The Nature of Disappearing - by Kimi Cunningham Grant

About the Book

"Emlyn doesn't let herself think about the past. How she and her best friend, Janessa, barely speak anymore. How Tyler, the love of her life, left her half dead on the side of the road three years ago. Her new life is simple and safe. She lives alone in her Airstream trailer and works as a fishing and hunting guide in scenic Idaho. Her closest friends are the community's makeshift reverend and a handsome Forest Service ranger 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 has become a social media star, documenting her #vanlife adventures with her rugged boyfriend. She hasn't posted lately, though, and when Emlyn realizes the most recent photo doesn't match up with its caption, she reluctantly teams up with Tyler to find her old friend. As the two trace Janessa's path through miles of wild country, Emlyn can't deny the chemistry still 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."--

Book Synopsis

In this captivating novel of suspense from the USA Today bestselling author of These Silent Woods, a wilderness guide must team up with the man who ruined her life years ago when the friend who introduced them goes missing.

Emlyn doesn't let herself think about the past.

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

Her new life is simple and safe. She lives alone in her Airstream trailer and works as a fishing and hunting guide in scenic Idaho. Her closest friends are the community's makeshift reverend and a handsome Forest Service ranger 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 has become a social media star, documenting her #vanlife adventures with her rugged boyfriend. She hasn't posted lately, though, and when Emlyn realizes the most recent photo doesn't match up with its caption, she reluctantly joins Tyler to find her old friend. As the two trace Janessa's path through miles of wild country, Emlyn can't deny the chemistry still 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.

Poignant, suspenseful, and unforgettable, Kimi Cunningham Grant's THE NATURE OF DISAPPEARING explores what it takes to start over--and the cost of letting the past pull you back in.

Review Quotes

One of People's "Here's What Your Favorite Authors are Reading This Summer"
One of Goodreads' "Readers' Most Anticipated Summer Books"
One of Book Riot's "Time To Sleuth: 14 New Mystery, Thriller, and True Crime Books for June 2024"
One of She Knows' "These 17 Books Make the Perfect Beach Read for This Summer"
One of BookBub's "Vanished: 15 Mysteries About Strange Disappearances and Reappearances"

"Absorbing . . . Grant does a fine job of describing Tyler and Emlyn's descent into the wilderness to find the missing couple, and of retracing Janessa, Tyler and Emlyn's complicated and emotionally fraught history."--New York Times Book Review

"Grant anchors the suspense in the lives of her well-developed characters and delivers a hugely satisfying finale. In the forest of survival thrillers, this stands tall."--Publishers Weekly

"Grant creates a stunning sense of anxiety as Emlyn goes deep into the forest with her ex-boyfriend. This journey is painful but beautiful, showcasing the importance of trusting one's gut and heart when faced with potential trouble."--Booklist

"Podcasts and other social media are having a moment in crime fiction now, and wilderness fiction is also big. Here's a fast, suspenseful tale that combines both and even throws in some romance."--First Clue

"The tension crackles on every page in this slow burn of a thriller that heats up and then catches fire. Grant proves herself a worthy addition to territory staked out by C. J. Box in a tale where the whims of actual nature are matched every step of the way by the storms of human nature."--BookTrib

"Grant . . . punctuates The Nature of Disappearing with breathtaking scenery and the violence that lurks on every trail, from wild animals, steep cliffs, extreme weather, and--scariest of all--humanity."--Shelf Awareness

"It's efficient, intricate, educational and exciting. Grant knows when to slow down the pace to take intimate dives into her characters, and when to hit the gas to thrill and terrify readers."--Book Reporter

"Addictive and unforgettable, Grant renders a poignant tale blistering with authenticity and emotion set against Idaho's lonely and rugged wilderness."--Kim Michele Richardson, New York Times bestselling author of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek series

"A masterful, mesmerizing mystery. Thrilling and propulsive, rich in character and heart, The Nature of Disappearing delivers on every level."--Chris Whitaker, bestselling author of We Begin at the End

"With her signature lyrical prose, Grant executes the unexpected: a novel that is at once sophisticated and an exciting, wild ride. It's both sweeping and taut, beautifully rendered and nail-bitingly tense...[a] striking, masterful novel."--Nicole Baart, bestselling author of Everything We Didn't Say

"The Nature of Disappearing is like a mountain trail that turns and climbs and turns again. Kimi Cunningham Grant weaves a solid adventure about friendship and betrayal and hope amidst beautifully rendered western landscapes--all of it bracing as a mountain lake."--Andrew J. Graff, author of Raft of Stars

"Emotionally captivating, with gorgeous prose and an intimate depiction of the natural landscape...Absolutely not to be missed!"--Bradeigh Godfrey, author of The Followers

"Electric and wise, The Nature of Disappearing is the most inspired thriller on my bookshelf. Grant absolutely nails the magnetic strength of a woman caught in a foreboding landscape."--Amy Jo Burns, author of Shiner and Mercury

"The Nature of Disappearing is, at its heart, a story about the relentless survival of the human spirit and inescapable connections. Through artful prose and dual timeline storytelling, Kimi Cunningham Grant reminds us that, sometimes, we have to get lost to find ourselves."--Hannah Morrissey, author of When I'm Dead

About the Author

KIMI CUNNINGHAM GRANT is the USA Today bestselling author of Silver Like Dust, Fallen Mountains, These Silent Woods, and The Nature of Disappearing. She is also an award-winning poet and essayist whose work has appeared in Fathom, Literary Mama, RATTLE, Poet Lore, and Whitefish Review. She lives with her family in Pennsylvania.