I absolutely loved this book!
It is different from other Catherine Ryan Hyde novels, but boy does it pack a punch!
Norma is an older lady who is a loner. She comes across as a tough old broad who is very independent.
But.. there is a story to be told as to how and why she is the way she is. The old saying:”Don’t judge a book by its cover “ is true here.
. How I adored this lady!
She volunteers for a “search and rescue” team with her horse and finds quite a shock upon discovering a missing young woman!
Thus- the mystery, suspense and drama begins to unfold.
Thank you to @NetGalley and to @Lake Union for this amazing ARC and allowing me to read and provide my own thoughts.
Well done!

I received this book through Netgalley and was not disappointed. Love Catherine Ryan Hyde books and this one was amazing. The story was quite different than I though it would be. When Jill disappears, Norma is part of the search and rescue team to find her. When she isnt found, her boyfriend is accused of murdering her. But here is the twist. Norma knows the truth!

I though I knew what was going on but just as I thought I had the story down pat, it changed and threw me for a loop. This book wont be released until December but put it on your TBR list now as you will love it.

I love the books by Catherine Ryan Hyde and always look forward to reading her newest novel. As usual the author develops characters that are involved in life situations that are currently in need of exposure and conversation. This book based on abuse by abused men is deep and thought provoking with the wisdom and consciousness that is always present in a book by Catherine Ryan Hyde. It is like taking a self awareness workshop with wonderful characters that are developed so the reader can connect and relate to them. I looked forward to reading each page with anticipation of what choices the characters were going to make!!

Thank you to Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read and review this advanced copy.

Thanks you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.
A young girl Jill disappears from a camp ground after getting in a argument with her abusive boyfriend Jake. With the help of a search and rescue volunteer Norma she is delivered to her parents home to start her life with a new identity. Five years later her Jake is arrested for murder. Do Jill and Norma come forward and if they do what issues do they face for lying and hiding the truth?

Catherine Ryan Hyde's name is an automatic " got to read".
Her newest is a hit as all her books are. Very emotional, very thought provoking...I highly recommend.

4.5 rounded to 4 stars

My last read was the best book I have read so far this year. For me, this is a perfect scenario for the onset of a major reading slump. Instead of succumbing to such disaster, I did the best thing I could possibly think of to head off potential catastrophe by finding a new Catherine Ryan Hyde book to read. CRH has never failed to prevent or break a book slump for me. And this time I was saved again!

I have read 11 CRH books and have thoroughly enjoyed every one of them. Full of realistic well-drawn characters, usually including an older main character who metes out life lessons to the young and inexperienced, CRH books follow a tried-and-true template for delivering an engrossing story. The plots tend to be very different, but the wisdom dispensed never fails to impress me even in my “old age.” I always get something out of her novels that I can apply to my own life.

This is a book that called for me even when it wasn’t “my reading time.” I was eager to jump back in even though I was able to predict a couple of the key plot twists. I loved the protagonist, “I-don’t-need-other-people” Norma. In fact, I would really look forward to a sequel, again featuring Norma, but I know better than to think CRH would ever do a sequel. She just has too many other good ideas to spend too much time with one character.

I could describe the plot and go on and on about what made this a most enjoyable read, but that’s for you to find out on your own. If you have never read a CRH novel, you are missing a lot of reading pleasure. Though this wasn’t my very favorite one of hers (that distinction still belongs to Have You Seen Luis Velez?), I still loved it and thank the story a hundred times for preventing the dreaded book slump. As I have said before, I am planning to read all of CRH’s 30+ books before I die, by golly!

Thank you, Catherine!

My thanks also go to Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

I really enjoy this author's books, although some more than others. This one was a decent enough story, but considering the subject matter was domestic abuse, I found it a little bit twee.
It almost felt like the author had an agenda to make sure we knew about the thousands of women that go missing every year. A noble cause, but this wasn't hard hitting enough (no pun intended) to feel real.
It also seemed like alot of her other novels, mainly with the aloof older lady that lives alone with her animals and doesn't particularly like humans.
I did enjoy it though and will definitely keep reading her books. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

This is the third of Catherine Ryan Hyde's books that I have read. She is a master at storytelling and her books reflect real-world challenges and real-world people. Norma is a very real heroine. She tends a bar in a place on the border of Utah and Nevada. She is pretty reclusive, staying to herself and her own world that she shares with her hound dog and her horse. She also volunteers for search and rescue and she and her horse have found a couple of the missing, unfortunately after their deaths. This time Norma finds a young girl, missing from an abusive relationship, needing help. Against her better judgment, Norma becomes involved. What follows is the twisted story of abuse, lies, and the legal and judicial system. It is a story of life, and how it unfolds in mysterious unpredictable ways. Catherine Ryan Hyde knows how to tell a story and it is evident in the pain of the plot, the uplifting message, and the very real characters. I loved this story. Thanks to #NetGalley#ADifferentKindofGone for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is my second title by this author and while I loved it. It wasn’t my favorite. The main character was wonderful, but at times the preachy monologues got the best of me. Overall a great read, but something was missing for me to make it great.

This was a different type of book from Catherine Ryan Hyde. But I mean that in a good way. Very intriguing storyline. I really liked the characters, especially Norma,who seemed like a good friend by the time this book ended.

I really enjoyed this ARC. I had forgotten how much I loved CRH's style of writing. A Different Kind of Gone was a very thought provoking novel with relatable and well written characters who dealt with abuse, guilt, justice, and the consequences of their actions throughout the book. CRH handled heavy and sensitive subjects with grace. This will be one that stays with me for awhile.

A Different Kind of Gone
A Novel
by Catherine Ryan Hyde
I was over the moon to receive the arc copy of this book. In truth, Catherine Ryan Hyde is my favorite author. This was a bit different than the norm, BUT not at all in a negative way. Norma was a tough lady, but a fair, caring one. As always, I never start a book by Catherine Ryan Hyde without a pot of coffee and the time to read the whole book!! Then a second pot, until I sigh that it ends and kiss the back cover.

A beautiful story about a woman who who is finally able to tell her truth while protecting others after a similar experience. Trigger warning for abuse. The book tended to be pretty predictable but the story was overall well told. I didn’t really like Jill’s parents in the story but the other main characters were pretty well developed. The book wrapped up nicely in the end with a happy ending for most involved.

I got so involved in this character driven novel that I read it in two sittings. Catherine Ryan Hyde is excellent at writing these type of stories. I’ve read most of her books and have always enjoyed them. I love how she always includes animals, usually horses and dogs, in her books.
Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read and share this book.

It’s been some time since I’ve delved into literary fiction. This book was a good start, with just enough intrigue and page-turning suspense to have me finish it within a day.

Now I’ll start with a negative, because it’s been bugging me for a long time and is the main reason I’m giving this book 3 stars. I’ve (thankfully) never been in the situation most of the characters in this book have been in… so I can’t quite comprehend what they’re feeling. But there are a lot of Very Big Emotions throughout the book and I think if more time had been spent exploring these emotions I might have accepted them easier.

I also found the dialogue to be a little stilted and even repetitive. It didn’t flow naturally. Many full stops. Didn’t quite work for me. I suppose that’s a stylistic choice for CRH to make and it wasn’t bad as such, but it didn’t quite work for me.

Overall though the plot was full to the brim with stuff going on, and at no point did I find myself dragging myself through the book just to cross the finish line. Characterisation was good too, I felt like I really got to know who I was reading about and was desperate for a happy ending for a good many of them. It was a good read and I would be interested in reading more of CRH’s books.

Judging by the fact that I have read more books by Catherine Ryan Hyde than any other author, it could be concluded that she is my favorite author. It could also be concluded that Hyde is a prolific writer. Both are true.. She continues to turn out thought-provoking and interesting novels that give one much food for thought and discussion.

A Different Kind of Gone is somewhat different from her usual theme. Generally, a Catherine Ryan Hyde novel can be expected to include horses and dogs. And this one does. (And she characterizes them beautifully.) They also usually have a curmudgeonly main character and a child with problems. And that's where this novel departs from the expected.

Norma lives alone in a small house with her two hounds and her wonderful horse. He is almost human in his sensitivity. Fred, known as St. Fred because of his calm disposition. When Norma, a search and rescue volunteer is called in to find a missing hiker, she, Fred and her hounds are called in., She takes time off from her bartending job to find the young woman who has disappeared from a campground.

Norma finds her, but because the girl is trying to escape an abusive boyfriend and fears for her life, Nora is forced to lie.for the first time in her life. And this leads to the drama of the novel. Norma herself suffered spousal abuse by her ex-husband and reluctantly agrees to help the young woman.

In becoming embroiled in this deception, Norma finds herself dispensing the wisdom she achieved in her life to the people she meets subsequent to her decision to help. The story is engrossing as this one act leads to Norma seeing that our legal system does not necessarily provide justice.

This is not the best novel Hyde has written, but even less than her best is worth reading.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC copy..of Hyde's latest.

To say Norma is not a people person is an understatement. She keeps everyone miles away with her cantankerous personality and prefers the company of her two dogs and horse. Her only friend is Betty her coworker at the local bar where they serve drinks until the wee hours. She is also volunteers on a search and rescue team. It is on one of these calls she finds something that changes her life forever.

This is a powerful story about domestic violence,and what makes it stand out is the strong female characters that just get stronger throughout the story. I absolutely loved Norma. She is a character that I will remember for a long time. Her outlook might seem gruff, but she is filled with wisdom and has a heart of gold. The moral dilemmas the characters face would make a compelling book club discussion and the questions in the back are fantastic.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

You can't go wrong with a CRH book. You can always count on learning a life lesson and feel good about it! Although this book was not my favorite of all her books, it was certainly well worth the read! I loved Norma, even though she came across as a "tough cookie." She was full of wisdom and nurturing towards both Jill and Wanda.

An ARC was provided by NetGalley for my honest review.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Lake Union Press.

Nineteen year old Jill goes missing. Norma, a search and rescue volunteer, knows the whole story. Five years later, Jill's boyfriend is arrested for Jill's murder. Norma knows he did not kill her. What should she do?

I always get excited when Catherine Ryan Hyde writes another book. This one did not disappoint. I appreciated that it was a quick read, and I loved the bonds that Norma created within her small community. Even her animals were my favorite characters. Can't wait for her next one.

Thank you so much NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of one of my favorite authors. I absolutely love the characters that Catherine Ryan Hyde creates. These characters leave such a lasting impression, that I find myself thinking of them years later (Allie & Bea ❤️). CRH’s newest novel does just that with her characters, especially Norma. She wrote a powerful book on domestic abuse filled with strong female characters who become even stronger throughout the story. I could not put this book down! Loved it!