I enjoyed this one for the quick, mysterious read but it fell short of my expectations after loving These Silent Woods so much.

Emlyn, Janessa, and Tyler - a trio of friends thrust into chaos and fighting when Emlyn and Tyler decide to date each other. Prior to meeting Tyler, Emlyn and Janessa were inseparable, and the destruction of their friendship was painful for me because Kimi Cunningham Grant has a way with words and phrases that left me feeling raw, as if I was the one who had lost her best friend. Turns out Tyler couldn't stay with Emlyn and she finds herself alone and navigating life by herself. The story is told entirely from Emlyn's POV, and it jumps back and forth in time from the present to the past in a non-linear fashion. This left me feeling disjointed as my brain worked overtime trying to piece together her history with her boyfriend and former best friend. When Janessa turns up missing, Tyler re-emerges in Emlyn's life and convinces her to search for Janessa with him. What should have been an escalating tension read was broken up by trips into the past to help explain where and how they all ended up where they did. I liked the story, and I really liked Emlyn's character as I found her in the present day to be intelligent, of strong mind, and also intuitive, but the timeline jumping de-escalated the suspense for me.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

(Rounded up from 3.5 stars)

The friendship between Emlyn and Janessa was most surprising to me. I honestly kept waiting for Janessa to reveal that she had just been using Emlyn or viewed her as a project. To know that she sincerely cared about Emlyn was quite heartwarming. Tyler, on the other hand, I just wanted to punch. His actions are unbelievable, and they go to show that people really don't change. I loved the hint of a happily-ever-after at the end for Emlyn.

"The Nature of Disappearing" was an engrossing story that drew me right in.

Emlyn has worked hard to put her life back together and to feel safe, but that's come at a cost. When the best friend that she's drifted away from goes missing, she knows she has to go after Janessa, to make sure she's alright. But she also knows she can't do it alone. Tracking down Janessa will require her to team up with the man who broke her heart and left her for dead three years earlier; the man Janessa had warned her away from years earlier and the cause of her fall-out with her best friend.

As Emlyn fights her demons and leaves behind the peaceful life she's built for herself, it turns out that the path to finding Janessa will be even more fraught with danger than she realized at first. And the question becomes, does Janessa even want to be found and who can they trust when the dust settles again?

I highly enjoyed this book with its rich character development and intriguing storyline.

Thank you to Kimi Cunningham Grant, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

I was so excited to hear that Kimi was releasing a new book as THESE SILENT WOODS still lives on as one of my all-time favorite books. I’m happy to report that THE NATURE OF DISAPPEARING was wonderful! I love the way Kimi writes her characters and develops their relationships. Emlyn was such a great character and I loved following her along in the story, rooting for her the entire time. The best part about Kimi’s books is how beautifully she writes the settings. The woods and nature become a character all their own and it’s wonderful to read.

Let me say that when I saw she wrote another book I knew I had to read it. Her debut novel, In These Silent Woods was my favorite book of 2023! This book was slightly different but it was just as wonderfully written and made you feel like you were right there in the wilderness with the characters. I look forward to reading everything else she writes

"The Nature of Disappearing" by Kimi Cunningham Grant is a thriller that, while not entirely my usual genre, captivated me with its compelling storyline, rich character development, and atmospheric setting.

Set against a backdrop of intrigue and mystery, the novel unfolds as a slow burn, gradually revealing its secrets through a series of unexpected twists. The author skillfully weaves together multiple narratives, each contributing to the overall tension and sense of unease that permeates the story.

One of the novel's strengths lies in its well-crafted characters, each with their own complexities and motivations. As the plot unfolds, so too do the layers of each character, revealing deeper truths and unexpected connections that add depth to the narrative.

The atmosphere of the novel is another standout feature. Grant's descriptive prose brings the settings vividly to life, whether it's the eerie quiet of a small town or the haunting beauty of remote landscapes. This atmospheric quality enhances the suspense and keeps the reader engaged throughout.

While "The Nature of Disappearing" may not have been my typical choice of thriller, I found it to be a highly satisfying read. It blends elements of mystery and psychological suspense with a keen eye for human relationships and the intricacies of secrets. For anyone who enjoys a thought-provoking thriller with a slow-building intensity and unexpected twists, this novel is definitely worth picking up.

Overall, Kimi Cunningham Grant has delivered a gripping tale that lingers in the mind, offering both suspense and substance in equal measure.

3.5 stars, rounded up.
I did not get that ooomph for this novel like her debut (soph slump?)
It still had an excellent outdoor wilderness setting but to be perfectly honest, I skipped entire chapters and still it felt too long and dragged out. I wanted more mystery and less character background.

For the drama that was playing out in the backstory, it did not match the anticipation for the reveal towards the end. This does not mean I didn’t enjoy what I DID end up reading and the writing and atmospheric prose was on point — it was just too much of the wrong combinations of details for my taste.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Minotaur Books for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions below are my own.

I was late to The Silent Woods party but it was a five star read for me, so I had high hopes for this new book from KCG. In this one, we get a new story set in the wilderness. Emlyn is a nature guide who becomes embroiled in a hunt through the woods for her former friend Janessa who is an influencer. When she goes missing, Emlyn notices on a video of her a distress signal they used to use for one another. Even though their friendship is estranged she feels she needs to get involved and ends up working with her ex to track Janessa. We get chapters flipping back and forth between their present search and the timeline of their friendship slowly revealing what pulled them apart.

This was a like and not a love for me. It's definitely an atmospheric and more character driven story. Emlyn was quite likable but as is true in a lot of these modern thriller stories, literally no one else was. I started this one with the Netgalley copy but lost a little momentum switching over to an audio version and that helped me keep momentum up.

3.5/5 — This is my first time reading a book by this author and it was really well written, I would definitely pick up another book by her. I really appreciated her love of nature & the outdoors, it was apparent in her writing. I also enjoyed our main character and the parallels of being lost in the literal wilderness as well as emotional & personal wilderness and how to navigate those challenges.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc of this book. all opinions are my own.

This was interesting and kept my attention. I would recommend!

"This is the moment Emlyn will play over and over in her mind. The moment where her life swivels from its course and heads in an entirely different direction. Life is full of these moments. Little points like those connect-the-dots activities from grade school. Each speck building on the next to form the shape of a person's story."⁣
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Two for two. I loved These Silent Hills and I really enjoyed this one (even if I didn't love the ending).⁣
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I went in blind because of how much I enjoyed These Silent Hills and I think that led to the propulsiveness for me. The only thing I'd say is there is a person that goes missing...⁣
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Do you read full summaries for mystery/thrillers? I find they can give too much away so the most I'll read is the first, short paragraph of a summary.⁣
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Thank you @netgalley for this free copy in exchange for my honest opinion.⁣
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This was a good book, a little slow but well written. I would give this author another try on their next book

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for my gifted copy.

This author has become an auto-buy for me. I just get so consumed in her writing and characters, and I can't flip the pages fast enough. I definitely recommend this one!

I felt the ending was too rushed and became entirely too unbelievable. These two things really soured the rest of the book for me

There is no one better at setting an atmosphere scene like Kimi Cunningham Grant. Whether deep in the mountains of Appalachia or the wilderness of Idaho, nature and the wild itself are always a featured character, and one that adds a dark and moody vibe.

The story was told spanning multiple different time periods in the main character, Emlyn's life. Bits and pieces of her past were revealed gradually along with the present day perspective and the mysterious elements were enough to keep me hooked and turning pages,

While this one wasn’t quite what I was expecting following her knockout with These Silent Woods, I still enjoyed reading it,

Read if you like:
• atmospheric reads
• friendship drama
• wilderness setting
• true crime elements

I have always wanted to go on a white water rafting, hiking, out in the wilderness type trip so this was super intriguing to me. I feel like these kinds of out in nature settings lend themselves to thrillers so well. I really enjoyed the aspect of the main character being the wilderness guide and was kept on the edge of my seat the whole way throughout. I wasn't necessarily wow'ed but it was a good solid thriller.

I DEVOURED The Nature of Disappearing by @kimicgrant . Thank you, @williammorrowbooks , for my #gifted copy.

There are deeper darker topics explored here but it’s ultimately about survival in both a literal and figurative sense. How do we survive the wilderness but how do we survive the wilderness inside of ourselves? How do we overcome our pasts to change the path of our future?

I feel like I know these characters and I’m sad to see them go. I want to see what their futures hold but I’ll focus on the beautiful, hopeful ending. This book will stay with me for a very long time.

I absolutely love Kimi Cunningham Grant’s writing, and I loved this latest release from her! Such a powerful, atmospheric, tension-filled story about a woman who embarks on a journey with her Ex (who hurt her deeply) to find their friend believed to be in trouble in the wilderness. So powerful and captivating and a moving look at what it takes to fully trust the right people after the wrong ones hurt you. A beautiful look at healing with a mystery thrown in, so good!

The Nature of Disappearing by Kimi Cunningham Grant is a suspenseful novel. From the description, I expected an exciting novel. I really struggled to get into this novel because I just couldn’t connect with the characters or story. Overall, it was an okay novel. I’m received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.