This was a TRIP! The prose painted one of the most atmospheric claustrophobia I could have ever dreamed. The characters are beautifully flawed, the story is believable.
The conclusion rocked me. It was going to be a lower rating until the very end. I couldn't go down any longer. Five start the whole way.

In These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant, the less known about the novel, the better. Allowing the story’s plots and characters to unfold and bloom on their own only enhances the overall content within the novel.

These Silent Woods opens with a father named Cooper and Finch, his eight-year-old daughter, living in a cabin deep in the Appalachian woods for going on eight years. The cabin is without running water, electricity or of the modern amenities most find in modern-day America. Cooper and Finch exist mostly by their own hand but do have contact with the outside world through Jake. Jake and Cooper served together in the military and once a year Jake travels to the cabin to resupply Cooper and Finch with items unable to be cultivated from the land and natural world.

Cooper and Finch are also visited by Scotland, an older, mysterious nearby neighbor. Cooper, troubled by Scotland’s unannounced and often unwelcome visits, is unsure if Scotland is a friend or foe, while Finch is uncommonly friendly to the strange man, who when he arrives is often armed with a rifle and pet crow perched upon his shoulder.

Scotland frequently provides Cooper advice which is oftentimes both unsolicited and at times seems to be menacingly ambiguous in its meaning, which further adds to Cooper’s strained feelings toward the man that seems to know too much about him and Finch.

Kimi Cunningham Grant then allows the story to evolve with morsels from the past intertwined with the present to reveal how a father and daughter have come to find themselves hidden in the woods and why Cooper will go to drastic measures to keep his daughter safe and away from the outside world for as long as he can.

To reveal more would entail revealing spoilers of the novel.

When reading this novel, the creation of the two main characters, Finch and Cooper, made me think of Atticus and Scout from the novel To Kill A Mocking Bird by Harper Lee and I would not be surprised to find this novel is somewhat of a homage to Harper Lee’s classic novel.

Finch, similar to Scout, is a wise beyond her age, precocious, and a wildly curious girl with plenty of tough questions and a never-ending desire to discover what exists in the world, while Cooper is a haunted man inflicted with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome and a troubled past kept hidden.

These Silent Woods is Grant’s second novel and a wonderful book with lush descriptions, interesting plot lines, and excellent character development. Readers are strongly encouraged to also read her previous novel, Fallen Mountains.

These Silent Woods is set for publication on October 26, 2021. Netgalley provided an ARC for the promise of a fair review.

This review was originally published at MysteryandSuspence.com.

Cooper and Finch are a father and daughter living off the grid in the wilderness, hiding from something that is not immediately apparent. The life Cooper has built for himself and his precocious 8 year old daughter is loving, simple and peaceful, but inevitably, events from Cooper's past and the outside world creep in. This novel is well-crafted and suspenseful - I loved it. It's a soulful portrayal of how much the past shapes us and how unpredictably people can surprise us.

I came to love and root for Cooper and Finch, even as Cooper's past actions were revealed. Cooper is a devoted father and a survivor, with a sense of right and wrong that he wants to impart to his daughter. He is also realistic and regretful about his past mistakes and trauma. The themes of this novel - solitude, forgiveness, grace, redemption, selflessness - are woven into Cooper and Finch's lives through Cooper's parenting, his own choices, their few friends, and their reactions to the outside world.

Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press / Minotaur Books for providing me with an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

These Silent Woods is the story of a father and his eight-year-old daughter, who, due to the consequences of Cooper's past decisions, live in near-isolation in the remote Appalachian mountains. Cooper and Finch live so far off the grid that they see only two other people, EVER. One is a somewhat creepy neighbor who silently appears from time to time, and the other is a friend of Cooper's, who brings supplies once a year.

The sense of place was totally believable, and I very much liked Cooper and Finch - especially Finch! What a charming and precocious child she is. Her dad seems to have never caught a break in his life, but he'll do whatever he needs to in order to keep the two of them safe. Before long, I reached the point where I found myself completely sucked into the story and didn't want to put the book down. I truly cared about Cooper and Finch!

Some reviewers have called this book a fast-paced thriller but I beg to differ. I found it to be rather slow-moving, especially at the beginning. And, although it was suspenseful in places, I don't consider it to be a thriller. In my opinion, it was more of a heartfelt, atmospheric story, where bits of Cooper's background are intertwined with the present.

The ending was interesting. Definitely not what I expected, and a bit unbelievable.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC!!

This was a quick but intense read, I actually couldn't put it down until it was finished! A story about a father who is so afraid of losing his beloved daughter he hides them both away in the wilderness for nearly her entire life. I loved the way this story was written, the slow development of all the characters was done beautifully. Part of me wished we could have heard some of the story from his daughter, Finch, but I still really enjoyed it despite that.
Definitely recommend, I feel like it touches a few different genres, mystery, slight thriller, family, and a touch of romance. Will suggest to my friends! Thanks Netgalley and the publisher!

A captivating tale of survival. A glimpse into the life of a new father who’s just lost his fiancée and the steps he takes to keep his daughter close. Loved the details of the cabin in the woods. The winters long and the simple beauty of living off the grid and the love of family. Sometimes you need to look deeper than the superficial to get to the heart of a character.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc

It’s just Cooper and Finch, and the surrounding woods. Living off the land and living off the grid. Though, not by choice. After one mistake after another, Cooper, also known as Kenney Morrison, takes his daughter and moves to his friends remote cabin in the woods, where no one will be able to find them. After losing him wife in a car accident, a misunderstanding in a restaurant, and an altercation with his wife’s parents, Cooper has no choice. Someone could recognize him and turn him in. In a story that opens with a heavy, mysterious feeling, you are instantly on alert and waiting for something to happen. What could Cooper have possibly done to justify living out in the woods away from civilization?

From the opening paragraph Kimi makes you feel ominous. She instantly puts you on the edge of your seat, with your heart racing, thinking something big is going to happen. It is a slow build, with a lot of backstory. From Cooper’s experiences in the war, meeting his wife, and then her parents, Kimi jumps from present time to the past to explain why Cooper is the way he is.

To be honest, I thought this book was going to be much different when I read the synopsis. Or maybe I just didn’t pay close enough attention to it. One thing that I was surprised about was that the narration is from Cooper’s point of view. It took a few pages to realize that the character was a he. I had envisioned a woman for some reason. What also surprised me was how long it took for the action or should I say, the it, to finally transpire. I’m talking seventy percent of the way through. I found myself getting frustrated that nothing was happening. It made me lose some interest in the story.

Before I got to the crucks of the story, I was ready to give this book a two star rating. I even contemplated to DNF it. I just was not that invested in it. But when everything started happening, the story got ten times better. There is definitely a lot of mystery and questions left unanswered, but overall, it was not my favorite. I would however like to read another one of Kimi’s books to see if it was just this book or her writing style in general, that had me not invested.

I did love reading about Finch and her little quirks. From being an avid reader, to an artist, Finch has never experienced the world beyond the cabin. All she knows is their way of life, Jake, who is Cooper’s friend that let them stay in the cabin, and Scotland, their crazy neighbor.

I am very thankful that I was able to read this book and give an honest review. This is a new author for me and it is always good to challenge yourself to read out of your comfort zone. If you like a slow-burn, with lots of character and story building, this may be a book you would enjoy.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

This is a suspenseful and gripping tale of an ex-soldier, Cooper, and his daughter, 8-year old Finch, who have lived alone in a cabin in Appalachia for the last eight years. Living alone may be a misnomer as they are truly isolated. There is no running water or electricity, and Finch has never left the property. Finch has only met two people since she arrived at the cabin when she was about 6 months old--one being the man who owns the property (Cooper’s Army buddy) and the other a crotchety old male neighbor.

Without giving too much away, Cooper was on the verge of losing custody of Finch, when he fled. His friend agreed to let him stay at his cabin, and has brought supplies for them annually. One year, he fails to show up, and a series of unrelated events occur which upend Cooper and Finch’s world. How far will a father go when faced with losing it all?

While I was touched by Cooper's overwhelming love for Finch and his claim that all he did was for her well-being, at the same time I thought about what was really best for Finch. While Cooper could claim that everything he did was for Finch, it was ultimately for himself. He could make all the excuses in the world, but was keeping Finch safe really the best life for a little girl? She was all giddy with excitement when he agreed to take her to Wal-Mart. This little girl had never seen a TV or radio, let alone a computer. She had never been anywhere outside their cabin and property, and never spoken to anyone except Cooper’s friend once a year and the neighbor on occasion. How sad is that for a child! Still, the book drew me in completely, revealing secrets slowly but at a good pace, and the ending was perfect for the story.

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Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this advance copy of These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant, in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, I am so glad I didn't sleep on this one! I absolutely loved These Silent Woods and will be thinking about it for a long time. I can't wait to purchase a finished hardback for my home library.

For eight years, a single father named Cooper and his precious daughter Finch, have been living a simple life off the grid in a remote cabin in the Appalachian Mountains. We quickly learn that they are there, hidden away from the world, out of necessity to escape the sins of Cooper's past. The love that Cooper has for his daughter is palpable and the lengths they will go to in order to stay together is intense. In this life, their only window into the outside world is a creepy neighbor who always seems to be watching and lurking, and Cooper's closest friend Jake, from his past life as a soldier. One day an outsider appears threatening their quiet existence and everything Coop has worked so hard to protect is now at stake. This was a slow-burn yet super suspenseful novel. I wanted to fly through to find out the fates of Coop and Finch, yet forced myself to slow down so I could savor the beauty of their lives. The ending was quite unexpected and just so heartbreakingly beautiful, I can't imagine it ending any other way. All the stars for this incredible and deeply atmospheric survivalist story!

Great book about love and survival in the woods. Kept me up until the middle of the night and there were tears. Well written and powerful. Hope others find it to read. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Not a thriller, not particularly full of tension despite the precariousness of the life Cooper has built for himself and his daughter in the Appalachian woods, but a good story, well-told. Cooper took Finch with him when she was just a baby, and their life away from civilization is all she’s ever known, her father and a neighbor the only people she sees regularly, until a chance encounter in the woods which leads to an upending of their quiet, secluded lives. We learn, in flashbacks, what led to their hiding out in a friend’s cabin, and why Cooper is so determined to keep them away from the rest of the world. This is a picture of fierce fatherly love, of what it sometimes takes to do the right thing, of how it feels to live with choices made and with regrets. A story that read like a movie script, and an ending that felt a little too forced, a little too uplifting, but one that kept me turning the pages.

Living in isolation in a cabin in the Appalachian Mountains, eight-year-old Finch is beginning to push back against the only world she has ever known. A chance encounter and subsequent missing young woman threatens to expose Finch, her father Cooper and the deeply hidden secret that has caused this life of isolation. These Silent Woods is a story of suspense in which the reader gets caught with the beautifully developed characters and cheers for them until the end. I received a complimentary copy of this book and the opinions expressed are mine. #NetGalley

This was a suspenseful and atmospheric novel about a father and daughter who live in complete isolation in the Appalachian mountains. Perfect for a cold rainy or winter day.

For eight years, Cooper has been raising Finch, his daughter, in an isolated forest since she was an infant. They live in a cabin with no electricity, no running water, and no connection to anyone except a single neighbour who pops out of nowhere exactly when he’s not wanted; and Cooper’s friend who comes by once a year, but otherwise that is their only connection with anyone outside of the woods.

Cooper is hiding from his past, but is starting to realize that he cannot live off-grid with Finch indefinitely. When things start spiralling out of control, Cooper and Finch’s way of life is threatened and he is forced to deal with the consequences of his actions much sooner than he anticipated.

This was a quick, moody read that really picked up in the last fifty pages, or so. I was curious how Cooper was funding this lifestyle, but that question was answered fairly early on in the book.

I loved Finch. She is super-intelligent and loves to read anything and everything. Finch is also deeply attuned to the forest and reacts as naturally to it as her father, if not more so, which is saying something since he is ex-military.

Needless to say, I was very invested in this story about the depths a father would go to when faced with losing everything he holds dear.

I just finished These Silent Woods by Kimi Cummingham Grant. It was absolutely enthralling! What an amazing story about Cooper, an Army Afghanistan vet, his daughter Finch and their eight years of living in a primitive, isolated hideaway. The story delves into the death of Finch's mother, the personal and military history of Cooper, and the life before their escape to the woods. Their lives are pretty much ideal, their only contact with the world is thru a neighbor, equally alone in his retreat; Jake, an Army friend who owns the property and credits Cooper with saving his life and assists him with his once a year supply visits, and eventually Jake's sister who provides sustenance to their hideaway as well. This is a mystery, thriller, and beautiful story of an idealistic life in a hideaway. The characters are amazingly well developed, interesting, and it is a story that is full of life, hope, and love. The descriptive narrative of this beautiful land and survival in it was a part of the story. I literally read it in one setting it was so captivating. Thank you Kimi Cunningham Grant for writing this story. Look for it on its publication date of October 26, 2021. Thanks to #NetGalley#TheseSilentWoods for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was a short but powerful novel about a father and his young daughter. Having hidden in a remote cabin for nearly eight years, Cooper must come to terms with his past and contemplate his own future and that of his daughter.

This is the kind of book you know will hurt you, and that’s precisely why you keep reading.

These Silent Woods is fast-paced and drew me in quickly. It’s fairly predictable, but oddly that didn’t ruin the story for me. In a way, it was kind of refreshing to read a book that felt realistic rather than having all sorts of unbelievable twists and reveals. It also created a sense of unity and kinship with Cooper: I knew what he was thinking before he said it.

This is a bittersweet read with no shortage of regret and loss, but the feelings of grace and peace I was left with made it worth it.

Beautiful writing style helps to craft an honest first-person narrative that adds depth and warmth to the character and pulls you in. Cleverly paced to build the suspense of something coming and a twist that you don’t see coming.

These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant—brilliantly plotted thriller with pulse-pounding suspense.

These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant is an extraordinarily compelling story, tightly plotted, and brilliantly told. It will suck readers in from the first pages. I couldn’t put it down until reaching the unexpected, emotion-packed conclusion. The plot entices readers to rush through the book to find out all the who’s, what’s, and why’s. These Silent Woods is magnificently done in a way that won’t soon be forgotten. It’s a taut, suspenseful thriller that drags readers head first into the story.

Inside this must read thriller, readers meet the main character, “Cooper,” an Army veteran suffering from PTSD who has raised his eight-year-old daughter “Finch” in a cabin in a rugged, remote wooded area since the death of her mother, Cindy. When Cindy died, her parents attempted to take custody of Finch, forcing Cooper to “kidnap” his daughter from them and flee to the off-the-grid mountain cabin owned by Jake, an old Army buddy. There they live a simple life together in hiding under assumed names with little contact with the outside world. As the story unfolds, readers quickly develop sympathy for Cooper. It seems he has never caught a single break. He suffers panic attacks because of PTSD not to mention guilt over something that happened during his time in Afghanistan. He is an honorable but wanted man only because he tried to do what he thought was best for his daughter. From the moment readers enter the lives of Copper and Finch there is an undercurrent of dread that they will soon be discovered, that Cooper will go to jail, and will lose Finch forever. There are plenty of unexpected twists and turns that keep readers on the edge of their seats. Kimi Cunningham Grant is a talented writer who brings her interesting characters vividly to life.

These Silent Woods is one of the most exciting, heart-pounding, and suspenseful novels I have read this year. I highly recommend this book to all fans of suspense thrillers.

I received an advance copy of the book for the purposes of this review from the publisher via NetGalley.

This novel isn't so much thriller as it is a story of survival. It's that survivalist story that sucked me in, set in a remote wilderness that I imagine is as beautiful as it is equally terrifying. The relationship between Father (Cooper) and daughter (Finch) was captivating and at times heartbreaking. Towards the end of the book I had an impeding sense of doom and just felt an incredible sense of sadness at what was to come, so I was surprised and quite happy that the author actually went another direction and gave us a quite satisfying ending. I know some may feel this ending was too convenient or contrived, but sometimes we as readers need for things to turn out well for the protagonists, so we have our own reasons to hold onto hope. I absolutely loved this book from beginning to end and can't wait to read more of what Kimi Cunningham Grant writes in the future!

What an amazing book, I really enjoyed this story and found myself crying near the end, the characters were all fully developed and leapt off the pages. Cooper and his daughter Finch live in the cabin of a friend out in the woods miles from anywhere. They have been there for eight years, Finch only knows the cabin and the surrounding woods, she's never been to a store, seen a TV or socialized with anyone other than her father and his friend that comes one a year to deliver supplies. Cooper is a military veteran had likely suffers from PTSD after a few tours of Afghanistan, the last one which caused serious injuries to the friend that has provided them with the cabin. The friend, Jake, shows up on the same day every year, until he doesn't. Cooper takes the situation into his own hands and ventures into a town to shop for supplies, something that nearly causes a panic attack. Not long after Jake's sister arrives with the supplies, Jake having asked her to do the trip for him. Jake had since passed away. The reason why Cooper and Finch are staying in the woods is revealed in flashbacks and adds to the suspense. The author is very good at building the suspense and adding in characters that add a murder to the mix and the risk of Cooper and Finch being exposed. Highly recommended. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.