I do not plan on reviewing this book publicly because I DNF. It read like a very suspenseful thriller and I am certain that others may enjoy this book. For me, it was just not the style I like in mysteries. There was a lot of telling about the different characters and I prefer more description of thoughts and emotions and for characters to be revealed in their actions and conversations. Thank you for the opportunity to read the advance eARC. I really appreciate it even if the book was not right for me.

5 stars
This book was very entertaining from the jump. In this book you are following three perspectives, Katy a woman who's sister (Phoebe) has gone missing and she is trying to solve what happened to her, Beth a woman who was in an abusive relationship and is trying to stay safe, and Wyatt a young teen who's hearing/seeing things and struggling with his family dynamics. In this book, Katy sets off on van life trying to uncover the mystery of her sister's disappearance and ends up in a much bigger mess than she bargained for.
Overall this story was great from the van life portrayal, relationship dynamics, the characters, how the story ties together, and at tying in mental health related issues. Thank you to Netgalley and Minotour Books New York for providing me with the ARC of this book!

The blurb of this book initially intrigued me, but unfortunately, I found myself struggling to continue reading. The beginning was a bit slow and confusing, and by the time things picked up, I just wasn't invested in the overall storyline as it took a bit too long to pick up.

I did find myself wanting to finish this book, as some of the experiences and events were fascinating and kept me turning the pages, eager to uncover what was happening next. Yet, I often found myself confused with some of the details and although I can see why the author kept a lot of things vague to produce an air of mystery, it felt a bit too vague at times.

The pacing in the first half was particularly challenging. It felt like a puzzle with pieces that didn’t quite fit together until much later, which made it difficult to form a connection with the characters and the plot. The buildup, though eventually rewarding, required more patience than I anticipated.

Despite these challenges, there were moments of brilliance. The author's ability to craft vivid scenes is undeniable. There were passages that truly shone, offering glimpses of the potential the story had. For readers who enjoy a slow burn and don’t mind a bit of initial confusion for the sake of a rich, detailed payoff, this book might be a gem. In the latter half, when the storyline began to click into place, I did find myself more invested. The plot twists and character developments added layers that were compelling. The ending provided a satisfying resolution that almost made up for the slow start.

Overall, while this book wasn’t entirely my cup of tea, I can see its appeal. It has the potential to captivate those who appreciate a complex, slowly unfolding narrative. I do hope it finds the right readers who can fully appreciate its unique style and intricate plot. If you enjoy a story that challenges you to piece it together and rewards patience with depth and emotion, this book might just be worth your time.

This was a twisty, page turning, psychological thriller. I loved it and couldn't put it down. It's incredibly atmospheric taking place in Australia, and the reader struggles to trust our two MCs. I really appreciated the dual POV, and the storyline had me hooked from the beginning. (A woman takes time off to explore Australia solo and her Instagram posts of her adventures suddenly stop, her sister begins investigating to find out what happened to her.) Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

From the blurb I really thought this book was going to be a great fit for me but unfortunately I found myself struggling to get through the first half of this book. The beginning was a bit slow and confusing for me and by the time things got more interesting I just wasn't that invested in the overall storyline.
While the writing style wasn't for me personally I do hope this book finds its intended audience.

"Red River Road" is a surprisingly good slow burn of a mystery.

Katy Sweeney is determined to find her sister, Phoebe, who disappeared a year ago on Western Australia's coral coast. With little to go on besides Phoebe's social media posts, Katy's journey is filled with tension and eerie encounters. Along the way, she meets Beth, a woman on the run, adding complexity to her search. The book is atmospheric and unsettling, providing a creepy vibe throughout. The narrative includes multiple points of view, enhancing the story's depth. Although the book has a slow burn pace, it remains engaging, keeping readers intrigued. One major plot twist is predictable, but the story still offers surprising moments. "Red River Road" is well-written and could be a great candidate for a movie adaptation.
I would love to see more from Anna Downes
4 stars

I found myself absolute lost in this book. A captivating tale with unforgettable characters. Strongly recommend. Will pick up her other books.

Gave this one a try based on the excerpt in the Minotaur Sampler, but it didn't hold my interest as much as the other two I read from that sampler.

Thanks to Minotaur and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy.

3.5 rounded up to 4.
I really liked the overall premise of this book and loved read about Australia and vanlife. The beginning is pretty slow and it took me a little bit to get into it. The twist was pretty big one for me where I was in shock. I don’t feel like the ending was really done well though. When talking about Pheobe and her relationship with Lucas and Wyatt it was hard to know the timeframe of what was happening. Almost needed like a disclaimer of before and after. Overall some gaps but a good mystery book

This story intrigued me and I couldn’t wait to dive in and give it a read. I have mixed feelings after reading. It is fascinating the experiences and did keep me reading wanting to know what was happening. I also found it confusing at times and found my mind moving. I really enjoyed another story so I will continue to give this author a shot with each release. Grab this one and check it out for yourself.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This was a great read overall. We follow two women who have troubling pasts as they try to work together to find a missing person in Australia. I enjoyed the setting and I was hooked right away. I also liked the inclusion of all the Instagram posts throughout the book. I thought these added to the story in a unique way. Parts of the book were confusing to me though—mostly because of the several various names (I won’t say much else to refrain from giving spoilers). I also didn’t like the slow burn of the novel. There were parts that dragged in the middle, but I did love how things were wrapped up in the end! And that final line!! Overall, I would recommend this one, especially those who like slow burns!

Thank you to NetGalley, Anna Downes, and Minotaur Books for allowing me to read a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This was more of a thriller and less of a mystery than I was expecting. Given the beautiful cover and the travel content, I expected the book to have great descriptions of the Australian Outback scenery. Many places are mentioned but the descriptions are a couple of words or a sentence. The primary reason I picked this title is that I wanted to "see" the scenery through the author's words.. The back and forth between the main characters left me often confused rather than curious. All in all, I decided to stop reading at 19%.

If thrillers are your go-to genre, you may enjoy this book more than I did but if you want something deeper, keep looking.

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for an advanced digital copy of this book.

Although this book had a slow start, once I got halfway through I couldn’t put it down. A dark turn spin on social media, as well as touching on a few other trigger points, this book may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Mind blowing ending, I did NOT see that coming! I cannot get enough of the travel influencer stories and this was a fun one set on the coast of Australia. Katy has set out to do the “Big Lap” around Australia’s coast line in search of her missing sister, Phoebe, who went missing doing this very trip a year ago. The case has gone cold, according to the police, and Katy is convinced she can find out what happened to her sister. Soon into her trip, Katy meets up with Beth, a grifter who is also traveling alone, and together they set out into the vast wilderness.

This was a great story, my favorite part was the Australian setting and the Instagram updates. There are quite a few characters to keep track of, especially with Beth who goes by many aliases, and it was confusing in the beginning. So hang in there and pay close attention!

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on August 27, 2024

This book is very slow and that was hard for me. This book will lead you to want answers and start putting the puzzle pieces together to figure out what happened. I did figure out one of the biggest puzzles early on in the story but the rest threw me for a loop. I would definitely read this with no distractions because theres a lot to keep up with and will leave you confused if you’re not paying attention.

Small summary
Katy is joining the van life after her sister Phoebe goes missing. Phoebe had took on the van life documenting it by using social media and posting the route and stops she would be making. A long the way Katy picks up a girl named Lily and thats when things take a turn when Lily takes on helping Katy find her sister. A long the way they encounter other van lifers and everyone becomes a suspect. Two strangers traveling together to solve a case without even knowing anything about each other. What else will they find out along the way!

Red River Road by Anna Downes is a chilling and deeply enthralling read about various characters travelling and living from a van, and there reasons for doing so.

There are multiple point of views throughout the book and although Beth and Katy are travelling together, having their two distinct voices really worked well for this book. This is especially the case because there is a lot of past reflection that occurs, particularly for Beth, so their separate accounts make sense for this, and the dive into their pasts is very necessary to establish who they are and where they came from. It sets up why they are both travelling Western Australia and how this brought them to where they are in the present, having stumbled across each other by chance. Wyatt, the third point of view, was less interesting to me, but it does become clear how he is tied to the overarching story, although he is removed from it.

Reading this book I couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease and as if I wasn’t getting the full story even from the point of view characters. There was something to the undertone of chapters, particularly as the story moved along and they got deeper into their journey and investigation into Phoebe’s disappearance that just felt off, like I was dealing with a very unreliable narrator, one that wasn’t even telling the truth to themselves.
 
Being the sucker that I am for this kind of thing, I loved the Instagram mockups done periodically between chapters showing Phoebe’s (Katy’s missing sister) journey which Katy is following in order to try to figure out what happened to her. I thought it was a nice little touch that really added to the story and the almost enigma that Phoebe is with only really knowing her through Katy’s eyes and the posts from her Instagram.
 
Red River Road also manages to be so spooky at times that it chilled my blood a little. The sense of isolation really creeps up in moments, especially when Katy and Beth start getting a nighttime visitor who leaves creepy messages behind. This really added to my reading of the book and I felt so immersed in it because it was so well done. I found it very hard to put this book down because I was so invested in finding out what had happened to Phoebe, and what overall was going on along this trail so many people take to explore WA. Even closer to the end, when it felt like everything had been completed with the story but it kept going for a while after the climax of the story, I was left with so many questions and was worried I wasn’t going to get them, but it’s all wrapped up nicely and clearly. This read is definitely a recommend, perfect for thriller lovers with a sense of adventure.

Katy is looking for her sister, Phoebe, who disappeared a year ago while blogging her travels in Western Australia, a part of “The Great Lap,” around the perimeter of the country. Beth is escaping both from her family life and a dangerous situation in her immediate past. The two find each other and begin an unlikely friendship as they look for Phoebe and find their fates intertwined.

The story was told perspectives: Katy’s, Beth’s and Wyatt’s, a young boy living in Western Australia.

This book is incredibly suspenseful and high on the tense atmosphere. I was absolutely glued to the pages as things were unfolding, wondering how things would all end up coming together and meshing. And wow! Mesh they did! The story really perfectly came together in the end and tied all the loose ends together really well.

This is one of those books where you are better going in knowing as little as possible. And you may guess some things - but not everything. I had some inkling about a couple of things…..but not the total picture, even about what I had a guess about, if that makes sense.

Some of it gets complex and kind of tangled, which means I had to read some sections a couple of times to really understand all the details, but I think I got everything right in the end. And I enjoyed that the author added an epilogue to clarify things further. Some authors just leave things as is, and in complex stories, that’s no good.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! If you live great mystery/thrillers, particularly ones that will make you want to go traveling, this is the book for you!

This was a tough one for me to get through. While I ended up liking the story and the ending had some good twists it took me forever to get into it. I basically had to force to read so much a day until the last third of the book. I was really hoping to like this one a lot more and really liked the premise but it was just ok for me and if it hadn't picked up at the end probably would've rated it a 2 star but giving it 3. I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review,

Red River Road both makes me want to do a road trip in Western Australia and never be traveling alone as a single woman ever. With all of the attention paid in the U.S. to Gabby Petito, there are elements of that readers will see resonating in this book. Katy is looking Phoebe, a woman who disappeared in WA while doing a road trip. Katy is clearly not alright, but is bound and determined to retrace Phoebe's last known locations. Along the way she runs into Beth, a young woman trying to escape an abusive boyfriend that she's been traveling on the road with. Because of the less than upright reasons she and her boyfriend had been on the road, and her lack of money and identification, Beth convinces Katy that she'll help her find Phoebe. Along the way the women receive messages that seem threatening to both of them while drawing ever closer to the reason that Phoebe disappeared to begin with, and a teenage boy named Wyatt that's connected to both of them. The premise of this is really interesting and definitely plays up on the dangers of traveling with someone you may not trust, AND the dangers of oversharing information on social media. It makes it seem like something very real to be aware of and careful about. As the twist is revealed at the end the book kind of seems to lose it's momentum, and I don't entirely love how Downes leaves things with what happens with Beth and her boyfriend. But all in all it was a good psychological thriller that feels like many elements of are possible in real life. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A little messy wrap up, but the backdrop of traveling by RV along a popular tourist route was entirely worth reading this.