Intricately woven and impressively engaging, The God of the Woods reminds me how it feels to be immersed in a well-crafted story, even when specific elements within might not be particular to my taste. I was initially a little hesitant in picking this up, first by its length (do I have the patience for it?), then by the story's emphasis on generational family drama (not really a subject that perks my interest). But Liz Moore paced the story beats so elegantly, interjecting doses of mysteries among the character building moments, and managing to spotlight each character in this large ensemble cast (I was able to keep track without too much effort). The subtle commentary regarding women's societal position during the time period is welcomed and never overbearing.

If one were to pick up 1 novel to read a year, The God of the Woods will cover a lot of grounds: a layered mystery, police procedural, multi-family drama, and relevant historical context. As primarily a mystery/thriller reader myself, this is definitely paced more leisurely, and the reveals are good, but nothing groundbreaking; still, I can appreciate an excellent storyteller when I encounter one!