Red River Road: A Novel

· Macmillan Audio · Narrated by Maddy Withington
4.3
3 reviews
Audiobook
12 hr 8 min
Unabridged
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About this audiobook

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 DNAevidence, 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.

Ratings and reviews

4.3
3 reviews
Terri Chlapek
27 August 2024
I listened to the audio version of this book narrated by the author. I love when authors narrate their own work, because you know that every pause, every inflection is just how it is meant to be to give the most meaning to the words. Anna Downes did an exceptional job with this narration. This was a good mystery/thriller. Katie is trying to find her sister, who disappeared while traveling around Australia in her van. Along the way, she "acquires" a travel companion, Beth. Beth has some interesting secrets. Those secrets mixed with the mystery of what happened to Phoebe make for a very captivating read. There are twists and turns and surprises aplenty. I sure didn't see the ending coming! The point made by the author throughout the book is the dangers that women face traveling alone shouldn't be more than for men, but they are. Point taken. Do yourself a favor, and don't skip the Author's Note at the end. It includes a conversation between the author and author Sally Hepworth. Thanks to Macmillan Audio for this audiobook. All thoughts are my own.
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Mary Beth Blankenship
7 September 2024
This was a highly entertaining book that kept my head spinning from beginning to end. Just when I thought I had it figured out a new twist was revealed. Both of the women were hiding important information from each other. It was hard to figure out who to believe and who should be trusted in this story. The journey was very realistic and I felt as if I was on this emotional trip with Katy and Beth. Wyatt was a wild card in the story until his piece of the puzzle was revealed. And the final line of the book added just enough to give me chills!! A superbly written book by Anna Downes that was so well-conceived and the audio narration by Maddy Withington was amazing! I highly recommend taking the thrilling road trip that this book offers through the audiobook. I am extremely grateful to Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook and the opinions of this book are my own.
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Tricia Coan
7 September 2024
Red River Road is a gripping thriller about two women on a tense road trip through Australia. Katy is searching for her missing sister, while Beth, hiding from an abusive relationship, joins her with secrets of her own. The suspense builds as they uncover frightening clues, realizing someone is following them closely. Full of red herrings and twists, this one kept me guessing!
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About the author

ANNA DOWNES (she/her) 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. She has degrees from both Manchester University (drama) and RADA (acting). She was short-listed for the Sydney Writers’ Room Short Story Prize (2017) and long-listed for the Margaret River Short Story Competition (2018). Her previous novels include The Safe Place and The Shadow House.

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