‘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
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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:
‘Impressive and immersive’ Literary Review
‘Gripping, intricately plotted’ Mail on Sunday
‘Dickensian in scope […] Very entertaining’ Vogue
‘Transfixing’ Elle
‘A literary thriller that will leave you gasping for air, a haunting and evocative novel that you won’t be able to put down’Glamour
‘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’ Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train
‘I inhaled this … A perfect engrossing holiday read’ Megan Nolan, author of Ordinary Human Failings
‘A beguiling novel with a relentless grip. You won’t be able to put it down’ Claire Fuller, author of Untamed Ground
Format: Paperback
Pages: 448
Imprint: Borough Press
Publication date: 04/07/2024
The God of the Woods
by Liz Moore
Review by Alex A
Atmospheric, engrossing and slow-building, The God of the Woods left me with a similar feeling as a well-told true crime podcast: half the story is in the context.
Set in 1975, the story follows the Van Laars, a wealthy New England family who own a large tract of land in the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York. As a well-respected banking dynasty, they run a summer camp for the children of well-to-do families, often associates through business.
Their 8-year-old son, Bear, goes missing without a trace one summer. A local man is blamed amidst widespread doubt. 13 years later, their daughter Barbara disappears while attending the summer camp on their property. Enter Judy Luptack, a plucky young detective (the first woman to achieve the rank) determined to solve the disappearance. Contrary to her superior’s advice, she listens to the locals, to the workers at the house, and shadowy figures from the past who resurface in the face of the disappearance. Slowly she puts together a picture of what might have happened to these children, and in doing so has to contend with how a family and whole community has been affected by these events.
Good story-telling means we can forgive less-than-tidy conclusions, and this is something I really enjoyed about this book. The suspense is resolved, the mystery unspooled, the “a-ha” moment arrives – minus the tropey show-down or far-fetched plot-twist. This may put some true-crime readers off, but if you’re looking for a clever, thoughtful and though-provoking resolution, you’ll find it. Great for readers of Bright Young Women or All the Colours of the Dark.
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