I really enjoyed this book! A big draw for me was the setting as I love the outdoors and hiking. Many of us dream of traveling to and hiking in some of the world’s most beautiful spots. But, we also know the risks that exist with this hobby and these types of adventures. The second half of this book was a bit stronger and more engaging than the first half. I thought it came together really nicely at the end. I wasn’t a fan of either Emelyn or Janessa, but they each grew on me as the story developed. Thank you for this early copy!

ARC Review. 4 stars! This was a fast paced, easy to read, mystery. I loved the focus and commentary on nature. It was atmospheric and the mystery kept me intrigued.

I LOVED the atmosphere and description of the setting in this book. The characters were kinda "meh."

The whole book kinda led up to the main character pining for a guy and then we never really got his story just the ex-boyfriend that was a turds.

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

The Nature of Disappearing by Kimi Cunningham Grant is a suspense novel about coming to terms with the past (and present), loyalties and letting go. There are also glimpses of hope for the future.

Atmospheric wilderness settings grab me by the shoulders and yank me in. Set in Idaho, nature is both dangerous and rewarding. But then, so are humans. Wilderness guide Emlyn is more at ease with fish and animals than around her clients. Her home is a secluded camper trailer (a dream for many!). She doesn't miss much about her old life and her past. But on a news clip she discovers her former dearest friend Janessa is missing and her old instincts kick in. She and mutual friend Tyler seach for the influencer, combing through her posts and photographs and find discrepancies. Their search takes them on a wilderness jaunt.

Animals lurking in the darkness add to the danger element. What surprised me was the ending which had such scope to be incredibly powerful. The writing is gorgeous, smart and clean. I really like the variety of likeable and unlikeable characters. The author's inspiration is fabulous and I look forward to what she has planned next!

My sincere thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of engrossing novel.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

If you're looking for an atmospheric summer thriller, this is it! It has a slower start, but I enjoyed the setting and character relationships. The action didn't pick up until the back end of the story, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I was looking for an outdoor vibe, and that's definitely what I got.

This is the first book I've picked up from the author, so I didn't have much of an expectation going into it, and I may have been a bit easier to please. I'll definitely be checking out her other books after enjoying this!

And can we talk about the stunning cover that perfectly captures the vibe of the book?

What a great story of friendship, love, love lost, second chances, new love, and of course nature. I was captivated from the start with this one. The words, painting a story i felt like I was a part of. The characters, all so simply and beautifully human and relatable. I so wish this novel, just like her last, would just get picked up and turned into a movie i know i would love just as much.

THE NATURE OF DISAPPEARING centers around Emlyn who is a fishing and hunting guide in Idaho. Before that she was the child of a depressed mother and a father who disappeared from her life. And she was a poor college student who kept to herself for fear of being a person easy to leave behind.

She met Janessa as a college freshman when Janessa saved her from some overaggressive college boys at a local diner. The two become inseparable with Janessa as the charismatic leader and Emlyn the quiet follower. Emlyn is mostly content to let Janessa make her decisions for her.

At least she is until she meets Tyler, Janessa's childhood friend. Emlyn and Tyler become a couple but Tyler's addiction to drugs leads to their breakup which comes to a head when he leaves her for dead in the wilderness.

Rescued by a forest ranger and cared for by an older woman, Emlyn decides to leave her past behind and build a new life. She's doing well until a couple of years later when Tyler comes to find her because Janessa, who has become a social media darling, is missing in the wilderness.

Together the two of them head into the wilderness to try to find Janessa. Along the way, Emlyn learns things Tyler doesn't want her to know about himself. And she learns that she is much stronger and competent than she has ever thought she was.

There is a mystery here with moments of danger, but for me this was mostly Emlyn's story showing her growth and the changes she has gone through. Highly & enthusiastically recommend!

This was a nice descriptive book. It kinda made me want to go camping. The story weaves from past to present giving details about Emlyn’s and Tyler’s relationship. I liked Janessa and Emlyn, both strong women. I enjoyed the story, it was quite a page turner towards the end.

The Nature of Disappearing had an interesting storyline with a lot of potential. However, it was very slow moving with most of the action starting toward the last quarter of the book. Similar to how I felt about the storyline, the characters also had a lot of potential. Unfortunately, the characters building was lacking leading to difficulty connecting to and understanding the motives and choices of the central figures portrayed. Nevertheless, the book was well written, and I would certainly give this author another try.

Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Kimi Cunningham Grant for this free ARC digital copy.

I enjoyed this novel, it held my interest, it was interesting to go back and forth in the time periods, however it felt like the ending was rushed.

Another great read from the author of THESE SILENT WOODS!

This is a story about hurt and healing and trusting yourself and survival. The chapters alternate between present day and various flashbacks that help the reader understand the narrator, Emlyn. And I really wanted to give her a hug at times!! All of the characters are layered and realistic, and the setting is atmospheric. The tension is ratcheted up as our main character searches for her estranged friend, Janessa, after the latter goes radio silent on her camper van influencer socials. The fact that one wrong step in the remote wilderness areas could spell disaster for even an experienced hiker also adds to the tension. I found this book to be readable and compelling. Recommend to fans of stories set in national parks, told in dual timelines, and don’t mind themes of addiction and abandonment.

A big thanks to St Martin’s Books, Minotaur and NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for my honest review!

A wonderful thriller/mystery.
The story goes back and forth from the past to the present to explain where the MC is now and why.
I enjoyed the thrill of the hiking and wondering what was going to happen next.
The ending was so sweet I wanted more.

Although Emlyn remains guarded and isolative from experiencing past hurts, she has found a new group of friends and support in a small Idaho town. She may even be falling in love with the local forest ranger. But when she receives a call from her former best friend, Janessa and the call is dropped right before Janessa is about to tell her something important, Emlyn wants to find and reconnect with Janessa. Then Tyler, Emlyn’s former boyfriend and Janessa's best friend shows up to enlist Emlyn's help in finding Janessa, who has gone off the grid with her boyfriend, Bush. . Tyler and Emlyn determine that Janessa may be in danger and work together to find clues and track Janessa and Bush into the wilderness. But who is really in danger and will Emlyn and Tyler renew their romance while working together?
An enjoyable thriller with not a lot of mystery. The characters are too few to provide many unexpected twists although there are some surprises towards the end. The characters were fairly well developed and I did enjoy the way the author revealed more and more little tidbits about them as the story progressed. There was a little romance but not enough to ruin the thriller aspect. Overall, an enjoyable read.

The Nature of Disappearing
Written By Kimi Cunningham Grant
Published By St. Martin’s Press
Release Date June 18, 2024

This book was very captivating and edgy due to the authors skillful ability to write a book that switches between timelines. I have never heard of this author before and honestly am quite surprised. This fits right in with my favorites and I was hooked from page one. The story will intrigue you and keep you wanting more while you try to figure out the mystery. The character development also makes for a great read. I am definitely going to add Grant to my list of favorite authors.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and to Netgalley for providing me with an eArc to read in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

I have very mixed feelings on this one!! The story moved very slowly, with lots of timeline jumps to fill in the reader on past events in our main character’s life. I normally don’t mind a slow book or a dual timeline, but this one just felt very drawn out for the story being told.

The wilderness themes and descriptions were great though and are the reason I was interested in this book in the first place. Some of the trials and friendship drama between our main character and her best friend did feel very true to life and realistic. I just wish I felt more of a connection to the characters.

This is also being listed as a thriller and I don’t necessarily agree with that. We are looking for our main character’s friend after a strange phone call and they go radio silent, but this felt like it took a major backseat to the relationship drama and self exploration.

I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Having eagerly awaited the release of this book, I dove in with high expectations. The author's writing is, as always, skillful and engaging. The characters are well-developed, and the plot moves at a steady pace, keeping me interested from beginning to end.

However, I must admit that, compared to the author's previous work, I found myself longing for a deeper emotional connection. While the story was well-crafted, it didn't evoke the same level of emotional resonance for me as the last book did. The previous book left a lasting impression on my heart, whereas this one, though enjoyable, didn't quite touch me in the same way.

Overall, it’s a good read, and fans of the author will appreciate the familiar style and quality. I look forward to seeing where the author takes us next and hope for a return to the more emotive storytelling that I’ve come to love.

Emlyn, the protagonist, is a portrayal of a woman dealing with betrayal by the people she loves as she tries to move on. She’s humble yet courageous and resourceful. The forest is a character in and of itself, and where much of the plot is set. With limited characters in the book, the story is easy to follow and helps to give the adventurous plot a realistic feel.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions are my own.

These Silent Woods by this author is one of my all time favorite reads so I was thrilled when given an ARC of her new book and it definitely did not disappoint!!!

From the Authors note—- “I want readers to know, also, that when I wrote this book, I tried to build a character who was strong, resilient, and lovable, even though she didn’t see herself that way. I aspired to ferry the reader through mountains and valleys, fields and streams. I wanted them to experience both the beauty and unique challenges of a physical wilderness, but also the loneliness and mistress of a more metaphorical, spiritual wilderness. I wanted to craft a story that ultimately left readers—-especially readers who might be in a wilderness of their own—-feeling uplifted. Wilderness is not the destination. Your story goes on.”

She absolutely accomplished every word of that!! I was drawn into Emlyns story from the beginning and honestly did not want it to end. Having been through a wilderness of addiction with a family member, she weaves this perfectly into the story with such truth and real life for those who’ve experienced it.

Some have written Emlyn wasn’t relatable, honestly not sure of a written character that I’ve felt more relatable too.

Friendships, relationships, life that isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, real emotional and relatable experiences written exceptionally!!!

I plan to purchase the audio version when available as well, that was my favorite way to read These silent woods.

Highly recommend this read and if you haven’t read These Silent Woods, read it too!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. A

This book captures the reader right away - as the main character tries to figure out what happened to her friend. There is a great sense of place while the author creates tension between the characters.

I appreciated how the author switched between flashbacks and present day to provide the reader the background they needed. There was great character growth for the main character throughout the book. Forgiveness and found family are strong themes as well.

If you enjoy survival and wilderness books with a little bit of mystery, add this book to your TBR.

Thanks to @netgalley and @minotaur_books for providing the ARC.

#thenatureofdisappearing #kimicunninghamgrant #minotaurbooks

Having really liked These Silent Woods, I was thrilled to have been given an ALC of this book and was so excited to dive in. I’m all about a slow burn novel, however I found myself getting easily distracted and/or antsy for something to happen with this one. The author does a beautiful job with her descriptions of the setting, and the narrator did a great job bringing these characters to life, but it just wasn’t enough for me to look forward to picking it back up. Beware of quite a few trigger warnings. Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.