not all who wander

Katy Sweeney is on the road. She is driving The Big Lap, all the way around Australia. She is following in the treads of her sister Phoebe, who had taken the trip on her vanlife journey. Phoebe had been documenting her trip on social media, with lots of bright photos and hashtags. And then she disappeared. Katy is hoping that as she travels to the same places, she can figure out what happened to Phoebe, because the police have no leads.

Beth was traveling around Australia and fell in with the wrong guy. He seemed so great at first, but then he took all her clothes and wallet and phone and got violent. Once she saw her opening, she jumped from his van and ran, despite not even having shoes on. But somehow she found a van by the side of the road. There was no one around that she could see, but the doors were unlocked. She jumped in without thinking and hid on the bed, under the blankets.

When the driver came back, she didn’t notice anything amiss at first, but then Katy saw that there was someone on the bed and freaked out. But Beth introduced herself (as Lily, an American college student). Beth wasn’t sure that Katy could be trusted, and Katy wasn’t sure either, but she could see that Beth was in bad shape, and she agreed to let her stay the night. When Beth hears Katy’s story about Phoebe, she wants to help her. As the young women get to know each other, they realize that teaming up may be the best way to find Phoebe, and to stay safe themselves.

But then strange clues start popping up. Notes are left on or near the van. Other travelers recognize Katy from previous campsites and talk about conversations they had with her that she doesn’t remember. Both women get the feeling they’re being watched, maybe even followed. And as they spend time looking over Phoebe’s social media posts and reading the comments and her direct messages, they find trolls who were posting things that were angry and threatening. Both women feel a sense of impending danger and start to question everyone they come across.

But as they get deeper into Phoebe’s journey, closer to the reason she disappeared, the more confused Beth gets from what’s happening. She knows the answer is there, but she can’t put the pieces together the right way. But when it gets to the point of life or death, will Beth be able to find the answers in time, or will it be too late for Phoebe, Katy, and Beth herself?

Red River Road is the latest thriller from Anna Downes, and it is quite the journey. The author takes a while to start showing her cards, but when those cards hit the table late in the book, the story takes a series of unexpected turns that brings about a satisfying and surprising end. These characters go on such a ride, and we’re just hanging on the whole way. This is an enjoyable story that looks at the vanlife lifestyle and how a single woman traveling alone is treated differently in person and online.

I listened to the audio book for this one, and it’s narrated beautifully by Maddy Withington. She brings the fun and adventure of Phoebe’s journey, the danger that Beth was running from, and the curiosity of Katy’s search for answers all to life through her dramatic choices. And her Australian accent brings an authenticity to the reading that really grounded me in Australia for the whole story. And if that’s not enough for you, the audio also has a conversation between Anna Downes and author Sally Hepworth that was both entertaining and laugh-out-loud funny. The audio book is worth it just for that, in my opinion. But listen to the story too. Red River Road is a trip like no other.

Egalleys for Red River Road were provided by Minotaur Books, and an early copy of the audio book was provided by Macmillan Audio, both through NetGalley, with many thanks.