What a bizarrely wild ride this one was and I was completely absorbed in the journey!

Having backpacked through Australia several years ago, I found it easy to fully immerse myself in the #VanLife plot and the eerily atmospheric setting.

Downes did a fantastic job at creating and building an ominous suspense from start to finish and it was truly pulse pounding!

Now I don’t want to say too much and give anything away, but I was extremely impressed with the reveal that I truly never saw coming but applaud that looking back, there were clues! Always my favourite type of twists!! 👏

Make sure to stick around for the authors note to get a little more intriguing insight into Downes motivations for writing this road trip thriller!

What a fascinating novel! I was gripped from the first chapter. I was shocked at all the twists and turns and really appreciated everything I learned from the authors note. The narrator did a beautiful job. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.

I was so excited about this book, but I was confused the majority of the time. Once I figured out why, I still wasn’t a huge fan. The book is just okay for me. I don’t mind twists, but I don’t like floundering throughout the majority of the book. I’ve rated 3 stars, because it is a good story. I think I wasn’t the ideal reader for this one. The narrator did a good job.

This is my third read from Anna Downes and it was vastly different than her other book that I have read, though it was a welcome divergence.

Things I enjoyed about this book:
- The Australian setting: it was fun to hear about all the natural destinations for sightseeing in a landscape so unknown to me.
- Multiple points of view: there are times when a story switches from one narrator to another that I find myself favoring one perspective. but that was not the case for this book! I enjoyed all three voices as the story developed.
- The Twists: I didn’t see them coming! Isn’t that what we all want from a thriller?

Why wasn’t this 5 stars? There were a few times that I found the jumps in the timeline to feel a bit disjointed and harder to follow. Additionally, some concepts seemed implausible but after listening to the author’s note, I was able to have a better appreciation for the plot decisions.

Thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Minotaur Books for the ARC of the audiobook!

This book is set up around the events of a young woman who travels alone across Western Australia in order to find her sister who has been missing for a year. We get multiple POVs from seemingly random people, but they are all interconnected. What I loved about this book was how there was an interesting twist, and before the reveal you are trying to piece together what is going on. I also felt like I could not fully trust any character as they all had secrets. The ending was awesome, and a twist that was a bit jaw dropping. I absolutely recommend this book as a psychological thriller.

Red River Road by Anna Downes was fast-paced and twisty. Katy is looking for her sister, Pheobe, who vanished without a trace in remote Australia. Katy travels the same path with the same itinerary with the hopes of finding out what happened. She meets Beth, who was running from her own past. It was totally creepy and really tense.

Stories with unreliable characters are so fun - and this did not disappoint! Multiple POVs are Katy, Beth/Lily, and a boy named Wyatt, a 15 year-old boy whose mother is missing. Check the trigger warnings. Very surprising ending - I only guessed a bit of it!

Maddy Withington did an amazing job narrating. She was able to keep the three characters very distinct, and brought so much energy to the storytelling. This was a joy to listen to.

Red River Road by Anna Downes and narrated by Maddy Withington was an engaging listen. Ms. Withington did a great job narrating, keeping me interested the entire time.

Katy Sweeney is looking for her sister that has gone missing, following along her sister's Instagram account's activities, retracing each step of her prior year's road trip along the coast of Western Australia.

This book takes a lot of twists and turns and had me frequently question, "who did it?", "who is innocent?", "is Katy telling the truth?", etc. I did not know what to believe.

It definitely had me on the edge of my seat.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for the advanced audio version in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5 rounded up to 4

I loved the setting and the unreliable narrator aspect of this. The mystery itself is intriguing -- how could Katy not do something when her twin sister Phoebe disappears? I kept feeling like the story itself wasn't working, although I might feel differently if I revisit this. There were so many details and clues that built up a little at a time. The narrator was great, and helped bring balance to this dark story. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen to this audiobook.

Australia has always been on my bucket list but I could never solo travel there. I think I have always seen Australia as an isolated wasteland and this thriller kind of gave me that vibe. Missing women, a sister traveling to try to find her sister, and another woman attempting to escape her life. I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would. It had quick chapters and all of my guesses were 100% wrong. As the story unfolded, I couldn’t put it down. The audiobook helped because I really liked the narrator. While I liked the audiobook, I think I would have enjoyed reading it a bit more because there were quite a few characters and POVs that may have been easier to keep track if I read the physical. Overall, a great way to end summer and start spooky season.

I'm a sucker for any story set in Australia, and the premise for this one was intriguing. It took a bit for me to get into the story with multiple POVs jumping into the action. However, it didn't take too long to get acclimated. There were times I thought I might not continue, but the story ended up coming together in an unexpected and satisfying way.

The narration was good.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #MinotaurBooks for a free copy of #RedRiverRoad by Anna Downes. All opinions are my own.

There were a few dingers in this that had me say “wait, whaaaaaat?” because I truly was not expecting them. Downes is able to craft multiple storylines that converge and she does it well. The characters are flawed, troubled and seem to have questionable motives but you are able to sympathize with all of them. I need to read more books set in Australia!

Phoebe Sweeney, an influencer, is taking a solo trip around Australia in her van. After a few weeks of posting online, she abruptly announces she's taking a media break and disappears.
A year later, and with still no sign of Phoebe, Phoebe's sister Katy arrives to retrace her steps. While on her search, she crosses paths with Beth, a woman on the run.

Both women have secrets, and neither are who they seem.
This was different and well plotted, though it really took more brainpower than I expected to follow along. It took some really wild turns as well as a couple that were more predictable. It had a couple slow parts but was overall really entertaining. The narration by Maddy Withington was excellent.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow! What a ride - no pun intended! Anna Downes has a winner with this thriller! I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions of the setting - a road trip through the remote Australian outback. But the unfolding of the story itself was what won me over. The tension seemed to never let up and the character development of Katy and Beth was very satisfying. No spoilers but both characters turn out to be very surprising. And I also enjoyed the secondary character of Wyatt although we didn’t get to see him as much. The writing style and format was great with the social media posts breaking things up a little and adding interest. And of course, hearing the story from both Katy’s and Beth’s POVs kept me engaged and constantly wondering how the story could possibly conclude satisfactorily but the ending really left an impact on the concept of solo female travelers.
I was glad that the author included a note about the very real issues that she addressed such as solo female travelers being regarded differently than male “adventurers” and partner violence.
I listened to the audio version of this book and the narrator was very good with dramatic interpretation and accents. I also really enjoyed the conversation between Anna Downes and fellow Australian author, Sally Hepworth included after the conclusion of the novel.

I've read and enjoyed other books by this author and look forward to more. This one is outstanding. The Narrator did a fantastic job with this one. Made me feel like I was part of the story.

A story that kept me guessing about some things but also knowing who the main character was, or was not, as the case may be.

Katy is the on a road trip trying to find her sister who went missing a year earlier and the cops gave up searching for. She does not believe that Phoebe is dead. She's convinced that she met with problems and just wants to find her and bring her home. She mets quite a few people along the way but none seem to know anything about Phoebe. She encounters some scares along the way and meets a girl who seems to desperately need her help.

Beth escaped a violent encounter with her boyfriend while they were on a road trip. He started out loving and attentive but that quickly starts to disappear as his violent side comes to surface. He's says mean and cruel things and hits her. They are a team of thieves but it seems to be him who makes the cash and her who does most of the thieving. They take valuable items but are still broke for the most part. They have to stash the items and then someone picks them up and puts money into her guys account. Beth finally gets away from him but is afraid to tell anyone what he did. Or she's forgotten that he did it.

This book takes you to a few beautiful places. Very descriptive and realistic. It's one that keeps you guessing and wondering who is doing what. Who leaves the stones outside. Who left the notes. Who are the people commenting on Phoebe's Instagram posts. The one getting angry. Private messaging her. What really happened to Phoebe and where is her van.

This is the story of van life and young women traveling alone. Going on a road trip alone in Western Australia. The many sides of meeting people. Getting to know strangers. Making friends. Coming to terms with losses.

I enjoyed this book. It kept me turning the pages all the way through the Author's Notes. Be sure and read that. It's very interesting.

Thank you #NetGalley, #MacmillianAudio, for this ARC. This is my own thoughts about this book

Five big stars.

Red River Road is an intense fast pace thriller. A year ago Katy’s sister went missing while on a van/camping trip around Australia. Determined to figure out what happened, Katy is now undertaking the same trip, fallowing the same route. But her solo trip doesn’t stay solo long when a Beth, a mysterious stranger, sneaks into her van. Who is she and what is she running from? And is Katy making a mistake by allowing this woman to tag along? I’ve read a few of Anna’s books and have to say this is my favorite so far. Well fleshed out characters, a wonderfully complex story, and with Maddy Withington’s excellent job on the narration this a thriller you won’t want to miss out on. I’d like to thank Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review an advanced copy of the audio version of Anna Downes’s Red River Road.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R1F6CAS0RG2U2R/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Red river road

Phoebe is a social media influencer documenting her trip to Australia when she goes missing. There are no leads, just her social media promoting safe solo travel, that obviously turned unsafe.

Her sister, Katy, takes matters into her own hands as she goes searching for her sister. During her journey, Katy meets Beth. This story is from the POV of Katy and Beth both, which is nice to break up the story and keep pacing going. Beth, disguising as Lily, convinces Katy to let her come on the journey with her to search for Phoebe. Through the journey, Beth’s POV revisits her past and what to share with Katy when she continues to ask about her story and why she is traveling alone.

We also get the POV for Wyatt. Wyatt’s story involves his brother who lived with him in a home where his mother has left the home. Wyatt has hope she’ll return, but is finally told that she disappeared and didn’t abandon them like he thought. It’s unclear when the timeline occurs with the story and his story is the most confusing.

I had an advanced copy of both the ebook and audiobook of this book. The narration was excellent- great expression and intonation.

The audiobook got confusing at times with the same voice for all point of views and flipping timelines. Overall, I feel the book was well paced, exciting, and kept me guessing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy on exchange for an honest review. Out now !

This book was so good!

Katie is looking for her sister, phoebe who is an instagram influencer. She went missing after she left Perth, Australia for her road trip around the country. Along the journey she ends up with lily the girl who snuck in to her van at a stop. Lily doesn’t tell the whole story about the man she is running from, but enough to let her stay in the search for Katie sister.

Wyatt knows something is not right in his house with his brother gone in his own adventures and his father. He hears sounds and feels thing aren’t right in what hiding in his house.

Can lily help Katie find her sister before the truth comes out

Love it! I will say there is a lot of talk of physical abuse and road trips.

Thanks net gallery for the advance audio copy!

I was impressed with how solid this mystery was. I was a bit worried at the big reveal but it actually felt plausible and I liked seeing how everything fit together.

Out now! Big thanks to the publisher for the early copy to read and review <3

I thought the narration of the audiobook for this was fantastic.

I liked this quite a bit! The setting was stunningly described. The characters are so mysterious. And the whole book has this overarching sense of foreboding as we reach the conclusion.

The descriptions of the Australian setting were beautifully written. I felt like I could see the beauty (and danger) of the Red River Road (lol) and all the places along the way. I also liked the way the characters were presented. There is a sense of "who can I trust/ believe" that propelled the story. First, we want to think Kate is just out looking for her sister but later doubt is cast. And then there is Lily/ Beth. She straight up tells the reader she is lying about almost everything about herself. But why? And is the reason good enough to actually want to root for her? There's a third main POV of Wyatt, a "kid" (I call anyone younger than me a kid, haha, it's the 'old' lady in me) with a rough home life and his relationship with his brother and father. At the very beginning his POV seemed soooo super random. It all comes together.

The big twist was a wild one, so buckle in for that if you choose to read. Over the whole story is this sense of unease/ suspicion/ foreboding as we go along with Kate trying to find out what happened to Phoebe. As we get more answers, more questions, and they get closer to the end of the trip, the sense increases until that final blowout moment where our character's stories cross.

I'd recommend this if you love:
-descriptive and beautiful settings
-mystery of a missing woman on her #vanlife adventure
-mixed media (Phoebe's social media posts and comments)

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the new book by Anna Downes and perfectly narrated by Maddy Withington. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Katy is looking for her sister, Phoebe. A year ago, Phoebe vanished without a trace while on a solo van life trip along the coast of Western Australia. Using Phoebe's social media as a map, Katy retraces her steps, looking for clues. She meets Beth, who is on the run, and realizes that Beth may help her find the truth.

Whew - this is a great thriller but be patient with it, because all is not what is seems! Told from the POV of Katy, Beth, and Wyatt, along with social media posts, Downes leads you down a twisty path. A look into the dark side of solo female travel, you won't know who you can trust or believe. It's creepy, especially Wyatt's story, and will leave you guessing for sure. Loved the Australian setting!