I usually don't go for slow burn thrillers, but I ended up really liking this one. The "thriller" part is really only engaging for the last 25-30% of the book. However, I loved the way Emlyn's character developed. The story was more about her inner life and finding happiness in her own skin than really about the mystery. The circumstances of Janessa missing were giving Gabby Petito vibes, but the story is not an exact parallel. There were some twists I didn't see coming, which I always appreciate. This book made me want to go on a hike and never go on a hike again in equal measure. If you don't mind a slow burn, appreciate character studies, and have a love for the wilderness, this may be for you.

A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Kimi Cunningham Grant does it again! A great, fast-paced story with strong characters with truth woven throughout. I enjoyed the setting as well and I can't wait to see what she writes next.

This was another book that took me putting it aside and picking it back up several days later before I could be drawn into the story. From the blurb this book is billed more as a suspense/thriller style book. From my standpoint, it was much more a story of friendship, old loves and a dash of suspense. Told from Emlyn’s viewpoint in alternating past and present timelines, we see her relationship with her best friend Janessa and her ex boyfriend Tyler play out. Janessa has gone missing and Tyler ropes Emlyn into helping track her down in the wilderness. The idea that she was traveling with her boyfriend and they were posting on social media while traveling the back country in their van made that part of this book seem a little torn from the headlines.
All in all I would say that once you get to about chapter 6 you will be drawn in and the rest of the story holds your attention.
I received a ARC of this title. All opinions are my own.

"The Nature of Disappearing" by Kimi Cunningham Grant is a captivating novel of suspense.

Here you will meet Emlyn, a wilderness guide, who must team up with Tyler—the man who ruined her life years ago—when their mutual friend Janessa goes missing. Emlyn’s new life is simple and safe, but Janessa’s disappearance propels her back into the world she worked hard to forget.

As they trace Janessa’s path through Idaho’s wild country, chemistry crackles between Emlyn and Tyler. Yet, deeper in the wilderness, Emlyn begins to suspect a darker truth.

“The Nature of Disappearing” explores starting over and the cost of letting the past pull you back in. Now i was completely immersed in this author's previous book - "These Silent Woods" - it was terrifying in ALL the right ways. Sadly, "The Nature of Disappearing" left me thinking back to her previous novel and wishing for that more desperate feeling I get from so many thrillers. In this novel, I felt some of the outdoorsy themes/decisions here were not researched well enough. Due to that, I had a difficult time connecting with the main characters.

All that being said, f you enjoy suspenseful mysteries with character who posses questionable motives and atmospheric settings, check this book out. Remember, reading is all about place and time. So although this didn't hit for me, it could be a winner for you!

Thank you to Minotaur Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the ALC copy to listen to along with my print copy.

I'm a hiker. I like outdoor adventures. So I was drawn to the blurb about this one. I liked the wilderness aspect of this book. The hiking, the planning for being out in the backcountry. The amount of detail the author was able to use was impressive.

But the mystery part of it didn't really engage me. It seemed to take a backseat a bit and there was a lot of focus on the prior romance between Emlyn and Tyler.

Overall, this was OK if only because of the detail and the hiking. But I'm not sure it was enough to really make it a book that I loved. I'm not sure I'd recommend it to others.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

What a fabulous title! I not only loved the setting, but I loved the characters and the roles we fall into...how history has a way of luring us in, even when we know better. What a great weekend read!

4.5 stars- Another great book by Kimi Cunningham Grant! I LOVED These Silent Woods and was eagerly anticipating this book. I will say the synopsis didn't really pull me, which is why the more I read the more I try not to read synopsis. Kimi does such an EXCELLENT job of describing the setting and characters that I could easily visualize what was going on. Her writing is not too descriptive though that it bogs down the story. I can relate to certain aspects of friendship that Kimi describes and can relate to the main character, Emlyn. The pacing is fantastic as it jumps from the present to past. She weaves the stories of the past in with the present so well, it just worked for me. I personally don't think this is a thriller, I would say its a Suspense with almost like a literary fiction vibe as there is more of a character driven element. I read this in 2 days, but I had to go to sleep! I could have read this in one sitting easily! If you love the outdoors, nature and solitary/survival themes.
I do wish there was more Vader :)
The audiobook narrator is Fantastic!

Thank you netgalley and Minotaur books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love reading Kimi Cunningham Grant's books because they are so well written. I love her descriptions of nature and how well the characters are developed. In The Nature of Disappearing I especially enjoyed and related to Emlyn's character and enjoyed the nuance that Tyler's character brought.

While I loved the writing style and characters, I was left wanting more from the plot. With no spoilers, the problem/climax of the story didn't feel authentic or believable to me. And while the ending of the book was ultimately satisfying, I was left wanting just a little bit more! More explanation, more details on the relationships, more of what happened next!

Overall, I still really enjoyed reading it and will continue to read all of Grant's future work (These Silent Woods was a favorite!).

Emlyn is used to not getting what she wants, and settling for what she gets. After starting her life over again without her college friend, Janessa, or the man she thought may be the grand love of her life, she isn’t sure that she should risk it all helping the two of them again.

Emlyn has found herself pretty content in her new life. She was rescued from the side of the road, near death, and nursed back to health by the members of a close knit community who make most of their living off of the tourists and the forest. She quickly finds her skills make her an excellent fishing and hunting guide.

When her past comes back, she isn’t sure if she should help out, but she knows things are unlikely to end well otherwise. She consults with Rev, whose great insight with people could give her answers, but Rev of course can’t give her clear answers of what she should or should not do. Emlyn reluctantly tries to help the two people who practically turned their backs on her.

Emlyn and the characters from her past were so clear and engaging. While they started out seeming like they’d all be close forever, they each had their secrets even then. Their stories when they all meet up again are suspenseful, especially with the addition of a character who was never mentioned in their earlier lives. The unpredictable story earned 4 out of 5 stars and would be great for those who enjoy outdoorsy stories and thrillers.

Idk what this woman puts in her books but it’s gonna hit every time for me. The way she presents her settings, the vibes, the characters it’s so good. I love the descriptions of the wilderness and nature it was so atmospheric.

I can understand that her books might be for everyone because 75% of the book is character development and the rest is plot driven. It’s one of those slow burns that don’t feel slow.

I must admit i had no clue where this was going and it kept me guessing all the way to the end. I feel this book was a tad different than her last book which was a huge tear jerker.

The main MC was likeable. I loved how this book mostly focused on female relationships, character evolution, and trust.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw that Kimi Cunningham Grant had a new book out (and it was available to Read Now for a certain amount of time) I jumped at the chance to read it without even reading what it was about because I loved These Silent Woods so much! I also love stories that involve hiking or camping so this was right up my alley!

The Nature of Disappearing definitely had a slow start but was still able to keep it interesting and the story progressing. I usually don't do well with books that time hop like this one does and at times the flashbacks did seem to interrupt the flow of the story. As the story progressed it did seem to flow better. I really liked Emlyn and her character and watching her growth throughout the story. The story really didn't play out as I thought it would and there were a couple of times that I was surprised by the twists. Definitely worth a read!

Emily is normally easy going but her life has been turned upside down. After her boyfriend leaving her alone in the woods with no explanation she decides to escape and start a new path. But all of a sudden her ex shows up and says her former best friend is missing and off the grid. Emily becomes concerned and decides to track and find Janessa. As she gets further into the woods she starts to discover Janessa might not be the only one in danger. Will they find Janessa and will everyone make it out alive?

From start to finish this book kept me on my toes! I thought I would be able to figure out after about halfway through but I had literally no idea what was going to happen. The characters were full of mystery and thrill and I was able to fall in love with some of them and really dispise the others. It felt like I was right there in the story! I loved it!

I was so pleasantly surprised with this story! Grant is masterful in her literary style. I thought this would be just another contemporary mystery/thriller heavy on the action but with less depth. On the contrary, the character development and vivid scenery descriptions added beautifully to the overall plot. Emlyn is somewhat complicated and humble but draws others to her, in negative and positive ways. After recovering from a crisis, she begins to find herself again when a friend disappears. She comfortably immerses herself in nature to try and find her. What unfolds is both unexpected and poignant. I also appreciate that a captivating story can be told without excessive language and spice. Grant handled that with grace as well.
My first objective is to go and read These Silent Woods. I am intrigued by this new-to-me writer.
Thanks to #NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for this ARC.

We start The Nature of Disappearing as Emlyn is living a life estranged from her best friend, Janessa, and ex-boyfriend, Tyler. She had a dropped call from Janessa and hasn’t been in contact with her since. Then she learns from a news report that Janessa and her boyfriend are potentially missing. When Tyler, also a childhood friend of Janessa, shows up to ask Emlyn for help finding Janessa I was hooked. I immediately thought of how this story could go, but boy was I wrong. Kimi Cunningham Grant takes us through the wilderness in this story and vividly shows us what it’s like to hike and survive treacherous hikes. This was definitely more of a “slow burn” story. I would have really enjoyed more focus on the relationships and maybe less on the wilderness aspect. Read this if you are a hiker or love reading about the outdoors! Overall 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur books for this ARC through NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

The nature of relationships set in a wilderness setting, this book was not a thriller but had a mystery element. I very much enjoyed the author's previous book "These Silent Woods' which featured themes of man versus man and man versus nature and was at heart about the love between a father and his child. This book tackles friendship but was not as successful in creating a meaningful story. Emlyn is a young woman who lives in a Airstream trailer and serves as a hunting and fishing guide. Emlyn had a best friend named Janessa who she hasn't heard from in awhile until one day she receives a dropped call which worried her. When Emlyn receives a message from her ex-boyfriend Tyler, she realizes she isn't the only one worried about her friend. It seems Janessa has become an Instagram influencer and has been traveling with her boyfriend Bush doing a "van life" series, but hasn't posted in several days. Janessa and Tyler grew up together and were best friends.

This sounded like an exciting set-up but the majority of the book is about flashbacks and I felt there were too many which didn't further the story. The flashbacks show how Emlyn was a shy, directionless girl who was taken under he wing of beautiful, rich and outgoing Janessa. Janessa directed Emlyn's life even telling her who to date, what clothes to wear and where she should live. That all changed when Emlyn began to date Tyler who knew Janessa since childhood. After Janessa forbids Emlyn from dating Tyler, their relationship fell apart. Later we find out Tyler had a lot of issues which resulted in him leaving Emlyn abandoned in the wilderness which almost cost her her life. Is Janessa really missing and can Emlyn trust Tyler who she is still attracted to? The mystery portion of the book begins when Emlyn and Tyler set out to track Janessa in the wilds of Idaho. .

I enjoyed the mystery part but didn't feel that any of the characters were all that interesting. Vardan, a local forest ranger who has feelings for Emlyn seemed like he was a lot older than he was because of his name and the only thing we know about him is he reads Amish romance stories and spends all his free time with Rev, an elderly woman who holds church services in her cottage. There is a story about addiction to pain pills but it is not written in an accurate way. At one point Emlyn has a ruptured appendix and after taking one pill she is filled with some kind of joyous energy when in reality she would be feeling relief from her pain. It is wrong to suggest that people cannot accept pain relief after surgery because they will immediately become addicted. I wanted to like Janessa but she seemed very overbearing and she seemed to exist only to react to Emlyn and Tyler. Beautiful nature descriptions but the relationship story left me unsatisfied. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC for review.

In The Nature of Disappearing, the main character, Emlyn, sets off with her ex-boyfriend to find out what happened to her best friend, who has recently gone missing on a van life expedition. Through flashbacks, the reader uncovers the tumultuous backstory of what led to these strained relationships in present day as Emlyn and her ex close in on what’s really going on with the friend’s disappearance.

I really enjoy the way Grant writes slow burn suspense and weaves in nature and wilderness themes! While this book didn’t have the emotional punch I loved about her debut, These Silent Woods, I still appreciated Grant’s ability to tell an entertaining story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Through the past and present, this book tells the story of a wilderness guide who must team up with the man who ruined her life many years ago when their mutual friend goes missing.


I really liked this one by Cunningham Grant. The suspense and pacing was addicting, the main character was likable, and the setting was really fun for me. I was genuinely surprised a few times with how the story turned out. I loved the character development and how Emlyn grew throughout the story.

The ending felt very abrupt to me and I wish we had more story there - that was really the main thing I didn’t like!

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the free copy in exchange for honest review!

My rating: 4/5

This is the second story I have read by this author and I enjoyed it immensely. There was a lot of action and adventure and a lot of suspense. I can’t wait to see what Ms. Grant is bringing us next.


I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

2.75ish

The synopsis for this really should've been: "two people walk through the woods". Ok, so that's oversimplifying it a bit, but I cannot get over how much of the book was devoted to following two characters as they hiked. And I realize that the author was going for a character-driven story, but I felt that, being that this is marketed as a mystery/thriller, the overarching mystery should have been a lot stronger. In the end, the mysterious elements of this story were pretty lackluster. The reveal of what was going on and a certain character's plan made very little sense, and one of the main twists was very obvious to me.

To be clear, I think this is a well-written book. The prose is nice. It's the plot that's lacking. Ultimately, I think this is one of those books I have no strong feelings about. Thanks to Minotaur Books for granting me access!!

This was a bit of a letdown. I found it moved way too slowly and the characters weren’t likeable or interesting enough for this. The slow burn worked in “These Silent Woods” but sadly, not in this novel. It was all a little obvious as well.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.