Cooper and his young daughter Finch live off the grid in a cabin hidden in the forest. Their only neighbor is an eccentric man who goes by the name "Scotland" and his pet crow. Cooper has raised Finch in hiding since her infancy. She was taken from him and he took her back and after being in hiding for 8 years the one and only person Cooper trusts is late in arriving with supplies. This sets forth a chain reaction that leads to trepidation and occasionally panic, but also leads to giving yourself over to trust and gratitude.
This is a beautifully told story about the wonderful love between a father and a daughter, the importance of friendship and the ability to give and receive remarkable, astounding gifts and sacrifices from others. Finch is a gem of a child. What a pleasure it would be to know her.
#netgalley #TheseSilentWoods

LOOK. This book is good. I really enjoyed it. The writing is good. The story is good. The story of a father and a daughter and the lengths that a man will go to protect what he loves is good.

BUT. BUT.

When I looked at some of the other reviews....and they all talked about the twist.... I expected some Black Mirror/Twilight Zone level twist. I didn't expect some high horse, moral lesson. It's not that deep.

This is a story about a man, about a couple, about a dad. It's about war and the horrors of war. It's about a girl, and a man who loved her.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A beautifully written, moving story. Once I was about 15% in, I found myself completely absorbed and unable to put it down. Not so much a thriller as a a suspenseful, atmospheric piece of contemporary fiction. But I enjoyed it all the same.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for my ARC

WOW - I don't even know what to say. This book is fantastic. While a tiny part of this book is a thriller (and the title may lead you to believe that's all it is), what this novel is really about is the fierce love of a father for his daugher, and the lengths he has gone to keep them together and safe.

Cooper and Finch live in a cabin in the woods. By themselves, for 8 years at the opening of the story. They have a "neighbor" (it's never clear how close he lives), Scotland, who occassionally sneaks up on them. Cooper is distrustful, but his daugther Finch loves Scotland. Once a year, Cooper's best friend Jake (they served in Afghanistan together) brings thems supplies (they are living in Jake's cabin). Jake fails to arrive this year. Cooper takes risks to obtain food and supplies. Someone appears and something terrible happens in the woods. That's all I want to say so that I don't ruin the book.

The ending is both crushing and full of beauty. I'm still trying to stop my tears. Love knows no bounds. Grace is a thing of beauty.

"No electricity, no family, no connection to the outside world. For eight years, Cooper and his young daughter, Finch, have lived in isolation in a remote cabin in the northern Appalachian woods. And that's exactly the way Cooper wants it, because he's got a lot to hide. Finch has been raised on the books filling the cabin’s shelves and the beautiful but brutal code of life in the wilderness. But she’s starting to push back against the sheltered life Cooper has created for her—and he’s still haunted by the painful truth of what it took to get them there.

The only people who know they exist are a mysterious local hermit named Scotland, and Cooper's old friend, Jake, who visits each winter to bring them food and supplies. But this year, Jake doesn't show up, setting off an irreversible chain of events that reveals just how precarious their situation really is. Suddenly, the boundaries of their safe haven have blurred—and when a stranger wanders into their woods, Finch’s growing obsession with her could put them all in danger. After a shocking disappearance threatens to upend the only life Finch has ever known, Cooper is forced to decide whether to keep hiding—or finally face the sins of his past."

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press (Minotaur Books) for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have so many words swirling around in my head to define this beautifully written story of sacrifice, survival and second chances. Engaging and memorable characters with secrets to be revealed, a a magically descriptive atmosphere and an element of suspense. So pleased to have discovered this author.

Such a beautiful story. I was hooked from the first chapter and could not put this book down. Something about the writing style really worked for me and made it so easy to fly through this. I loved the father daughter relationship we got. This wasn't an in your face thriller, but more of a character-driven slow-building story with mystery elements. I loved each and every character and the relationships they had. The ending was so beautiful.

These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant

A father and daughter living,hiding out, inb the remote Appalachian Mts., trying to deal with the ghosts of their past.

This was a very emotional book. How’s Finch’s father was able to meet all her needs was just fantastic. They had a great relationship. Of course, he had some situations that had to be set right. I wasn’t crazy about the ending. It could have had more details about getting back in touch with the grandparents., but it was a good book.

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy for my review.

This story starts out with a very suspenseful, mysterious feel. A father and his daughter are living in a secluded area of woods with many secrets to hide. Finch (the daughter) is sensitive, and questions everything. She has become a natural nature girl. The father, Cooper has many secrets, he was a soldier and is now a single father. He feels that he has crossed all of the lines he can think of and there is no other way out. Why are they out in the woods? Supplies are brought to them once a year otherwise they live off the land. They have a creepy, stealthy neighbor that watches them and just shows up on their property. The storyline settles in and just when you think it is simple and you are enjoying the description of life for the father/daughter everything starts to shift. More and more information about the past is revealed. The author does an excellent job of slowly building and unfolding the plot and at one point it feels like a Hallmark movie (in a good way) but then there is a heart wrenching twist. I loved the characters and the beautiful, descriptive writing! A great storyline that packs a punch! Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book!

I’ve struggled for far too long trying to write this review. It feels impossible to convey how special this story is and how well developed the characters are who play their parts in it. But, hopefully, something in this review will touch you and cause you to give this book a try.

Though it starts as a slow burn, don’t mistake slow burn to mean slow and semi-boring. Not at all. It’s important for the reader to be able to visualize the area, which is off the grid, meaning living without modern conveniences. And the best way to demonstrate this is to get to know the main characters and how they handle daily life.

Grant’s descriptions are beautifully woven into the story. They were never noticeable and intrusive as some descriptions can feel. I can still visualize the setting constructed by beautiful writing and my imagination.

This story kept me squirming in my seat and wanting answers. Why were Dad and daughter isolating themselves from the world? What was so frightening about being discovered? Who is the creepy neighbor who tends to sneak up on the two?


The suspense and questions kept coming as I grew to love both daughter and Dad. Though this is listed on the publisher’s site as a thriller, for me, it felt more like suspenseful drama. And, really, the suspense wasn’t high, it was just a wanna-know-more and love for the characters.

My Concerns
Was the story 100 percent believable? Eh, maybe not, maybe it was. But when I'm reading something interesting that begins to transform into a technicolor experience with characters I love, who cares? I didn’t analyze the belief factor, but some might.

Final Thoughts
Even though I read this weeks and weeks ago, it’s still fresh in my mind. For me, that says a lot for a book and author.

You’ll definitely want to give this one a try.


My thanks to #minitourbooks for a gifted copy and the ability to post my personal thoughts regarding this book.

The Story: This story follows Cooper and his eight year old daughter Finch, who live completely off grid in a remote cabin deep in the Appalachian woods. The only people who knows they are there are his best friend, Jake and their mysterious neighbor, a local hermit named Scotland. One day, Finch stumbles upon a girl and her growing obsession with her, is putting Cooper and her life in danger.

My thoughts: I honestly do not know how to review this book. It was not what I expected at all but I ended up enjoying it so much! I loved the slow-burn pace, atmospheric writing, the suspense and the slow unraveling of the mystery in the end as to why they ended up in the woods.

This was a character-driven story and it was quite an emotional one for me. The father and daughter relationship was so endearing although it did not look seem like that in the beginning, This story reminds me so much of the book My Abandonment by Peter Rock which was inspired by a true story that happened in Portland.

In a nutshell, this was a beautifully written poignant survival story with a dash of mystery. This story touches my heart, breaks my heart and I absolutely loved it.


Pub. Date: Oct 26th, 2021


***Thank you St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for this gifted review copy to read and review. All opinions expressed are my own.***

I wanted so badly to love this book, the story of a mysterious fugitive Cooper and his daughter Finch, but it just did not hold my interest. I found the flashbacks to his life before and the mother of his daughter to be too jarring, and the story itself took too long to unspool with too little character buy in; by the time things actually started happening, I still didn't care about any of the main characters so it didn't matter.

Woah! Big thank you to Minotaur books and NetGalley for my chance to read this advanced copy.
I originally was drawn to this book because of the cover then I thought oh this looks like a good thriller. But it was so much more! Absolutely loved this story and look forward to many more by this new to me author!

This is a beautiful book. It took me on quite the emotional ride and I was left surprised with how impacted I was by the story. I think this is being marketed as a thriller and it is in the sense that you can see what is going to happen coming from a mile away and you are TENSE about it! Or, at least I was. I was so anxious about what felt like an inevitable end. In all other aspects however, this is not a thriller at all. It is not a scary read either despite the foreboding (albeit attractive) cover. This is father/daughter story and, at the end of the day, a fantastically written literary work.

Basically, do not go in this story expecting a fast-paced thriller but do go into this story expecting a character-driven and an emotional family story. I would be lying if I said I did not tear up a little bit reading this one. It got me. I have seen other reviews that have stated that these characters are going to stick with the reader for a little bit and I can absolutely echo that. This is the kind of story where the characters stick with you. It is not a read it and forget about it kind of book.

I think if you are looking for a slow-burn, emotionally driven story about a father and daughter facing challenging circumstances, this will resonate with you. If you love good isolated cabin tales, this is for you. Really, I think this is a book that deserves to be read and I cannot recommend highly enough. There was one thing that bothered me (can’t say – spoilers), but this overarching story is so impactful that I cannot give this any less than 5 shining stars!

“thing is, once you’ve done almost everything you ever said you wouldn’t do, you also lose your sense of assurance that you won’t do those things again.”

i’ve never had such a visceral reaction while reading. i audibly gasped and covered my mouth. and i sobbed.
this father-daughter duo were more than just characters in a book. i was transported to remote appalachia and followed their journey. i held my breath with them, i worried about them, i rooted for them. and i, too, give them grace.
5 brilliant stars.

cooper and finch live in seclusion because cooper has plenty to hide. he has raised finch in this sheltered way since she was a baby. it’s all she knows. but she is getting older, and starting to ask questions.
the only people who know they exist are another resident recluse named scotland and cooper’s buddy from the war, jake, who brings rations to the cabin in the woods. this year, jake doesn’t come, triggering a chain of events that jeopardize coop and finch’s safety, shelter, and survival.

for fans of:
-atmospheric suspense
-family survival
-heartbreak and compassion

I absolutely love when publishers just send you a book that wasn’t on your radar and it is one you end up loving!

@minotaurbooks sent me a copy of These Silent Woods along with a few goodies; a bird whistle, an amazing candle and matching matches! I waited for an overcast day to get in the right mindset and then I read 80% in one sitting!

Cooper and Finch are a father and young daughter who live off the grid. Only two people know where they are; an old army buddy of Cooper’s and a nosy neighbor, Scotland, who wanders their property, but also knows the truth of why they are hiding. Cooper has done some stuff he’s not proud of, but it was all in for the sake of Finch. He would do anything to protect his daughter.

This suspense novel is fascinating, although slow burning. The relationship between Cooper and Finch is so beautiful, they are more than parent and child, they are genuine friends! You forget she’s only 8 years old sometimes. Their trip to a Walmart was my favorite part of the novel.

Thank you so much to @minotaurbooks and @kimicgrant for this wonderful surprise gift! These Silent Woods is out on October 26, so preorder your copy today! This is a perfect fall/winter book.

3.5 stars

For eight years, Cooper and his daughter, Finch, have lived in isolation in a remote cabin in the northern Appalachian woods. Cooper has a lot to hide, and he tries to keep it all together while Finch starts to yearn for a different life. When Cooper's friend Jake, one of only two people who knows where they are, doesn't show up for a scheduled supply drop, it sets off an irreversible chain of events that reveals just how precarious their situation really is.

I absolutely loved the setting of this book. I loved the cabin-in-the-woods feel of isolation and sadness, as well as natural beauty and nature. The author did a good job of conveying suspense and dread, and it was great to read about the father-daughter relationship between Cooper and Finch. Cooper tried so hard to give FInch a good life and keep them safe at the same time. The other characters were really interesting and I was constantly questioning their motives. I wasn't sure how this was going to end, but I wasn't disappointed. I do think that this is slightly more slow than the average book marketed as thriller, but I still enjoyed it quite a bit!

Kimi Cunningham Grant does an amazing job creating the world that FInch and Cooper live in. Their lives in the woods are filled with everything they could possibly need. The way that the author peels back the layers bit by bit of what led Cooper to hide in the woods with his daughter is brilliant. I love the interactions with their "neighbor" Scotland. The only issue I had was the epilogue felt rushed. It felt odd. I would have preferred the epilogue to have been left off altogether. But it still is a great book. I would recommend this to people who love a slight mystery with their family life fiction.

This book has a little bit of everything: suspense, dread, hope, wholesomeness, humor, and even sadness. The imagery depicted in this book makes me feel right there in the woods and the connection I felt with the characters was profound. I loved how the storyline played out and while I wouldn’t call this a traditional thriller, the pace and layout of the story was done perfectly. The ending had me sobbing and I couldn’t put this one down!

This book fully immerses you into the Appalachian mountains and the story that ensues. The story of a father and daughter hiding in the mountains, hiding from their past, protecting what they hold dear. No one knows they are there except and odd neighbor who tends to watch and appear when not invited. Things change in the woods and events start to spiral to a point where decisions need to be made.

There are good reasons for them to be in the woods, and you slowly learn about their past and get to a point of understanding and a point of rallying for them. The writing in this book was beautiful and so easy to read. I can’t quite explain it—I was just captivated the whole time I read it.

On my top reads list for the year without a doubt!

Thank you to Net Galley, St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for the advanced e-reader copy in return for my review.

First of all, the writing is phenomenal! It was tense and atmospheric and pulled me right in from the first chapter. Characters were rich and well developed, and I felt like I was right there, totally stressed and holding my breath in some parts! The ending was so great and unexpected but absolutely perfect. Highly recommended especially if you like suspense.