This is one of those books that really gets your mind working and thoughts turning. This was so much more than just a mystery. It tells the story of a family that really didn’t stand a chance to turn out any different than how they did.

This book had my heart breaking at times and other times I wanted to throw it against the wall because I was feeling so many emotions. This was a very powerful read.

Thank you to Atria Books for my copy of OUR LAST WILD DAYS.

I had a hard time with this book. The characters all really got on my nerves and also there were so many of them! That many characters to keep up with and the only thing you remember is how much you hate them makes reading a chore. I did not enjoy and do not recommend this one.

I really enjoyed this novel. This was a perfect southern gothic book. It was slow paced in a good way and very thought out. It gave you a punch with the ending. I would definitely recommend for fans of this genre. Can’t wait to read more by this author

I read this a few weeks back and can't remember much about it. I gave it three/five stars, so I must not have loved it. I liked this author's last work much better.

I thought I was going to love this book but this book fell short for me.
I’m happy to see such positive reviews on it.

Cutter ends up being found dead face down. Her own brothers don’t even care about Cutter. It’s been suggested that Cutter committed suicide but an old friend doesn’t think that’s true. They’ve had their differences but she doesn’t think cutter committed suicide.

This book held my attention enough to finish to see what really happened to Cutter and why.

Thanks netgalley and publisher for a chance to read this book for free in return for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this story surrounding a murder in rural Louisiana. The main character returns home to care for her mom, and gets wrapped up in solving the mystery of her old friends death.

Thrilling Thriller

There’s something deeply satisfying about sinking into a book and not resurfacing until the final page. Our Last Wild Days by Anna Bailey was exactly that kind of experience—a gripping, atmospheric read I devoured in a single sitting. It’s rare to find a novel that pulls you in so completely and finishes strong, all in the span of a few hours. But this one nailed it.

If you're into Southern gothic thrillers, consider this your next must-read. Bailey’s writing is vivid and textured, especially her portrayal of the Louisiana bayou. The setting doesn’t just serve the story; it is the story. The thick heat, the tangled wetlands, the ever-present sense that something is lurking just out of view—it all feels eerily real.

Bailey masterfully blends suspense with a slow-burning mystery. At the heart of it is the discovery of a young woman’s body, written off as suicide. But our protagonist suspects otherwise and digs deep into the secrets of the Labasque family and the insular, decaying town they seem to control. What follows is a layered narrative about poverty, grief, family dysfunction, buried violence, and the lies small towns tell to protect their own.

The characters are messy, flawed, and emotionally raw—exactly the kind that stick with you. The way Bailey writes them, you can’t help but care, even when they make terrible choices. It’s the kind of story that makes you feel like you’ve been somewhere—muggy air, secrets heavy in the silence, danger in the shadows.
I give it a solid 3.5 stars, and I’m already looking forward to whatever Anna Bailey writes next. Any author who can get me to finish a book in one go gets an automatic thumbs-up from me. This one’s dark, sharp, and absolutely worth the read. Add it to your TBR—you won’t regret it.

Rating: 4.5

I wasn't sure how I felt about this at first. But somewhere around 60% of the way through, I started to love it. This is a slowburn thriller that follows four flawed characters, but I was rooting for them anyway. Especially Dewall and Sasha.

an atmospheric novel about a young woman who searches for answers after her estranged friend is found dead in the bayou of their rural Louisiana hometown.

Thank you, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy of this book.

Dark, atmospheric, tension-building, and well-written, this book will surely have you hooked from start to finish.

As always, all the thoughts are my own.

Pub Date May 20 2025

I was immediately drawn in by the atmosphere of the mosquito-filled swamps of Jackknife, Mississippi. The writing in this book is truly impressive. This is a slow-burn story that grips you from the beginning and holds on until the last page.

Thank you Atria Books, #partner, for the advanced copy of Our Last Wild Days in exchange for my honest review.

I love a good atmospheric thriller and this one totally delivers on that front. Set in rural Louisiana, we are steeped in small-town vibes, rich with Gothic undertones, alligator hunts and local folklore. This might have been my first read by this author but it certainly will not be my last if this book is anything to go by!⁣
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This slowburn mystery hooked me right from the start and I found having the story told from multiple POVs to help keep things moving, though once we hit that midpoint, things start ramping up quite a bit. Nothing is what it seems & this kept me on my toes the entire time. Who can be trusted??? ⁣
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I loved my experience reading this and wish I could read it again for the first time…though I do see myself reading it again at some point as it’s just that good!

This is an atmospheric, slow burning read that is perfect for summertime! As a military spouse, I’ve lived all over the United States, and the South is distinctly different from the rest of the country. I love the cuisine, customs, and the simple things in life. However, I can’t imagine growing up there; it feels like a completely different place.

The Labasques, a family living in the swamps of Jacknife, Louisiana, are seen as outcasts by the local community. When Cutter Labasque is found dead in the swamp, her death is labeled a suicide, and no one seems to care, not even her brothers. The only person questioning this verdict is Loyal May, Cutter's childhood friend who has returned to town to care for her mother. Loyal, along with a group from the local newspaper, seeks to uncover the truth behind Cutter's death, revealing a web of deceit and corruption in the town. The story explores themes of redemption and the darker impulses of human nature, set against the backdrop of rural Louisiana.

The character Loyal May is likable and has a good head on her shoulders. She is gradually developed as we jump between timelines. She made a mistake in the past that haunts her, but she is determined to redeem herself. As she tries to uncover what happened to her old friend, she encounters several tough situations, narrowly escaping each time. The dual points of view help us fully grasp the narrative.

The setting of this book is vivid and well-described; you truly feel as if you are right there, swatting at mosquitoes and turning up the AC to stay cool. Despite being a slow-burn mystery, it is tastefully written, making it hard to put the book down. If the book doesn’t resonate with you, I recommend trying the audio version; it is upbeat and well-narrated.

If you enjoy stories of redemption, challenging places to grow up in, and gritty rural settings with alligators in the water, this book will definitely capture your interest. The writing style is fluid and truly gripping. Well done!

Thank you, Atria Books, for the digital ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A mystery suspense thriller that takes place in the bayous of Lousiana..
Family bonds
Drug addiction
Grief
Mystery
Perfect crime thriller!
Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to Atria for the widget to read Our Last Wild Days by Anna Bailey.

Dark, gritty, atmospheric, mysterious.

I loved the writing of this story. It puts the reader right in Jackknife with the characters. They are all such greatly written and described characters. If you're in for a small town mystery that is entirely engrossing this might be the perfect book for you. I felt immersed in the character's lives and the mystery of Cutter's death (as well as the other mysteries happening in and around this town).

I love that the author makes the reader question which characters to trust and what their motives may be. There were characters that I felt completely differently about by the end of the story than I had at the beginning, which I loved.

Overall, I loved this story and thought it was incredibly well written.

Our Last Wild Days is my first read by Anna Bailey, and it certainly won’t be my last. Atmospheric, suspenseful, and constantly foreboding… The Bayou grabs you and doesn’t let you go until the very end.

I loved the Louisiana backdrop and could literally feel the humidity and creepy darkness of the swamps as I read. This book wasn’t exciting every second, but I felt like it kept me guessing and the desire to find out what happened to Cutter kept me interested from start to finish.

I loved all the layers of the characters, especially the Labasques. They had such a hard life and you can really see that they tried to grasp for goodness within themselves. There’s so much roughness in them, but also a lot of sadness. It was really heartbreaking to read at times.

I think Our Last Wild Days would be a fantastic TV series. I really hope to see it one day! In the meantime, I’m looking forward to seeing what Anna Bailey comes up with next.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I am a huge fan of southern gothic novels, This has been on my TBR for so long. I finally got around to reading it now I am leaving my review. Our Last Wild Days. In the sweltering southern heat of Louisiana Loyal, the main character returns home after leaving at the young age of 18. To take care of her mother and finds a disheartening thing floating in the swamp. The local police try to bury what is happening & Loyal wants to get to the bottom of what is happening. This was such a great and thought provoking, descriptive read. Thanks to netgalley & Atria for this read.

This was literary thriller fiction at its finest. Wow. The images depicted here are breathtaking and heart wrenching and gorgeous. Anna Bailey is one to watch. I haven’t read her other books, but I totally will now.
This is a slow burn mystery in the swamp land of Louisiana. Gators, drugs, and small town drama drives this story, and you won’t be able to help but get lost in it.
Great read. Loved it.
Thank you netgalley for the arc!

"Our Last Wild Days" by Anna Bailey is the perfect book for a rainy summer afternoon. The writing is atmospheric and lyrical, the kind that transports you completely to the setting of the book, in this case, a backwater town in Louisiana. It is definitely a slow burn, but is filled with twists and turns that kept me fully engaged from the first page until the last. More than just a mystery novel, at its core this novel is an intimate look into the positives and negatives of living in rural America, delving into issues such as poverty, domestic violence, addiction, and prejudice but also highlighting how such places can come together when someone is in need. I really cared about these realistic, though extremely flawed and not always good, characters.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this great book.

Loyal has moved back to Jacknife, LA to take care of her mother and old memories pop up when her former bff Cutter is found dead in the river. Cutter and her brothers were dirt poor alligator farmers, but something doesn’t sit right about Cutter’s death. Drug deals, missing people, bayou superstitions and more arise during Loyal’s investigation into Cutter’s death.

I liked this book. It was very atmospheric and it was interesting to read about the Bayou and life in Louisiana. There are a lot of bad/unlikable characters in this book, but overall it was a good read, and I wasn’t sure until further into the book who the murderer was.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for a copy of this book.

*Our Last Wild Days* is a haunting, atmospheric mystery set in the swamps of rural Louisiana, where old secrets fester like the bayou itself. When Cutter Labasque—part of a family the town sees as outcasts—is found dead, her childhood friend Loyal May returns home and refuses to believe it was suicide. Driven by guilt and a need for redemption, Loyal digs into a web of corruption and prejudice that implicates powerful locals. With richly drawn characters, a slow-burning plot, and evocative writing, this Southern noir explores the weight of betrayal, the pull of home, and the lengths we go to make things right.