I think with all the "vanlife" travel being so popular right now that this book is very timely and relevant. It definitely makes you want to go see Australia and I think I've seen pictures on social media of the pink lake. Without giving anything away, I knew something was up with Katy but I'm not sure I loved the twist. I think some people will really like this one though.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the copy of Red River Road by Anna Downes. This is usually my kind of book; a missing influencer and a woman on the run, so I’m not sure why it didn’t catch my interest until 30% through. There are three POVs, a lot of characters and stories, and Instagram posts. It was a lot to keep track of and sometimes I was confused about who was who and what was going on. The story itself was compelling and I loved how Katy was looking for Phoebe by following her ‘vanlife’ journey and how her impressions and actions differed from Phoebe’s Instagram posts. I didn’t love the big reveal, because it felt like the easy way out of a tangled tale, then the book went on and on, maybe trying to make social commentary that hadn’t been addressed earlier. Readers who love a huge surprise reveal will absolutely love this book! 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I feel like I just read this book by another author. Katy road trips across Australia to find her missing sister, Phoebe. She encounters a stowaway in her van who ends up having connections to "shady characters" that she thinks her sister also encountered. While the ending was a little different that expected, this book just drug on for too long. I also really do feel like I just read a similar story not long ago and did not care for that one either.

I loved Anna Downes' "The Shadow House" so was thrilled to receive this ARC and it did not disappoint. It is a fast-paced missing person story with multiple layers of intrigue and complexity. The protagonist's "vanlife" existence adds elements of fascination as well. I could not put this one down! Highly recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I really wanted to love this book, but it struggled to finish it. I can say that I didn’t see the end coming, but I also don’t quite know how I feel about the ending. So many questions seemed unanswered or just vaguely touched on. A good read, but not my favorite. I think plenty of others will enjoy it though!