Red River Road

A Novel

By: Anna Downes

Narrated by: Maddy Withington

This program features a bonus conversation between the author and New York Times–bestselling author Sally Hepworth.

Anna Downes's extraordinary next thriller Red River Road follows a woman desperate to discover what happened to her sister on a solo road trip through the Australian outback.

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?

And then Katy’s path collides with that of Beth, who is on the run from her own dark past. Katy realizes that Beth might be her best—and only—chance of finding the truth, and the two women form an uneasy alliance to find out what really happened to Phoebe in this wild, beautiful, and perilous place.

Anna Downes takes us on a twist-filled journey into the dark side of solo female travel, in this gripping novel that explores what drives us to keep searching for those we have lost, the family bonds that can make or break us, and the deception of memory.

A Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books.

©2024 Anna Downes (P)2024 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“Downes builds suspense by deftly unpacking one layer of deception after another, never forgetting that her two travelers face danger not only from each other but from every man who catches sight of them. The Australian Tourist Board will never endorse this road-trip nightmare. But readers are likely to recommend it highly.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Readers will enjoy the suspense and many plot twists along with the accounts of multiple unreliable narrators as the characters navigate the beautiful, winding roads. They will also think twice about solo van travel in isolated areas. The author provides a good mix of psychological terror and social commentary about women’s issues, with a surprise ending.”—Booklist

“Documenting a true road trip from hell, this fast-moving suspense novel eventually arrives at a resolution that is both terrifying and shocking, turning everything we have come to believe inside out and upside down.”—First Clue

Really well written! Terrific Story!

I loved this book, great writing and lots of layers to the story. The setting in Australia is also exciting

Unexpected

Red River Road jumped over the storyline that I was expecting. Phoebe goes missing while on a solo trip around Australia. Her sister, Katie, retraces her path in the hope to find her or at the very least find some clue as to where and why Phoebe vanished. I did have thoughts of Gabby Petito every now and then because there are similarities. While this story lagged in places for me, it was quite the story. It held my interest for the most part and entertained me. The author’s note is worth the read as she tells how Petito’s story was in fore front while writing this novel.

fun fast-paced story

I like to download Audible books for road trips. Often I start listening to a story grow weary of the plot / narrator after several hours and have to switch over to a different book for another few hours then back again to the first when I grow tired of the second. This story held my interest for the entire duration of the book. I did not zone out once and listen to the very end. The narrator's voice is pleasant and the plot is interesting.

The unique storyline

I thought the narration was great, the storyline was unique, and I loved the way the two female characters came together to help one another.

Unexpected

I listen to about 4 mysteries a week and this was a new take on many levels. I enjoyed the character development, the twists and turns, and the unique elements of the storyline

So boring

Super slow moving, and there was no real action. My club really enjoyed it but I thought it was a major snooze fest