Set against the picturesque backdrop of the Adirondack Mountains, Liz Moore’s The God of the Woods is a brilliantly crafted historical fiction/thriller packed with family secrets, campfire lore, and gripping mystery. Perfect for fans of camp-themed thrillers, this nearly 500-page novel intertwines generations of cover-ups within one wealthy family’s legacy.

The Van Laar family has lived on this land for generations, running a prestigious summer camp on their sprawling property. Fourteen years ago, their 8-year-old son Bear vanished without a trace, and his disappearance has since become part of the campfire myths the kids whisper about – alongside the ghostly “Scary Mary” and a long-gone serial killer who once stalked these woods.

This summer, Barbara Van Laar, the family’s rebellious 13-year-old daughter (born after Bear’s disappearance and forever living in his shadow), decides to attend camp for the first time. When Barbara mysteriously vanishes from her cabin overnight, long-buried secrets start to rise to the surface. Where did Barbara go? What really happened to Bear?

With shifting points of view spread from the 1950s-1970s, this book is not a linear journey, and it keeps your focus between chapters that unravel multiple mysteries within the main story itself. What happened to both of the Van Laar children? Was the man convicted of kidnapping Bear really the right guy? He’s dead now, so who could’ve taken Barbara? Who is Barbara’s mysterious older boyfriend and how much “older” is he? There’s also cases of camp counselors framing each other, and the serial killer who lurked in the woods a long time ago has escaped from prison. But wait, there’s more! This is all just scraping the surface, as I don’t want to give too much away. This is a really mind-boggling, fun read!

Honors given to this book include the 2024 Lolly award, which is the “Book of the Year” for the Book of the Month club. I got a copy of their special Lolly award edition, and it’s absolutely stunning with its bright pink sprayed-edges. I can totally see how this book won this well-deserved honor, because it’s a mystery thriller with something for everyone. 

Summer is just around the corner (it’s May now, so I can say that, it’s not just wishful thinking anymore!) and this would be a perfect book to read on a vacation, long enough to last you however long you need it to and intriguing enough to keep on you at all times while you’re reading it. 
This is easily one of my favorite books I’ve reviewed so far, and if you’re debating grabbing a copy of it, just do it! You will not regret it, this is such a great read and I promise you you’ll love this one!