Giving it a solid 3.5 stars!

I have to admit, having adored "These Silent Woods," my expectations were high going into this one. It turned out to be a swift read, polished off in less than a day, and I genuinely found myself engrossed in the unfolding narrative.

Initially anticipating a gritty wilderness tale, I appreciated those elements within the book. However, I can't shake off a lingering sense of disappointment. While the thriller aspect held promise, I felt the character development lacked depth. More backstory would have been helpful, as the focus on the thriller elements left me wanting. The reveal, in particular, struck me as overly far-fetched, prompting more of an 'oh' reaction than genuine surprise.

A huge thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I thought I was going to love this, based on the synopsis and loving These Silent Woods.

In the beginning, I thought I really liked our main character, Emilyn. She lives a simple life in a small town, spending most of her time outdoors. She seemed like a badass and I thought she was cool. I was curious by her upbringing and family dynamics and her new life in this rural town. Until her ex came back and shared his suspicions that one of their old friends had gone missing while doing van life. Instead of calling the police, they decide to take it upon themselves to go and search for her. This is where the entire plot takes a twist for the worst and becomes so eye-roll worthy, I was no longer excited to pick up this book.

Emilyn is meant to be trained and super comfortable in the outdoors, but when she is searching in the middle of nowhere for her friend who she thinks may be missing, with her questionable ex, she makes such silly mistakes. I don't know why the author went this route, when she could have kept up the mystery without making a Riley Sager-esque main character who makes poor choices, almost knowing it's not going to yield any answers. It was almost like the author was trying to do too much by incorporating the romance element into the mystery.

This was described as a "novel of suspense." It was tense, for sure. But while you'd normally expect a suspenseful novel to turn full thriller, and this one gave signals it might go that way, it didn't. This is a character-driven wilderness book; exactly what Kimi Cunningham Grant has written before. I think previous readers hoping for more of the same will be satisfied. I don't generally read this kind of book, but it matched my expectations. I liked the simplicity being away from the rest of the world gave the story.

The ending snuck up on me - I didn't realize the book was almost over and, after a quick burst of action, it was. I appreciated how everything was wrapped up neatly. I will say, though, when people describe the nature writing as being so good you'll want to go hiking yourself, I disagree. It was good, yes, but the woods was where a lot of the sinisterness of the story came from! There aren't other people around to help, You're limited to the food you brought or can forage. An injury can make it hard to get out. No thanks for me!

I enjoy Kimi Cunningham Grant’s style of writing. Her previous book, These Silent Woods was on of my favorite books. Her descriptions of nature and surroundings make you feel like you are there.
This story centers around Emlyn who has trust issues as a result of her father abandoning her as a child and a traumatic abandonment by her addict boyfriend Tyler. After rebuilding her life as a wilderness guide, Tyler (now clean) appears at her door asking for her help finding a mutual friend who he believes is lost. Told in alternating time lines, the back stories are built and characters are developed well.
This book was slow-going at first with the current timeline story picking up about halfway in. Story was a little predictable but enjoyable due to Grant’s skillful writing.
Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for this advance copy.

2.5/5 stars

The Nature of Disappearing was a quick read that kept me interested, but I found it hard to connect with the characters. I felt like I didn’t really know much about any of them. Emlyn was portrayed as self conscious, yet everyone else thinks she’s great but we never really know why. What is so great about her, why was Tyler in love with her? Her character was a bit boring and again, I just don’t feel like I know much about her at all. The person I feel like I got to know the most was Tyler, but I still didn’t know much about him.
I was really bored when the book hit its climax. I couldn’t wait to find out what was really going on and then thought “oh, that’s it?” But I will say I don’t love that trope so that may be just me.

I loved her novel These Silent Woods so I was super excited for this one! Unfortunately it didn’t live up to its predecessor. A quick read that was mildly entertaining and easy to get through, but I don’t think I would recommend it.

Prepare yourself for an adventure in the untamed wilderness as Emlyn and Tyler embark on a mission to find their missing friend, Janessa. However, a lingering question remains: can Emlyn truly place her trust in Tyler? After all, he has previously caused her pain and abandoned her. As I delved into the story, I found myself fully immersed in the intricately crafted characters. Their depth and complexity were truly impressive. The narrative unfolded with a gripping sense of suspense, culminating in unexpected plot twists that left me astounded. I highly recommend adding this captivating tale to your "To Be Read" list!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC to read and review!

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this advance copy.
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I loved Grant’s previous novel, These Silent Woods, so any follow up had very big shoes to fill. In The Nature of Disappearing, we get a present day timeline involving a search in the wilderness, alternating with past timeline chapters revealing the relationships between these characters. The present day chapters were a slow burn suspense that had me binge reading this book. I had to find out what was going to happen. Unfortunately, once the twists were revealed, I found the ending to be rushed and lackluster. I really appreciate that Grant weaves in themes of Christianity and shares scripture in her novels, but her message felt unclear here in comparison to These Silent Woods.

Thank you @minotaur #partner for the free eARC.

I’ve been anxiously awaiting another book by @kimicunninghamgrant after reading one of my favorite books ever, These Silent Woods! I am pleased to report Kimi has created yet another atmospheric adventure into the wilderness. There is something about the way she creates a visual experience for me that just works for me. This setting was in the remote mountains where survival and recovery is always the most challenging part each day! The setting was my favorite part of this book. The suspense and the search in the first half of the book really felt more like traditional “These Silent Woods” …which I LOVED! The ending was more fast paced and wraps up nicely with a surprise that I didn’t predict. It’s so easy to recommend her writing and of course will grab whatever she writes next!

This novel drew me in with the blurb - I love any story set in the wilderness. Add a disappearance, strong female friendship, and a strong-but-silent park ranger love interest, and I'm totally sold. A quick, solidly enjoyable read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

The Nature of Disappearing is listed as a thriller/mystery, but this book is definitely a coming of age story. It features a dual timeline and themes of personal discovery, addiction of a loved one, and some romance.

Emlyn has rediscovered herself in the wilds of Idaho after a traumatic experience that has left her emotionally raw. This book features beautiful descriptions of the nature in that area and has a sweet spiritual side to it. There is also some romance but it is not a main feature of the book.

I found the mystery of the book intriguing but what was most intriguing was the personal development that the main character endeavored. The real mystery was the story from the past about what made her change into the person she became.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved that it was clean with violence or bad language or any open door scenes. I enjoyed the character development and the vivid wildlife scenes. I didn't find the mystery to be very compelling but I really enjoyed the book as a whole. This book was more of a slow burn than a thriller in my opinion.

I also really appreciated that this book highlighted diversity in the characters without explicitly saying what someone's skin color was. That takes a creative author to be able to do it and this author accomplished that well. It was natural and not forced.

I highly recommend this book.

I love books on missing persons, they take the cake for me as far as all time favorites go. This was no difference. I enjoyed the story and the twists and turns without giving too much away. I can't say I saw that ending coming!

I was a huge fan of Kimi Cunningham Grant’s last two books, so I was anxious to read her latest, The Nature of Disappearing. Once again, she has crafted a suspenseful story that takes place in the wilderness.
Emlyn has recovered from being literally abandoned by her boyfriend,Tyler. Now five years later, she is remaking a life for herself as a wilderness and fishing guide in Idaho. So when he shows up asking for her help to find a missing mutual friend, she doesn’t immediately agree. But even though she and Janessa aren’t as close as they once were, she had previously been Emlyn’s best friend. So, of course, she finally agrees.
The story goes back and forth between the present day and her history meeting first Janessa and then Tyler. Grant does an excellent job of intertwining past and present to really round out Emlyn’s current state of mind.
Grant’s stories are always character rich and suspenseful. I found Emlyn an interesting character. She had to learn to trust after her father left when she was a child, only to be burned and lose her capacity to trust. Then, it becomes a question as to whether she can open herself up again.
The book was evenly paced and never dragged. The ending was believable and it was nice not to have an OTT ending. She writes about nature in such a way that will have you reaching for your hiking boots. Her writing is also clear enough to allow the reader to easily envision every scene.
Make sure to read her Author’s Note at the end. It gave me a little more insight into Kimi as a person.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

I loved the atmospheric writing in this book and it brought scenic Idaho to life for me. The story was a slow burn but the tension built steadily throughout. Emlyn’s internal struggle added depth to the narrative.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

Pub Date: June 18, 2024

This atmospheric story is a great pick for buddy reads! The suspenseful blend of past and present timelines, wilderness exploration, and a missing person's case will spark a lot of discussions. While I wasn't as invested in the main character, the first three-quarters of the book were gripping. If you're looking for a huge mind-blowing twist, this might not be it.

Read if you like:
✨Atmospheric reads
✨Wilderness and camping
✨Missing people
✨Dual timelines

4.5 and I need to go to Idaho. I thoroughly enjoyed this nature setting and the author writes so vividly that I could easily picture it in my mind. With dual timelines, we follow Emlyn and Tyler as they search for Janessa while we also learn about their past relationship and friendship that lead us to this point. I was invested in these characters, very curious about exactly what happened with Emlyn and Tyler, and really enjoyed the descriptions of the wilderness and camping.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy and a chance to read this early. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to @StMartinsPress and #NetGalley for the digital ARC of #TheNatureOfDisappearing. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

A very readable suspense/thriller set in present day Idaho. The story centers on Emlyn, who is quietly rebuilding her life after the near fatal end of her relationship with Tyler and the estrangement from her best friend, Janessa. When Janessa seems to go missing, Tyler turns to Emlyn for help. As they track her friend deeper into the wilderness, Emlyn begins to doubt what she's been told and realizes she might soon be in danger too. The story bounces back and forth between present day and about 5-10 years prior), providing the backstory to Emlyn's and Janessa's back story as well as what happened with Emlyn and Tyler.

This is my second book by the author and I think I'll keep coming back for more. Grant writes real, relatable characters that you want to root for. And her writing clearly conveys the healing power of nature and the outdoors.

**3.5 STARS** Already I've seen a lot of mixed reviews on this books, but for the most part , I really enjoyed it.... until the ending. I loved the wilderness vibe and the really descriptive and atmospheric writing that the author used. It really helped me to get immersed in the story and the setting it was taking place in. I loved the tension between the characters and the overall sense of mystery that was curated throughout! I do feel like the ending really fell flat, and felt pretty rushed. I think that the thought was there, and decently executed for the most part, but the plot twists kind of ruined the story for me and totally killed the "we're solving a mystery" vibe of the entire book.

I enjoyed the alternating timelines in each chapter, and getting to know the back stories of the characters. I probably would still recommend this book, as it is really not a bad read, it just didn't end in the best way.

I loved this author’s previous book – These Silent Woods, so I was very excited about her newest book. Unfortunately, this one wasn’t as impressive. It starts very good but then most of the story is very slow; it was hard for me to connect with the characters and I struggled with reading it. The pace does not pick back up until about 80% in.
This author does an amazing job transporting her readers to the wilderness and connecting them to the nature and that was really the only reason I finished this book.
Overall, this is an enjoyable book but just not as good as These Silent Woods

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love this authors style of writing! These Silent Woods was my favorite book of 2023, so this one was highly anticipated for me!

The descriptions of nature make you feel like you’re there, seeing everything yourself. I also loved Emlyn’s little vocab quirk. I thought it brought a cool element to the book.

I will say that it took me a lot longer to get into this book. It seemed like the first 70% was very slow and I don’t always love alternating timelines in a book, but I understand why it was necessary in this one. I also felt like this book was a lot less realistic than the last one I read of hers. And lastly… how did the gun not come back up?! I thought for sure that would’ve had something to do with the ending, but it ended up wrapping up really quickly with no mention of it.

Regardless, I’ll read any book this author puts out. She is so insanely talented!

Thank you to Kimi Cunningham Grant, St Martins Press, and Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

Emlyn is a wilderness and flyfishing guide in Idaho. She has buried most of her painful past, but she’s slowly starting to reconnect with her former best friend Janessa. When Emlyn sees a news report that Janessa has gone missing in the wilderness, she’s desperately worried. Emlyn is even more concerned when Tyler, her ex-boyfriend, reappears to join the search for Janessa. Emlyn will have to confront her memories of the past to find her friend and heal enough to move forward in this suspenseful survival thriller. I thought Grant's first thriller was stronger, but this is an entertaining page-turner.