Preview
  • The God of the Woods

  • A Novel
  • By: Liz Moore
  • Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
  • Length: 14 hrs and 35 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (2,950 ratings)

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The God of the Woods

By: Liz Moore
Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
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Mic Check with Saskia Maarleveld

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Publisher's summary

"Riveting from page one to the last breathless word."—Rebecca Makkai, New York Times bestselling author of I Have Some Questions For You

“Brilliant, riveting .. an epic mystery, a family saga and a survival guide...I loved this book.”—Miranda Cowley Heller, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Paper Palace

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

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 listeners into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances. It is Liz Moore’s most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet.

* This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF that contains a map from the book.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2024 Liz Moore (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"An immersive reading experience that will draw audiences. Its explorations of class, crime, and family dynamics, in addition to Moore’s incredible storytelling, will appeal to readers of Lisa Jewell, Tana French, and Lucy Foley."Library Journal, STARRED review

"Rich in background detail and secondary mysteries. . .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."Kirkus, STARRED review

Gripping and revelatory...The beautiful and dangerous wilderness setting enhances the suspense as the narrative builds to a dramatic final act...This astonishes.”—Publishers Weekly, STARRED review

Editorial Review

“When lost, sit down and yell”
I’ve been a huge fan of Liz Moore since her memorable novel Long Bright River wowed me in 2020. It also kept me up all night, speed-listening until I finished the last chapter. When I heard Moore was releasing a new novel, not only did I know that The God of the Woods would be an auto-download, I was also prepared for another sleepless night. And sleep I did not. This haunting and heartbreaking story centers on a 13-year-old camper who goes missing 14 years after her older brother vanished in the same Adirondack woods. Alternating between present day and flashback, Saskia Maarleveld’s narration is captivating, echoing the story’s eerie atmospheric tension and rich complex characters. Her ability to convey deep emotions and suspense enriches this thrilling journey through one family’s troubled legacy that builds to a dramatic final act. I would gladly forgo another night of sleep to go back and listen to this one from the beginning again. — Margaret H., Audible Editor

What listeners say about The God of the Woods

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

I felt lost, almost couldn’t finish

I’m still unsure what really happened. I started it over 4-5 times. So many eras and people. Hard to follow

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Truly a dynamically captivating mystery novel

Wow I had such a wonderful time reading The God of the Woods. Each character I felt personally drawn to and all the intertwined social dynamics. The book will keep you guessing until the end and it was so well written, unlike other mystery novels. I highly recommend this book.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Recommended if you like mysteries that keep you guessing!

It's not quite what I expected, but found myself very much enjoying the compelling story and it's mysteries!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Compelling Story

I really enjoyed God of the Woods and it kept me guessing. It is a literary suspense novel told from varying perspectives.

If you’ve been a camper to a sleepaway camp, it may resonate even more for you.

I thought the narrator did an excellent job portraying a range of voices and characters from children to elderly.

The storyline moved back-and-forth in time and place. I particularly liked the scenes during camp and those with the investigator Judyta.

Overall a really compelling story with a great narration.



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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Well-written and compelling

A great read for the summer, but goes deeper with some interesting character development and social commentary. Love the summer camp angle and the setting of the woods.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great story, listened in 3 days

This was a great story. Loved the arch and flow. Narration was amazing. A lot of characters and I admit I got lost and had to back track a few times, but that is more due to having distractions from my two children at home during summer break. I highly recommend. Some interesting twists to the plot. Would make a good movie.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Enjoyable

This book was instantly intriguing. I enjoyed the setting of the book and the insights into the social hierarchy among the wealthy. While the families are fictitious I thought the author did an excellent job portraying the cultural expectations as well as the social and political privilege of America’s “elite”.
The story began to ebb three quarters through though and I started to lose interest. The author spent too much time detailing things that were ultimately irrelevant to the plot. There were also an unnecessary amount of characters and the story frequently skipped back and forth between two time periods, further confusing the plot. When I did finally arrive at the climax of the story I wasn’t as engaged in the plot as I was when I started.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

The ending!

I really enjoyed this book. I liked how it was told in multiple POV and the ending was unexpected!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The god of the woods… GD Blues

Was absolutely enjoying the story until the GD blues was thrown in. Not necessary but I stopped mid listen. It is so offensive to me.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Realism

Perfect description of the woods and the journey of taking your life back. Enjoyed the narrator and the writing was excellent.

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