This one is more YAish than her previous book, These Silent Woods, but I still enjoyed her writing, the mysterious tone and the faith elements. It is told in back and forth timelines that I enjoy and allows the story to unravel layer by layer. The audiobook is performed with a suspenseful, tense voice which adds to the compulsive reading experience. Sometimes books like this can drag on but I listened to it over two days and just when I was ready for it to be over, it was!

Review of audiobook, due out June 18. Read by Emily Pike Stewart.

Emlyn, once best friends with Janessa and beloved by Tyler, has found a new town, a new job, and new friends after those relationships ended disastrously. She's an excellent tracker, with knowledge of Idaho's wild lands and inhabitants. She now spends her days out on the land, guiding travelers in fishing and hunting.

When Tyler shows up at her workplace one day, she discovers that she's not as well hidden as she'd hoped. He's arrived to bring Emlyn along on a search for Janessa, who has gone missing while on a road trip with her boyfriend.

The absolute best parts of this book are the descriptions of the rivers and forests and animals, and the clues that Emlyn uses in her search. The mystery was not, for me, nearly as intriguing as the scenery. If you enjoy a character led story, this was a slow and careful build. If you're looking for an edge of your seat thriller, this is not it.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an advance audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

My Thoughts…
About The Narration: A rhythmic, almost meditative reading that helped to create a sense of awe with nature as the main character moved through her world. There were times, however that I had to replay parts of this audio as the pacing could become a sort of background white-noise if I wasn’t giving it enough attention.

About The Book: This book was a bit hit and miss for me, but to be fair I did have super high expectations as I loved These Silent Woods by the author. What I enjoyed - the superb atmospheric vibes, the evolving friendship between the main character and her friend from uni, and the personal growth arc of the main character. What didn’t work for me - it was a slow start, there were too many side stories, and I wasn’t expecting the religious references / content. Overall I guess it was about a 3.25 ⭐️ for me.

Another wonderful novel by Kimi Cunningham Grant. "The Nature of Disappearing" was a great read with a wonderful reader. Quick read for sure.

If you love detailed nature descriptions, this book will make you want to pack up and head straight to the Idaho wilderness. Grant’s vivid portrayal of the great outdoors is truly mesmerizing. But, unfortunately, that’s where the excitement ended for me. The story itself was a painfully slow burn, and I found myself constantly waiting for something interesting to happen.

Connecting with the characters was a challenge. Despite my high hopes, especially since I’ve loved Grant’s previous books, this one left me a bit disappointed.

Here's the gist: Emlyn lives a quiet, simple life as a fishing and hunting guide in Idaho. She’s left her troubled past behind, including a fractured friendship with Janessa and a heartbreak from Tyler, who abandoned her three years ago. Her closest companions now are a kind Forest Service ranger and a makeshift reverend who once took her in.

But everything changes when Tyler reappears with alarming news: Janessa, now a social media star with her #vanlife adventures, has gone missing. Despite their rocky past, Emlyn realizes she might be the only one capable of tracking down her old friend. Reluctantly, she teams up with Tyler, and together they follow Janessa’s trail through the wild terrain.

As they venture deeper into the wilderness, Emlyn can't ignore the rekindling chemistry between her and Tyler. However, the deeper they go, the more sinister the truth seems. It turns out Janessa isn't the only one in danger.

In summary, while the book’s depiction of Idaho’s wilderness is enchanting, the story’s slow pace and the difficulty in connecting with the characters made it hard to fully enjoy. Here's hoping Grant’s next book brings back the magic we know and love.

Thank you, for the opportunity review this ARC.

An intriguing dive into female friendships, relationships and the transformational power of the wilderness. The plot was interesting without being overdone and drew on current events and trends (van life, drug addiction) but have it’s own twist by the end. The characterizations and their relation to each other were worked through nicely.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Many many years ago in a time that feels like a former life, I used to be quite a nature enthusiast. Having spent time disconnected from technology and plugged in to nature, I'm acutely aware of the dangers that exist in these scenarios, no matter how careful or prepared you think you are. I felt like I understood Emlyn's choices, trauma, and thought processes exceptionally well, which made certain chapters difficult to read. Kimi Cunningham Grant's vividly descriptive writing kept me spellbound, even when the abruptly jumping timelines had me feeling a little discombobulated. Overall, if you are a nature lover that can handle a broken love story, this was written for you.

Thanks to NetGalley for early access to this book.

As an avid backpacker and climber, I am a complete sucker for a wilderness thriller/mystery. This book had my attention from the start and kept me rapt until the very end. I enjoyed the author's first book, These Silent Woods, and this one did not disappoint either. My only criticism is that the end left me sort of wanting something more - I'm not sure what, but it just felt a bit flat and predictable. The build up to the end, though was fabulous! This one gets a solid 4 stars from me.

The audio narration was excellent too, super easy to listen to. All and all, this was a great listen from start to finish!

Wow! It is official, Kimi Cunningham Grant is my favorite author!!

Synopsis:

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.

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.

What I Loved:

The setting: I absolutely love a wilderness setting and this book put me in the beautiful Idaho wilderness with mountains, rivers and trees and I loved every minute!! 😍

Suspense: I had no idea what happened to Janessa. I loved the way the story kept me guessing!

Faith: Kimi usually has a side character with strong faith, and I LOVE that!! It’s just enough to not overwhelm an unbelieving reader, but also there is actual scripture quoted in this book! 👏🏼

Character Growth: Emlyn had to deal with a lot of things in this book and I really appreciated her character growth! I also loved the glimpses back to her childhood and early adulthood! It gave me so much understanding and empathy for her view of herself and the relationships in her life.

Quote from the book:

“Wilderness is a lonely place. It’s a place of hardship and doubt. You don’t know where you are and you don’t see a way through. And that is a real real hard spot to be.”

“But it’s in the wilderness that you grow… In ways that you couldn’t anywhere else.”

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of the audiobook to read and review.

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When her best friend goes missing in the wilderness, a woman is forced to team up with her ex-boyfriend to track her down in the Idaho mountains. Mystery wise it’s pretty slow, but there’s a lot of character development and surprisingly heavy topics covered. The atmosphere is the star here, really immersive nature writing that keeps you engaged.

This was a good listen! I’m not sure I would say I felt like it was a mystery or thriller - maybe dramatic fiction? Either way, the story was interesting, the characters were likable and the pacing was good.

We meet Emlyn and she’s struggling in her youth, trying to be happy after her dad leaves her mom. Then she meets Janessa and life turns around. We follow their story in a dual timeline and the flashbacks give important information for what happens in the current day.

The story gets a bit mystery-ish in the last quarter as we begin to learn about where Janessa is. However, it’s not mysterious, just another part of the story. Overall, it was good and I enjoyed the narrator very much.

Advance reader copy provided by Macmillan Audio + NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was such an engrossing story.

I felt like it was deeply about friendship but also about finding oneself and realizing your worth. I loved Emlyn’s journey and her discovery and figuring out her story.

I liked the slow back and forth of the timeline to slowly understand how she came to be here. I found myself rooting for Tyler but holding back on it too.

I think the further you go, the more the suspense built. Until everything explodes toward the end.

This could be described as a slow burn but I was completely immersed throughout.

The narration was wonderful as well.

I truly wanted to love this way more than I did but it was fine. The beginning really intrigued me and drew me into the story. I’ve read reviews that say they don’t feel this is mysterious enough but I think Grant did a good job with that element within her story just fine!

The narrator did fine but without a book it was hard to distinguish the different characters so that is something to consider. I feel like narration could’ve been a touch better.

Other than all of that— I thought the plot was intriguing. I enjoyed the past and present storylines but at the end of the day, this just wasn’t over the top magical to me. If you’re going into this thinking you getting TSW…don’t.

Suspenseful, emotional thriller that slowly reveals its secrets. Has some really honest and interesting things to say about friendship, addiction, and trauma. It also is a fast paced and engaging adventure as well. Definitely recommended.

Thank you Netgalley for the audio ARC.

After loving These Silent Woods so much, I was excited for this new book by the author.

I’m sad to say I was really disappointed. The Nature of Disappearing was slow, dry and it dragged. It didn’t have enough dialogue and character interaction. I didn’t connect to any of the characters. I didn’t feel anything for them. I didn’t care to find out what happened at the end.
I thought about DNFing several times but i just kept on listening. I really should have DNFed it.

I loved this author’s last book so I felt like I needed to have the new release ASAP. She is a great writer, the details just paint the perfect picture in your head. I wish I could have read, the audio felt hard for me to follow with the jumping of timelines/flashbacks.

3.5

Emlyn has moved on from her past and is focused on her job as fishing and hunting guide in Idaho. Until her past shows up and pulls her back into the stressful world she once lived in - a best friend, a boyfriend - both who are not a part of her life anymore. Tyler convinces her that Janessa is in trouble and needs help. She reluctantly decides to go, fearing Janessa is in danger, but she doesn't realize how much danger they will all be in.

I appreciate Grant's writing and that she includes some faith-based lessons in her story.

My thanks to Net Galley and Macmillian Audio for an advanced copy of this audio book .

3 stars

While this book is billed as mystery/thriller, for me, it reads much more as contemporary fiction and, in some ways, women's fiction. I've been wondering if my reaction to the book may have been different with different incoming expectations/tags.

Emlyn has a somewhat challenging past, and her way of addressing her trust issues is by disappearing into the wilderness. Her communications with people are limited, her thoughts of the past are limited (until they become all-consuming), and her level of intrigue - at least for this reader - is minimal. A piece of news propels Emlyn into action and into grappling with elements of her past that may (all tea all shade) have been better left behind.

I didn't *dis*like this novel, but I did not experience it as thrilling or mysterious in a compelling way. At some stage, most folks realize that certain parts of and people from their past are no longer in the present for a good reason. Perhaps my own age and experience led me to this, but I found Emyln's ruminations and many of her decisions grating at times. I sense that in her 40s and beyond, even Emlyn might agree!

I enjoyed the author's last book a bit more than this one, and while I have some reservations, I'd recommend this to folks who are interested in that return to the past/stuck in nature/leave the past behind content along with the clear note that they should expect contemporary fiction/women's fiction over mystery/thriller.

The Nature of Disappearing tells the story of Emlyn, a naive young woman who is befriended in college by Janessa, a much more worldly, wealthy, and domineering classmate who has a good heart but who controls Emlyn's life a bit more than is normal. This eventually leads to a breakup when Emlyn falls for Janessa's childhood friend Tyler, about whom she was warned (but with no details provided about why she should stay away from him). Fast-forward to the present, well after Emlyn and Tyler have ended their relationship, primarily because of his drug addiction, and Emlyn and Janessa are on the brink of reconciling. They are all now in Idaho, where Emlyn works as a guide and Janessa is a media influencer among devotees who follow her RV-based travels through wilderness areas in the Northwest with her new partner. The book takes a long time to get to this place, when Janessa has gone missing and Tyler shows up to enlist Emlyn's help in finding her and her partner. The story twists and turns a little, the romantic element is predictable, and so is the ending.

Emily Pike Stewart's narration was fine; she reads in a pleasant voice and does not attempt to change her tone or style for each character. There were times when I felt she could have brought more drama to the listener but then realized that, in all fairness, that was due to the prose, not to its reading.

The Nature of Disappearing is all about the plot and the setting; character development is weaker. Nonetheless, the novel will appeal to readers/listeners who are drawn to this genre. There is not much that is original to the story but the setting of Idaho's back country wilderness is well depicted and adds an element that is often missing.

Started out stronger than it finished. Interesting themes throughout. Effects of social media, handling addiction, overcoming trauma, and more. Beautiful written nature descriptions. With moments of thought on spiritual truths.
Overall, I would recommend.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the chance to preview this book.