Amazing story that has you riding right beside Katy in the front seat of her camper.
Katy's sister Phoebe disappeared while on a solo camper adventure through Western
Australia and Katy has taken over the abandoned camper to follow and try to find her.. Through social media
postings that Phoebe made as she traveled, Katy is able to retrace her sister's steps from where her camper
was found.
The story grips you from page one and never lets go! Characters are very well defined and the action and
mystery of it all is tantalizingly intriguing. Every seems to point in one direction and then all of a sudden, takes
off in another.
Joining Katy is a traveler who suddenly appears at one of Katy's overnight stops, off the beaten track, appearing.
disheveled and lost: looking for help and seemingly abandoned herself.
Katy takes her in and lets her travel along with her and suddenly unexplained events start cropping up and danger seems
to be waiting at each stop they make.
Twists that you never see coming are one after another and they go on and on right to the end.

This was a super-quick 5-star read for me! Anna Downes is an author who is slowly creeping up on me. I have read her previous 2 books and I like each one a little better. This one is a slow burn but once it gets going, it never lets up. Katy is taking a van trip along the Australian coast in search of her sister, Phoebe. Phoebe disappeared doing exactly that. She was taking a van trip and blogging about her "van-life" then nothing. Never heard from again. The police have given up and are no longer helping. Katy uses her sister's blog as a route in search of clues. Along the way Katy meets Beth who has troubles of her own. The author makes the scene of Western Australia seem so vivid and I am dying to visit someday. Very atmospheric. I do not want to give too much away so I'm just going to stop here and advise you to read for yourself. I am excited for more from Anna Downes!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Anna Downes and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for this much appreciated ARC. All opinions are my own.

I will post my review to Amazon, Instagram and other retail and social media sites upon publication.

this was a good mystery and i enjoyed every part. It was the right length and the cover had a pretty road

It’s always fun to read a book about a road trip and this was a fun one. I liked the Australian setting a lot and the peek into #vanlife culture. It did feel like a bit of a slow burn and then the ending seemed a little rushed—all of the pieces came together in a way that made sense but there was a couple chapters like 7/8 of the way through that were a little too jumbled. The characters should be confused, not me!

The Wyatt chapters were weaker than Beth and Katy chapters, I don’t know if there needed to be so many of them. I didn’t feel like they added a lot beyond some context about why Lucas was so awful. Did we ever find out why he was so sickly? Or why the the neighbor lady seemed old but wasn’t? That wasn’t fleshed out well but was brought up a lot in his chapters.

When vanlife influencer Phoebe goes missing, her sister Katy is the only one who is not willing to give up on her. Katy sets off to find her missing sister and encounters a stranger along the way who is willing to help her search for Phoebe but this stranger has secrets of her own.

This is a thrilling, engaging and fun read and you won't be able to put it down until you find out what happens. I fully admit I had no clue how this was going to end and really enjoyed "the ride" this book took me on. There are a lot of twists and turns and the multi POV really works well with this book as you get to delve into the mind of each character. The descriptions of the landmarks and scenery were an added bonus that I was not expecting but really enjoyed.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and Anna Downes for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Pub Date 27 Aug 2024

Katy is taking a solo van trip through Australia’s outback tracking the route taken by her sister Phoebe who disappeared three weeks into her trip leaving no trace.
Katy meets up with Beth who is on the run from we don’t know what or who.
It’s a bit of a different road trip story looking for clues, I really liked the concept of the camper way of life drifting from place to place. I enjoyed the tourist information, found that educational and interesting. It gets a good creepy vibe.

I had problems with it suddenly flipping to the past catching me out, plus the various pov, I got a bit confused, even the reveals only served to confuse me more. I don’t know if it was my lack of concentration but it felt like there was a lot of head hopping. It does all come together by the end. Then there’s a bit of an ah ha moment.

For me it was ok, not really my kind of trope. The narrator and the tourist locations added interest, but the pace was too slow.

Traditional format 📕 (digital). This book had all the makings to be a good thriller: took place on the Australian coast, focused on a single girl and her van life travels and some Instagram posts throughout the book that drew me in as a reader.

But this book just wasn’t a great read for me. It was super super slow up until the half way point. And then even though the plot picked up it dropped off again after one of the big plot twists. I think had this book been about 100 pages less it would have packed a better punch.

I liked the multiple POVs and alternating storylines and the setting and the parts about van life and travel adventures. I found this book to be overall average and not something I would recommend as an edge of your seat thriller. I was actually quite glad to see the ending of this book come so I could move on to something new.

I give this an average 3/5. A mediocre slow burn thriller.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for a digital ARC copy of this book.

I very much enjoyed the story as a whole, especially the fact that it’s packed full of twists and turns that truly kept me guessing all the way to the end. Every time I thought I had it figured out, another clue would surface and I would realize how completely wrong I was. Major props to Dowens for creating such a suspenseful and unpredictable storyline. I’m definitely going to be recommending it to all the mystery and suspense reads’ fans.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC of Anna Downs’s’ newest thriller!
Red River Road takes us on a road trip around Western Australia, from the POV of Katy, who is in search of her missing sister, and Beth, who is escaping a life she’s hoping to leave behind.
The last quarter in particular was exciting and twisty, and while I initially found the “big twist” to be a bit of a cop out, the author did a great job explaining and connecting all of the puzzle pieces. In the end, Red River Road was a puzzling mystery with a well thought out plot line, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a good travel-themed thriller!

Katy goes to look for her sister, Phoebe, who has vanished on a remote highway in the Australian outback. The police have given up on finding her, but Katy will not stop until she finds out what happened to her sister.

Anna Downes you star! I loved this book so much, and I am never going to forget that ending.. just wow!

This is a different kind of story than Anna’s previous books. A slow burning mystery that will just get into your head. Set on the coast of Western Australia, the beautifully written setting is a big part I& the story. I could see it in my mind so vividly as I was reading, and it made me want to travel there…without all the other scary stuff of course!

This is the story of Katy, who is sick of waiting for the police investigation into her missing sister Phoebe to find anything. She decides to get herself a van and follow her sister trip up the coast. She uses Phoebes Instagram page as a guide, determined to find out what happened a year ago. Where is her sister and why can’t the police find her? Along the way she picks up another two man, who is travelling alone and is hiding things of her own.

With danger at every turn, I was completely engrossed in this trip. Both women are hiding things from each other, and there is more than meets the eye. The people they encounter along the way, the struggles for women travelling on their own, it was all so realistic and I felt like ai was going on this journey with them.

And that ending 😱just wow. So very clever, and the more I think about it the more hints and clues I see that I missed. I spoilers, but it is amazing and you do not want to miss it.

Thanks so much to St Martin’s Press, Minotaur for my advanced copy on NetGalley to read. Published August 27th.

Highly Recommended.

Anna Downes's latest novel, "Red River Road," is a captivating and suspenseful thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The story follows Katy Sweeney, a determined woman who embarks on a dangerous journey to uncover the truth behind her sister Phoebe's mysterious disappearance in the Australian outback.

Downes's writing is masterful, as she weaves together a complex narrative that explores the bond between sisters, the perils of solo travel, and the deceptive nature of memory. The vivid descriptions of the remote and beautiful coastal highway in Western Australia transport readers to the heart of the story, immersing them in the unforgiving landscape that serves as the backdrop for Phoebe's disappearance.

As Katy retraces her sister's steps using Phoebe's social media accounts, she uncovers a trail of clues that lead her to question the circumstances surrounding the disappearance. The introduction of Beth, a mysterious woman with a dark past, adds an extra layer of intrigue to the plot, as the two women form an uneasy alliance in their quest for the truth.

Downes expertly builds tension throughout the novel, keeping readers guessing until the very end. The twists and turns in the plot are both surprising and satisfying, and the characters are well-developed and relatable, making it easy for readers to become invested in their stories.

"Red River Road" is a powerful and emotional thriller that explores the lengths we will go to for the ones we love and the dangers that lurk in the shadows of even the most beautiful places. Anna Downes has crafted a compelling and unforgettable story that will resonate with readers long after they turn the final page.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this twisty psychological thriller, particularly the setting in the wilderness of western Australia. A seemingly typical missing person story took an unexpected direction and I ultimately found it engaging and satisfying. As always with these stories, there are a lot of convenient coincidences but I'm used to suspending my disbelief in this genre.

Anna Downes's novel is filled with twists that you won't see coming!

Welcome to the Australian Outback! Katy Sweeney is following her sister Phoebe's trail. Phoebe left last year on a solo trip but disappeared without a trace 3 weeks into a year round planned loop of Australia. While following her posts on instagram, Katy finds Beth, a woman on the run with her own secrets.

As the week passes, more strangers show up and becomes clear that there is more to Phoebe's story, and there is definitely danger.
Join Katy as she tries to discover the truth! Downes presents plenty of mysteries and keeps the story moving. The Australian backdrop is a character of its own and very enchanting- ready for a trip any one?
#stmartinspress #redriverroad #annadownes

This was a really great story! I loved the shifting perspectives and the characters were incredibly written. I didn’t see the ending coming which I love. The story was engaging and descriptive, but not wordy. Most of the Aussie words were clear and I understood what they meant, instead of sounding like a foreign language. Well done! Can’t wait to see more from this author!

Wow what a book!

This book was fast paced from the very beginning. It was from the viewpoint of Wyatt, Beth, and Katy. The way it all connected in the end was genius. This book had to have taken YEARS to complete. It had so many different sub plots and everything was webbed together.

I was not expecting the big twist and I LOVED it. It was very fresh and new.

I loved this book and thought it was so well written.

I enjoyed the twists and the creep factors.

10/10 recommend

Interesting book. Lots of twists and turns. Never heard of the disease she has that caused her amnesia. I have never read this author before.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Anna Downes, and Minotaur Books for this e-ARC!!

OMG this one is a must read!! Most chapters have a major creep factor, and cliffhangers that make you not want, but need, to keep reading.

Imagine being a solo female traveler in Western Australia, living in your van as you go. Dark nights, scary sounds, strangers, creepy notes, all make for an excellent, slow burn thriller.

I felt like I was right there in that van w Katy, and I wanted to get the hell out bc the descriptions of what she was experiencing were so scary to me.

5 full stars for this one, give it a go!! It's so good!

This felt like more than your typical thriller. It was intricate and twisty but also had heart. I assumed everyone would intersect somehow but I never could have guessed how. There were so many successful red herrings that even when I thought I had it figured out, I second guessed myself. This is packed with action and emotion. Our two main ladies Beth and Katy are troubled souls that you can’t help but cheer for.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this book, with my honest review below.

Red River Road has a very unique premise and was at different turns heartbreaking and harrowing. Katy is searching for her sister Phoebe who disappeared during a road trip. What she finds are strangers along the way with things to hide and a discovery that is twisted in every way.

I enjoyed the structure of this novel with Instagram breaks from Phoebe and different character perspectives. Where I got a bit lost was the ending which was perhaps too twisty for its own good. That said, this really did pack a punch. I recommend bringing all your focus and trying to see this through without alternating other books in between, because while it can be heavy the beauty is the emotional twists this brings, and if you can get through a lot going on, it’s worth it.