Book Review: Red River Road by Anna Downes
By Jeff Ayers
September 12, 2024
Readers will never want to take a road trip again after finishing this terrific thriller, the latest from Anna Downes. Phoebe Sweeney decides to take a journey along the coast of Western Australia by herself, and journal about what she sees on social media. Three weeks into her vacation, she mysteriously vanishes. The cops have no clues, and her sister, Katy, decides to take matters into her own hands when a year goes by without answers. Using Phoebe’s social media posts as a guide, she hits the road to find the truth.
One night, Katy receives a stowaway when Beth hides in her vehicle. Beth initially lies, says her name is Lily, and refuses to talk about anything else. The two of them start to develop a relationship, and their trust builds slowly, even though they each have secrets. Beth has an abusive boyfriend that she’s trying to escape, and Phoebe has burned all of her bridges seeking to find her sister, so she has nobody to rely on but herself. And now maybe Beth.
Downes takes these two compelling characters on a complex journey that readers will be eager to ride along. The trip gets more mysterious as they uncover what happened to Phoebe, while Beth starts to feel comfortable being honest with Katy, even if that honesty could get them both killed. With the fantastic setting and fun payoff, this drive is worth the time and investment.