This is a slow moving, well written and intense book. We follow the story of Katy who is looking for her missing sister and Beth (Ivy) running from an abusive man, Together they look for Phoebe, dealing with lots of strange clues and dangers. Strange but believable ad scary How does Wyatt's story connect, Wyatt the brother of the abusive ex boyfriend. It all ties together. Hard to do this book justice in a review. 4.5

So many secrets! If you’re looking for a story that will keep you entertained, keep you in suspense, and keep you wondering…this is it! Red River Road by Anna Downes is an engrossing thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout! I loved it! Katy's quest to unravel the mystery surrounding her sister's disappearance on a barren Western Australian highway is a rollercoaster of adrenaline and intrigue. I've been trudging through a literary desert lately, each book blurring into the next with monotony. Red River Road cleared out the cobwebs with vibrant characters and great writing. My verdict? Give this one a read – you won’t be disappointed. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and author, for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

This book was amazing! It kept me up late. The twist was perfect. I also really became invested in the characters and figuring out what happened to the missing sister.

Thank you to St Martins Press, Minotaur Books @Minotaur_Books and Netgalley @Netgalley for the e-arc. All thoughts are my own.


Katy is looking for her sister. A year earlier, Phoebe went missing without a trace on a remote, coastal highway in Western Australia. There are no witnesses, no leads, and no DNA evidence, all Katy has to go by is Phoebe’s social media to retrace her steps.

When Katy’s path collides with Beth’s, she realizes she might be her best bet at figuring out the truth. But some secrets need to stay hidden.


My favorite part of this book was that it was set in Australia. I think that it is such a vast area, and this book did a great job at highlighting some lesser-known areas through the #vanlife lifestyle. I also loved how vividly the book was written, even though I live on the other side of the world from Australia it felt like I was right there I also enjoyed the mixed media format, but the formatting left a little to be desired, I hope that is fixed in final publication. Now I didn’t find this to be an extraordinary thriller like the blurb touted it would be. Interesting yes, but not extraordinary. I didn’t even really feel that it was all that thrilling. For me thrillers are fast paced and pulse pounding, this book was a slow burn but yet the ending felt rushed which is a pet peeve of mine.

I do think that if you are looking for a slow burn mystery about vanlife, then this is the story for you!

Holy Moly! What did I just read?!?

Don't think I'll be doing a solo trip anytime soon!

Kate's sister, Phoebe, ends up missing after a solo van/camper trip in Australia. Kate becomes extremely determined to follow her sisters itinerary to either find her or to figure out what truly happened to her.

Along the way, Kate encounters Beth, who is escaping a situation of her own.
They join forces, and Kate helps Beth by giving her a place to stay and buying clothes, etc. while Beth exchanges the favor by helping Kate think of ways to find Phoebe.

Along the way, strange things happen to the girls, and it's all very scary. The past won't remain in the past, and eventually, it all unfolds in a shocking way. The ending was a mind f*ck. I'll certainly read more books by Anna.

This was so very good and so hard to put down!

I loved the whole concept of female solo travelers and vanlife. I loved all the descriptive language around the different scenery and places in West Australia.

The story captivated me right from the beginning. We have Katy, who is following the route her sister Phoebe had taken before she mysteriously disappeared. Katy is trying to find her.

Beth is on the run from someone and ends up traveling with Katy, promising to help her find Phoebe.

The way these two stories wove together was so intriguing! I had many different theories going and was blown away by the ending!

You definitely want to pick this one up if you are a fan of this genre.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

First time reading this author but not the last. Fast paced, interesting story. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

I received a free copy of, Red River Road,by Anna Downes, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Katy Sweeney's sister is missing. Phoebe wanted to live the van life in Australia. Can Katy and Beth (her new friend) find Phoebe, dead or alive? A good read, beautiful country, an enjoyable read.

"Red River Road" by Anna Downes takes readers on a captivating journey through the vast landscapes of Australia, where two seemingly lost souls embark on a road trip filled with unexpected twists and turns. Having enjoyed Downes' previous work, "The Safe Place," I eagerly delved into this Advanced Reader's copy, anticipating another thrilling read.

The story unfolds with a promise of something entirely different from what ultimately transpires. As the characters traverse the Red River Road, attempting to retrace the steps of a lost sister, the narrative gradually peels back layers of deception and hidden truths. Downes masterfully crafts a tale that keeps readers on the edge of their seats, challenging perceptions and reminding us that there's always more beneath the surface.

What truly sets "Red River Road" apart is its poignant exploration of human connection and the complexities of identity. Through the unlikely bond formed between the protagonists, the novel delves into themes of loss, redemption, and the search for meaning in life's most unexpected moments.

The ending of "Red River Road" is nothing short of brilliant, delivering a satisfying conclusion that resonates long after the final page is turned. Downes skillfully ties together the threads of the narrative, leaving readers both stunned and deeply satisfied.

An edge of your seat thriller that I couldn't put down!

Katy's sister, Phoebe, goes missing while traveling solo around the coastline of Australia. Deciding to take matters in her own hands, Katy uses Phoebe's Instagram account to trace Phoebe's last day and hopefully find clues as to what happened. Soon after beginning the journey, Katy meets Lily who has trauma of her own and is obviously running from someone or something.

This book had plenty of twists and turns and a level of creepiness to hold readers' interest. Would highly recommend to thriller fans!

ARC kindly provided St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.

What a twisting, turning adventure!

Kate Sweeney's sister, Phoebe, comes up missing after a jaunt as a solo van/camper along the Coral Coast of Australia. Kate's determined to follow in her footsteps and either find her, or learn what happened to her. Then Kate encounters Beth who is escaping some kind of treacherous situation.

Paired up, Kate helps Beth who escaped with nothing but the clothes on her back, and Beth helps Kate think of other ways to try to find Phoebe. All the while, strange things keep happening... strange rock formations and notes appear out of nowhere, similar people keep appearing, and it's all very disconcerting.

Beth's past won't remain in the past, and unfolds in the wildest of ways. With a surprise ending, I was thrilled the entire way through the story. I'll definitely look for more from this author!

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Anna Downes for the eARC.

I love me a story like this! It kept me captivated from the first chapter. I just think a wide variety/range of people will really enjoy this! I recommend.

BOOK REPORT
Received a complimentary copy of Red River Road by Anna Downes from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books/NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.

Well. Didn’t mean to read two vanlife books in two days, yet here we find ourselves. Zeitgeist, much?

In the for-what-it’s-worth category, I liked this one better than the other one. Seemed more realistic in some ways.

THAT said…..everything got way, way convoluted-y, and went on way, way too long.

So, if I could give it 2.5 stars I would. But I can’t, so I won’t.

A few other thoughts……
- I’m not much of a fan of fiction set in Australia. I’m not sure why. I mean, seriously, I question myself about this, often. Guess the landscape is just not in my blood?
- I totally get why there is a trend in popular fiction to include Insta posts and the likes and the comments, etc. But ohmigosh, please, y’all, for the love of all that is holy and good, don’t do it in all caps, OK?
- Also, related to that: Couldn’t we (yes I am The Queen) find a way to summarize all that and not included it in literal post fashion? Or am I just being An Old when I think that way?

Probably won’t read anything else by this author.

DESCRIPTION
Anna Downes's extraordinary next thriller Red River Road follows a woman desperate to discover what happened to her sister on a solo road trip through the Australian outback.

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?

And then Katy’s path collides with that of Beth, who is on the run from her own dark past. Katy realizes that Beth might be her best—and only—chance of finding the truth, and the two women form an uneasy alliance to find out what really happened to Phoebe in this wild, beautiful, and perilous place.

Anna Downes takes us on a twist-filled journey into the dark side of solo female travel, in this gripping novel that explores what drives us to keep searching for those we have lost, the family bonds that can make or break us, and the deception of memory.

Amazing story that has you riding right beside Katy in the front seat of her camper.
Katy's sister Phoebe disappeared while on a solo camper adventure through Western
Australia and Katy has taken over the abandoned camper to follow and try to find her.. Through social media
postings that Phoebe made as she traveled, Katy is able to retrace her sister's steps from where her camper
was found.
The story grips you from page one and never lets go! Characters are very well defined and the action and
mystery of it all is tantalizingly intriguing. Every seems to point in one direction and then all of a sudden, takes
off in another.
Joining Katy is a traveler who suddenly appears at one of Katy's overnight stops, off the beaten track, appearing.
disheveled and lost: looking for help and seemingly abandoned herself.
Katy takes her in and lets her travel along with her and suddenly unexplained events start cropping up and danger seems
to be waiting at each stop they make.
Twists that you never see coming are one after another and they go on and on right to the end.

This was a super-quick 5-star read for me! Anna Downes is an author who is slowly creeping up on me. I have read her previous 2 books and I like each one a little better. This one is a slow burn but once it gets going, it never lets up. Katy is taking a van trip along the Australian coast in search of her sister, Phoebe. Phoebe disappeared doing exactly that. She was taking a van trip and blogging about her "van-life" then nothing. Never heard from again. The police have given up and are no longer helping. Katy uses her sister's blog as a route in search of clues. Along the way Katy meets Beth who has troubles of her own. The author makes the scene of Western Australia seem so vivid and I am dying to visit someday. Very atmospheric. I do not want to give too much away so I'm just going to stop here and advise you to read for yourself. I am excited for more from Anna Downes!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Anna Downes and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for this much appreciated ARC. All opinions are my own.

I will post my review to Amazon, Instagram and other retail and social media sites upon publication.

this was a good mystery and i enjoyed every part. It was the right length and the cover had a pretty road

It’s always fun to read a book about a road trip and this was a fun one. I liked the Australian setting a lot and the peek into #vanlife culture. It did feel like a bit of a slow burn and then the ending seemed a little rushed—all of the pieces came together in a way that made sense but there was a couple chapters like 7/8 of the way through that were a little too jumbled. The characters should be confused, not me!

The Wyatt chapters were weaker than Beth and Katy chapters, I don’t know if there needed to be so many of them. I didn’t feel like they added a lot beyond some context about why Lucas was so awful. Did we ever find out why he was so sickly? Or why the the neighbor lady seemed old but wasn’t? That wasn’t fleshed out well but was brought up a lot in his chapters.

When vanlife influencer Phoebe goes missing, her sister Katy is the only one who is not willing to give up on her. Katy sets off to find her missing sister and encounters a stranger along the way who is willing to help her search for Phoebe but this stranger has secrets of her own.

This is a thrilling, engaging and fun read and you won't be able to put it down until you find out what happens. I fully admit I had no clue how this was going to end and really enjoyed "the ride" this book took me on. There are a lot of twists and turns and the multi POV really works well with this book as you get to delve into the mind of each character. The descriptions of the landmarks and scenery were an added bonus that I was not expecting but really enjoyed.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and Anna Downes for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Pub Date 27 Aug 2024

Katy is taking a solo van trip through Australia’s outback tracking the route taken by her sister Phoebe who disappeared three weeks into her trip leaving no trace.
Katy meets up with Beth who is on the run from we don’t know what or who.
It’s a bit of a different road trip story looking for clues, I really liked the concept of the camper way of life drifting from place to place. I enjoyed the tourist information, found that educational and interesting. It gets a good creepy vibe.

I had problems with it suddenly flipping to the past catching me out, plus the various pov, I got a bit confused, even the reveals only served to confuse me more. I don’t know if it was my lack of concentration but it felt like there was a lot of head hopping. It does all come together by the end. Then there’s a bit of an ah ha moment.

For me it was ok, not really my kind of trope. The narrator and the tourist locations added interest, but the pace was too slow.

Traditional format 📕 (digital). This book had all the makings to be a good thriller: took place on the Australian coast, focused on a single girl and her van life travels and some Instagram posts throughout the book that drew me in as a reader.

But this book just wasn’t a great read for me. It was super super slow up until the half way point. And then even though the plot picked up it dropped off again after one of the big plot twists. I think had this book been about 100 pages less it would have packed a better punch.

I liked the multiple POVs and alternating storylines and the setting and the parts about van life and travel adventures. I found this book to be overall average and not something I would recommend as an edge of your seat thriller. I was actually quite glad to see the ending of this book come so I could move on to something new.

I give this an average 3/5. A mediocre slow burn thriller.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for a digital ARC copy of this book.