The God of the Woods

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

'Impressive and immersive' Literary Review

'Gripping, intricately plotted' Mail on Sunday

‘An intricate and emotionally engaging exploration of class and family dynamics, and a top-notch literary thriller’ Guardian

‘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… I was totally gripped' 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' Clare Chambers, author of Small Pleasures

'At first hard to put down. By page 200, impossible' Stephen King

'A rare gem, an immersive and enthralling literary thriller' 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

'Like watching a great TV series … great characters, a great plot, momentum, and that magic that makes it almost impossible to stop reading' Roddy Doyle, author of Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha

‘A masterful literary thriller … As layer upon layer of mysteries are revealed, this intelligently constructed story draws the reader into a breathtaking denouement’ Lucy Clarke, author of The Hike

‘At once an immersive family saga and utterly propulsive mystery. Beautifully written’ Emilia Hart, author of Weyward and The Sirens

'With every book, Moore does something different […] this new novel is an atmospheric thriller about a girl from a wealthy family who goes missing 16 years after her brother disappeared' Good Housekeeping