The way that Downes wrote this story, imo, is brilliant. At first, Katy, following her missing sister Phoebe’s steps along her van influencer travels, is a lonely, self-isolating woman. Until she meets Beth, a woman on the run from someone she’s scared of. Together, they follow the bread crumbs of Phoebe’s travels using her social media posts as a guide but soon, they’re slowly unravelling a mystery that goes far beyond what either of them expected yet, brings things together in a wholly satisfying way.

I can’t recommend this one enough and Anna Downes will forever be an author that will be on my must-read list.
My thanks to Minotaur for this gifted DRC.

I had a difficult time getting into this book. Not sure why but ultimately it just wasn't for me. Maybe I will give it another try later.

3.5 stars

There are quite a few characters in here, and some go by more than one name, but it was pretty hard to keep track of who was who and what role they played. At about 70% we finally get pieces that allow us to know why that is and start knowing what is happening, the part that I am worried about is people sticking with it to get to that point. I would say to read it in chunks and not small portions in order to keep track of things and be immersed in the story. Van life is very intriguing and can be scary when you hear all the true crime stories, this was a great mix of being a story but feeling like it could be a true story.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley who provided me with a e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Red River Road is a well-written, intriguing, and twist-filled mystery thriller.

The story follows a woman traveling across Australia in her van, determined to uncover the truth about her sister, a vanlifer who disappeared a year earlier. Along the way, she meets a woman with a dark past—a stranger on the run from an abusive boyfriend. Despite their differences, the two form an unexpected friendship and join forces to search for the missing sister.

I really liked the author’s writing. The plot is packed with suspense and surprises, keeping you hooked until the end.

I would recommend this book to mystery thriller lovers. I look forward to reading more from this author.

3.5⭐️

Thank you to the publisher for providing an eARC of this book via NetGalley for review.

This was kind of all over the place as it is narrated through different characters. It was good enough that I read the entire book but there were a lot of holes and sudden developments. Katy is looking for her sister and Beth is running from an abusive boyfriend. Their paths cross but things never seem quite right as the two continue their vanlife travels through Australia. There is a constant sense of unease hanging over the trip. A slow burning novel that was just a little too slow. The ending was the best part where things came together and finally made a little sense.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

this book was kind of all over the place, but overall it was a really solid thriller that I didn’t want to put down. it felt very horror movie-esque and I got so freaked out reading it alone at night 😂 the twist was pretty good and not super predictable, albeit a little messy. the entire book I found myself skimming Wyatt’s chapters because they felt kind of drawn out and unnecessary, but it ended up actually all coming together in a way I really liked. I definitely recommend this as a good spooky season thriller! thanks to @netgalley for the gifted digital copy ✨

3.5 Stars

I was looking forward to reading this book and I did enjoy it. It was a little confusing at times and slow with all the stops and the way the 2 female characters were acting as they seemed out of character to what I would think they would be doing. It all came together in the end but added a little to the confusion with how that all could have happened to the characters. I have a copy of The Safe Place that I will have to read soon.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC for review.

Katy is searching for her sister, Phoebe, who disappeared while traveling solo camping in her van. Beth/Lily is a stowaway trying to escape her past and offers to be Katy’s companion and help in her search.

I listened to a lot of this one on audio but also read the book more so at the beginning to keep the characters straight, especially for the Beth/Lily chapters. It can get confusing sometimes but stick with it. The narration was great so I preferred that route the last half of the book.

As with previous Downes books, you can expect a lot of suspense and twists. I love how she wove these characters and plot together. It’s hard to trust anyone in this book. It’s atmospheric and gives off creepy vibes from start to finish. Well done and well plotted.

Many thanks to @minotaur_books and @macmillan.audio for the ebook and audio in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this! The suspense is well done and I had a hard time putting this down! This had me on the edge of my seat! I would highly recommend this! Special Thank You to Anna Downes, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another hit by Anna Downes! I have read all of Anna's books so far, and they continue to get better and better! Van life has taken over the internet (Tik Tok especially) and the premise of this book HAD ME. Take my interest in that and add it together with my love for a good dark thriller and there you have a five star read! Thanks so much to NetGalley for the gifted advance copy!

Katy Sweeney is determined to find her sister, Phoebe. A year earlier, just three weeks into a solo trip, Phoebe vanishes without a trace on Western Australia’s remote Coral Coast. The police can’t find any witnesses, there are no leads, and no DNA evidence, the case has gone cold. But Katy refuses to give up n her sister. Katy uses Phoebe’s social media as a map hoping to find her. She wonders if Phoebe was being followed. Who did she meet on her three days of driving? Katy meets Beth, a woman on the run from her dark past and the present. Katy thinks that Beth may be able to help her find Phoebe. Will they find Phoebe?

The novel is an excellent mystery. I enjoyed myself completely as it’s a thriller mystery roadtrip. I thought it went into the dark side of women traveling by themselves. At times it is a creepy novel. If you like mysteries, I do recommend this one.

I requested this on NetGalley because I loved the cover but had low expectations going into it…but I was wrong! Excellent mystery! The beginning moved very slowly but I’m glad I stuck with it because I ended up really enjoying it. The 3 different points of view were very interesting. The last 35% or so was nail bitingly tense. I’ll definitely look into the authors previous 2 books.

**Thanks to the author and publisher for the e-arc I received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.**

Slow burn, but a satisfying payoff in this solo female
traveler focused book that reads more mystery than thriller. 3.5 rounded up

Katy Sweeney is looking for her sister. A year earlier, just three weeks into a solo vanlife trip, her free-spirited younger sister, Phoebe, vanished without a trace on the remote, achingly beautiful coastal highway in Western Australia. With no witnesses, no leads, and no DNA evidence, the case has gone cold. But Katy refuses to give up on her.

Using Phoebe’s social media accounts as a map, Katy retraces her sister’s steps, searching for any clues the police may have missed. Was Phoebe being followed? Who had she met along the way, and how dangerous were they?


If you’re looking for a thriller to read, you should check this one out! This book felt like one big question mark! It was unsettling and I never quite knew what was going on. Highly recommend!

This book has such an interesting premise. The dual points of view give you two unreliable narrators, and at times, I was a reading someone else's fever dream. While this book was very twisty and made more sense toward the end, I don't think it was meant for me.

Katy is looking for her missing sister by following in her footsteps, driving a van along the coastal highway in Western Australia. After an uncomfortable encounter causes her to flee her campground, she discovers a battered Beth hiding in the back of her van. Beth has nowhere to go and no personal effects to help her get there, so Katy offers to let her travel with her until they get somewhere where she can get help.

We get to see the points of view of Katy, Beth, and a young man named Wyatt, and the story ends up being very twisty as their paths cross. However, it didn't twist in the ways I expected at all! Where the story ends up is nowhere near what I expected when I began, but at no point did I feel like the rug was pulled out from under me. I enjoyed this peek at this remote part of Australia, and the journey the story took me on was very interesting.

There is a lot going on with this one…and it’s definitely tricky to keep it all straight at times. Sometimes you never know who is being truthful, who is being deceitful, and what’s coming next. I enjoyed the solo travel aspects, the Australian setting, and the way the plot unravels.

It’s clear from the very first moments that Anna Downes’ RED RIVER ROAD has all of the ingredients for a page-turner: a secluded, unknowable landscape, a missing woman, and secrets abound. Told through alternating perspectives, the plot is centered on a woman’s desperate search for sister who disappeared during her solo exploration of Western Australia. When Katie finds Beth, bewildered and confuses, along the way, the search for her sister becomes more complicated. It becomes clear along the way that everyone we meet has something they’re searching for - and something they’re keeping buried. That includes teenaged Wyatt, one of the narrators, who seems inconsequential but has an important role to play.

It was a bit slow for me at first but once the threads of the plot began to unravel, I was very much in. Some parts didn’t quite resolve in a way that made sense for me but that’s okay.

Content warnings for intimate partner violence.

If you’re tempted by wanderlust and the call of #vanlife, this will be a perfect read for you. If you like your suspense with a hint of feminism, this is also for you.

I deeply appreciated the author’s note at the conclusion of the book and it’s worth the read/listen. The audiobook is well narrated with excellent pacing.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC/ALC. All opinions are entirely my own.

This was a slow burn for me but towards the end I couldn’t put it down. There was alot of characters to keep track of and the story was kind of all over the place- overall this wasn’t my favorite!

This was such a fun, creative thriller. I was very intrigued by the relationship of the two women and it took a while for me to unfold everything. I did guess the twist a little early, but I think the reader is meant to figure it out before the characters do. I also enjoyed Anna's note at the end about how she came up with the idea for the book. All in all, this was a solid read.