The God of the Woods

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

ONE OF NPR’ S “ BOOKS WE LOVE” 2024

ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE’ S “ 100 MUST-READ BOOKS OF 2024”

"A long novel that at first is hard to put down. By page 200, impossible." — Stephen King

“ 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.