 | |
| Author | Liz Moore |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Riverhead Books |
Publication date | 2 July 2024 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Pages | 496 |
| ISBN | 9780593915370 |
The God of the Woods is a novel by Liz Moore published in 2024. [1]
| | |
| Author | Liz Moore |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Riverhead Books |
Publication date | 2 July 2024 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Pages | 496 |
| ISBN | 9780593915370 |
The God of the Woods is a novel by Liz Moore published in 2024. [1]
In a remote part of the Adirondack Mountains, the wealthy Van Laar family gains control of an extensive parcel of forested land. The Van Laars use their influence to put in place strict rules forbidding development, with the exception of a palatial vacation home for the family and a summer camp for children.
When a paper mill is closed down, the local job market collapses. People in a nearby town have few choices beyond working for the rich family, creating tension between the classes.
A child disappears from the property, but nobody is arrested and charged for the disappearance. Years later, another child disappears. State police launch an investigation. Aided by the efforts of an inexperienced female investigator, long-standing secrets are revealed.
The book sold well, appearing on the New York Times' bestseller list for 38 weeks as of April 2025. [2]
The New York Times named it one of the best crime novels of the year. [3] The Times' book review described it as "more than just a mystery about children lost in the woods. It concerns the relationships between parents and children and haves and have-nots." The reviewer described the depiction of a character's anguish over the loss of a child as "acutely, painfully real." [4]
The California Review of Books opined that "It’s no surprise that Liz Moore’s The God of the Woods is a bestseller in the thriller and suspense and — not as obvious to me — literary fiction categories. Thousands of readers are eagerly turning its pages. I was among them, anxious to learn what is going to happen next. The inventiveness of the multiple stories and the effective structuring of past and present explain the novel’s sales success and appeal to readers." [5]
The New Yorker called it an "expertly paced thriller" that "plays dexterously with the tension between the wealthy and the working class they employ." [6]
The Washington Post characterized it as "Intricate ... Transports readers so deeply into its richly peopled, ominous world that, for hours, everything else falls away ... Chillingly astute about the invisible boundaries demarcating social class." [7]
Kirkus Reviews commented: "As rich in background detail and secondary mysteries as it is, this ever-expansive, intricate, emotionally engaging novel never seems overplotted. Every piece falls skillfully into place and every character, major and minor, leaves an imprint." [8]
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