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I remember driving through the Adirondacks in New York State for hours on back roads years ago, and thinking how easy it would be to get lost in the vast expanse of woods and lakes. So it seemed possible that two children from the wealthy Van Laar banking family could have gone missing in 1961 and 1975.

"Bear" Van Laar disappeared when he was eight years old. While his body was never found, the crime was blamed on someone with flimsy evidence. The Van Laars had a daughter, Barbara, the following year, but the rebellious girl was never treasured like her beloved brother. The Van Laars owned a summer camp on their property, and Barbara's bunk was empty one morning when she was thirteen years old.

Contrasts are shown between the entitled, wealthy Van Laars, and the working class that actually get the work done. There are also characters with mental health and substance abuse problems, notably Barbara's mother who pops pills to forget her problems. One of the main characters is a female crime investigator, one of the first women in law enforcement. Another fascinating character is TJ, a self-reliant camp manager who is happiest when she is working in the woods. The book had a 1960s-1970s vibe to it, especially in the way some men treated the women.

There are two time lines and lots of characters--family members, their rich friends, workers at the summer camp, children at the camp, a notorious serial killer, and investigators. This would be a good book to read when you have a big block of time to make it easier to remember the characters. The ending was totally unexpected, and was a surprising conclusion to a riveting read. This should be an interesting book discussion choice to talk about the dynamics between the characters and the unusual ending.