4.5 rounded up
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel about a woman named Katy who is searching for her missing sister, Phoebe, in Australia. While on this adventure, she “runs into”someone named Beth, who is clearly running away from problems of her own. The two decide to work together to look for Phoebe, who went missing while tracking her Van-Life experience on Instagram.

Nothing is quite as it seems though, for all parties involved. You’ll have to read or listen to it to see how it unfolds.

Narrator for the audiobook- wonderful

0.5 point deduction for length. I think the first half could have been cut down by about 3 hours and still maintained the same effect.

Thanks so much to the author, NetGalley, and MacMillan Audio for this ARC in exchange for a written review. I really enjoyed it!

I'm an Anna Downes fan so when I saw her name on a cover at Netgalley, I didn't even read the premise. I requested it because of her writing, and this one hit the mark again. Downes can pen characters who keep you invested, and moves the story along seemlessly.

As an audio, Red River Road had a perfect narrator, Maddy Withington. Her sweet accent (and lack of accent when necessary) fit perfectly with the Western Australian setting.

As a nearly 60 year old reader who lived a safe life of childhood, dorm life, back home to mom and then moved in with my husband in his already purchased home - I admit to wanderlust. I envy the folks who are now living off grid in vans traveling the world and having adventures. Thanks to some great authors, we are starting to get books which reflect this new style of living and I'm here for all of it. I loved the female main characters on their own doing brave things, even when safety is a concern. This story features a sister following a trail to find her disappeared sibling. She picks up a stray female along the way who lends fear to the plot for us readers who hear from her perspective as she attaches herself to the search. A third male character has his own narrative and we know this is all going to intersect as we journey with them.

Really well done. Can't say this one makes me want to van life more.......but I'm a chicken who likes the safety of deadbolts and strong walls.

Read Red River Road. Then read more of Downes' work - she is a good one to follow.