, and sense of agency are all questioned in the course of the investigation. Fans of Tana French should definitely check out The God of the Woods.

I am so glad I picked up this book. It was beautifully done--well-executed reveals, characters with depth at every turn, lovely prose. It exceeds the standard mystery or crime or detective novel by taking care to depict relationships, complex family dynamics, setting rather than simply accumulating a series of actions. I'll be looking up more of Liz Moore's work, and recommending this to everyone!

It has been a while since I've read a book that was just so brilliantly constructed that it led to an absolutely seamless reading experience. The mystery is riveting and the characters are so compelling I truly felt that I was there. A teen disappears from a summer camp in the 70's and we are treated to a cast of characters that are flawed and complex, in a setting that is cinematic and beautifully depicted.. Dual timelines are handled flawlessly and the plot kept me guessing all the way. I couldn't put it down and look forward to recommending it to my library patrons.

This book hooked me from the beginning. I found the characters compelling and the setting perfect for a mystery. This is the perfect summer time mystery book. When two children from the same family go missing years apart from the same property - what could possibly be going on in the woods surrounding the summer camp and family property. This book jumps back and forth between the disappearances, but it doesn't take you out of the action. I loved this book and will be recommending it all summer.

Summer - 1975. Barbara Van Laar, the daughter of a wealthy family, disappears from her camp cabin in the Adirondack woods. Barbara's family owns the camp, and planned to have a celebration that night, with many prominent business, artists, and guests in attendance. The Van Lear family is no stranger to tragedy - Barbara's older brother, "Bear", also disappeared in the Adirondack Woods near the camp - and his body was never found.
The story is told through the viewpoints of several people - Louise, a camp counselor who hails from a local family. Tracy, Barbara's bunkmate at camp, who is gawky, struggling with her parent's divorce, and longing for a friend, Judy - a female investigative policewoman assigned to the case, and Bear and Barbara's mother - Alice.
The Van Laar family has secrets - and what happened to Bear and Barbara? I could not stop reading! Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced reader copy.

I requested this book knowing NOTHING about it. I absolutely loved Moore's last book, LONG BRIGHT RIVER, so I was excited to read her next novel - and this one did not disappoint. First off, Moore does a stunning job of writing compelling, nuanced female characters who can be both flawed and brilliant. She creates a complex plot within THE GOD OF THE WOODS - but never once did I feel confused or frustrated by the two different timelines. The novel explores addiction, traumatic childhoods, motherhood, class structures, love and betrayal. I love the way Moore pulls the reader in and out of tense plot lines. Right when something big and dramatic is about to happen, she pulls the reader somewhere else in the timeline, creating a compelling suspense that makes you want to read all night. I can't wait till this book is ultimately developed into a limited series (because I'm guessing it will be). I highly recommend this one and can't wait to read Moore's next book. Thank you NetGalley for the early digital copy.

This, to me, was novel perfection: a long, steady climb to a revelation and a secret that has haunted a family for three generations. I absolutely loved this book.

I am generally reading for possible purchases in my high school library. This book was excellent, something that I know many of my avid readers will devour. It was not exactly YA, yet nothing that would prevent a YA reader from enjoying it. I had a hard time putting it down, and spent a lot of time pondering what the outcome would be. Unlike many recent novels, I was not disappointed with the ending and felt the author continued the story all the way until the end.

It’s rare when solid writing and a great, page-turning thriller with believable, well-drawn characters coalesce, but Liz Moore has done it (again) with The God of the Woods. In 1975, Barbara Van Laar disappears from her cabin at camp — a camp owned by her family and just down the road from their estate in the Adirondacks. It’s also the same place her brother disappeared from 14 years earlier. Seamlessly moving between times and characters, Moore follows the later investigation through a young female investigator — the first in the state — while sprinkling information from the 1961 incident. Any reader who enjoys thrillers and family sagas should reach for The God of the Woods as soon as possible — they will not be disappointed.

This whodunnit with many unexpected plot twists, set in an isolated, sylvan forest has a large, varied snd eccentric cast of characters. Not only does it hold the reader's interest, I think a sequel may be in order.

I couldn’t stay interested in this book and didn’t finish it. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read an advance copy. I will still purchase it for our collection.

First things first - wow. I really enjoyed reading this book. Liz Moore did such an excellent job of interweaving the stories of the various characters of Camp Emerson & the Preserve. Without giving too much away, I thought the book was solid from start to finish. Even the "bad" characters had redeemable qualities &, truthfully, Barbara just made this book for me. I loved reading about the relationships between the characters & seeing their character development. Highly, highly recommend reading this book.

I loved Liz Moore's last book, so had high hopes for this one. She did not disappoint. I loved the atmosphere of the camp in the mountains, the wealth, the characters. Will be highly recommending it.

This book was phenomenal. I have not read a book this gripping in a long time. The detective parts were most intriguing to me, but I loved the way the characters were woven together. I’m not sure if I’ve ever read a detective novel I would describe as beautiful. I will admit some parts of this book did drag but the end game was worth the buildup. I can’t say too much without totally spoiling it but normally I don’t love rich people drama. Liz Moore did it without making it seem frivolous or annoying. Almost everyone has a motive in this book. I was guessing until the very end. I will say there did not need to be so many POVs, especially in the beginning. Once that got ironed out and the POVS shrunk they got better and more interesting overall. That is my only critique of this book. If you’re looking for a great summer thriller I have a feeling this is gonna blow up at release. I am so excited for people to read this book.

The God of the Woods is another intricate literary mystery from Liz Moore, perfect for fans of Tana French. Set at a summer camp in the Adirondacks between the 1960s and 70s, this story follows an extensive cast of characters after the disappearance of two children, 13 or so years apart. Because of the many characters and points of view, this is a book that requires your complete attention to keep names and details straight, but it’s worth it. Many of the perspectives followed women exploring their leadership (like camp director TJ and detective inspector Judy) or agency and coming of age (like camper Barbara and counselor Louise). Class and trauma are also deftly explored.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Longtime fans of Moore will recognize a natural evolution from The Unseen World to Long Bright River and now this historical mystery set a storied summer camp in upstate New York. Unfolding in multiple timelines, and exploring the connection between two linked disappearances, decades apart, Moore's latest does not disappoint.