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!

Katy Sweeney is on the road. She is driving The Big Lap, all the way around Australia. She is following in the treads of her sister Phoebe, who had taken the trip on her vanlife journey. Phoebe had been documenting her trip on social media, with lots of bright photos and hashtags. And then she disappeared. Katy is hoping that as she travels to the same places, she can figure out what happened to Phoebe, because the police have no leads.

Beth was traveling around Australia and fell in with the wrong guy. He seemed so great at first, but then he took all her clothes and wallet and phone and got violent. Once she saw her opening, she jumped from his van and ran, despite not even having shoes on. But somehow she found a van by the side of the road. There was no one around that she could see, but the doors were unlocked. She jumped in without thinking and hid on the bed, under the blankets.

When the driver came back, she didn’t notice anything amiss at first, but then Katy saw that there was someone on the bed and freaked out. But Beth introduced herself (as Lily, an American college student). Beth wasn’t sure that Katy could be trusted, and Katy wasn’t sure either, but she could see that Beth was in bad shape, and she agreed to let her stay the night. When Beth hears Katy’s story about Phoebe, she wants to help her. As the young women get to know each other, they realize that teaming up may be the best way to find Phoebe, and to stay safe themselves.

But then strange clues start popping up. Notes are left on or near the van. Other travelers recognize Katy from previous campsites and talk about conversations they had with her that she doesn’t remember. Both women get the feeling they’re being watched, maybe even followed. And as they spend time looking over Phoebe’s social media posts and reading the comments and her direct messages, they find trolls who were posting things that were angry and threatening. Both women feel a sense of impending danger and start to question everyone they come across.

But as they get deeper into Phoebe’s journey, closer to the reason she disappeared, the more confused Beth gets from what’s happening. She knows the answer is there, but she can’t put the pieces together the right way. But when it gets to the point of life or death, will Beth be able to find the answers in time, or will it be too late for Phoebe, Katy, and Beth herself?

Red River Road is the latest thriller from Anna Downes, and it is quite the journey. The author takes a while to start showing her cards, but when those cards hit the table late in the book, the story takes a series of unexpected turns that brings about a satisfying and surprising end. These characters go on such a ride, and we’re just hanging on the whole way. This is an enjoyable story that looks at the vanlife lifestyle and how a single woman traveling alone is treated differently in person and online.

I listened to the audio book for this one, and it’s narrated beautifully by Maddy Withington. She brings the fun and adventure of Phoebe’s journey, the danger that Beth was running from, and the curiosity of Katy’s search for answers all to life through her dramatic choices. And her Australian accent brings an authenticity to the reading that really grounded me in Australia for the whole story. And if that’s not enough for you, the audio also has a conversation between Anna Downes and author Sally Hepworth that was both entertaining and laugh-out-loud funny. The audio book is worth it just for that, in my opinion. But listen to the story too. Red River Road is a trip like no other.

Egalleys for Red River Road were provided by Minotaur Books, and an early copy of the audio book was provided by Macmillan Audio, both through NetGalley, with many thanks.

I liked it - especially the travelogue aspect of the story-but, I didn’t love it. I found that it jumped around and didn’t flow smoothly. The idea of visiting beautiful western Australia sounds wonderful but doing the solo ‘van life’ thing would be way out of my comfort zone!
The narration by Maddy Withington Is well paced and clear. Her Aussie accent is pleasant and easy to listen to.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to very much enjoy the audiobook version of this ARC.

Katy's sister, Phoebe, disappeared on a solo trip around the coast of Australia. She has very little to go on, but she uses her sister's social media account as a roadmap of sorts. Along the way, Katy meets Beth, who's got secrets of her own. Nonetheless, Beth sets out to help Katy find her free-spirited sister. Along the way, they'll run into heaps of trouble, but will they ever be able to find Phoebe?

This is a very twisty thriller that kept me guessing all the way to the end. I liked both Katy and Beth, but sometimes I didn't know if I was supposed to be rooting for both of them, one of them, or neither of them.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC. I really enjoyed Maddy Withington's narration. She totally brought the story to life.

I felt this book was quite crazy in that I really never knew what was going on, and I was struggling to figure out which character (s) to believe. Narrator did a good job.

Ok. Where to even BEGIN with this one??

First off. Why??
I understand the draw of the internet. I understand the need for likes…
BUT. Phoebe….What. Were. You. Thinking??? ???????

So…Phoebe is a young woman…off on a solo trip around Australia…in a van. By. Herself! And, advertising every single stop. So…stalkers anyone???

We follow her road trips…and then. NOTHING!!!

Next up. Katy is now in search of Phoebe. Her sister has been missing for a year. Katy is on a mission. If the cops have given up…well, no worries. Katy is going to find her!

We follow along as Katy tries to duplicate her trips (as noted on line) in hopes of finding clues…or Phoebe herself!

Then we meet Beth. She’s in a miserable relationship with Lucas. (I’d like to get a hold of Lucas myself… 😡). She’s tried to get away from him, but it never works…

His younger brother Wyatt also makes some appearances. Mostly missing his Mom who has been MIA for some time now…
And his Dad. Weird, strange family dynamics there…

Getting back to Katy…it seems the more she investigates, the more questions she has…
And then she meets Beth. And Beth is willing to help her look for Phoebe…

Wrapping it up here, as I don’t want to give anything away!

I WILL say, that in my wildest dreams, I would NEVER have come up with that ending. Also…hard to believe anything that ANYONE says in the book…as they all seem to be professional liars!

Nail biting, breath holding, hair pin turns…kind of a book.
And as mentioned in other reviews…the ending ??!!?? Just CRAZY!!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for an ARC of the audiobook which releases today! 8/27/24! Thankful I was able to get it just under the deadline!!

#RedRiverRoad by #AnnaDownes and narrated nicely by #MaddyWithington.

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!

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*4.5 Stars On My Instagram Account*

"If a man has lost a leg or an eye he knows he has lost a leg or an eye. But if he has lost his self, himself, he cannot know it because he is no longer there to know it."

"Most monsters don't do logic."

Red River Road by fear inducing psychological thriller author Anna Downes will leave you with shivers down your back as she brings to the forefront "gender violence" against women, mental awareness and the sad fact that travelling alone, especially for women, is often a deadly decision.

We have 3 POVs starting with grief stricken Katy looking for her sister Phoebe, who was documenting, through social media, her camper van journey along coastal Western Australia. After 3 weeks she stopped posting and hasn't been seen in 6 months.

Next is Beth who's just escaped abusive Lucas with nothing but the clothes on her back. She stumbles upon Katy who gives her a ride if she'll help with finding Phoebe.

Last is 15 year old Wyatt. His mom's missing, he's brother's gone to find her but left him with their drunk father's cruelty escalating; especially when he finds the hidden cameras.

How they connect is wildly twisty. I was confused at first but patience led to a jaw dropping conclusion. The subtleness from the beginning that something is off with the established premises is masterful.The writer's ability to express Katy's paranoia, Beth's anxiousness and Wyatt's fears was sublime. It's enhanced with voice actress Madeleine Withington superb ability to convey everyone's POV with realistic emotions.

An interview with this talented author and accomplished psychological thriller author Sally Hepworth at the end of the audiobook is just a gifted bonus. Red River Road is a trippy ride.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from Macmillan Audio via #NetGalley for a fair & honest review. All opinions are my own.

This one was kind of a doozy for me. I really enjoyed the first 80% and it was setup to be a spectacular slow burn foray into a mental thriller. However, the ending was such a letdown. I think I am still in a state of fugue from it (IYKYK). The audio production was superb and raised my estimation overall.

Katy is on the road in Australian backcountry looking for her missing sister Phoebe. She also seems to be an erratic mess. She jumps to conclusions, drinks to the point of blacking out, and forgets whole conversations. Despite this she unknowingly rescues and rehabilitates Beth a.k.a. Lily. Both women team up looking for Katy’s sister. Beth may have her own agenda but she finds herself drawn to Katy and her plight. Neither one of them will realize how close their own backgrounds are tied until it is much too late. The camp/van life social media experience may not be safe for most, but especially women traveling alone.

While this had an interesting premise and some great twists, the audiobook was frustratingly confusing as the single voice actor was unable to provide a contrast between the different character's POVs. This story mainly follows Katy, who is out on the road retracing her sister's travel itinerary in the hopes of finding her a year after she went missing. She soon crosses paths with Beth, another traveler who agrees to help her in her search even though it's clear she has secrets of her own.

This was my first book by Anna Downes, and I enjoyed the Australian setting moving along the coastal highway and various campsites. In the end, I wish that I had read this one since it likely would have been easier to follow. It's a shame that there weren't different voice actors to voice each distinct character. I was often confused if I was listening to Katy or Beth's point of view and this made some of the twists feel even more convoluted. Not to mention that there is a whole other male character's point of view that is performed in the same voice as the others.

I really enjoyed this suspenseful and fast-paced audio book about solo female van travelers. The story centers on Katy, who is looking for her missing sister Phoebe, and Phoebe, who went missing on a similar journey five weeks before. I haven't read a lot of (or any, for that matter!) suspense books about #vanlife, especially the lifestyle as experienced by solo female travelers. The book also touches on other interesting and timely subjects like domestic violence, stalking via social media, and amnesia. I always looked forward to listening more to this well-narrated book and the ending was a surprise and well-executed. I'm definitely interested in reading more from Anna Downes. Great audio performance, as well, which added to the suspense.

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!!!