One of the buzziest books climbing Amazon’s Top 100 right now is The God of the Woods — a slow-burn literary mystery by Liz Moore that’s racking up both five-star reviews and year-end list clout. It just snagged Best Mystery & Thriller at the 2024 Goodreads Choice Awards, and it’s already sitting pretty on Amazon’s and TIME’s “Best of the Year” roundups.
Quick Stats:
Genre: Mystery / Literary Fiction
Rating: 4.4 stars from 66,000+ readers (aka a lot of people who never finish books leaving glowing reviews)
Formats: Hardcover, Kindle, Audiobook
The Premise (No Spoilers, Promise):
Set in the misty, moneyed wilderness of the 1970s Adirondacks, the story kicks off with the disappearance of a teenage girl from an elite summer camp. But this isn’t just a missing person’s case — it dredges up an eerily similar tragedy from her family’s past. Think: generational secrets, privilege on full display, and enough eerie camp vibes to make you side-eye any future lakehouse invitations.
Why It’s Getting So Much Hype:
Moore’s writing is what happens when a literary novelist decides to go full crime-thriller — layered characters, razor-sharp social commentary, and atmosphere for days. Readers love it for the twisty plot, sure, but also for how it lingers in that messy space between family loyalty and generational damage.
Basically: If you want a mystery that’s more brains than body count, this one earns its place on the nightstand and the group chat.
