The God of the Woods: Liz Moore

ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES’S NOTABLE BOOKS OF 2024


A NEW YORK TIMES BEST THRILLER OF 2024


A NEW YORK TIMES BEST CRIME NOVEL OF 2024


PEOPLE MAGAZINE'S #1 BOOK OF THE YEAR


A NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY TOP 10 PICK OF 2024


ONE OF NPR’S “BOOKS WE LOVE” 2024


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NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY:

REAL SIMPLE ● OPRAH DAILY ● NEWSWEEK ● VULTURE


“Extraordinary . . . Reminds me of Donna Tartt’s 1992 debut, The Secret History . . . I was so thoroughly submerged in a rich fictional world, that for hours I barely came up for air.” —Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air, NPR


“This expertly paced thriller ...has the kineticism of a well-crafted miniseries.”

—The New Yorker


When a teenager vanishes from her Adirondack summer camp, two worlds collide


Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found.


As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore’s multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances. It is Liz Moore’s most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet.