Damn this book is good. It had popped up into my feed as a recommendation, and after reading the blurb I was in. I’m not going to say much storywise beyond the blurb because it’s wonderful to see how the narrative plays out. I am going to say, I loved the way Moore crafted her story and brought her characters to life.

Barbara Van Laar has gone missing from a summer camp. And she is not the first Van Laar child to disappear. Her brother Bear, vanished some thirteen years earlier.

Set in 1975, several people are drawn into the mystery of Barbara’s disappearance, one of the camp counselors, Louise who has secrets of her own, Judyta, a strong female investigator, Alice, Bear and Barbara’s mother, Tracey, Barbara’s best friend at camp.

The story moves back and forth in time, exploring both Bear’s and Barbara’s disappearances. The investigations, the accused, hints at the truth, and the reveals as things become unearthed.

I was absolutely wrapped up in the narrative. Moore doles out her tale, making it a fascinating read as the investigation into the missing children continue, and blame and suspicion moves around members of the camp, as well as the Van Laar family and those who work for them.

There’s a commentary on justice here, for those who can afford, as well as strong characters wanting lives of their own in a society that seems to be keeping from them.

The story takes its time, and I loved curling up inside this narrative and spending time with the characters. And as the truths begin to out, it changes and shapes not only the narrative, but the characters living through it.

Moore fills out the characters, and their lives, not just focusing on the mysteries, but on the day to day existence of the characters which, in turn influences how they see the cases.

I was absolutely swept up in this book, and read the second half in one sitting. I couldn’t step away from it. It’s beautifully written and is thrilling, poignant, and as it concludes, hopeful in its own way.

This is a book that I cannot recommend enough, it’s a wonderfully engaging read, filled with real characters with real problems and the need to find one’s place in the world. This is a novel well worth your time, and was a joy to spend time with. Absolutely loved this one.

I do believe I will be hunting down more novels by Liz Moore in short order.