I requested this on NetGalley because I loved the cover but had low expectations going into it…but I was wrong! Excellent mystery! The beginning moved very slowly but I’m glad I stuck with it because I ended up really enjoying it. The 3 different points of view were very interesting. The last 35% or so was nail bitingly tense. I’ll definitely look into the authors previous 2 books.

**Thanks to the author and publisher for the e-arc I received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.**

Slow burn, but a satisfying payoff in this solo female
traveler focused book that reads more mystery than thriller. 3.5 rounded up

Katy Sweeney is looking for her sister. A year earlier, just three weeks into a solo vanlife trip, her free-spirited younger sister, Phoebe, vanished without a trace on the remote, achingly beautiful coastal highway in Western Australia. With no witnesses, no leads, and no DNA evidence, the case has gone cold. But Katy refuses to give up on her.

Using Phoebe’s social media accounts as a map, Katy retraces her sister’s steps, searching for any clues the police may have missed. Was Phoebe being followed? Who had she met along the way, and how dangerous were they?


If you’re looking for a thriller to read, you should check this one out! This book felt like one big question mark! It was unsettling and I never quite knew what was going on. Highly recommend!

This book has such an interesting premise. The dual points of view give you two unreliable narrators, and at times, I was a reading someone else's fever dream. While this book was very twisty and made more sense toward the end, I don't think it was meant for me.

Katy is looking for her missing sister by following in her footsteps, driving a van along the coastal highway in Western Australia. After an uncomfortable encounter causes her to flee her campground, she discovers a battered Beth hiding in the back of her van. Beth has nowhere to go and no personal effects to help her get there, so Katy offers to let her travel with her until they get somewhere where she can get help.

We get to see the points of view of Katy, Beth, and a young man named Wyatt, and the story ends up being very twisty as their paths cross. However, it didn't twist in the ways I expected at all! Where the story ends up is nowhere near what I expected when I began, but at no point did I feel like the rug was pulled out from under me. I enjoyed this peek at this remote part of Australia, and the journey the story took me on was very interesting.

There is a lot going on with this one…and it’s definitely tricky to keep it all straight at times. Sometimes you never know who is being truthful, who is being deceitful, and what’s coming next. I enjoyed the solo travel aspects, the Australian setting, and the way the plot unravels.

It’s clear from the very first moments that Anna Downes’ RED RIVER ROAD has all of the ingredients for a page-turner: a secluded, unknowable landscape, a missing woman, and secrets abound. Told through alternating perspectives, the plot is centered on a woman’s desperate search for sister who disappeared during her solo exploration of Western Australia. When Katie finds Beth, bewildered and confuses, along the way, the search for her sister becomes more complicated. It becomes clear along the way that everyone we meet has something they’re searching for - and something they’re keeping buried. That includes teenaged Wyatt, one of the narrators, who seems inconsequential but has an important role to play.

It was a bit slow for me at first but once the threads of the plot began to unravel, I was very much in. Some parts didn’t quite resolve in a way that made sense for me but that’s okay.

Content warnings for intimate partner violence.

If you’re tempted by wanderlust and the call of #vanlife, this will be a perfect read for you. If you like your suspense with a hint of feminism, this is also for you.

I deeply appreciated the author’s note at the conclusion of the book and it’s worth the read/listen. The audiobook is well narrated with excellent pacing.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC/ALC. All opinions are entirely my own.

This was a slow burn for me but towards the end I couldn’t put it down. There was alot of characters to keep track of and the story was kind of all over the place- overall this wasn’t my favorite!

This was such a fun, creative thriller. I was very intrigued by the relationship of the two women and it took a while for me to unfold everything. I did guess the twist a little early, but I think the reader is meant to figure it out before the characters do. I also enjoyed Anna's note at the end about how she came up with the idea for the book. All in all, this was a solid read.

Truly a rollercoaster ride that I could not put down! The characters were all so quirky, and yet I adored all of them. And the ending - man, I did not expect this to take all of the twists and turns that it did! When thrillers hook me in from the beginning and have a surprise twisty ending - that's a 5 star read for me!

Multiple POV in thrillers is always a plus so the reader gets more insight into the characters' mindsets. This one was no exception. Loved the twists leading to the exciting crazy climax ending. thank you Netgalley

I have long been a fan of Anne Downes and could not wait to get my hands on this one. Solo female travelers, creepy unexplained happenings, missing people - what's not to love?

I thought this was a fantastic book, with alternating perspectives and lots of interesting characters that kept my head on a swivel. I did think the last quarter of the book got too :busy" trying to explain things and I had to go back and re-read a few times. But over all, a great roadtrip thriller that I would absolutely recommend.

Red River Road

I’ve fallen behind in my reviews and I’m happy to have time to now catch up. I listen to Red River Road over the summer. The focus on a missing woman combined with the van life she led and the beautiful setting made for an intriguing read. I appreciate how the story brought together two different women and explored the circumstances that led them to each other. At times I did find the story lagged a bit. However, just when I would find myself drifting the tale would take a turn, and I would be right back into it.

The last quarter of the book is truly a wild ride and I found myself looking for any opportunity to listen to it. If you’re looking for a book with some darker elements and a few twists then I highly recommend trying this one. Thank you, NetGalley and MacMillion audio for both my DRC and my ALC.

On the fence here. The second half of the book (as others have mentioned) is much better than the first half. This is my first book by Anna Downes and I would give her another shot.

Red River Road by Anna Downes. This story is told in three pov’s
I felt engaged and on edge throughout the whole story. This is a great roadtrip thriller set on the roads of Australia. I enjoyed the turns of this thriller and was surprised by the ending. This was my first book by this author and I’m impressed.
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for providing me an advanced copy for honest review!

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

I really enjoy books set in Australia and I loved the cover and description on this one. Unfortunately, this wasn't for me, and I'm probably in the minority. It was SO slow and I disliked/couldn't relate to any of the characters. DNF at 40% when I realized pretty much nothing had happened and I didn't care about anyone or their stories to find out the ending. Katy annoyed me - she seemed too paranoid about everything to be able to travel solo. Beth/Lily apparently made herself out to be American when she met Katy, but there were too many Australian words and phrases to make that believable, and why didn't Katy catch that? And Wyatt - I'm sure I didn't read far enough, but his chapters seemed completely useless to the story (except for the background about Lucas) that I ended up skipping through his narrative.

Thank you Minotaur Books, #partner for the advanced copy of Red River Road in exchange for my honest review.

This is the third book I have read by Anna Downes and I am most definitely a fan. I love that each of her books have been so different from each other and I could not wait to see what was in store for us in this latest one. And I have to say I was not disappointed. This is another addicting read that will keep you captivated from start to finish!

A road trip thriller through the western coast of Australia, this is the type of story that is sure to get under your skin! I loved that the setting is as much a part of the story as the characters are. This one is so haunting and atmospheric, full of secrets and twists that keep you unsure of what to expect next. While it is a slow-burn initially, it does pick up the pace towards the end for an ending that completely shocked me!

The suspense builds almost from the beginning and having Phoebe’s social media posts included added to that as we try to piece together just what happened. This book really kept me on my toes as there is that sense that all along, something is just not right. I definitely think this is the type of book that begs to be read again because I’m pretty sure there were clues given all along – I just didn’t pick up on them!

I love Australian crime fiction and Anna Downes is definitely one to watch in that genre. I cannot wait to see what she brings us next!

This was an interesting story. A woman, who’s a free spirit , takes a solo trip all over Australia Phoebe goes missing and the main character Katy goes in search of her sister.

With only some online posts as clues the search begins. Katy meets Lily, who stows away in her van. Lily is traveling under an alias with a mysterious backstory.

There are a few clues but lots of things not making a lot of sense. It’s a rather confusing plot and a bit long. But still in would recommend reading. The mystery is captivating and the descriptions of Australia are enticing.
Thanks for the opportunity to read

This was just fine. I almost DNFd around 40% but kept going. Things picked up in the second half and I did enjoy that more, the twist did get me, but I felt underwhelmed in general by the end.

I am very confused on how we did a six minute drive from the house to the rest area thing then went from the house through the backyard to the rest area thing. I didn’t get that. I’m also a little disappointed that we didn’t get a real answer on vivi green (other than where she was and a line of speculation from I don’t even remember who). It also felt hinted at throughout that this happened to a lot of women over a lot of years but it wasn’t.

Overall, I’m glad I read it, I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it either. I did like the setting a lot.

I'm glad people are enjoying this and I was SO excited about it, but in the end it just didn't grab me.

First off, I have lived in Australia, visited WA, and taken classes in Australian film and fiction, so I love Aussie suspense and was beyond excited to read this.

I'm a little (a lot?) burned out on influencer stories and wasn't thrilled about that aspect, but pressed on.

I felt that RRR was a bit too heavy on the gaslighting and unreliability, had a very predictable element, and I really wished for more descriptions of the beautiful Australian landscape.

3.75 stars and I will happily try another book by this author.