I loved Grant's first book, These Silent Woods, very much and was really looking forward to her new novel, The Nature of Disappearing. In this book, Emlyn, a fishing and tracking guide, joins forces with Tyler, her ex-boyfriend, to find their mutual friend who has disappeared with her boyfriend. Emlyn and Tyler were in love several years earlier but he betrayed her in a big way.. She has moved on to establish her life in a new location and has made some good friends and a possible love interest is there also. She still has some feelings for Tyler and it seems Tyler does also. This book is filled with tension between Emlyn and Tyler as well as tension around finding their friend and figuring out why she has disappeared. The book has short chapters that move it along really quickly. I finished it in one day.

While I didn't love it as much as These Silent Woods, I will read whatever Grant writes next. i wanted more from this book including more side character development and more nuanced relationships and characters. I'm rating it 3.5 stars which rounds up to 4.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Minotaur Publishing for this book

Formal review to come! I always appreciate the atmospheric settings this author is able to capture in her books. The setting here is beautiful, but also ruthless (as much of Mother Nature meeting human kind can be). I loved Emlyns character. Her tragedy became her strength, and though not the same circumstances….my soul resonated with that. With the idea of people, a community, surrounding you and showing you love when you need it most.

Beautifully written, suspenseful, but touching about finding yourself, your people, and letting go of the past that has hurt you.

This book tells the story of a young woman, reunited with her ex on a search to find her former best friend — whom they believe to be missing — deep in the wilderness of Idaho. Like These Silent Woods, the wilderness atmosphere gave the book a strong sense of place, but I thought the author did a really good job of not letting the setting overtake the story.

I thought this book was a perfect blend of character and plot. The main character, Emlyn, was complex and nuanced, with a tumultuous past that really made her appreciate her as a character. I loved the way the story explored her complicated friendship with her best friend, Janessa, through the ups and downs of their relationship. I also loved the development of the characters with which Emlyn found community.

The story itself also kept me engaged. There was definitely enough to where I felt the plot was always moving forward and I thought the pacing and timing of different reveals throughout the book was so well done.

I don’t really have any complaints about this novel. I really enjoyed the time I spent reading it and I’ll definitely continue to read whatever Cunningham Grant writes!

After loving These Silent Woods I had very high expectations for The Nature of Disappearing. And for me it absolutely delivered. The setting descriptions really made me feel like I was in the outdoors.

The plot of this story gave me Gabby Petito case vibes. The narrator for the book was very engaging and kept me entertained throughout the story. This is more of a slow burn type plot.

I really liked Emlyn and I enjoyed experiencing her growth. With this story told in alternating past/present we really get a chance to see how far she’s come.

If you loved These Silent Woods you should definitely read this one!

I listened to this book via audio courtesy of Macmillan Audio and NetGalley.

Emlyn, her best friend Janessa and Tyler. Struggles to be with Tyler against warnings from Janessa and breaking their friendship. Forging ahead with a shattered relationship. Emlyn’s journey of survival and trust. Emotion and truth to find ones self. Recommended read.

When I pick up a Cummingham Grant novel, I know I will be gifted an atmospheric read. This writer has a way with capturing the setting in a way that make it seem as if it's a main character with a story of its own to tell.

Join Emlyn, a wilderness guide, as she navigates the treacherous terrain of her past and the present, where the lines between reality and danger blur, and the truth is as elusive as the wilderness itself. In hopes to bring her former best friend Janessa back from a #vanlife trip gone wrong, Emlyn discovers you truly never know someone. Sometimes not even yourself.

"The Nature of Disappearing" is a suspenseful and adventurous tale of survival, nature, and the great outdoors, with a dash of romance and a deep exploration of the human spirit.

I could not be more excited to handsell The Nature of Disappearing. Kimi Cunningham Grant's novel These Silent Woods has consistently been a bestseller in our store, and I believe this one will be just as popular. The characters are relatable--flawed, hurt, and working to overcome their pasts. They make mistakes, they don't communicate like they should, but the bonds of friendship remain strong. I loved the pace of this book, and could not wait to find out what had happened between Emlyn, Janessa, and Tyler. The setting, as in These Silent Woods, is a character unto itself. Kimi's writing makes the reader feel as if they are in the woods with the characters, feeling the eyes of the wilderness as they move closer and closer into the unknown. One final thought--as a bookseller, it is hard to know which qualities of a book a customer will find offensive. One thing I love about this book is that I can recommend it to anyone, young adult or senior citizen, without worry. There are triggering things in the book, but they are so well-written and kept off of the page that it makes my job easy. I hope that we get many more amazing stories from this incredibly talented author!

Thank you to the publisher and to netgalley. This book had so much potential for me with the perfect setting at a wilderness alike setting. This story was very slow until around the 80% mark and I couldn’t connect to the characters. I LOVED the wonderful descriptions of the wilderness and animals.

I read this one after another thriller and coming off that one, this one I have to admit was a bit hard to get into. While I usually love a good flashback book I wish we had gotten a bit more of the present storyline or even starting this book in the past and working off that.

The whole influencer friend missing did remind me a bit of a sort of current true crime instance and this storyline was for sure what kept me hooked through the end of the book. The ending was definitely a huge surprise that I wasn’t expecting but it ended in the way I was hoping for.

THESE SILENT WOODS by Kimi Cunningham Grant is one of my favorite books so I was thrilled to read an early copy of the author’s newest release. Sadly, THE NATURE OF DISAPPEARING didn’t live up to my, admittedly sky high, expectations.

Both books are pretty outdoorsy but TNOD is very much “huntin’ fishin’ and lovin’ everyday” and I personally didn’t need all those details. The writing is beautiful and atmospheric and the well-illustrated setting had me feeling like I was alongside the characters in the woods. Problem is, I don’t really LOVE the woods.

The story is a bit anti-climactic and a pretty slow burning plot led up to a bit of chaos followed by very little resolution. The van-life social media element did add an interesting touch and I absolutely (and unexpectedly) loved one character! I think this was a perfect middle of the road read for me; not a bad book at all but it didn’t knock my socks off either!

If you loved THESE SILENT WOODS I would definitely still encourage you to give this a try - just maybe temper your expectations a bit beforehand. It’s still an emotional story with an evocative mystery and you really can’t beat KCG’s stunning prose!

<b>Grant's thriller is set in the wilds of Idaho, with a wilderness expert of a main character who has fought to trust others and be vulnerable--and who may find herself deeply betrayed again. </b>

In Kimi Cunningham Grant's newest thriller, <i>The Nature of Disappearing,</i> Emlyn is a wilderness guide who very deliberately tries not to think about the past--her fractured best-friendship, her failed love, and the vulnerability that allowed her heart to break.

But when her estranged old friend Janessa goes missing under suspicious circumstances, Emlyn must team up with the man who broke her heart in order to try to find social media icon Janessa and, hopefully, bring her home, safe and sound.

I love a book set in the wild (Peter Heller's novels <i>The River</i> and <i>The Guide</i> come to mind as favorites), and I loved the outdoorsy element here. Much of the story takes place in an Idaho forest, and it made me reminisce about my college summer spent in that beautiful state.

The story is more of a thriller than a mystery; after a time we aren't wondering what happened, rather wondering if those who seem untrustworthy are in fact bad seeds.

I loved the focus on repairing a friendship, and how Emlyn has difficulty trusting and being vulnerable but works to do so. I wasn't surprised by the final denouements but felt satisfied that we are left with the promise of a fulfilling future for some characters at the end of the book.

I listened to <i>The Nature of Disappearing</i> as an audiobook, courtesy of NetGalley and Macmillan Audio.

Kimi Cunningham Grant is also the author of <i>Fallen Mountains, Silver Like Dust,</i> and <a href="https://www.bossybookworm.com/post/review-of-these-silent-woods-by-kimi-cunningham-grant/"><i> These Silent Woods.</a></i></b>

I really enjoyed this book that I read it in one sitting. When her boyfriend, who left her for dead on the side of the road, shows up saying her best friend is missing. She had not talked to her best friend in a while. She reluctantly agreed to help find her. I liked the characters and the storyline. I would definitely recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I love a book that follows different timelines, but I found myself a little confused with this one at times. This is a thriller about two friends who no longer talk. Emlyn tries not to think about Janessa any more... but that all changes when she goes missing.

ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥: 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀 & 𝐸-𝐵𝑜𝑜𝓀

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨: 𝐈𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲/𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐱𝐢𝐧𝐠? 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 (𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒕) 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐞𝐭𝐜. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐲, 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬! 𝐈𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝; 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝, 𝐈’𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐚. 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞, 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 (𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨) 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲.

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑫𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭. 𝐈𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐄𝐦𝐥𝐲𝐧, 𝐚 𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞, 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝, 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚 (𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐨), 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡, 𝐓𝐲𝐥𝐞𝐫, 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚—𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭.

𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝒦𝒾𝓂𝒾 𝒞𝓊𝓃𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔𝒽𝒶𝓂 𝒢𝓇𝒶𝓃𝓉, 𝑀𝒶𝒸𝓂𝒾𝓁𝓁𝒶𝓃 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜, 𝒮𝓉. 𝑀𝒶𝓇𝓉𝒾𝓃'𝓈 𝒫𝓇𝑒𝓈𝓈, & 𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝑅𝒞! 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃.

"These Silent Woods" is one of my all time favorite books, so I was very eager to get my hands on Kimi Cunningham Grant's latest novel! Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for the opportunity to read and review this ARC because I was legit pumped when I got approved!!

I read it quickly because I wanted to know how it ended. With that being said, I was underwhelmed with the ending of this one. I wanted to love it but just didn't. Mainly the plot and character development wasn't what I expected. Enjoyed Emlyn, our protagonist, and her coming of age (-ish) storyline, but felt like we didn't know anyone else (definitely more of Varden and Rev please)!

Read if you like: slow burn mysteries, dual timelines, complex female friendships, wilderness/hiking/outdoorsy stuff.

Overall, a read that I'd recommend but not particularly memorable. 3.5 ⭐ rounded to a 4.

This is another beautifully written novel from Cunningham Grant! I loved THESE SILENT WOODS and was excited to get back to the wilderness in this one. Emlyn was a fantastic FMC and had such growth despite a rocky beginning to life. It was a compelling and interesting story, layered with many emotions. There are many themes throughout but all are well done. I went between reading and listening and would recommend either format.

Kimi Cunningham Grant’s book, The Nature of Disappearing, kept me completely enthralled during a cross country flight. This reads like a survival story with bits of mystery and romance intermingled. I enjoyed learning about the triad of Janessa, Emlyn, and Tyler which was tantalizingly revealed through the chapters labeled Five years ago, three years ago, etc. I found that strategy to be a very effective way to tell their stories and understand their interactions. As each chapter revealed more background about their relationships the tension was increased.
The atmospheric descriptions of the wilderness setting added an additional dimension to the story. Stunningly beautiful but also dangerous. The vivid portrayals of Emlyn’s tracking were captivating. I totally enjoyed the scenes involving tying flies and fly fishing as those were hobbies of my father. I definitely appreciated the depth of knowledge the author included in her writing about hiking, tracking, fly fishing, and surviving in the wilderness. The twists at the end were somewhat predictable but satisfying all the same.
Many thanks to Kimi Cunningham Grant, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this just published book. Readers can expect to be “reeled in” to this read.

If you enjoy descriptions this book is for you. I was completely transported to Idaho's endless wilderness. I could envision the osprey diving after the darting fish, I could see the rugged mountains in the distance, quickly disappearing before my eyes as wildfire smoke blows in. The startling blue water, the icy chill as I dove in, washing the sweat and grim from my body after a day of hiking. I was in my element, it made me turn the pages faster, and had me on the edge of my seat as I watched the phenomenally written characters before my run through my mind like a movie.

Emlyn has always been a bit hard on herself. She sees herself as the mousy friend, the person no one sees. This all changes in college when the rich, always changing gecko, known as Janessa, comes crashing into her life. Janessa gently pulls Emlyn out of her shell. Instead of the library, she is out at bars, she is going to fancy parties, and trying new things. She meets a man that makes her want to fly. Tyler is suddenly her everything. Janessa tries to warn her, but she must be jealous. As the years progress and Janessa disappears from both of their lives. This all changes when Tyler leaves Emlyn in a horrible predicament. Janessa saves her life once again and Emlyn has completely blocked Tyler from her life. Until she sees on the news that Janessa is missing. Tyler comes roaring back. They need to find out the reasons why Janessa has disappeared. Leaving the two of them to head back into the wilderness.

I completely devoured this book. Grant captured my attention by the first chapter, and I had a tough time putting the book down until it was finished. Watching Emlyn try to get on with her life and slipping back into her old feelings. Trying to trust again and still listening to your instincts. Making the right choices when your mind is screaming for something else. Thank you to Kimi Cunningham Grant and Minotaur Books for my gifted finished copy.

The Nature of Disappearing follows Emlyn, a wilderness guide in Idaho, who finds herself searching for a missing friend from her past. The novel goes back and forth in time and reveals more information on her friend and her former love, who helps her on her journey into the back country. I enjoyed the adventure and suspense of this book and could easily picture the setting. I especially loved her last book so I was excited to read this one too. Thank you to Minotaur Books and to NetGalley for an advance copy.

Emlyn doesn’t allow herself to think of her past. Three years ago, Emlyn was left for dead on the side of the road by the person she loved, Tyler. She left her best friend, Janessa and her home in the Midwest, and has moved to the beautiful wilderness of Idaho. She works as a fishing and hunting guide there. Emlyn lives in her trailer and is finally happy. Until Tyler shows up and tells Emlyn that Janessa is thought to be missing.

Janessa is a social media influencer now with her survivalist boyfriend. They document their travels with the #vanlife adventures. When Janessa has not posted in sometime, and her location pings from a different location then her post caption says, things become suspicious. Even though Emlyn and Janessa have not talked in sometime, Emlyn feels the need to go to her friends aid.

When Emlyn and Tyler get back to the Midwest, they begin their search for Janessa. Emlyn knows she might be the one of the only people with the knowledge and tracking skills to save her friend, so she reluctantly teams up with Tyler. As the two trace Janessa’s path through miles of wild country, Emlyn can’t deny there’s still chemistry crackling between them. But the deeper they press into the wilderness, the more she begins to suspect that a darker truth lies in the woods, and that Janessa isn’t the only one in danger.

The author is a very talented writer. I did love the author's descriptive writing of the wilderness and animals in the woods. I have read These Silent Woods by this author as well. For me, overall this was a very slow burn and a bit disappointing. I was patiently waiting for the suspense to sneak up on me, and it really never did. It somewhat picked up around the end, but I was expecting so much more.