This intriguing story takes you on a tour of Australia's western coast while navigating three stories: Katy, Beth and Wyatt's. You know they are each keeping secrets, you figure their stories will converge at some point, and Downes does a nice job of pacing the story to reveal "just enough" at a time. Katy is a reluctant "vanlifer", looking for her sister , Phoebe, who went missing a year ago. One night, Beth shows up in her van, obviously running scared from something, not ready to share her story but hoping Katy will provide her refuge. Wyatt is a teenage local, his connection to the story doesn't become obvious until much later in the story. Full of red herrings, I was sometimes a little impatient for details that are hinted at for almost too long, but I found the story suspenseful and everything wrapped up satisfactorily in the end.

Remind me to stay home and never travel again haha but for real.

This definitely reminded me of a few true crime cases we've seen in recent years.

I feel like I've learned a bit more about the van life population and I can sympathize with their need to get out and live free but also I could never do that.

I don't wanna say too much about the plot to avoid spoilers but it's best to just enjoy this one as you go and try to not read the reviews as I've seen some that spoil parts.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy!

I liked the book's premise, featuring two women on a road trip in a remote area of the country. I lived and worked in an Australian city for three years and loved the country and its people. I have returned several times since to spend time in the outback centre and the eastern far north. I had not visited Western Australia beyond Perth and Freemantle, but I didn't get a sense of place while reading. The various towns and tourist attractions were named, and the area's beauty was pointed out, but I felt I was reading a tourist manual rather than feeling the setting. The story was a slow burn that never caught fire for me. This could be classified as a psychological drama, but the long psychiatric explanation of one character's mental and emotional state went on far too long. Characters held unreliable and missing memories or were deliberately lying. There were so many secrets to make one's head spin, and I found the plot convoluted, confusing, and far-fetched in parts.

Despite my reservations, the book did have its exciting moments. The brilliant twists and shocking surprises kept me engaged, and the descriptions of van life, from an exuberant perspective from a more cautious approach, were enjoyable. The book was anchored on the dangers faced by solo female travellers, providing valuable advice on staying safe.

Katy is driving a van searching for her sister Phoenix, who disappeared a year ago. Phoenix was described as a confident, self-reliant, free-spirited young woman who decided to take a solo van trip along the beautiful Coral Coast highway of West Australia, starting in Perth and heading into the remote north. She detailed the sights, photos and adventures on Instagram, where she had many followers. Suddenly, after a few weeks, Phoenix vanished without a trace. No witnesses, no DNA evidence. Katy was furious when the police gave up the search due to lack of evidence.

Katy is frightened when she finds Beth hiding in her van. She is bruised, bloody, and dirty. Beth tells Katy that her name is Lily, but she is a young woman with many names and identities. She mentions that her clothing, money, and travel documents were all stolen after she arrived from America, so she is now in the country illegally. Is her lack of an American accent unnoticed? Katy is uncomfortable driving alone and feels that Lily may be helpful in her search for Phoenix. She allows Lily to join in her travels and provides her with food and clothing. Lily eventually tells Katy most of her truth but feels that there is something suspicious about Katy. As they become friends, Katy tells Lily that she will give the van to her once Phoenix is found.

While they travel following Phoenix's social media posts, they stop in each place she mentioned. No one admits to seeing her. Some clues and messages mysteriously appear, making it clear that they are being followed and stalked in real life and online. Is someone watching them? Is there more than one follower? Do Katy and Lily both have stalkers? The intensity increases as both women are afraid they are in mortal danger.

There is a third viewpoint from a fifteen-year-old boy. Wyatt lives in a small town they will visit. He has extended periods of a recurring illness where he is sick in bed a great deal. The cause of the disease is not disclosed. He has periods of nausea, fever and pain. He lives with a brutal father. He believes his mother vanished on a road trip. He watches many horror movies and fears a lurking demon in the locked garage is coming to harm him. He misses his older brother, who has left the home, but Wyatt cannot imagine living elsewhere. We know that he can run quickly despite his continuous illness. We learn later that Wyatt is soon training for a very athletic career. How is he connected with the events? What is hidden in the garage?

Bodies of missing travellers are found. Katy concedes to Lily's urging to call the police. She phones Detective Dust, who was initially in charge of searching for Phoenix, to inform him of the new clues to her whereabouts. Katy gets angry responses from the detective and is told to stop harassing him. Katy is severely injured in a brutal attack and hospitalized. What happened to her and why?

The many threads are neatly tied up in the book's conclusion, although there is an incredible explanation. Recommend to readers who don't mind an unreliable narrator and a complicated, twisty plot. Expected publication is August 27.

Told via three different perspectives, as well as expertly-placed mixed media elements, Red River Road is a gripping and suspenseful Psychological Thriller that successfully kept me on my toes throughout. I had the pleasure of Buddy Reading this one with a friend, and we were guessing and throwing out theories the entire time. I loved how Downes put this one together.

We learn about Phoebe, an up-and-coming Travel Influencer, whose solo vanlife trip along the coastal road of Western Australia was followed by people all over the world. That is until the day she goes quiet. Phoebe has disappeared without a trace. We hear about these types of things all the time, but it was still shocking and sad for those who followed, knew Phoebe, or even loved her IRL.

Katy is on a solo van trip of her own. Following Phoebe's social media posts, Katy is desperate to find her. It's during this journey that her path jarringly crosses with Beth's, a woman on the run, full of desperation of her own. As the two get to know one another, Beth realizes who Katy is; Phoebe's sister. Katy realizes that Beth's knowledge may be the key she needs to reach her goals. The two agree to work together and travel together, getting Beth farther away from her past, and Katy closer to finally finding Phoebe. At least that's what they hope.

We also follow Wyatt, a boy who lives with his brother and father in the same remote area through which our two women are traveling. How is Wyatt connected to this story? You'll have to read it, because there's no way I'm telling.

Full of Anna Downes's signature twists and turns, Red River Road reads like a Road Trip Gone Wrong movie come to the page. It's my fave from this author to date. Once I started, it was nearly impossible to stop. I had to know what was happening. I had so many theories over the course of this, I even began to suspect myself...

Downes keeps her chapters short, and the inclusion of the mixed media made this story even more intriguing. It was like watching a giant puzzle come together. Each consecutive chapter added one more piece to the bigger picture. I was reading this so fast. I had to get to the bottom of what was going on.

I loved meeting both Beth and Katy. They were so interesting, and while I was captivated by both of their stories, I didn't trust either of them. I kept expecting betrayals and backstabs. I just did not know who to trust. The conclusion was wild and IMO, readership will be divided on how this ends. For me, I really enjoyed it, although there were some details I got a little confused on towards the end.

I'm pretty sure it is just me though. As in, I missed something as I was rushing through, because I am left with a couple of lingering questions, or things that I think I understand, but am just not 100% sure on. With this being said, this is one of those rare Thriller/Suspense stories that I would actually read again.

I know Thrillers tend to be best appreciated the first time round; like, once you know, you know. In this case though, I actually would like to reread this knowing the ultimate outcome from the start. It's a detailed story, with great character work and a lot of different layers. I think I would appreciate the skill it required for Downes to pull this off even more upon reread.

I had a fabulous time with this. The setting was exciting and the twists were off the charts. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a fast-paced Travel Thriller. Also, I highly recommend the audiobook format!

Thank you to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me copies to read and review. I can't wait to see what Anna Downes comes up with next!!!

{3.5 stars}

Thanks to Minotaur Books for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions below are my own.

#VanLife has been a trend with the younger generations, going off the grid and traveling the world with everything you own in a caravan or trailer. Katy is recreating her sister's trip through Australia trying to find clues to what happened to her when she went missing. Along the way she picks up another girl escaping her violent VanLife boyfriend. Together they try to find some hint of what happened to Phoebe.

I loved Downes The Safe Place, so I was excited for this new read. I was very invested for the first half of this book, but it lost me a bit in the middle, but then got me again in the end. There were definitely some twists in this one that I didn’t see coming.

The Australian outback setting was rich in detail and provided an excellent backdrop for the story. Katy's POV was interesting and engaging with her determination to find her missing sister. I loved the idea of her using her sister Phoebe's social media to retrace her path. The twisted answers to Katy's search were well-plotted. Fans of adventure/missing persons' thrillers will enjoy this one.

This book was so good! I was definitely up way past my bedtime reading…I highly suggest it! The short chapters had me wanting to read just one more. I enjoyed the premise of a solo female traveler living in a van while traveling the Australian Outback and using social media to document and share her experience. I thought it was unique that parts of the story were told through her posts and comments. It is a book you will have to pay close attention to because it has several story lines and characters but that’s what makes a good thriller so hard to put down. This was the first book I’ve read by the author and I enjoyed it so much that I plan to read her other book, The Safe Place, in the near future.

Even though the story is fiction, it was very informative, especially the author's notes. People tend to share way too much information about themselves on social media…please be mindful of what you are sharing.

The pairing of the epub and the audiobook made for a great immersive experience. Because part of the story is told through social media posts, the audiobook was a little hard to follow at times, so I was happy to have both an ecopy and audio. Maddy Withington delivered an impressive performance from start to finish.

Wow this book was not what I expected. What a wild ride. A unique and confusing story that makes you feel like you are going a bit crazy, while being completely fascinating and compelling. After just a short while into the book, I didn't want to stop reading because I had to know what was going on (in both the past and what was going to happen). The storytelling was SO well done! I loved the vivid characters and this made me want to visit these gorgeous places. It was an interesting look into travel especially as a female traveler and also made me a bit mad that it's harder to exist in this world safely as a female presenting person just trying to experience travel. The last half was heart-pounding and made this a truly great book.

Red River Road by Anna Downes is a slow-burn thriller with mysterious and creepy vibes. I loved how atmospheric this story was- it made me feel like I was on the trip with Katy and Beth.

The different perspectives make this book really interesting - you think of Katy one way while reading her POV, and another way when reading Beth’s POV. It makes you question what’s really happening. I wasn’t a big fan of Wyatt’s perspective at first, but I ended up loving how his storyline connected with Beth and Katy’s.

And though I figured out the twist before the reveal, I was still on the edge of my seat while reading it and I was satisfied when the story ended.

4 out of 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Red River Road comes out August 27, 2024. Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press/ Minotaur Books for letting me read an early ecopy.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan for the free book in exchange for my honest review.

Phoebe is an Instagram influencer who lives the #vanlife. But she has been missing for the past year. She set off on a highway trip all the way around Australia but went missing. Her sister, Katy, is retracing Phoebe's van adventure by visiting every site on her sister's instagram journey. When she suddenly meets Beth, a woman in trouble, they team up to hunt for Phoebe on a chaotic, twisty trip.

How do people head off in a van all by their lonesome and survive? How is this possibly safe? Who can you trust in any camping situation? Can you really trust your #roadfriends? I found myself very caught up in the story, the twists and turns. This is a glimpse into another way of life so completely carefree and foreign to my own. Its a very interest and thrilling read that should not be missed! Highly recommend!!!

This book made me afraid to go to sleep at night!

This was super creepy and even gave me full-body chills at times! The writing was amazing, I really felt like I was living what the characters were going through (and I was definitely terrified at times!).

While the trip around Australia's coasts sounds wonderful, I'm definitely never going there alone! This book had great suspense and shocking twists!

That ending left me shook! Though I could kind of see it coming, but only very close to the reveal (so nothing impressive haha). I also really enjoyed the epilogue or the last few chapters, where we see where the characters are at after the events of the book.

I did think it dragged on a biiiit too much in the middle, but I still really enjoyed it.

I definitely recommed this book for fans of creepy and suspenseful thrillers!

3.5 stars, rounded up. Red River Road is a twisty thriller told from multiple perspectives. We have Katy, who is desperately searching for her younger sister, Phoebe, who disappeared a year ago during her solo van life exploration of the Australian coast. Beth, trying to escape her past, meets Katy in an unexpected way and joins her in the quest. And then there is Wyatt, a 15 year old boy whose mother disappeared years ago after leaving on her solo van life trip.

While it takes a bit of time for the action to happen, when it does, it’s pretty exciting. There are some finer points that I would like a clearer explanation for but overall the novel was an engaging, sometimes tension-filled journey.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

This is one of those thrillers that stresses me out, in a good way! The author does such an amazing job at making the characters & situations realistic, I felt tense along the way. Seeing the story from three viewpoints really made it interesting. There’s some pretty wild twists I don’t think all readers will see coming. For a while there I was completely confused as to what the conclusion was going to be. It’s creepy chilling at times. And the background setting of Australia, where the authors lush descriptions, is an extra bonus.

🚐

Read if you like:
* He Started It by Samantha Downing
* Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent

This book was so creepy. I honestly do not really know what was going on half the time. There were multiple perspectives and multiple stories and none of them seemed trustworthy. They all had secrets that they were hiding and there were many dots that did not connect in their stories. I thought it was well done at the end when most things were tied up, however, since I felt lost during much of the book it often made it difficult to pick it up and read/listen. I thought the descriptions of the location in Australia was incredibly well done - I could easily picture the location and wanted to jump right into the book. If you are looking for a creepy read that is a little bit all over the place - definitely give this a try!
Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

Red River Road by Anna Downes is an amazingly written story with twists you won’t see coming!
The characters are realistic and portrayed so well. This atmospheric and haunting mystery will give you the chills.
The atmosphere was fantastic. I loved the build and how it began to feel a bit claustrophobic.
The author's writing style is brilliant, laced perfectly with enough intrigue and suspense, which will gradually increase the tension of the readers with the plot's development.
I highly recommend this book.

Thank You NetGalley and Minotaur Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This was my second novel from author, Anna Downes, my first being "The Safe Place" back in 2020. I was eager to dive into this book, as I enjoyed the previous one.

I will be straightforward and say I had a really hard time with this book. It was really slow to get started and I couldn't connect with a single character. The fact that chapters switch back and forth between characters, but with no real way to know how their stories connect made it even more confusing.

By the end of the book the story did start to become interesting, but by then I was so frustrated and bored that I just wanted it to end. The ending seemed unnecessarily drawn out and completely unsatisfying.

This needs to come with a trigger warning about domestic violence, child neglect, and human trafficking.

I think, perhaps, I am the minority with my opinion of this book, so please read some other reviews and pick up a copy to decide for yourself.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me an e-copy to read and give my honest review. It was a 3 star read.

My thanks to Minotaur Books/St. Martins Publishing for the ARC of "Red River Road" in exchange for an honest review.
A welcome return to one of my favorite genres in books and movies. peril and terror in the Outback. And by that I don't mean having to wait too long for your Bloomin' Onion at the steakhouse.
This time it's Katy and Beth who encounter much fear, loathing and mystery as they travel together along Western Australia's picture postcard Coral Coast, filled with beautiful beaches, lagoons, shark whale sightings....... and abductors of women vacationers who are never heard from again.
Katy's travelling solo at first in her camper-van, in a desperate search for her missing sister Phoebe, whose similar lone tour of the coastal wonders ended with her disappearance off the face of the earth. Exhausted and haunted by what might have befallen Phoebe, Katy ends up with an unlikely young companion. in Beth.. This girl. with signs of physical abuse and fleeing something terrible in her past, begs Katy to take her along on the road trip quest for Phoebe's whereabouts.
There's way more to Beth than meets the eye, but Katy agrees.......and off they go, hitting the road on a trip fraught with ominous, dread filled moments. The woman find themselves tormented by ominous clues, mysterious notes found in their vehicle, odd collections of stones left outside the van. And what about that pushy stranger in the sunglasses who insists he'd help out Katy if she let him follow her on the search?
The suspense builds steadily until "Red River Road" finally detonates all of its twists and reveals, the biggest of which is one staggering jaw dropper of a surprise. That brings me to my only minor quibble here with the final chapters, which take up a huge amount of time explaining that twist in maybe a little more detail than you'd normally expect in a wrap=up.
But I wouldn't let that stop any reader who'd love to sign up for a wild dangerous tour through some of Australia's most spectacular locations. Thriller fans will want to say 'G'day, Mate' to this one.

I enjoyed the plot twists and integration of two women's lives on the roadtrip solo-travel circuit. The twist at the end was fairly expected, but a fairly climactic ending nonetheless. Very enjoyable read!

4.5/5☆

This was such a good psychological thriller! I love a good twisty, turny book with unreliable narrators - makes it feel like a real mystery you're solving.

My bump up to 5 stars on this app is because I didn't guess the ending. I had many thoughts and ideas of what could be happening but when it cake to an end, I was surprised to see I hadn't guessed the ending at all.

Katy Sweeneys sister Phoebe vanished last year while on a road trip in Australia. No trace of her or her van were found.
Katy decides to follow her sister’s path and look for her. While out in the middle of nowhere she runs across a girl named Beth with many problems of her own. The two team up and run into lots of trouble.
This was an exciting story with many twists and turns and a shocking ending. I loved it.
Thanks NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this eARC that will be released August 27, 2024!