The God of the Woods

About the book

In August 1975, Barbara Van Laar vanishes from her bunk at an Adirondack summer camp. Her disappearance mirrors the unsolved vanishing of her older brother, Bear, fourteen years earlier. The narrative shifts across multiple decades, following the wealthy Van Laar family, their working-class estate staff, and the investigators tasked with finding the girl. As the search intensifies through the dense wilderness, the plot uncovers how the family’s legacy of secrets and the region’s rigid social hierarchies influenced both tragedies. The story focuses on the specific oversight and systemic failures that allowed a predator to remain hidden in plain sight.

This book is for readers of procedural mysteries and historical fiction who value intricate character studies over fast-paced action. It appeals to those interested in how class dynamics and gender roles shape criminal investigations. Readers walk away with a detailed understanding of how inherited trauma affects a community and why institutional loyalty often suppresses the truth. The conclusion provides a logical resolution to the dual timelines, offering a clear picture of the psychological motivations behind long-held family deceptions and the reality of life in isolated mountain towns.

Details

Published

2024

Publisher

Penguin

ISBN

9780593418932

Language

EN