The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

 Finally we are out of the freeze here is Central Texas! I know there are many that have much worse weather but we sure is hard to take here. Disclaimer - I grew up in the Midwest.

My most recent "listen" was The God of the Woods by Liz Moore. It was Goodreads Readers' Favorite Mystery and Thriller for 2024.

About: "Early 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."

The story alternates between two timelines: the early 1960s, when Barbara Van Laar's brother disappeared, and 1975, when Barbara herself goes missing. The Van Laar family owns a large property in the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York, which includes Camp Emerson. Every summer, wealthy parents send their children, aged 9 to 14, to this camp. The camp counselors, aged 18 to 19, are only slightly older than the oldest campers and are overseen by T.J. Hewitt, the daughter of the groundskeeper, Vic Hewitt.

Barbara is a troubled 13-year-old girl, and her parents are equally troubled adults, all products of dysfunctional families. When Barbara disappears, just as her brother did, the entire community is shocked that such a tragedy could strike the same family twice.

Judyta “Judy” Luptack, a young State Trooper, is brought in to assist with the search. At a time when women are not commonly seen in such roles, Judy faces significant challenges and preconceptions as she takes on more responsibility in the investigation.

The story is multi-layered and complex, filled with family and community secrets. Initially, it may seem like a typical tale of a missing child and ensuing chaos, but the outcomes are unexpected and surprising.

An interesting note: "The God of the Woods" is based on a real serial killer and the author's own experiences with summer camps. Robert Garrow, a serial killer who murdered four people in the Adirondacks in 1973, inspired the fictional character Jacob Sluiter, also known as "Slitter." The author, Moore, drew on her own experiences at Adirondack summer camps and wrote the novel while staying in a cabin in the Adirondacks. Moore also has family history in the area, as her mother grew up there, and she spent time there as a child.

I recommend this book. Be be prepared for lots of holds on this one, if you are trying to check it out from your local library. :)