The God of the Woods

'I was totally gripped by this sharp, layered novel' Douglas Stuart, author of Shuggie Bain

'A brilliant, riveting fox-trap – an epic mystery' Miranda Cowley Heller, author of The Paper Palace

'A rare gem, an immersive and enthralling literary thriller' Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––-

From the author of LONG BRIGHT RIVER, a Barack Obama Pick and a New York Times bestseller, comes a once-in-a-generation story; a novel you'll never forget.

Some said it was tragic, what happened to the Van Laars.

Some said the Van Laars deserved it. That they never even thanked the searchers who stayed out for five nights in the freezing forest trying to help find their missing son.

Some said there was a reason it took the family so long to call for help. That they knew what happened to the boy.

Now, fifteen years later, the daughter the family had in their grief has gone missing in the same wilderness as her brother. Some say the two disappearances aren’t connected.

Some say they are.

Reviews

'I was totally gripped by this sharp, layered novel. A riveting tale of a missing child that widens into a vast, acute portrait of youth, friendship, family secrets, and conflicting social circles … it’s a brilliant trap full of secrets and lies' Douglas Stuart, author of Shuggie Bain

'A brilliant, riveting fox-trap of a novel – an epic mystery, a family saga and a survival guide … I loved this book' Miranda Cowley Heller, author of The Paper Palace

'A wonderful double mystery, brilliantly plotted and perfectly paced … I can't remember the last time I felt so entangled in a novelist's coils… I'll be pressing it into the hands of everyone I know' Clare Chambers, author of Small Pleasures

'A rare gem, an immersive and enthralling literary thriller: a novel about love in the aftermath of tragedy, and about families of the very best – and the worst – kind' Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train

'A beguiling novel with a relentless grip. You won't be able to put it down' Claire Fuller, author of Untamed Ground

'A bit like watching a great TV series … great characters, a great plot, momentum, and that magic that makes it almost impossible to stop reading' Roddy Doyle, author of Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha

'Riveting from page one to the last breathless word' Rebecca Makkai, author of I Have Some Questions For You

‘At once an immersive family saga and utterly propulsive mystery. Beautifully written’ Emilia Hart, author of Weyward

‘A masterful literary thriller … As layer upon layer of mysteries are revealed, this intelligently constructed story draws the reader into a breathtaking denouement’ Lucy Clarke, author of The Hike