A search for a lost van lifer puts Katy in the path of another lost soul. When Beth joins her, they become a united front to solve the mystery of the missing girl, Phoebe. This was an interesting story during parts of the book, but there were also several sections I found myself skimming over. Overall, though, it was a good story.

This book was SO addicting. I started reading last night and then finished it today, which is pretty fast for me, especially during my work week.

We start out with Katy driving down the highway and being spooked by another car driving wildly. She pulls into an abandoned rest area to avoid them, and suddenly, she's not alone. Beth is looking desperately for help and climbs in the back of Katy's van without her initially realizing it. Katy takes pity on Beth, who is beaten and bruised, and allows her to continue on the trip with her. Beth is so cagey and used to hiding herself that she initially tells Katy that her name is Lily.

Both women are skeptical of the other, but with no one else to trust, they have no choice but to lean on each other. Katy explains what happened to Phoebe and Beth starts helping her sort through the clues of Phoebe's mysterious disappearance.

The author does a nice job of keeping the reader tense throughout. You can't help but be unnerved by thinking of being alone in Australia, on a pitch-black night, and no one else around. We also see Phoebe's social media posts and some of the kind, and also creepy, comments that are left for her. This story excellently highlights the point that people can glean A LOT of information from our social media posts, especially if we aren't mindful of how and when we share things.

I enjoyed the plotline of this story. The social media aspect and stalking are unique plotlines that were explored well. I also loved the tie-in to #VanLife as that is fairly popular right now and again, I haven't seen other books in the same vein.

There were a couple of things I didn't enjoy. The first was some of the dumb moves the girls made. Both were apparently very safety conscious, and somewhat paranoid, yet they would keep stopping in the middle of nowhere instead of staying in a place with more people and lighting and just general traffic. Then they would both keep running off on each other and then they'd have to go looking for each other. It got a little annoying for me.

The Wyatt angle felt unnecessary overall. There are allusions to the kid having an illness, but it's never really expanded on, and so it felt pointless. The ending with him and his family also just didn't tie into the story well enough, especially when a previous connection was made and could have been easily maintained without Wyatt's perspective.

This is my first book from this author, but I enjoyed it. The unique plotline, along with the intensity of the story kept my attention from start to finish.

Mystery about an influencer who disappears while touring Western Australia; this book is one of several on the new trend of "van life" which is traveling in a van and then taking pictures for followers. Phoebe had an Instagram account called "Phoebe in Wonderland" and went missing while touring Australia. Her sister Katy has purchased a van herself and is determined to find Phoebe by following all of the places she posted about. One day Katy pulls off the road after a car is following too close to her van and when she gets out to investigate, she finds a woman has crawled into the back of her van. The woman says her name is Lily and she appears filthy and covered in bruises. Lily says all of her belongings and ID were stolen and she has no where to go so Katy takes her in. The two women's story is alternated with the story of Wyatt, a young teenager that is constantly ill and also hears strange sounds coming from his house.

The book started out with a bang but then became muddled with Katy and Lily making a lot of stops but never really doing any work to find Phoebe. The parts with Wyatt were confusing because we never find out why he is sick or what is going on with him. As Katy and Lily continue their journey we find out Lily is being pursued by a dangerous man and both women have secrets they are keeping with each other. I did like the focus on the safety of women travelers but often found Lily's psychological lectures annoying as it appeared she took only an entry level class before dropping out of college. The ending does tie together the various characters with a couple of twists but I thought the main one was obvious. I like the author's writing style but found some of the plot didn't quite come together. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC for review.

🌅🚐Good suspense and crazy twists!😲

4-4.5🌟 stars
It took several chapters for me to get accustomed to the author's writing style and the constant change of POV, but Red River Road ended up really catching and holding my interest with bated breath. I was confused (just as the author intended) and fascinated by this cautionary tale of living life totally exposed on social media as a single young woman travels through Western Australia. I loved the twists and surprises as Kate joins up with thief/con artist Beth to follow the last known movements of missing vanlifer Phoebe.

Near the end the story did get a bit pedantic and I did not think the lesson in psychology added anything to the plot. But, overwhelmingly, Red River Road was an exciting adventure, propelled by some memorable characters, and a great read.

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Red River Road by Anna Downes is an edge-of-your-seat thriller that had me gasping, trying to read faster and propping my eyes open so that I could read well past bedtime to see what happens next. A wild ride with twists and turns that kept me guessing from start to finish.

The story follows Katy whose sister Phoebe disappeared while she was on a solo trip around Western Australia. Katy is retracing her sister's path to see if she can figure out what happened after the case goes cold. Along the way she meets Beth and they team up to figure out what could have happened to Phoebe. But Beth is running away from her own murky past and when it starts catching up to them, they start to think they might end up just like Phoebe.

I absolutely loved this thriller! It was tense, twisty, and had an air of creepiness about it that kept me completely hooked. It's told from three perspectives which really worked. There's a slow buildup as we meet each of the narrators, get glimpses into their backstory and start to try and put the puzzle together. Then there's a definitive shift in the pace and you're racing towards an incredible finish.

I highly recommend this book for anyone that loves a twisty thriller with somewhat unreliable narrators. It also has fantastic detail and descriptions about the "vanlife" lifestyle and being a solo female traveler. Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the advanced digital copy via NetGalley!

loved this mystery and keeping secrets and the different point of views. Also loved trying to figure out who did it . I enjoyed the mystery behind it.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley, for the free E-book for review.

A van lifer documenting her travels on social media might seem like a picturesque wanderlust adventure, but when things take a dark turn, the dream quickly unravels.

Red River Road introduces us to three compelling characters, each offering a unique perspective. First, we meet Katy, who embarks on a journey to find her missing sister, Phoebe, a fellow van lifer and influencer. Katy is perpetually on high alert, always scanning for danger, yet she carries an intriguing sense of mystery that keeps me wanting to learn more about her as the story unfolds.

Next, we encounter Beth, a younger woman who crosses paths with Katy. Seriously injured and in a precarious situation, she raises immediate questions about her circumstances—what happened, and why is she in trouble?

Finally, there's Wyatt, a sickly teenager confined to his home, who immerses himself in horror movies. Like Katy and Beth, Wyatt’s character is shrouded in mystery, adding depth to the narrative and keeping readers engaged.

I always seek to understand how these characters are interconnected in multiple POV narratives, and Anna Downes does not disappoint. She skillfully weaves their stories together, dropping twists and delivering a powerful final revelation that captivated me.

However, I found that some parts toward the end felt a bit heavy on dialogue, with an overload of information that slowed the pacing. Despite this, I thoroughly enjoyed Red River Road, rich with mystery, shocking twists, and a satisfying conclusion. I also appreciated how the novel delves into the dangers of van life, particularly for women, adding a layer of social commentary that resonates deeply.

A gripping thriller that takes the reader on a suspenseful journey through the Australian outback. The tension builds layer by layer throughout the narrative. The story explores family bonds, the deception of memory, and the resilience of the human spirit. I was kept guessing until the end.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really like this author but I didn't struggle in the beginning to get intro the story. I did however, like her notes at the end of book. Thank you so much for my gifted copy.

Did Not Finish--25 percent.

I tried to engage with this one several times but at the 25 percent mark just gave up. I thought the synopsis was interesting, but I just could not get into this at all. I thought this was beyond boring, didn't make any sense, and I just did not feel like forcing myself to read to the very end to figure out what was going on. I think the multiple points of view just hurt this one for me and I just got tired of trying to figure out what was going on. I just ended around chapter 17 and that should let you know how this book goes flow wise if at 25 percent I was already on the 17th chapter.

"Red River Road" follows a woman (Katy) who is trying to trace the whereabouts of her sister (Phoebe) that has been missing for about a year.

There's a lot of character point of views you get in this one, it starts off with Katy and then switches to a woman named Beth, then a man named Wyatt, then we shift over to Phoebe's Instagram posts or TikToks (I can't recall), then Katy again and Beth, Katy, Beth, etc. You get the idea. I just didn't engage very much.

The posts by Phoebe were written in different fonts/text and I honestly don't think the book added anything keeping them in.

After her sister Phoebe sets out to see Australia by van but goes missing, her sister Katy decides to recreate Phoebe’s trip to see if she can discover exactly what happened — and hopefully to find Phoebe alive. Told from multiple POVs, the storyline is an interesting one that keeps the reader flipping pages. Nonetheless, although I generally enjoy a story told from multiple POVs, they gave the storyline here too much of a choppy feel. Additionally, it is a pretty slow burn, although it definitely picks up during the last portion of the novel. All in all, though, this was a good and interesting mystery, and I look forward to reading more from Anna Downes.

I believe this is my first read from Anna Downes. It kept my attention pretty well but wasn’t the shocking thriller I was expecting going into it. If the synopsis interests you, I would give this one a try.

'People do not just vanish. There is no 'thin air,' no 'without a trace.' Everyone leaves traces; you just have to find them. And if you can't, it's because you're not looking in the right place.'

Red River Road is the perfect summer read. A Road trip thriller taking place in Australia after a woman goes in search of her missing sister.

Phoebe is a woman that decides to embark on a #vanlife adventure on her own along the western coast of Australia. She documents her trip on social media where she connects with some followers and shares her trip and tips of traveling on your own as a woman. When Phoebe disappears, her sister Katy takes it upon herself to follow in Phoebe's footsteps to hopefully find her and to find answers. Along the way, Beth enters the picture and soon infiltrates the road trip as she is running from danger. These two women find solace in one another, but secrets are being held from each other and little mysterious things are happening on their trip. Who is telling the truth and what is being covered up?

Red River Road is told from multiple POVs that sometimes was difficult to see how everything was connecting. Those POVs included Phoebe's social media posts, Katy, Beth and Wyatt. With each person, we get a piece of different puzzles and you are left wondering how they all connect. Because of that, I had to believe that the narrators were somewhat unreliable. In addition, the questionable things happening on the unusual road trip made me curious and filled me with anxiety.

Each character definitely had their own voice and I may have had favorites, but I was always trying to figure out how everything was going to be brought together. I do love a good unreliable narrator, so I was very weary of everyone. With a few clues, I did guess a major twist of the story, but it was still entertaining to see how the author was going to bring each character's story together and connect everyone. While the beginning captured me right away, I did feel the pacing was kind of slow in the middle part, but still gave the reader enough to keep them on a string. When the twist comes, it's like a big lightning bolt of an "ah-ha moment". From there, the action escalates and keeps you on your toes until the end.

Overall I enjoyed this story that focuses heavily on women, their independence but also the violence against them, and the tales and setting of Australia. I liked that Anna Downes gave us a solid and satisfying story with twists and connections that were not so far out there. The beginning and end were strong, but the middle lulled at points and had me pushing through, but Downes gave a great ending and brought it all together quite well. A thrilling summer read.
3.75 stars.

First off, I love anything Australia and the idea of taking a van and driving around and having adventures sounds like a dream! But that's the things with dreams isn't it, the ones we have at night, we know aren't real. That we are safe. But what happens when you're living your dream and it turns into a nightmare? One you can't wake up from.

Phoebe is taking matters into her own hands and travelling and seeing Australia but then she goes missing so her sister Katy makes it her mission to find her. While on this journey, Katy meets Lily and on their hunt for the truth, things start unraveling. It may be a good thing or it may not be.

I think one of the reasons I enjoyed this book so much was how well it was written. It has different povs, different writing styles (Instagram posts, letters, and regular chapters). I loved how the twists and turns had me set on one thing and then just whiplashed me some where else. The ending was a tad unbelievable but i don't think i hated it either.

I would definitely read from this author again!

A

Anna Downes has become one of my must-read authors, and every new release is my current favorite. There isn't anything I didn't love about Red River Road. The Australian coast is the perfect setting for Phoebe on a solo travel adventure, and the use of multiple narrators to provide details without letting us know quite how they were going to tie together kept me anxiously reading, but what sealed my five-star review is the very last line. No spoilers, but mind blown.

Solo traveller Pheobe hired a van and set off to travel around Australia, blogging about her journey on Instagram along the way. Just weeks later she disappears without a trace. One year later her sister Katy is following in her footsteps, literally, as she tries to find out what happened to Pheobe.

Not long after Katy sets out, Beth, another solo traveller sneaks into her van battered and bruised and looking to hitch a ride, she promises to help search for Phoebe in exchange for a lift...anywhere.

The two women become fast friends but can you ever really trust a stranger??

As they dig into Pheobe's disappearance the dangers of travelling aka the "van life" become all too apparent, especially for women.

Red River Road has three storylines playing out; Katy, Beth and a boy named Wyatt's. This one had a bit of a slow start while the reader gets to know the character's in each of the storylines but it had an action packed second half and while I guessed how a few of the story arcs would play out this book definitely had a big twist I never would have guessed.

We've all seen the travel blogs on instagram with perfect photos and stories that make us incredibly jealous and want to just pack up and go travelling so I loved the inclusion of Pheobe's instagram posts in the story and that the book looked at the sometimes darker side of travelling.

This was a very clever, twisty, Australian crime novel, that I thoroughly enjoyed.
It’s definitely best to go into this book without knowing anything at all. So all I’m going to tell you is that it’s told from Katy and Beth’s points of view, as well as a boy called Wyatt.
I did find it a bit slow to begin with, but once I was hooked I couldn’t stop listening, I wanted to know what was going on. There was a lot more to the mystery than I was expecting, which made it a lot more exciting.
I’d read a book years ago with a very similar synopsis, and so I was expecting the same sort of story, but this was even better! It was quite dark in places and would definitely put me off solo travel in Australia!
This is my first book by Anna Downes, but definitely won’t be the last

I received a gifted ALC copy of RED RIVER ROAD by Anna Downes from Macmillan Audio!

RED RIVER ROAD follows multiple points of view. Phoebe is a young woman who took off on a #vanlife adventure for some solo travel along the coast of Western Australia. She documented her adventure across social media until she went missing without a trace. With no answers from police, Phoebe’s sister Katy is setting out on her own, following in her sister’s footsteps, looking for answers.

Beth is a young woman on the run who stumbles into Katy and her van. The pair agree to team up, giving Beth a path away from her dark past and Katy some help in the search for clues. A third POV, a young man who’s mother also went missing while living life on the road adds to the mix and the search for answers.

I really enjoyed this author’s THE SAFE PLACE, so I was excited to check out her newest release! This book starts off very slow and I think you need to go into it expecting a very slow burn. I think the slow build up was needed to bring all of the information together that the reader needs as the characters Katy and Beth get to know each other and start to discover new information about Phoebe. I think the author did a fantastic job peppering in clues and leaving little cliff hangers as the POV switched back and forth to keep up the intrigue.

The end of the book really takes off before a bit of a final slow down in the end as the characters deal with all that has happened. I was theorizing throughout this book about what was going on with our characters and the author managed to surprise me! I started to make a couple of good guesses that came close to some of the truths, but not too far before the reveals.

I had a great time with this book and will definitely be reading more from this author in the future!

Having been to Australia and having gone on a back packing and horse riding safari I could not wait to read this book! The descriptions of scenery did not disappoint. The story was a slow burn and I could not wait to find out how it all came together. I did guess what happened with one character, no spoilers from me! It does come together and it was good, just a little to long. I will look for other books by this author. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was difficult to get into. There are 2 main characters plus a mystery character writing in all caps. The 2 main characters have various names. Sometimes the 2nd character goes by one and sometimes by another. The 2nd character also has multiple back stories which I guess we're supposed to keep straight along with just who is who.

I'm sure it's a worthy read, but it was just too, too confusing for me to keep everything and everyone straight. I had to give up at about 30%.

I appreciate this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.