ABOUT THE BOOK
ISBN – 9780593719701
Format – Hardcover
YEAR PUBLISHED – 2024
PAGE COUNT – 476
DATES READ – May 31, 2025 – June 7, 2025 (8 days)
STAR RATING – ⭐️⭐️⭐️
SPICE METER: 🌶️ 0 of 5
CONTENT WARNINGS – Child death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Adult & minor relationships, Blood, Drug use
GET YOUR COPY – Barnes and Noble, Powell’s, Bookshop, WorldCat
INITIAL THOUGHTS
I picked this up for a book club, drawn in by the buzz and the promise of a richly layered summer mystery. I haven’t been to camp myself, so the nostalgia factor didn’t land. The story started off confusing, with so many perspectives and timeline jumps, but as it unfolded, I started to see it like a real detective might, fragmented, complex, and nonlinear. Still, I trudged through most of it, and despite the heavy buildup, the payoff left me underwhelmed.
WHAT IT IS ABOUT
In August 1975, Barbara Van Laar goes missing from Camp Emerson, a summer camp nestled in the Adirondacks and owned by her wealthy family. Her disappearance mirrors the unsolved vanishing of her older brother Bear 14 years earlier. As New York State Criminal Bureau Investigator Judyta Luptack works to unravel the mystery, secrets from decades past surface. Secrets linking family betrayal, systemic manipulation, class tensions, and a small town forced into silence.
MY REVIEW
Writing Style
Liz Moore’s prose is lyrical and observant, but this novel could have used a tighter editorial hand. With over a dozen major characters and a non-linear timeline, I often found myself flipping back to keep track. While the chapter headers include dates to help orient the reader, a family tree or cast list at the beginning would’ve been a game-changer. For me, the book didn’t become gripping until page 418, and despite that late momentum, the ending felt abrupt and emotionally flat.
Themes & Messages
- Power and Legacy: The Van Laars’ grip on Camp Emerson and the dying town of Shattuck highlights the exploitative dynamic between the rich and working class.
- Cycles of Abuse: From Alice’s drug-induced fog to the manipulation and emotional violence inflicted by Peter Van Laar II, abuse runs through every generation.
- Truth and Cover-ups: This is a story about what people are willing to bury,literally and figuratively, to maintain appearances. It interrogates justice, loyalty, and silence.
- Female Resilience: Through Judyta, Maryanne, T.J., and even Louise, we see women navigating trauma, betrayal, and societal constraint to reclaim autonomy, though some arcs are stronger than others.
Characters
The novel spans generations and features a sprawling cast. Here are just a few of the key players:
- Barbara Van Laar, the rebellious daughter of emotionally distant, status-obsessed parents. Her survival hinges on the love and guidance of camp director T.J. Hewitt, who helps her disappear and live off-grid until she turns 18.
- T.J. Hewitt, daughter of Victor Hewitt and co-founder of Camp Emerson, is a compassionate, competent outdoorswoman who becomes a surrogate mother figure to Barbara.
- Victor Hewitt, once close to Peter Van Laar I, is later manipulated by Peter Van Laar II into complicity in a deadly cover-up.
- Alice Van Laar, Barbara’s mother, is a tragic figure: emotionally abused, drugged into compliance after her son Bear’s death, and never allowed to grieve properly.
- Judyta Luptack, the first female investigator in her unit, becomes the story’s moral compass and the only character who seems to pursue justice with integrity.
- Jacob Sluiter, a serial killer with a backstory that feels like a red herring until he ultimately leads Judyta to Bear’s buried body.
- Maryanne Stoddard, known to campers as “Scary Mary,” becomes an unlikely hero in clearing her late husband’s name and helping exonerate Louise.
There are many more, such as John Paul McLellan Jr. (Barbara’s adult lover and Louise’s abuser), Annabel (his fiancée), Dr. Lewis (who drugs Alice), and more. While richly detailed, the sheer number of characters meant that many storylines felt underdeveloped or rushed.
Vibes, Settings, and Tropes
The setting is immersive, with vivid descriptions of Camp Emerson and the surrounding woods. But rather than feeling atmospheric, the book sometimes gets bogged down in unnecessary details, especially when it comes to subplots that don’t advance the main mystery.
- 1970s Adirondack wilderness
- Rich people behaving badly
- Summer camp with secrets
- Town vs. estate tensions
- Gothic-leaning family drama
- Institutional silencing of women
- Queer-coded, closeted heroine
- Hidden graves, old cabins, foggy lakes
- Long-simmering revenge and revelation
Favorite Quotes
“Bear, tense, looked back and forth between his grandfather and his mother. Alice loved this about him: loved the care with which he handled others. The concern he had for their well-being. He thought frequently of how to make people happier; he picked her flowers from the garden. Drew love notes in school.” – Alice Van Laar, page 376
“Then he asks Hayes to give a summary of Jacob Sluiter’s story. ‘Shouldn’t Investigator Luptack do that?’ says Hayes. ‘Being that she’s the one who he told?’ LaRochelle frowns. ‘Whatever,’ he says. ‘Somebody. Go.’ Reluctantly, Judy turns and trades places with Captain LaRochelle, walking to the front of the room while he walks to the back.” – Investigator Hayes, Captain LaRochelle, and Investigator Judy Luptack, page 418
“If Barbara Van Laar has chosen to hide in the woods, of her own volition-if she is safe, and protected, and fed, and self-reliant-who is Judy to drag her back into the world she abandoned?” – Judyta Luptack, page 468
What Worked For Me
- Judyta Luptack was a standout character. As the first woman in her role, she brought grit, determination, and emotional weight to the investigation. I wanted more of her.
- The camp setting was immersive and atmospheric. I could feel the isolation of the woods and the creeping tension, even when the plot wasn’t moving.
- The relationship between T.J. Hewitt and Barbara was tender and compelling. T.J.’s choice to help Barbara escape felt like the heart of the story, even if it was buried under so much else.
- The intergenerational backstory was fascinating, especially the original sale of the land, the rise of Camp Emerson, and the power shift between the Van Laars and Hewitts. I just wish it had been more tightly structured.
- When the mystery finally clicked into place, I appreciated how the pieces were layered over time. It made sense in retrospect, even if it was a slog getting there.
What Didn’t Work For Me
- Too many characters with similar voices made it hard to stay grounded.
- The main mystery fizzled after 400+ pages of buildup. Once we knew where Barbara was and how Bear died, the emotional payoff was minimal.
- The family drama felt melodramatic rather than moving, especially the overwrought Van Laar dysfunction.
- No camp nostalgia for me, so I lacked the emotional lens many readers may have brought to this.
- Confusing structure early on. Even with dates at the chapter heads, it was hard to feel anchored.
- It dragged. I almost DNF’ed but pushed through out of principle. My reward? A climax that felt more like a whimper.
Final Thoughts
If you love long, intricately plotted literary mysteries and don’t mind piecing together a sprawling, decades-spanning puzzle, this could work for you. There are thoughtful moments, especially with characters like Judyta and T.J., and the camp setting offers a unique backdrop. But for me, the excessive buildup, flat resolution, and overstuffed cast made it a frustrating read.
I wanted catharsis; I got exhaustion.
Let’s Talk
Did you think Barbara’s escape was brave or selfish? Would a family tree or cast list have changed your reading experience?
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