Emlyn has left her painful past behind and is starting anew as a mountain guide in Idaho. Her tentative peace is broken by a visit from her ex-boyfriend who needs help finding their missing mutual friend.

I really enjoyed this book! It’s a great story with just the right amount of mystery and suspense for me. (Maybe not enough if you’re a hard-core thriller reader though.) I liked Emlyn and was rooting for her to find her way back to happiness. The dual timeline worked well and the pacing was great. I would have liked to get to know present-day Emlyn better though. More detail about her and her new life would have added more depth, in my opinion. I also would have liked an epilogue.

You may know this author from her previous book, These Silent Woods, which was very popular on bookstagram. I liked this one even better! I look forward to more books from this author. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this story.

Along the same vein of These Silent Woods, but slightly more slow moving. Loved the descriptions of nature and the suspense that carries throughout the story. Not quite as good as her previous work, but still worth the read!

The first half of this book hooked me. I enjoyed the writing, learning about some of the outdoorsy Idaho lifestyle. I was excited about where this thriller was going. Then it felt like it slowed down to a halt and wrapped up in a disappointing ending that seemed really farfetched.

I loved These Silent Woods, and for the most part I just liked The Nature of Disappearing by Kimi Cunningham Grant. For a book marketed as a suspense thriller, it was very slow moving and by the time it got where it was going it felt too late. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC.

I loved the author's last novel (These Silent Woods) and was so excited to receive an ARC from NetGalley and Minotaur Books. This was a beautifully written exploration of friendship, loss, and what it means to truly move forward from a past that anchors you but also threatens to drown you. There is a mystery at the heart of this story, but it's primarily a character study. The setting and the author's knowledge of the outdoors added to the richness of the reading experience, and the conclusion was satisfying and ultimately hopeful. I will gladly read anything else this author writes, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to read this early in exchange for my honest review.

Another captivating read by Kimi Cunningham Grant! I loved These Silent Woods so I was excited to pick this one up asap and it did not disappoint! Great setting, great characters, great story, great writing. I devoured this in one day. This author is definitely on my auto-buy list.
4.5* Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early copy for review.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of The Nature of Disappearing by Kimi Cunningham Grant for an honest review due to be published June 18, 2024.
Emlyn and Janessa were once best friends, and Tyler was the love of her life. Now she lives in in Airstream trailer with her new friends Rev and Varden. When Janessa, a social media star, goes missing with her traveling companion, Bush, Tyler and Emlyn team up to find them both. Are they in trouble or trying to hide?
I absolutely loved These Silent Woods so I was excited to get this one! It did not disappoint.
I finished it in one day - it was that good. Emlyn and Tyler’s trek through the woods was filled with suspense that kept me entertained. There were lots of twists and turns and secrets that everyone held. The author’s descriptions had me picturing the wilderness and all its beauty – her descriptions are on point.
Looking forward to another one of her books!
#NetGalley #KimiCunninghamGrant #StMartinsPress #TheNatureofDisappearing

For me going into this book I had my expectations set extremely high because of how much I loved “These Silent Woods” and that is a fault of my own. This author is extremely talented and has an ability to transport you into the environment and elements the book has taken place.
We meet Emily, who is transformed her life into a place and career that brings her peace, which is all something we crave. She was devastated by her past relationship with Tyler, who she met through her friend, Janessa. Unfortunately the downfall ruined both relationships and set her on a new path. Her past has come back when Tyler resurfaces needing her help to find missing Janessa, who at this time has become big in the social media world….. haven’t we all been there when we should listen to our gut and say no, but can’t help the curiosity and need to find answers we may not need. This is told in different timelines (1. The current ongoings of Emily and Tyler and 2. The past relationships of Emily and Janessa and the introduction of Tyler into their relationship). This did give some insight, but not enough to hook me in.

Unfortunately I found this book to be very slow paced, I wasn’t fully invested in the characters and lacked a sense of connection, and was underwhelmed by the ending. As I stated my expectations were too high from the beginning. However I will never take away from this Author’s ability build the beautiful nature of this book’s setting and atmosphere. An added note do not skip the author’s note at the end because it does add insight I would have otherwise overlooked. I also want to add I am and will continue to be a fan of this Author’s books and will be ready when the next book comes out. This is one of those books that will be an absolute hit for some and a possible miss for others.
3.5
Thank you to the Author, Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur books for the ARC!

Read if you like:
- A wilderness setting
- Past and present chapters
- Camping and isolation

After a traumatic incident with her ex-boyfriend, Emlyn is rebuilding her life in the Idaho wilderness as a nature guide. Until her ex reaches out to her again with the news that their mutual friend Janessa and her boyfriend have gone missing from their camper van trip.

I was so excited to read Kimi Cunningham Grant’s latest novel after loving her last one, These Silent Woods. Similar to that one, The Nature of Disappearing does an amazing job with the setting descriptions and the suspense that comes with it. I enjoyed this story overall, it was a good mystery while being less intense than These Silent Woods (honestly I wouldn’t even classify this one as a thriller). I think I liked These Silent Woods better, but I still recommend this one!

Thank you for the ARC ebook!

Could not put this one down. From beginning to the very end I was captivated by the story. A story that was flowy and easy to understand.

This book takes everything you love about a classic, suspenseful, mystery read and absolutely takes it to the next level. It’s tense and edgy, but it’s also filled with so much depth, hope and inspiration. If you love books that cross genres, this is the book for you.. mystery, romance, woman’s fiction and coming of age, it has it all and they were done WELL.

And the setting!! You can tell this author spends a lot of time in nature and she has a deep understanding of it. Her writing paints a vivid and lifelike picture of not only the beauty of the wilderness, but the power and vastness of it too. I can’t say enough good things about this author’s ability to set a scene, and I felt the same way when reading These Silent Woods.

Lastly, the characters. Wow. This author has a way of adding so many layers and so much depth to her characters. They feel real and palpable, and the character development for Emlyn was phenomenal. While she wasn’t perfect, you couldn’t help but root for her, and it only made her feel more authentic and relatable.

I will absolutely be recommending this book, and I can't wait to see what this author writes in the future!

Emlyn works as a guide and lives in an Airstream camper in the Idaho wilderness. One day after fishing with a client on the river, she sees a story on CNN about an influencer who has gone missing and recognizes her oldest friend Janessa. In order to discover what happened to her Emlyn must team up with Tyler, her first love who abandoned her in the woods to die 3 years ago, and once again follow him into the forest.
This book takes place both in the present and in flashbacks of Emlyn’s life showing how her relationships with Janessa and Tyler evolved and how she ended up halfway across the country from where she grew up. The forest is full of not only natural dangers, but human ones as well. The journey is both a literal physical one through the woods and also an emotional one and Emlyn will need to discover an inner strength and resilience in order to survive.
#NetGalley. #TheNatureofDisappearing

Many thanks to Kimi Cunningham Grant, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The Nature of Disappearing. I couldn’t wait to read this book, as I loved These Silent Woods, and I was excited about a missing-person mystery set in Idaho. I was captivated by this book until around 2/3 of the way through, when things took a turn. No spoilers, but let’s just say that I found the explanation/resolution completely unbelievable on many levels. Even setting that aside, this novel just didn’t reasonate with me in the way that These Silent Woods did. Still, I will look forward to Grant’s next book.

Kimi Cunningham Grant's latest THE NATURE OF DISAPPEARING is set in the wilderness and will enamor readers who particularly enjoy outdoor settings. The author's most recent backlist THESE SILENT WOODS focused on a father/daughter relationship, and this novel features a somewhat estranged friendship dynamic.

Emlyn is a wilderness and flyfishing guide in Idaho working with Vander. She has led a mostly loner lifestyle and has problems relating to others, particularly her clients that she works with as a guide. She met her good friend Janessa in college, and Janessa was the stronger personality. Emlyn was taken under Janessa's wing. When Emlyn became attracted to Janessa's good guy friend Tyler, things between Emlyn and Janessa started to deteriorate because Janessa didn't want Emlyn to date Tyler. When Emlyn and Tyler proceeded to date, the friendship fractured and they lost connection.

It's several years later, and Janessa has disappeared along with her boyfriend Bush while they were exploring the national parks by camper van. Emlyn and Tyler are no longer dating, but they reconnect when Tyler gets concerned about Janessa's disappearance and needs assistance. Then they try to find missing Janessa and Bush. This novel has some threads that very much remind me of last year's HAVE YOU SEEN HER by Catherine McKenzie. I did end up enjoying this one a bit more than that one.

This novel is told in dual rotating timelines - 1) the current timeline as Emlyn and Tyler are trying to find Janessa and Bush and 2) the past timeline that follows Emlyn meeting Janessa and then Tyler and the evolution of the friendship with Janessa and the relationship with Tyler.

PROS
* Outdoor wilderness setting and strong nature writing
* Resiliency of character Emlyn
* More plot-driven than her last novel THESE SILENT WOODS

CONS
* Could have more suspense/tension
* Characters at arm's length

IMPORTANT TO KNOW
* Focuses on new adult friendship dynamics

While I didn't fall in love with this book like I did with the same author's THESE SILENT WOODS, I did find it very enjoyable and loved the setting and ambiance of the novel. If you have read Catherine McKenzie's HAVE YOU SEEN HER, then you might not want to read this one or at least give some time in between the two.

It was the book I never knew I needed so bad in my life until it popped up on my feed …

I am a sucker for anything Kimi Cunningham Grant. I mean let’s be real, I think we all are .

I read These Silent Woods a bit ago and it still haunts me . That book threw my world off kilter and had me sleeping with the light on for months . I loved it ! That’s the exact books I love to read ! I want my world shaken up, I want to be scared! Make me check under the bed before hopping in!

So, when I saw this pic pop up on my feed I nearly I fell over . I neeeeeded this book and there was no way I could wait until June.

So I begged. I pleaded. I hit the request button and prayed.

Well Lordy, Lordy and Hallelujah!!!! My bookish prayers were answered.

Oh heyyy cutie, come to mama!!!!

This book sure does deliver! Every expectation I set was exceeded. Gosh dang it, I sure do love Kimi Cunningham Grant!

Before I slip up and spoil the big twist, check out this teaser:

The Nature of Disappearing

In this captivating novel of suspense from the USA Today bestselling author of These Silent Woods, a wilderness guide must team up with the man who ruined her life years ago when the friend who introduced them goes missing.

Emlyn doesn't let herself think about the past.

How she and her best friend, Janessa, barely speak anymore. How Tyler, the love of her life, left her half dead on the side of the road three years ago.

Her new life is simple and safe. She lives alone in her Airstream trailer and works as a fishing and hunting guide in scenic Idaho. Her closest friends are the community's makeshift reverend and a handsome Forest Service ranger who took her in at her lowest.

But when Tyler shows up with the news that Janessa is missing, Emlyn is propelled back into the world she worked so hard to forget. Janessa has become a social media star, documenting her #vanlife adventures with her rugged boyfriend. She hasn't posted lately, though, and when Emlyn realizes the most recent photo doesn't match up with its caption, she reluctantly joins Tyler to find her old friend. As the two trace Janessa's path through miles of wild country, Emlyn can't deny the chemistry still 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.

Poignant, suspenseful, and unforgettable, Kimi Cunningham Grant's THE NATURE OF DISAPPEARING explores what it takes to start over―and the cost of letting the past pull you back in.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to receive an ARC for this incredible novel. I read "These Silent Wood" (Grant's most recent book) in 24 hours and this newest one was also finished in a day. This was an incredible book that I would recommend to anyone.

Grant's description of her characters is phenomenal and they truly come to life as I read. Emlyn is quiet, reserved, and lives mostly in her past. Janessa is outgoing and often bossy. Tyler is charming and appears kind.

The story focuses on the relationships between these three while also delving into the past to show how these characters evolved into their present state. Emlyn and Tyler set out to find Janessa after they are unable to reach her for over a week. The trip does not go according to plan and ultimately tests the bond these three share.

I do not have any background in the outdoors and was not initially sure if I would enjoy this book. However, Grant's writing kept me hooked and now I want to go outside and enjoy nature more.

I read an ARC of this book and unfortunately it just doesn't do it for me. The plot seemed unbelievable, I couldn't connect with the characters. Also, there was a substantial plot line involving finding God/Religion that is just not my thing. I wish I'd known about it going in. I did like the setting and some of the writing style, but overall, this book was not for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy.

It really pained me to only give this one three stars, especially after loving These Silent Woods. I think Grant is a very thorough writer. I definitely learned a lot about fly fishing and tracking and hiking. I liked her descriptions of all the places. I felt like I was there, in the woods, with them. The story of Janessa, Emlyn and Tyler was entertaining, until it wasn't. I hated their character development and wanted so much more for the three of them. The ending was really hard to believe, especially Janessa. She just all of a sudden became some secret agent ready to take down a kingpin? I wanted it to make sense. I wanted to like it, but it just fell so incredibly flat for me. It could have gone so many other ways and I wish it would have.

3 star

If you decide to read this one because you loved These Silent Woods, (my favorite suspense last year), you are going to be disappointed.

Janessa and her #vanlife partner go missing and her old friend Emlyn, with whom there was rife, is sought after by her ex boyfriend/Janessa’s childhood friend, with whom also there was rife, to try to locate Janessa.

I had a hard time contending the insecure Emlyn of the past with the now wizened survivalist, fisher, tracker Emlyn. The characters in general felt immature - perhaps because the past timeline is very prevalent and things that happened then largely play into the current timeline. I read this a few weeks ago and really only remember about Janessa that she was the prettier one with rich parents and made the decisions in her and Emlyn’s friendship. Unfortunately, the ending didn’t wow me enough to bump it to a four star.

I would recommend this for people who have not already fallen in love with the in depth character development from These Silent Woods and for those who like:
🎣 fishing
🏞️ a pretty Idaho setting
⏱️ alternating timelines for a quick read.

Thank you @minotaur_books for the eARC.

#netgalley to be published 6/18/2024
#aapiheritagemonth
#thriller

This is my 2nd book by KCG. When I saw there was a new book coming out by her I grabbed it without even looking at the blurb. Once again there is something mysterious going on but you don't know what or why. This book is more of a thriller type than "These Silent Woods". KCG is definitely an auto-buy for me!

I love the 2 timelines. And the yearly countdown for the backhistory one. It helps you put Emlyn's life choices into prospective. I have to assume that this author grew up hiking in the woods. Her descriptions make it so easy for me to picture the type of environment they are in. I am also a hiker. Not extreme, but I love the woods. I probably would have died out there both occasions in the book. Hahaha.

So this FMC was Emlyn. And I was concurrently listening another book with FMC Emmeline. 🤦 I kept thinking really? What happened to Emily? LOL. And I had to keep track of which one was in which book. It was almost jarring when I got back to this book and I saw Emlyn instead of Emmeline. It took my brain a little bit to shift gears. This was obviously NOT any fault of either of the authors. Just bad timing on my part. SMH.

#thenatureofdisappearing
#kimicunninghamgrant @kimicgrant
#stmartinspress #minotourbooks
#thriller
#bookstagram #bookreview #bookrecommendation #booknerdsbookreview