Kimi Grant is the queen of blending the vivid wilderness with mystery and intrigue.

Told in dual timelines, this story follows Emlyn as she confronts her difficult past when her former boyfriend asks her to help in the search for Janessa, her once closest friend.

While Grant’s previous novel, These Silent Woods (a fave), focused on the themes of family, here we had more of a coming of age story. This was like a character study of Emlyn and how her past relationships/friendships shaped her life into adulthood. I was engrossed in the mystery of Janessa’s disappearance, but I found myself lacking a connection with the main characters and their outcomes.

The highlight for me here was the atmospheric feel of the woods and Grant’s beautiful prose. The audio was also well done. I can’t wait to see what comes next!

⭐️ 4/5

I read Kimi Cunningham Grant's previous book, These Silent Woods, a few months ago and loved it. So I was excited to read this, her next book, and I loved it almost as much. Some of the elements of "Woods" are still there - lots of time spent away from "civilization", out in the woods. And there's a backstory that's told in multiple flashbacks. It's a different type of survival story, though, and it's a good one. We learn over the course of the story why Emlyn, who's always been a bit of a loner at heart, has chosen to live a solitary life as a wilderness guide. I enjoyed the unfolding of her story, seeing friends & relationships come into her life and then fall apart, then come back into her life for purposes she doesn't entirely trust. And I loved the descriptions of the natural settings where so much of the story took place. I'm not sure I'd call this one a thriller - but mystery/suspense, absolutely. Just don't expect a thriller from start to finish, this is more of a slow burn.
Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for providing copies for an unbiased review.

This is very atmospheric and suspenseful and I highly enjoyed it! There were a few twists I did not see coming!

I've read several books from Kimi Cunningham Grant and she continues to be an author who is an instant "must read" for me! While some might consider this a "slow burn," I enjoy a story that isn't rushed and takes time to fully develop the characters, sharing their thoughts and feelings, while consistently moving the plot along. This was a four star read for me and I highly recommend it for those who like the author and for those who enjoy thrillers.

Emlyn and Janessa meet in college and become friends. Janessa is outgoing and bossy, while Emlyn is quieter. Emlyn starts dating Tyler, Janessa's best friend from childhood, but Janessa tries to warn her from dating him. Despite the warning, Emlyn dates Tyler. A few months after dating however, Tyler does something unforgiveable to Emlyn. With time, Emlyn heals and moves on, but Tyler comes back into her life, asking her to help find Janessa, who has disappeared during a social media vlogging trip. Emlyn starts to realize that things aren’t quite what they seem with both Tyler and Janessa.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kimi Cunningham Grant, and the publishers for the opportunity to read/listen this in exchange for a review.

I love this author’s writing and her other book, but this one just wasn’t as exciting for me. That’s probably more to do with me because I think the instagram/influencer stuff is overdone right now.

If you like the show Tracker, try this one! Emlyn, a hutning and fishing guide, doesn't let herself think about the past... until her best friend goes missing in wild country.

Atmospheric, slow burn, thriller. If you liked These Silent Woods you will enjoy this books as well. Set in the wilderness of Idaho, Emlyn is hiding from his ex-boyfriend after a traumatic parting. She is finding her way as a wilderness guide until her ex shows up in a panic. Their best friend is off the grid and nobody has heard from her in a few days. Switching between flashbacks and the current search for Emlyn's best friend, this book builds a beautiful world that you won't want to leave. Good character development and build up to an exciting ending.

This was not my favorite book by the author.
It's a bit of a mystery and romance story in one plus realizing who you can really trust and who is really "your family."

I have come to decide for sure that Kimi Cunningham Grant is just not an author for me.

There is nothing wrong with this book, but I was just, bored. I didn’t care for the love triangle and I couldn’t connect with Emlyn.

The story was interesting and the mystery left me wanting to finish, but overall, I was just a little bored. However, I think this could be fantastic for those who like a messy past, characters who have gone through the ringer, and a missing person, this could be the book for you.

A journey through the beautiful, and unknown, wilderness. (I pictured Wyoming, not sure if that's accurate because the state didn't stick....) Emlyn has reconnected with her ex, who really wounded her 3 years ago, in order to find a friend that is missing. That's the basic plot lol

I was really expecting a thriller. An intense book that kept me questioning everything at every turn. I was very intrigued, but I found myself to be skimming the book rather than really and truly reading it. I can tell you everything that happens though....so that really says something. It was slow, and way less than action packed.

I was really expecting a thriller, because I've heard great things about Grant's previous novel. This really didn't deliver that.

However! I wasn't expecting anything that happened starting at about 80% of the way through the book. I don't want to give spoilers in my review, but man do I wish I could.....

I do recommend this if you like SLOW story building. It's just not the action packed question mark thriller I wanted

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

This was okay for me. I liked it, but didn’t love it. Emlyn is our FMC and she lives a simple life in Idaho. She lives out of her trailer. She’s visited by her ex and he comes to tell her that her ex best friend is missing and he wants her help to find her.

3.5 ⭐️’s
Emlyn leads a simple life as a wilderness guide. Escaping from her past, she’s perfectly fine with the solitude, but when the past catches up with her, she must face it head on to overcome it. Thank you to Minotaur and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

This gripping novel skillfully weaves together elements of suspense, romance, and wilderness adventure, creating a compelling narrative that keeps readers on edge. While echoing themes reminiscent of the Gabby Petito case, the author crafts a unique story that stands on its own merits rather than simply rehashing recent headlines. The exploration of complex relationships and the tension between past and present add depth to this thrilling tale of danger and redemption in the wilderness.

THE NATURE OF DISAPPEARING is a well crafted mystery/nature thriller that keeps you guessing, and wondering whom to trust. It features the outdoors as almost a character a place of solace for main character Emlyn who has been disappointed by people a little too often. The vivid descriptions of the wilderness are bautiful and craft an atmospheric setting. Emlyn sets out to find her best friend after her disappearance from social media but this means confronting her own demons and her feeling of just not being enough or worthy as well otherwise she'll be an obstacle in her search for her friend. There's a slow building of tension but the feeling of utter seclusion in the Idaho woods definitely adds a notch, as do all the revelations to come, just stick with this one.

The author's writing is lyrical and evocative, the scene is set in an almost poetical way - I could almost smell the camp food. Compelling, moving, and thought-provoking.

These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant was one of the best books I have read and I was extremely excited to read The Nature of Disappearing. The two books were different in a few ways, but both capture that deep in the woods energy that I gravitate towards. I live in the mountains and am a long-distance backpacker so capturing the wilderness correctly feels like home in a book for me. Both books had me connecting to the characters, but I didn't fall in love with them in TNOD like I did in TSW. I liked the low grade tension of the mystery and I loved the way the author took her time describing scenes and making it feel real. I didn't fall as hard for this book as the prior, but this author remains a must-read for me.

I really enjoyed The Nature of Disappearing. I loved being in nature and how the author explained all of that. I liked the connecting storylines where you’re waiting to find out what happened in the past and what’s going to happen now.

The setting and atmosphere of this one were quite strong. I loved the descriptions of the wilderness and the settings, which really helped to ground the story and bring it to life. I also liked how much time was spent exploring non-romantic relationships. The story is told from a dual timeline, with the past one focusing on Emlyn’s life before she’s a wildlife guide. This did slow down the primary plot, but I enjoyed the development of the characters and seeing their growth.

Part of what I loved about this one was that there were no absurd twists, no attempts to make an ending that would cause the reader to gasp or swoon. The author did a great job incorporating things that built some suspense and even a little dread, which kept me guessing at what exactly was happening. That being said, I was a little underwhelmed with the motive behind the antagonists and would have loved for it to be a bit less flat, but this only detracted a little for me. Honestly, the characters as a whole were a little underwhelming. Emlyn wasn’t that interesting, but she was relatable, so I ended up feeling neutral about her.

DO NOT read this looking for thrills. DO read this if you’re interested in a character-driven mystery focusing on inter-personal relationships with some light suspense scattered throughout. My thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really enjoyed this authors previous work, These Silent Woods, and couldn't wait to read this one. I enjoyed the concept and setting of this book, but it lacked in the execution. It took me several days to read this book as I just didn't care what happened next to Emlyn. This book is definitely a slow burn, and provides you a lot of backstory about our main character. Janessa and Emlyn were both frustrating characters to read about as Janessa was very controlling and Emlyn didn't do much about it. I will continue to read this author's novels as they are so atmospheric, even if this was a miss for me.

I was so drawn into this story!

The vivid descriptions make you feel like you are there. I also was drawn into Emlyn’s character and felt for her so much- very emotionally connected.

I really liked the dual timelines and the way the story unfolded. I will note this one has some suspense, but more so drama- don’t go into it expecting a fast-paced thriller.

It is very much a slow burn, but even so I was so invested and intrigued that I did not want to set it down and flew through it.

I know I’ve seen some mixed reviews, but this one really did it for me and I recommend you check it out too!🖤