The God of the Woods

Bookseller recommendation

“This one is hard to stop listening to. I’m not done yet and I don’t want it to end. ”

— Faith • Lake Country Booksellers

Bookseller recommendation

“It’s time to lose yourself in the Feel Bad Hit of the Summer! But first: have you ever been a camp counselor? You're barely an adult yourself, your second-in-command is a teenager, and you are responsible for the well-being of at least a dozen kids who could be your little siblings. It's an adventurous time- you're free in the woods, maybe you're sneaking off at night with other counselors. Everything is on the edge of a thrill- until- you are short a camper at your next head-count. I've been on the search for a missing camper; the alarm bell rings and you take off for stations. Maybe you're running trails, maybe you are lining up with a dive team to comb the lake. Maybe you are combing through the buildings. You hope the search is called off, the kid is found, everyone is spooked but okay. You hope. For Liz Moore's camp full of characters, hope is not enough. It's 1975 and a camper is missing. It's been just over a decade since another child went missing on the nature preserve; a child that was never found. A child with ties to both the disgustingly wealthy family that owns the land and the rugged locals who maintain the camp. Tension between the Haves and Have Nots is at an all-time high. And you, lucky reader? You’re plowing headfirst into the woods right along with the rest of town. The one thing I can guarantee you’ll find out there is a whip-smart thriller and a coming-of-age nightmare.”

— Cait • Gibson's Bookstore

Bookseller recommendation

“Liz Moore deftly weaves multiple viewpoints and timeframes into a taut literary thriller. A great summer read after your kids are safely home from sleep away camp! ”

— Thiloma • Four Points Books

Bookseller recommendation

“With the intrigue of a deep woods 'whodunnit?' and character drama that evokes Kiley Reid or Rebecca Makkai novels, The God of the Woods had me stunned by its brilliant characterization and jaw dropping twists. Spanning decades and following a host of characters and their backstories, this book begins with the disappearance of a teen from an Adirondack summer camp in 1975, and shifts to her brother’s disappearance and the investigation that took place 14 years earlier.”

— Olivia • Author's Note

Bookseller recommendation

“The God of the Woods is a beautifully narrated story full of summer camp nostalgia, family secrets, and sharp social commentary. I would recommend this for anyone who loves an atmospheric mystery told from multiple perspectives. Easily one of my favorite audiobooks of the year! ”

— Kate • Cream & Amber

Bookseller recommendation

“This slow burn family suspense was a worthwhile listen. It will draw you into the disappearance of not one but two children from the same family, a wealthy one in the Adirondacks, who also house a summer camp on their property. It will take you back to another time, the 1960s and 70s, and the feel of an old school family dynasty that will go to any length to protect its reputation. This book will surprise you at who is allied and what is really going on. I recommend this on audio!”

— Lisa • The Bookshelf on Church

Bookseller recommendation

“The God of the Woods has easily become one of my favorite reads this year, a thrilling camp drama set in the Adirondack’s in the ‘70s takes us on a twisting, face-paced, and addictive journey through a summer camp in which Barbara goes missing fourteen years after her brother at the same camp their family owns. I had so many theories and in some minor instances I was somewhat correct, but did not expect the blow I would take when all is revealed. This novel was so easy to follow despite the different points of view and timeline shifts. It was so beautifully written, I felt almost as if I were right there at camp with them trying to help unravel the mystery that is not only the disappearance of both children, but the mystery that is the land, camp, and family. Brava, Liz Moore!”

— Keeley • Ink Drinkers Anonymous

Bookseller recommendation

“Great story! Fantastic characters and a completely believeable, yet surprising twist about who did it!”

— Darci • Prologue. Books & Wine

Bookseller recommendation

“Selected as the number one pick from indie booksellers from across the country in July, Liz Moore's novel lives up to the hype. Set in a summer camp in the Adirondacks where a girl goes missing a decade after her brother faces the same fate, Moore deftly peels back the layers of all the people connected to the camp through taut, absorbing, and atmospheric storytelling. Are you looking for a riveting escape this summer? If so, this is it.”

— Casey • Bookshop Santa Cruz

Bookseller recommendation

“This big, huge, thick chonker is packed with 70s vibes, humid summer camp air, criminal intrigue, and terrifying family secrets. The perfect mystery to escape this summer heat - just try not to stray too far from the path. You never know who's lurking in the woods.”

— Lambie • Underground Books

Bookseller recommendation

“Moore’s writing is vivid and deliberate. I love how characters echo each other, the foreshadowing, and the narrators who might be peripheral characters in a traditional police procedural.”

— Whitney • Bookworm of Edwards

Bookseller recommendation

“I love a psychological thriller, and this one has all that entails, plus murder and missing kids. The shocking discovery of a teen's disappearance from a 1975 Adirondack summer camp in much the same way her brother disappeared 14 years earlier drives us to explore how these events precipitate the madness of their mother and those surrounding them. Wealth meets poverty, beauty fights intelligence, men shape women, and truth claws at fiction. Gripping, chilling... all the things. I loved every minute of this one. ”

— Yvonne • Author's Note