Kimi Cunningham Grant, the author of These Silent Woods, is back with a thrilling new tale, THE NATURE OF DISAPPEARING. This captivating mystery suspense novel follows a wilderness guide who is forced to confront her complex past when someone close to her goes missing.

About...

Emlyn lives alone in an Airstream trailer. She is a fishing and hunting guide in Idaho's wilderness, with endless forests and scenic rivers. Her life is simple, and she likes to keep it that way after her traumatic past. Her closest friends are the Forest Service ranger, Varden, and Reverend, who took her in when she was at her lowest.

But does she dare get close to anyone again? Can she ever trust again?

Emlyn and her best friend, Janessa, barely communicate anymore due to their past. Tyler left her in the woods for dead three years earlier.

Her past returns to the surface when Tyler shows up with the news that Janessa is missing. Janessa has become a social media star documenting her #vanlife adventures with her survivalist boyfriend, Bush. But she hasn't posted lately, and when she does, it's from a completely different location than where her caption claims to be.

Emlyn, realizing her unique tracking skills may be the key to finding her friend, reluctantly joins forces with Tyler. As they delve deeper into the woods, a sense of unease grows, hinting at a more sinister presence lurking in the shadows.

My Thoughts...

THE NATURE OF DISAPPEARING is a masterfully crafted mystery that keeps you guessing. It features vivid descriptions of the wilderness, and the setting is atmospheric. From survival, adventure, and overcoming one's past. The slow burn builds tension, and the character-driven plot reveals the complex dynamics of past relationships. This book will stay with you long after you've turned the last page.

From past to present, there are secrets, lies, betrayal, and a web of deceit. From highly emotional topics of trauma, toxic relationships, abuse, drugs, social media, and addiction. Also, there is love, hope, self-discovery, identity, and second chances.

I enjoyed Emlyn's character and the lovely metaphors for the beauty, spirituality, challenges, and dangers of the wilderness, much like the characters who are in a wilderness and need to be uplifted and gain confidence. As usual, the author's writing is lyrical and evocative. Compelling, moving, and thought-provoking.

I loved the author's notes: "Wilderness is not the destination. It's not the final chapter. Your story goes on."

Audiobook...

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Emily Pike Stewart, delivering an outstanding performance and making the characters come alive.

Recs...

Fans of the author and those of Laura McHugh, Heather Gudenkauf, William Kent Krueger, Nicole Baart, Catherine Ryan Hyde, Allen Eskens, and Melissa Payne.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio, #MacAudio2024, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for a gifted ARC and ALC for an honest opinion.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: June 18, 2024
My Rating: 4 Stars
June 2024 Must-Read Books
June Newsletter

A solid read. I really enjoyed the author's descriptions of nature and of the wilderness and the story was entertaining, although I didn't really connect with the characters.

I have previously read a book from Grant that was also set in a remote, wilderness location. She writes this setting so well that it becomes another character. In this story, Emlyn is our protagonist who has had a a difficult time with her ex-BF. She was on a camping trip with Tyler and while she is fishing, he goes to pick up food and doesn't return. She is outdoors in the cold and a winter storm rolls in. She awakens in the home of local people who rescued her from certain hypothermia and death. Several years pass and Tyler is back. Their mutual best friend, Janessa, has gone missing while on a #vanlife trek with her latest BF, Bush. They were on a schedule and due to post when she fails to turn up. Despite their history, Tyler and Emlyn decide to venture into the last place the van was seen and try to find her.
This is a story filled with thriller elements as well as a romantic plot. I enjoyed this book and would recommend as a fun summer read. It would be especially fun if you are going camping or to a lakeside cabin. This would give great vibes when reading this story.

#TheNatureofDisappearing #NetGalley #StMartinsPress #Minotaur

This book grew on me as I read it. Admittedly, I am not very interested in hiking/nature and I did not connect with the characters at all. However, the author did such a good job weaving in the mystery and story that I did become hooked!

I was immediately pulled in and gripped by this book. The story revolves around the search for a missing friend in the wilderness. The characters were wonderfully done and this setting is a character in and of itself. The atmosphere is intense! The past and present POVs really kept the momentum going throughout the book.

The story revolves around three characters - Emlyn, Janessa, and Tyler - who have a complicated history. When one goes missing in the wilderness, the other two must set aside their differences to find the missing person before time runs out.

If a setting ever felt like a character, Kimi Cunningham Grant nails it here. The wilderness looms large in The Nature of Disappearing. At times, it almost feels like a villain with its harsh unpredictability and unforgiving terrain. The writing emphasizes the vastness of the wildness that triggers a sense of loneliness and abandonment.

KCG's descriptions of the wilderness serve as a powerful metaphor for our main MC, Emlyn. At her core, Emlyn is lost in her own personal “wilderness.” She struggles with self-worth due to abandonment issues. I enjoyed watching her character grow as she applies her expert survivalist skills in nature to her personal journey. I added the audiobook while reading the physical. Emily Pike Stewart's narration really brings Emlyn and her journey to life.

The mystery of the missing person completely hooked me! The short, gripping chapters made it impossible for me to stop reading. I kept saying, 'Just one more.' I had so many theories, but then an unexpected twist completely threw me! I’m still undecided if I liked the twist or not. Regardless, I had a fun time discussing the book and the twist with my buddy readers

The Nature of Disappearing immediately evoked a summer atmosphere with its vivid scenes of camping and hiking, making the wilderness setting one of my favorite parts of the story. I also like the portrayal of the female characters, Emlyn and Janessa, and how their contrasting personalities complemented each other. Additionally, while flashbacks can be hit or miss for me, I found them effectively utilized in this novel, enhancing the suspense. Finally, the ending was ultimately satisfying and left me with a sense of hope.

However, my enjoyment was tempered by a few issues, primarily centered around the major twist. The action didn't unfold until well past the halfway point, and when the big reveal finally came, it felt disappointingly anticlimactic and left numerous unresolved plot holes. This left me feeling dissatisfied as a reader.

In conclusion, if you appreciate narratives featuring nature and strong female characters, this book is worth exploring.

This is an atmospheric, slow burn, character driven, mystery. When Emlyn’s best friend goes missing, she teams up with her estranged ex to track her through the wilderness. The story alternates between present day and the past to delve into the relationships of Emlyn, her best friend, and the ex-boyfriend.

I enjoyed the wilderness setting and was invested in the strength and resilience of Emlyn. I also loved the supporting characters of Janessa, Varden, and Rev. Some parts of the story did read YA to me. This is not a thriller and readers expecting a more plot driven novel will be disappointed. It was more of a quiet reflective character driven novel but also had enough of a plot and mystery to keep me engaged the entire novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur books for an advanced reader copy.

This new release was a perfect second read of this authors after reading These Silent Woods and loving it! Definitely becoming a favorite author. The picturesque setting, tension and storytelling writing was exactly what I needed and I couldn’t put this down!

Short synopsis: When Emlyn’s best friend (traveling influencer) Janessa disappears, she buddies up with her ex boyfriend Tyler to search for her in the Idaho wilderness.

My thoughts:

The beginning hooked my attention immediately, the setting in Idaho was fun, unique since not many books are set there.
I thought Emlyn’s obscure occupation was a fun addition to the story. Definitely made the book somewhat more exciting. I also loved the atmosphere and deep rooted friendships.

This was the slooooowest of slow burns. The middle drug on and the ending came a little too quickly. I was hoping for some big BAM moment at the end and it just didn’t happen.

I enjoyed this book and related to Emyln's through her experience being in a gut wrenching relationship with an addict. I think if I read this a few year's ago, that would have been triggering. So for anyone that's either an addict or has suffered through a relationship with one, know that subject matter might hit close to home. Thankfully I've healed through that heartache, but I appreciate the way the author went about this subject and felt it was done realistically and with care. It was almost a bit too real at times, but it was necessary to the story and didn't feel like it was added in to be dramatic.

I also enjoyed learning different wilderness terms, fishing, hiking and survival skills. For example, I didn't know what glassing meant and I like when I'm gaining real life knowledge along with a story. It didn't feel like too much, it was just right.

We also learn the struggles and impacts of a broken friendship and what you'll do for them when they might need you the most.

This book is in the POV of Emyln in present and past tense. The story picks up around 50-60% in, but felt slow to relate to in the beginning. I liked the ending and how far Emyln has come. The relationships felt like they ended off in a way I felt Emyln deserved.

Thank you Netgalley for an arc copy, all opinions are my own.

Kimi Cunningham Grant's The Nature of Disappearing is a captivating novel that intertwines suspense, emotion, and the beauty of Idaho's wilderness. The story follows Emlyn, a woman who has distanced herself from a painful past, living a solitary life as a fishing and hunting guide. Her fragile peace is shattered when Tyler, her former lover, returns with news that her estranged best friend, Janessa, has gone missing. As Emlyn and Tyler delve into the wild to uncover the truth behind Janessa's disappearance, they confront their unresolved feelings and the shadows of their past. Grant's vivid descriptions of the rugged landscape and her nuanced exploration of trauma and healing create a rich, immersive experience. This novel is a powerful meditation on starting over and the inescapable pull of the past, making it a must-read for fans of suspenseful and emotionally charged fiction.

I always love an isolated setting in my thrillers-and Grant delivers just that with this enthralling, gripping, suspenseful thriller set in the wilderness. Once again, Grant did not disappoint with her new thriller-I was hooked!

I didn’t love Grant’s last book but the plot for this one drew me in and I’m glad I read it! She did a great job of building the suspense with present day and past events intermixed to give the reader a better understanding of the dynamics of the relationships. The ending was a bit anticlimactic, but it was great overall!

This novel is for lovers of fantastic nature descriptions and a good slow burn novel. It was a bit more of a slow burn read than I expected, which made it fall flat for me. However, if you go into the read knowing the plot is on the slower side and that appeals to you, I think this could be a great hit! The story itself was intriguing and I grew to care about the characters and want to know how things would end up.

The Nature of Disappearing by Kimi Cunningham Grant was a bit of a disappointment to me after reading and enjoying These Silent Woods, this author's previous novel. I was expecting more twists and turns, but I did appreciate the Idaho setting and the wilderness aspect.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This story is my first from this author and I was excited to read this book.

The author evokes beautiful imagery of the wilderness of Idaho which was my favorite part of the book. Hearing about all the wildlife Emelyn was encountering and the tranquility she experienced in her AirStream made me envious of being out there with her. Emelyn's character endeared to me deeply. She is the first character in a long time that I wished I could reach through the pages and hug and comfort her.

This story is told with a dual timeline, where we see the present day and the past: how Emelyn and Janessa first met, and how their friendship unfolds from there. We also see Emelyn's life with Tyler and how their relationship progressed. I didn't mind the dual timeline, but it continues throughout the book, and I either wished it hadn't, or I wished that they were portrayed more as Emelyn's memories and her noticing things about the memory that now stand out to her years later.

This book is more of a slow burn, with the bulk of the action at the end. The twist of the story was somewhat anticlimactic for me. Because the book is building up gradually, I expected something more dramatic at the end.

If you enjoy "light" thrillers/mysteries, you will enjoy this book. There isn't much gore or blood, and nothing that I found to be scary or really "evil" like you see in some other thrillers. The book itself is beautifully written and if you have a love for the outdoors, this book will be right up your alley.

The Nature of Disappearing by Kimi Cunningham Grant is an extremely atmospheric story that takes you outdoors into the wilderness of Idaho. It has a mystery element to the plotline with stunning locales.

Emlyn is an excellent guide and tracker. She has a past that she doesn't want to visit, but at the same time, she can not forget. Emlyn is trying to reconnect with her best friend Janessa, and one day, she sees on the news that Janessa has gone missing. In the search of her best friend, Emlyn has to find her strength to revisit her past.

The chapters are told in alternating between the present and the past so the reader gets a good idea of what is going on without confusion. The setting is so beautiful, and the writing is so good that I was transported into that place with Emlyn. The book is fast-paced, and I enjoyed the story. The characters not so much, and when the mystery is revealed, it's a flat one. Honestly, though, I didn't mind it a bit due to the way the author took us to that mystery.

Thank you, Minotaur Books and Netgalley, for this book.

CW: Addiction, abandonment, drug use, animal cruelty (hunting)

Happy Publication Day!

<b>TW/CW: Language, anxiety, sexual assault (attempt), cancer (mention), cheating, divorce, depression, drinking, bullying, toxic relationships, drug addiction</b>

<b><big>*****SPOILERS*****</b></big>
<b>About the book:</b>
Emlyn doesn’t let herself think about the past.

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

Her new life is simple and safe. She works as a fishing and hunting guide, spending her days in Idaho’s endless woods and scenic rivers. She lives alone in her Airstream trailer, her closest friends a handsome and kind Forest Service ranger and the community’s makeshift reverend, 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, it turns out, has become a social media star, documenting her #vanlife adventures with her rugged survivalist boyfriend. But she hasn’t posted lately, and when she does, it’s from a completely different location than where her caption claims to be. In spite of their fractured history, Emlyn knows she might be the only one 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.
<b>Release Date:</b> June 18th, 2024
<b>Genre:</b> Thriller
<b>Pages:</b> 304
<b>Rating:</b> ⭐

<b>What I Liked:</b>
1. Enjoyed the writing style
2. Liked the friendship between Emlyn and Janessa

<b>What I Didn't Like:</b>
1. Why are there so many weird names
2. Emlyn being "not like other girls"
3. Toxic relationships with toxic men
4. Book just being romance
5. Terrible ending
6. Not a thriller

<b>Overall Thoughts:</b>
<b><i><small>{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}</small></i></b>

Okay so we have a toxic ex-boyfriend that left her in the woods who had a drinking and possible drug addiction. So she has to reconnect with him to find out what happened to Janessa. I am really hoping this doesn't turn in the same vein as silent in the woods, because I absolutely despise that book. Honestly I'm worried that this author promotes unhealthy relationships with toxic male characters. This whole time Emlyn is just pining over him and talking about how much she misses him despite what he put her through. Does every thriller <i>need</i> a romance?

Love that Emlyn is given pain medicine aka Oxys but Janessa takes them away from her because it takes the pain away too much. What kind of friend would do that? So what that her appendix is bad and she's supposed to have Tylenol? Nah dude they gave her pain medicine because it's painful.

Waiting for some mystery other than a missing person because that's every thriller. Luckily Tyler and Emlyn are a short distance from where Janessa says she was at.

Tyler holding onto Emlyn's hand despite her not wanting to hold his. Gag!

It's pretty exciting that the thing that bothered Emlyn is that Tyler left her in the woods and here we are so happy to go in the woods again. What are the chances? I keep thinking it's Tyler that did this. What if Janessa isn't even in danger and Tyler's just trying to get her alone? Unless unless Janessa was cheating on Bush and Bush found out and killed her.

Is it ever explained to us how Emlyn knows about cars? She doesn't even have a car. She's just able to help Tyler on the side of the road by knowing what's wrong with his car in like 5 seconds. It could have been anything that went wrong but she just knows it's the starter solenoid.

So Janessa would not give Tyler Emlyn's phone number and Emlyn does not think this is weird but not weird like something could be wrong with Tyler, but that Janessa is being too protective. So she gets in his car on the side of the road after meeting him one time. Again her best friend whom she trusts her opinion of would not give this man her number, but she gets in a vehicle with him in the middle of nowhere.

Thank God Tyler gets the chance to show Emlyn what a good guy he is by giving the homeless man a sandwich.

Speaking of Evelyn I don't really understand how she got into tracking. During the whole time she's in school she never mentions that she's interested in going to the mountains and doing anything with that. It's only when she follows Janessa out into the mountains and stays with her family that she seems to take on that role.

Why is it that Tyler has this whole business that deals with like climbing and camping and mounting stuff and he doesn't even know anything about anything? He's the most brainless character. His lack of knowledge is just so Emlyn could show how much more knowledgeable she is. I am finding this absolutely annoying.

You see this is what women are like Janessa actually gives her a warning and tells her he's no good but does Emlyn believe her? No, Emlyn just thinks that Janessa is being jealous. Janessa has known this person since she was a child so she would know if he was no good. But Emlyn seems to think that Janessa is saying that Emlyn is no good she isn't as good as Tyler. It's also ridiculous. Like listen to your friend. She's never reacted like this before when Emlyn has been interested in someone so why would she get this heated and emotional if something wasn't wrong. Emlyn even points out all the nice things that Janessa has done for her and how she's been a great friend to her, but then she thinks that all this stuff was just ways to trap her. God. Yeah I'd be real mad too if my rich friend bought me stuff and let me go on ski trips. All because she says I can't date this one person suddenly I want to throw away my whole entire friendship with this person.

Of course we hear about how great Emlyn is that when she was training for being a mountaineer they plopped her in the middle of the mountain and she was the first one to return. She's just that great. Honestly Janessa saying that Emlyn has self-esteem and I'm over here shaking my head thinking there's no way. She's always talking about how good she is at things.

There is zero way that Tyler is not behind this. He made sure that she came along and even knows that she didn't get a chance to tell anyone where she was going. And then she left it in his hands to radio it in that they were going out into the mountains but she doesn't know if he really did that. Then we come around this weird scene of animals suffering and dying off and she suddenly thinks that it's Bush but like what about that weird guy that walked by too telling them to not go that way.

What does 23 year old Emlyn do for a living? It just seems like she's just hanging out with zero worries of money or anything she has to do.

Cool so we're in conversation number 900 when Tyler talks to her about why he left and what happened. We get it we do not need to have this conversation over and over and over again. This feels like it's not even a mystery. Do they even care about finding this person? I feel like they spend more time just talking about their past relationship than actually being worried about where the hell this girl is. You would actually think that this mystery of Janessa missing doesn't matter. 200 pages in and all we know is that Tyler is still in love with her and they have kissed. We have only 100 pages to find out about Janessa and if she is okay.

We find out that Tyler actually had an oxycodone addiction so I'm assuming that's why Janessa freaked out on Emlyn for having them when her appendix ruptured. Oh and Emlyn blames herself for giving Tyler Oxy pills while they were hiking and hurt his leg. That caused him to spiral into his addiction and leave her at the end. Not sure that she should blame herself for any of that considering he never told her that he had an addiction problem.

So this storyline was completely pointless. With 80 pages left Janessa is perfectly fine and she just wanted to be left alone for a little bit and in typical rich person way just decided she didn't need to let anyone know this - but wait is Bush really holding her hostage she gives Emlyn the hair sign that she's not safe.

So the plot twist is Bush is a drug dealer who is running drugs and Janessa found out. She wanted to take Bush down (not sure why it had to happen in the woods where he has an advantage). Janessa has an agent that's out there right now but was willing to risk her putting her life in danger to get this man. Not only that but Bush has also blasted his face all over social media all while being a drug dealer and he doesn't care? Like he didn't want to stay in the shadows and remain a mystery? Bush even has his own YouTube. And and Tyler thought it would be a wonderful idea to drag Emlyn out into this even when he knew what has happening, because Janessa sent him a message about it. Proving again how much of a piece of crap Tyler is to Emlyn.

Even worse now we learned that Tyler actually left her in the middle of the Woods in a middle of a snowstorm with no water. Not sure why she couldn't just wait for the snow to accumulate and then melt the snow to drink but I digress. After learning this I'm even more mad that she kissed him in the woods and was willing to give him another chance. Wtf. Someone leaves me to die in the woods I would not be giving them another chance.

Tyler's working with Bush. Janessa mentions that Bush was working with a partner, but Tyler mentions he knew Bush from before.

Bush is the person who gave Tyler his first drugs in high school. Janessa sets out to date him years and years later randomly to catch him. Now I'm just convinced that Tyler and Janessa are actually in love with each other because the extent and levels they'll go for one another is like two lovers. She's willing to risk her life to bring down the man that started Tyler on his drug addiction and he's willing to drag Emlyn into this to save Janessa.

Skimmed the last 30 pages because I stopped caring and just needed it to end.

Emlyn biggest thing is that Janessa is always telling her what to do and how to live, but if you read the story then you'll notice that Emlyn has never taken care of herself. She always just does whatever someone wants. She after she lives Janessa she then does whatever Tyler wants. After Tyler she does what Rev wants for staying in town.

It's mentioned Amish romances - which in my profile is what I refuse to read.

Where is the danger? Bush poisons them but not enough to kill them. He leaves them alive in the woods and let's them live. He doesn't come back for them at all.

She brought hairspray while hiking?

Good coming off that traumatic experience with Tyler Emlyn then briskly enters into a relationship with Barden. And they live happily ever after. Gag. Thank good none of that messed with her. Love that this author just always has random convenient relationships lined up.

<b>Final Thoughts:</b>
Emlyn is like a Swiss army knife. She just has endless talents and knows everything
• Fixes cars
• Expert mountain tracker
• Expert fisher
• Amazing at vocabulary (she used to read a dictionary)

This book feels more like a romance than an actual mystery. All you do is get endless conversation on why Tyler left emlin and it all feels so repetitive

This is the second time this author has written a book that I have read where the female character falls in love with a very toxic and dangerous man and it's romanticized that a woman should just forgive the man for these indiscretions. I don't believe toxic relationships between a man or a woman or a woman and a man should be romanticized. It's disgusting. I don't think it's hot that Tyler left her out in the woods to die and their attraction was so hot that she had touch him and kiss him and even still had feelings for him.

It's weird I ended up not liking this book at all but when I was first reading this book I was really enjoying where we were going and learning about the character, I loved the friendship between Emlyn and Janessa. It was sweet how her friend was there to always support her help her. She treated her like a sister, but all that is ripped away when Emlyn meets a man and you would think she's never seen a penis the way she reacts to her friend.

In conclusion I don't believe this author is the one for me and this will be the last book I read by her.

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/horrorghoulreads/"><b>IG</a>|<a href="https://bookwordreview.wordpress.com/"><b>Blog</b></a>

<b><small>Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This one had such a beautiful setting and description but ultimately I could not connect with the main characters. I felt like the plot was explained rather than revealed to us .