The God of the Woods by Liz Moore is a dark slow burn mystery. The story is broken into two mysteries what happened to Bear Van Laar, an 8-year-old child in 1961. And what happened to Barbara Van Laar in 1975? The novel is set in the 1950s to 1975. 1975 acts as the present day of the novel. I found both mysteries compelling. I guessed what happened to both and was wrong in the end. My guess was right sort of but it happened to the opposite kid. I was satisfied with the endings to both mysteries. Liked the ending to Barbara a lot more and found it the perfect way to end her mystery. This book is more than a mystery as it dives deep into heritage, upbringing, class, and well being. This book uncovers all the secrets that the ultra-rich Van Laars are hiding. The mystery bounces around in time. The reader spends most of the time in 1975 when Barbara Van Laar goes missing. But the facts of that case rely on opening the case in 1961 of Barbara’s missing brother Bear Van Laar. The novel is told cleverly through only 6 perspectives, but it feels like so much more. The God of the Woods is filled with characters that could all be suspects and some for both mysteries. This is the second novel I’ve read from Liz Moore. I liked Long Bright River but my biggest complaint was that it wrapped up everything too well and convenient. The God of the Woods wraps everything up. Nevertheless, it is still messy. Some characters still have a rough road ahead. So I liked The God of the Woods more. My biggest complaint for The God of the Woods is the first half is very slow. The God of The Woods won Best Mystery/Thriller of 2025 in the Goodreads Choice Awards. The God of the Woods was published on July 2, 2024.

Plot Summary: Barbara Van Laar, 13, was not in her bunk at summer camp. Louise who is in charge of the bunk was out late last night and left Annabel in charge. Annabel is hung over from a late night out as well. Louise knows this is going to be huge as 14 years ago Barbara’s brother Bear went missing. Barbara’s family owns the campground and the land around it. They are also one of the richest families in the state of New York. Louise and Annabel come up with a cover story as she tells TJ the head of the camp. TJ, a friend of Bear growing up when her Dad was head of the camp, calls the authorities. Alice, Barbara’s mother, has been doped up ever since Bear disappears. She feels bad since it was her idea to join the camp. Jacob Slutier, a serial killer nicknamed Slitter, has escaped prison. He has been spotted close to the area of the camp. This is also the area where he was arrested at the time of Bear Van Laar’s disappearance. Judy fairly new investigator at 26 is the only person looking at the case with fresh eyes. She’s the only member of the investigating team that wasn’t involved with Bear’s disappearance. Tracy, Barbara’s shy bunkmate and best friend this summer, has some clues. She sets off to find Barbara herself. Tracy then gets lost in the woods. These people hold the key to solving the mystery of the missing Van Laar children.

What I Liked: The two mysteries were very smart and I love how they are tied together. I liked that we got two really strong women characters in TJ and Judy. I do like that almost every other woman in the story seems weak or hides behind their man. They each have a breakout moment where they defy their partner. Sometimes the moments are very subtle but they contribute to Judy solving the mysteries. The ending of the book was great. I was very satisfied with the ending of this book. The God of the Woods is all about characters and I loved almost everyone. The characters were very well written and all had a unique voice that added to the story. I like the way the story was told. The story bounced around in time. However, I was never lost on whose perspective I was seeing things from. I always knew what year in the story it is. I liked the opening and hooked fast to the mystery of Barbara missing. I loved what happened with the Scary Mary legend and how it fits into the story.

What I Disliked: I liked every character except for Alice, who was Barbara’s and Bear’s mother. The character just outstays their welcome. I feel like a couple of Alice’s chapters could have been dropped. The pace of this novel would have been so much better. I also think it was a mistake to not give TJ a perspective. She was the most interesting character. Her insight was needed to better understand Bear and Barbara. The pace put the “slow” in a slow burn. At the end of this novel, I was satisfied. Still, the story drags when the mystery of Bear is introduced. It also drags when we go into the past. I felt we were in the past with Alice for too long. I would have cut out all the sister drama between Alice and her sister.

Recommendation: The God of the Woods is a very good mystery with a satisfying ending. If the pace was better I could see this being one of my top books of the year. I recommend my followers read The God of the Woods. I think this book is worth the struggle and the slog of pacing.

Rating: The God of the Woods by Liz Moore 4.3 out of 5.