3.75 rounded up. This book was really good and less thriller/scary and more just intriguing. I liked the pace, albeit slow, and enjoyed the setting. Overall, I enjoyed and found it hard to take my headphones out when listening.

This was a slow burn character driven literary suspense novel that was just a tad too slow for me. And while we really got to know our main character Emerly, and kind of got to know Tyler, everyone else was a bit of a mystery. An expert tracker, Emerly has left her left her old life behind after her boyfriend Tyler abandoned her in the forest three years ago. Tyler is now a recovering addict and she has agreed to go with him to search for her once best friend Janessa has gone missing. Janessa is an influencer caught up in the van-life and has suddenly stopped posting, making Tyler very worried. This one had some moments, and was entertaining enough to keep going but not much more. I did like the narrator and production of this audio book. Too many books now have gone the route of a dramatic audio book format. I enjoy it much more this way, a great narrator with a pleasant voice reading me the book.

3.5 stars
This was such an interesting tale from start to finish with great narration and writing! I found These Silent Woods to be very compelling (even though I didn’t like the ending) so I was excited to start The Nature of Disappearing. The book starts with Emlyn struggling to reconcile events from her past. When an old friend goes missing in the woods, Emlyn has to work with her ex to try to track her down. The timeline went back and forth a lot in order to assemble all the details to come full circle with the story. I did get confused a few times about what was going on so I rounded down. It was probably just me though so I definitely recommend!
Thanks to St Martin’s, Minotaur and NetGalley for the advance review copies

Grant has a truly beautiful way of writing and she really brought a it the raw beauty of the Idaho wilderness in this one. In both of her books she creates an entire world in the way a fantastic fantasy is written. Every little detail provides a kind of moodiness that captures everything from the characters emotions to the picturesque scenery. This might not have packed the emotional punch like the end of These Silent Woods but it had me hooked and totally invested from beginning to end!

If you loved her debut then you should definitely give this one a try!

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the alc and Minotaur Books for the arc via Netgalley!

My second book by the author! I love how all of her books have some nature aspect.

I was able to finish this in two days. Kept my interest. Easy to follow. I think the length was good too.

The narrator does a great job of keeping you interested in the story while also relaxed.

Would definitely read more from the author! Thank you to NetGalley, Kimi Cunningham Grant, Emily Pike Stewart and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to The Nature of Disappearing. I have written this review voluntarily.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
When her estranged best friend goes off the radar without a warning Emlyn sets off with his ex-boyfriend to try and find her. The story goes back and forth with the past and the present and we get to discover what happened between all three of them.
The story itself was intriguing but there was at no point any feeling of danger. For most of the story you're just wondering if Janessa is really missing or she just took off. I feel the story would have benefited much more without so much back and forth between the past and the present. The story is more focused on what happened in the past that has led the characters to have the current relationship than what could have happened to Janessa and for the most part, you can already guess in the beginning what happened between them. I didn't particularly enjoy the part after the big reveal. I thought everything was too rushed and all the characters behaved exactly how they needed to behave instead of what felt true to them. Despite all this, the story itself kept me entertained and the setting was quite absorbing.
I recommend the audiobook, I feel I dived deeper and understood the Emlyn so much more than if I had just read it. In general, I would recommend it to people who are looking for something quick, gripping, and simple.

3.5 ⭐️

Thank you Macmillan audio!

The religious references and time devoted to the wilderness atmosphere was generally a positive, but at times it felt a bit much. I did enjoy the slow burn mystery, but there were also pieces that were left unresolved (mostly pertaining to the sideplots). Overall not my favorite by this author.

I received this as an audiobook review. To begin, I enjoyed the narrator, Emily Pike Stewart.

Do people change? What do you do when the doors from your past open wide?

This slow burn mystery drops you into the Idaho wilderness to discover who your friends truly are and how far you will go for those you love. 🏕️

Emlyn was left for dead by her ex Tyler three years ago. Not only did she almost lose her life, but she barely speaks to her best friend, Janessa, anymore. Emlyn now
is living her life as a wilderness guide. She enjoys her safe and simple life until Tyler returns one day to turn it upside down.

Tyler informs her Janessa is missing while out documenting her “van living” adventure lifestyle. Emlyn is caught between helping her friend and being pulled in by Tyler yet again. 🆘

Digging into the past and connecting to the present with a dual timeline throughout. This made it so the author could incorporate the histories of the characters into the current predicament. Will Tyler and Emlyn find Janessa? Can the relationships of the past be mended? ❤️‍🩹

The book is for sure a slow burn but if you hang in, you might just enjoy the twists and turns.

The author is very descriptive and you feel as if you are in the middle of the wilderness that is being described on the page. 📃 I had not read anything by the author before but I was curious to read what was going to happen with these characters.

Thank you to the author, Kimi Cunningham Grant, NetGalley and McMillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book.
The publication date for this book is June 18, 2024.

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Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC audiobook. Emlyn (really. who is named Emlyn). and Tyler are looking for their missing friend Janessa. Janessa is an influencer who uploads her life with her partner as they explore the wilderness. This one was slightly boring for me, I just couldn't connect with any of the characters and I found myself speeding it up over the course of listening so that I could get it done sooner. I very much appreciated the setting, I have never been to Idaho and loved the descriptions. I just wasn't really sold on the characters' connection to each other. They aren't flawed enough to be interesting, nor are they pure enough to be likeable. Perhaps it would be better to read instead of listen on this title.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review. This is narrated by Emily Pike Stewart who does a fabulous job. I highly recommend the audio version!!!

WOW! I devoured this story! I discovered this story when I read a Minotaur Sampler, which if you have the opportunity to read one of those I recommend it. I have never read anything by this author before and look forward to reading more by her!

We meet Emlyn in the beautiful wild of Idaho, who is a fishing guide. Although we don't know at first what trauma has happened, it fairly obvious that Emlyn has been hurt deeply. She has a carefully curated life that only involves a few select people.

But, when she hears from Tyler, the one person who she cares for most in the world but no longer talks to, she hesitates to answer. Tyler was, and clearly is not longer, the love of her life. He suddenly shows up at her work asking that she help him find their mutual best friend who has disappeared. Emlyn decides to help Tyler search for their friend, and this is that story.

I loved how the author weaves the character stories and development through the alternating narrative of past and present. The descriptions of the wildlife, nature, and rivers is so well done. Its easy to submerse yourself in the beautiful setting. The pacing is fast and the ending is a little twisty, which I love. All in all, a wonderful read!

Highly recommend!!!

This was a good atmospheric, character-driven mystery. I enjoyed the journey deep into the wilderness and loved getting to know Emlyn and Janessa. The story moves slowly and one of the major plot lines does not reveal until half-way into the book. The writing is excellent and kept me engaged, and constantly enamored with the beautifully dangerous backdrop of nature. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. This was a well-executed audiobook.

Thank you MacMillan Audio and St Martin's Press for the amazingly good The Nature of Disappearing from Kimi Cunningham Grant. I loved this book, the writing is excellent and the audiobook performance has made me a big fan of Emily Pike Stewart (she really nailed the emotional tones, the self reflection dialogue and the whole mood of the story). I love writing that is immersive in a character and setting and Cunningham clearly knows how to write about nature and people who live a little off the grid.

I love this character driven mystery that is as much an examination of the main character's life as much as a story about her missing friend. The story moves between the past, when Emlyn and Janessa meet in college and become friends and the years around that time into the present day when Emlyn, somewhat out of touch with Janessa goes on a mission, with her ex Tyler, to find Janessa when she goes missing in the wilderness. The time frames weave together elegantly, as the past timeline provides needed context to Emlyn in present day and helps pull in pieces of the puzzle underneath the mystery and their relationships. The missing person story was well done and a powerful way to present a story of self growth for Emlyn; the mission to find Janessa becoming the context for her to reflect on the past few years and where and who she is now. The title itself is a powerful statement, who was disappearing, what leads to disappearing,... it is more than a missing person story, it is a story of finding oneself through tough times.


Recommended for fans of Hannah Morrisey and similar authors

This was meh. I didn't find myself rooting for anyone. It had moments of being good but it was missing consistency. At times it reminded me of Fredrick Bachman but it missed the mark on the way he captures the human condition.

Such a good title that I requested the audio ARC and listened to it all over again! This book was so heavy and so deep, yet so freeing at the same time. I feel like the content went so much deeper than your normal surface level suspense novel. The use of scripture to highlight how God can pull you out of the deepest pit really resonated with me. The trauma and the struggle that come along with loving a drug addict will hit so close to home for so many people and it was portrayed in a true and authentic way. The story line was slightly predictable, but the characters were all so unstable right from the beginning, you had to read until the very end to see where they would end up. Nature is a powerful force and it added such a depth to this story for the characters to be so distant from the rest of humanity. The title of this book can only be fully comprehended upon finishing the book because there is such a deeper meaning associated with the nature of disappearing as skillfully conveyed by Grant. Highly recommend for an emotional, suspenseful read with an ending you can appreciate all around.

Emily Pike Steward is a brilliant narrator. She is absolutely perfect for this role. Our protagonist has had this difficult life and now she is in the woods with her ex boyfriend, who nearly got her killed years before, looking for her former best friend. There is a lot going on here and I do not want to spoil a thing. I will tell you I could not stop listening for even a moment. It is so beautiful. It also felt real. If someone said this was based on a true story, I would believe it.
It really picks up in the last 1.5 hours but the entire book is amazing!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6522415413

I binge read this title because I simply could not put it down. I saw a few of the twists, but not all of them. It was a great edge-of-your-seat living vicariously title. The setting was great, the characters were just the right blend of believable and sketchy. It was a great read!

Emlyn is starting to heal from a disastrous relationship that ended with her nearly dead. But suddenly, her best friend, Janessa, has disappeared, and her old boyfriend has asked her to help him find her.

This is a beautiful story that is a great thriller set in a beautiful Idaho landscape. But it’s also a novel about grief, hope, moving on,, and allowing the goodness of others in to your life. If you like Peter Heller, you need to read Kimmi Cunningham Grant.

Emlyn’s former best friend Janessa has gone missing in the Idaho wilderness. Tyler, Emlyn’s ex-boyfriend and Janessa’s business partner, coaxes the reluctant Emlyn to join the backwoods search. Rich with details of the natural world this mystery felt more about the journey than the destination. Alternating between past and present timelines, we get a full picture of the character’s motivations and backstories. This is a slow-burn story of friendship, sacrifice, and losing yourself only to be found once again.

Emily Pike Steward was a fantastic narrator for the audiobook. She was able to capture the serenity of nature juxtaposed with the urgency of a missing woman. I'd highly recommend this format!

Read this if you:
Prefer a slow build mystery with a focus on character development rather than jaw-dropping twists
Have ever found yourself in a metaphorical wilderness
Are drawn to atmospheric stories with a strong sense of place
Are willing to pick up a very different story than These Silent Woods

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the advanced audiobook!

Kimi Cunningham Grant is such a unique voice in the mystery genre. She writes books that keep you on the edge of your seat with multi-layered plots, alluring characters (full of secrets and complicated pasts), and artfully painted scenery. But Cunningham goes beyond just masterfully telling a story as she weaves in deeper themes from a Christian perspective. This is done purposefully yet subtly enough where the story can be fully appreciated by those with many different worldviews. As a Christian, this is my favorite part of her works.

I read THESE SILENT WOODS a couple years back and haven't stopped thinking about it since. I remember where I was (sobbing in my car in the library parking lot) when I listened to the ending of the book and since then it has become my most recommended book (loved by every one that took me up on the rec).

In a similar way, THE NATURE OF DISAPPEARING captivated me right from the beginning. The cover, the title, the synopsis all intrigued me and made this my most anticipated 2024 read.

My only complaint was that I didn't want the story to end. I need more of these characters!

The story was told spanning multiple different time periods in the main character, Emlyn's life. In typical Cunningham fashion, bits and pieces of her past were revealed gradually along with the present day perspective to slowly sculpt her into the woman she is now.

While the mysterious elements were enough to keep me hooked and turning pages, the themes of trust, friendship and forgiveness will stay with me long after I forget the details of the plot.

My recommendation is to go in blind and enjoy the ride!

Emily Pike Stewart narrated this one and was so easy to listen to! She did a wonderful job!

This book will be available for purchase on June 18, 2024!