Katy Sweeney was looking for her sister. A year earlier, just three weeks into a solo vanlife trip, Phoebe had vanished without a trace on the remote coastal highway in Western Australia. Using Phoebe’s social media accounts, Katy retraced her sister’s steps, searching for any clues the police might have missed. Katy’s path collided with Beth’s, who was on the run from her own dark past. The two women formed an uneasy alliance to find out what had really happened to Phoebe in this wild, beautiful, and perilous place.

I picked this up after seeing a few rave reviews, and I’m so glad I did! This was a great thriller with a fresh plot that involved a road trip and social commentaries on female’s safety while travelling, especially when doing it solo!

I was completely hooked by the dynamics between Katy and Beth, as I kept guessing whether this would turn into a genuine friendship or a catastrophe, given the secrets and mystery surrounding their life circumstances.

The audiobook narration was performed really well. The sound quality was crisp, the enunciation was clear, and the voice actor acted the dialogues really well. This was an amazing mystery thriller which was executed really well and managed to surprise me in the end. Solid writing!

What can I say? I have loved all of Anna Downes novels. She has become a auto buy for me!

Red River Road does NOT disappoint! The is a thrill ride that will completely blind side you.

Additionally, the characters are the best she's written so far. They are more complex and intriguing.

Whether or not you have loved Anna Downes or this is your first book by her? Run, don't walk.

EXCERPT: 'Hi everyone! I'm Phoebe and I'm a travel addict and van-lifer. I'm about to take me, myself and I off on the adventure of a lifetime - the big lap of Australia. Only two more sleeps to go. And before you ask, no I'm not scared. The first thing people say when I tell them I'm travelling alone is "Be careful". Don't even get me started on my parents' response. But the world is full of magic, and solo travel offers way more rewards than risks. It's just that the bad stories get told way more often than the good. . . .'

ABOUT 'RED RIVER ROAD': Katy Sweeney is determined to find her sister. A year earlier, just three weeks into a solo vanlife trip, free-spirited Phoebe vanished without a trace on Western Australia’s remote and achingly beautiful Coral Coast. With no witnesses, no leads, and no DNA evidence, the case has gone cold. But Katy refuses to give up.

Using Phoebe’s social media accounts as a map, Katy starts to retrace her steps, searching for the clues that the police have missed. Was Phoebe being followed? Who had she met along the way, and what danger did they pose? Was she as happy as her sun-bleached, lens-flared photos seem to suggest?

Then Katy’s path collides with that of Beth, a young woman on the run from her own dark past—and very recent present. And as Katy realizes that Beth might be her best and only chance of finding the truth, the two women form an uneasy alliance to venture forth into increasingly wild territory to find out what really happened to Phoebe in this breathtaking but maybe deadly place, and how her fate connects them all.

MY THOUGHTS: Red River Road, brilliantly written by Anna Downes and superbly narrated by Maddy Withington, blew me away. Tense, twisty, atmospheric and addictive are just a few of the superlatives I could use to describe this. I held my breath so often during the narrative, it's a wonder I didn't black out!

When I started, my first thoughts were 'FFS! Not another alcoholic, unreliable narrator!' But I'm pleased to report that's not how it panned out.

The narrative is related from three POV: Katy, Beth and a 15-year-old boy, Wyatt, whose mother is also missing. All three of these main characters come across as slightly flaky and unreliable at times. Not constantly, just at times. The tension starts pretty much straight away and never completely disappears. If Anna Downes aim is to stop women travelling on their own, she has definitely succeeded with me.

There are a lot of threads to this plot which are slowly woven together to present the full picture, which turned out to be something I had never envisaged. Not even remotely imagined. There is some pretty heavy subject matter, but very little of it graphically described, including sexual assault, mental health issues, and stalking - both physically and on social media. There are some excellent and diverting red herrings, and lots of lies and secrets.

There is a general air of creepiness - who to trust? Anyone? No one? That man with the soulful eyes, reading a book? Those two women? The person I'm travelling with? Damn, I felt unsafe just reading this and I am no shrinking violet. Much is made of local legends, myths and reports of missing women. Just how can someone and their van just disappear off the face of the earth? Well, it turns out it's quite easy . . .

What sealed the five-star rating for me was that final line in the book. Superbly chilling!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#RedRiverRoad #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: ANNA DOWNES was born and raised in Sheffield, UK, but now lives just north of Sydney, Australia with her husband and two children. She worked as an actress before turning her attention to writing.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to W.F. Howes via NetGalley for providing an audio ARC of Red River Road written by Anna Downes and narrated by Maddy Withington for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

This is a tale of two sisters and a whole load more. The free spirited adventure seeking Phoebe goes missing three weeks into a solo Aussie road trip. A year later, her cautious sibling, Katy, sets out to find out what happened as the police aren’t interested. She uses Phoebe’s social media posts as a guide to track her route. She’s joined by Beth, on the run.

Simple premise and Anna Downes skilfully weaves a complex tale around a very plausible situation. It’s bang on point with clever use of social media posts as part of the narrative and it draws the reader or listener in to the type of trip many take or contemplate. But this is real food for thought; it’s a dangerous world and the risks are often hidden. There’s a slowish start, but it sets the scene and I sensed a real feel for life on the road on the stunning Western Australian coast. The narration throughout is excellent and delivered at just the right pace. I love these Australian noir stories and this is a little different. It held my attention throughout and it’s good to see some strong female leads in these stories. I’d love to read more by this author.

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, especially after listening to author’s note at the end of the book.
Maddy Withington a new-to-me narrator was superb! Her voice talents were excellent, I’d definitely listen to more books with her narrating.
Recommended on audio especially if you enjoy crime novels set in Australia.

3.75 stars

Vanlifer Phoebe has disappeared while on her epic, solo Australian roadtrip. A year later, after getting no help from the police, her sister, Katy, vows to find her herself. Katy is nervous, introverted, and deeply cautious. Unlike her uninhibited sister, she's not a natural traveler. When Beth crosses her path, the sensible, self-preserving thing to do would be to leave her behind. But Katy can't help but think of Phoebe. What if all she needs is a helping hand to get back home, like Beth is asking for?

This was a fascinating look at the other side of those glamorous social media travel accounts. I really enjoyed the first three quarters of this story. I think the mixed-media elements, with Phoebe's Instagram posts being included, was a great touch. The audiobook did a good job of incorporating them. The plot is an interesting exploration of memory and perception - some which I thought was a little farfetched. I've enjoyed a lot of wiiiiiiiiiild thriller twists so I'm not sure what exactly didn't land for me with this one.

My run of great reads is unbroken! I loved this book. A slow burner that turns explosive. A tale of a lone female traveller living the van life in Australia. Also the tale of two women with hidden stories who are there for each other when someone is needed. I can’t say any more without spoilers, so I will just say Read It! A great book which I didn’t want to stop listening to.

3.5⭐️

I had the audiobook read by Mandy Withington who makes for easy listening.

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 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.

If you’re on the lookout for your next favourite thriller, don’t let this pass you by!

We all love the idea of just getting away don’t we? What better way than van living around Western Australia, but for Katie it’s not just a road trip, she’s following the blog of her sister Phoebe who’s gone missing during the very same solo road trip. She’s determined to be the one to find her.

The suspense was crackling throughout the story, and when Katie meets troubled Beth the suspense is heightened, but you feel glad for both of them to have one another. However their friendship is bound to be troubled both by Beth’s dubious past and Katie’s desperation to find Phoebe. The build up to the climax of the story was sizzling, and the ending is absolutely unbelievable I didn’t see it coming at all, yet looking back, there are enough deliciously dropped hints throughout, that made it all add up! I don’t want to drop spoilers but you’ll be gobsmacked!

The journey around WA was so well written, I felt like I was there. There are many places that you’ll want to visit for yourself.

Dark, twisted, unique and imaginative!

All the stars 🌟 #Jorecommends

I listened to the audiobook and the narration was excellent.

With thanks to Wavesound from W F. Howes LTD via NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in return for an honest review.