When their thirteen-year-old daughter Barbara goes missing at summer camp, all eyes fall on the Van Laar family.
They’re cold, rich people. They own the camp. And it’s happened to them before.
Fourteen years ago their little boy, Bear, vanished without a trace.
Two children lost to the same wilderness.
Is it a tragedy… or a crime?
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AN INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
AN AMAZON BEST BOOK OF 2024
WINNER OF GOODREADS MYSTERY & THRILLER BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024
‘I was totally gripped’ DOUGLAS STUART
‘Immersive and enthralling’ PAULA HAWKINS
‘At first hard to put down. By page 200, impossible’ STEPHEN KING
‘Brilliantly plotted and perfectly paced … I can’t remember the last time I felt so entangled in a novelist’s coils’ Clare Chambers, author of Small Pleasures
‘A beguiling novel with a relentless grip. You won’t be able to put it down’ Claire Fuller, author of Unsettled Ground
‘At once an immersive family saga and utterly propulsive mystery. Beautifully written’ Emilia Hart, author of Weyward
‘A masterful literary thriller’ Lucy Clarke, author of The Hike
‘Riveting from page one to the last breathless word … This book flew by at lightning speed, but will stick with me for a very long time’ Rebecca Makkai, author of I Have Some Questions For You
‘Dickensian in scope … Very entertaining’ Vogue, Best Picks for Summer 2024
The God of the Woods debuted at #3 on the New York Times bestseller list on 21 July 2024.
READERS ARE SAYING…’I simply couldn’t put it down!’
‘An excellent page-turner’
‘I didn’t see the end coming’
‘I strongly urge everyone to read it and experience the magic for themselves’
‘My top read for 2024 so far. Actually, top read full stop’
‘A fascinating story with lots of ups and downs… I did like the conclusion, very clever!!’
‘Loved this book from page one! … A book not to be missed!’
‘I cannot think of when I have read anything so evocative’
‘A riveting read. If you’re looking for intriguing characters, a beautifully crafted, slow and atmospheric mystery that feels incredibly intense, then this is the one for you’
Format: Paperback
Pages: 448
Imprint: Borough Press
Publication date: 28/10/2025
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 thought-provoking resolution, you’ll find it. Great for readers of Bright Young Women or All the Colours of the Dark.
