I didn't finish. Reading the mainly 5* reviews I realise that this is a purely personal thing. Unfortunately I didn't like the setting, I didn't warm to any of the characters, and the story advanced at such a slow pace that I lost interest.

This was a very violent story which isn't to my taste normally but this was a very compelling story to read. Well described characters and a dark storyline. You can almost feel the heat and the damp! Great conclusion.

"Our Last Wild Days" by Anna Bailey is a captivating and atmospheric novel set in the hauntingly beautiful swamps of Southern Louisiana.

The story revolves around Cutter Labasque, a young woman found dead in the swamp, and her childhood friend Loyal, who comes back to her hometown to care for her mother and uncover the truth behind Cutter's demise. The Labasque family, known for their alligator hunting and rough attitude, are outsiders in the town of Jacknife, making Cutter's death a mystery that few are interested in solving.

Loyal's journey is both a pursuit for justice and a personal path to redemption. Her character is intricate and deeply flawed, mirroring the difficult realities of her past and the choices she's made. Supporting characters like Cutter's brothers and Loyal's journalist friend Sasha add depth to the narrative, each with their own struggles and motives. The characters are brought to life vividly, making it easy to become invested in their stories.

The novel deals with powerful themes such as atonement, family, poverty, and survival, all within the context of environmental degradation and social injustice. Bailey expertly combines these themes into a narrative that feels both pressing and timeless.

The writing is vivid and immersive, taking readers into the humid, claustrophobic world of the Louisiana bayou. The language is raw and expressive, capturing the intense emotions and harsh realities of the characters' lives.

What makes this book unique is its ability to evoke strong emotions and reflections in readers. It challenges societal norms and brings attention to the struggles of marginalized communities. While some readers may find the pacing a bit slow at times, the payoff is worth it. The novel's distinct setting and characters make it stand out in its genre, offering a fresh perspective on themes that are both deeply personal and universally relevant.

Bailey's writing style is similar to authors like Chris Whitaker, who also excel at capturing the essence of small-town America. The narrative structure is engaging, with unexpected twists that keep readers guessing until the end.

Overall, "Our Last Wild Days" is a gripping read that will stay with you long after you finish it. It showcases Bailey's skill as a storyteller and her ability to create characters that feel both familiar and unique.

A really gritty dark dirty novel about Crime & Murder in the Backwaters of Louisiana, as full of characters that are as wild & colourful as the wildlife in that place.
Folklore is entwined with it all as well, so all in all it's a very colourful & imaginative Read. #NetGalley, #GoodReads, #FB, #Instagram, #Amazon.co.uk, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/8a5b541512e66ae64954bdaab137035a5b2a89d2" width="80" height="80" alt="200 Book Reviews" title="200 Book Reviews"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>.

I'm going to be repeating what one or two others have said here, but it was exactly what I was thinking as I read it.
I was a big fan of Anna Bailey's previous book, Tall Bones, and I think this one is actually even better than that one.
It did, at times remind me of Chris Whitaker's All the Colours of the Dark - not in plot terms, more in the impressive authenticity I felt it gave of the location and the depth of the characters all at various degrees of brokenness, involved.
I've seen a couple of criticisms from people saying they found it 'slow'.
It's true that this isn't an action packed type of novel, but there are plenty of those out there if that's what you're looking for.
Me? : I really appreciated the slow burn nature of the book, the atmospheric descriptions and the varied characters in it.
I'd say that if you're a fan of the aforementioned Chris Whitaker, or even US based writers like S A Cosby, El Cranor or Jordan Harper you'll really appreciate this book.

Ideal for readers who enjoy novels that spend time on evoking a distinctive, atmospheric setting, in this case the Louisianna swamps, and on developing unusual, quasi-outcast characters.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.
On publication, I will post part of the blurb and this review on my blog.

Very dark, atmospheric thriller that takes you right into swampland and crocodiles. Good characters, twisty plot, quality stuff.

The Labasque family lives on the fringes of society in the rural swamps of Jacknife, Louisiana. They eke out a meager existence, hunting alligators and other wildlife to survive. To the local residents, they're outcasts, troublemakers, and a nuisance.

When Cutter Labasque's lifeless body is discovered in the swamp, the community remains indifferent, including her own brothers. However, Loyal May, Cutter's childhood friend, is not convinced by the official ruling of suicide. Loyal has returned to her hometown to care for her ailing mother, still carrying the guilt of a past betrayal against Cutter.

As Loyal seeks redemption, she may uncover the truth behind Cutter's tragic demise, and in doing so, find a path towards forgiveness and restitution.

Wow, this is a great book. I absolutely loved this author’s last book, Tall Bones, and think this is even better.
Loyal May is a journalist, who returns to the small town of Jacknife, Louisiana to help her mother who has dementia. Her childhood friend, Cutter, is found dead, there’s a child missing, and Loyal is keen to find out what has happened to both of them.
Cutter’s family are outcasts; alligator hunters who also seems to be mixed up in some very dark stuff. Loyal, and her journalist sidekick, Sasha, must work out who can be trusted when not even the good guys seems to be good guys.
This reminded me a lot of Chris Whitaker’s work. Bailey has an excellent way of transporting the reader to small town America. The characters are flawed but sympathetically written, motivations for poor decisions are believable. Likely to be one of my books of the year.

With a deep dive into the swamps and rural communities of Louisiana, Anna Bailey has stitched together a masterpiece. The heat and humidity sink into your bones as you are sucked into the lives of the people of the backwaters. There are bad things happening, a girl is dead and a couple of rookie journalists are on the case. You will be hooked!

This devastating hazy portrait of the swamps of Louisiana and the devastating poverty of those who live there. Anna Bailey is phenomenal. The scarring, painful writing flows through this novel, which seeps under the skin. Incredible.

I loved Tall Bones so this novel had quite a lot to live up to in my mind and boy did it deliver.

This author can definitely bring to vivid life that small town vibe, with its deeply drawn characters, this is atmospheric and tense, emotional and occasionally beautiful.

Mystery meets humanity with superb writing and a clever plot that draws you immediately in and holds you there to the end.

A true literary delight.

A wonderful second novel from the author of Tall Bones. A brilliant dive into rural Louisiana, following intriguing and complex characters, as perfectly written as the plot of the novel.

Growing up in a swampy backwaters town where there was little time for sensitivity or tenderness, Cutter and Loyal were two girls who had each other's backs. Loyal needed that as the local fat girl, and Cutter needed it to take the edge off per hardscrabble existence growing up with absent parents and only two brothers in an alligator trapping family.

But then life took different direction, and the two of them had a serious falling out. Soon after, Loyal left for the big city and the bigger life that it promised - she had always been a bright girl. Predictably enough, Cutter went nowhere.

Now, Cutter is dead - under strange circumstances. Loyal is back in her one alligator town to look after her mother, who is behaving erratically, with no hope of reconciling with her old friend, whose brothers are behaving oddly.

So, why is Loyal the only one who seems to be invested in finding out how Cutter actually died?

This story captures the suffocating atmosphere, complete with Southern heat and reptiles, of a small town in the middle of nowhere - and an even smaller community, keeping dark secrets. Worth a read, it gets 3. 5 stars.

I was stunned to learn that the author of Our Last Wild Days, Anna Bailey, is British. I would have bet my mortgage on her being born and bred in rural Louisiana. She has done an amazing job of describing the location, creating the atmosphere, and building the characters, all of it had me convinced from the start.
The plot built, and we hear largely from the point of view of Loyal, who has returned from Texas to care for her mother, Sasha who works with her at the local newspaper, and Cutter, whose death is the main focus of the novel. All of the young people are beautifully described and they will find a way into your heart. While the book is mostly about friendship and making amends, it convincingly includes biker gangs, dodgy cops and a lot of alligators.
If you like Chris Whittaker (another Brit who does small town USA so well) this is for you. I definitely recommend it, including for book clubs. There is much to discuss and explore. An easy five stars from me *****

I haven’t yet read Anna Bailey’s debut Tall Bones so wondered if that would mean I’d find it harder to slip under the surface of Our Last Wild Days. Pleased to say that doesn’t seem to have been the case, I was straight into those small town Louisiana bayou vibes and revelling in the nods to Southern Gothic (but I am keen to make sure I get to Tall Bones now!).

In fact, sense of place is something that Bailey does fantastically, I vividly imagined Louisiana and at points things felt quite Sookie Stackhouse with unusual happenings after dark and an unexplained death in Jacknife; the body of Cutter Labasque - orphan, crocodile hunter and misunderstood old friend of main protagonist Loyal, is found floating in the swamp. So far, so intriguing.

Back in town unexpectedly Loyal is contemplating reconnecting with her old friend but a falling out in their teen years has held her back, and then she discovers it is too late. Cutter can no longer advocate for herself so Loyal finds herself using her reporter’s nous and local connections to get to the bottom of what exactly is going on in the bayou.

The second half of this book is super compelling and hard to put down but I also enjoyed the scene and character building - it’s not often I get to hang out with crocodile hunters in the Deep South.

Set in the swamplands of Louisiana this was not my kettle of fish. I found it rather boring and decided to give up with it about a third of the way through especially when I could see that I had another eight hours of reading to finish the book.

Set in Jacknife a Louisiana swamp town, this is a story about a family, the Lasbasques, who scratch a living catching alligators in the swamps. When Cutter, the sister, is found dead in the swamps, her childhood friend, Loyal, a reporter on a local paper, is determined to find out what happened. A very brooding atmosphere with loads of twists along the way which will keep you guessing. If you like When The Crawdads Sing, you’ll love this slightly harder hitting story. Thoroughly recommended.

Our last wild days" reminded me a lot of " Where the Crawdads sing" which I loved. It is clearly directed at these readers.

Atmospheric setting in the Louisiana swamp town of Jacknife, with a corrupt policeforce, shady characters and colorful townspeople, it has at the heart a highly disfunctional white trash family, the Lasbasques who make a living hunting alligators. When Cutter is found dead in her boat in an alligator infested swamp, only Loyal, her childhood friend who is now a reporter at the local newspaper, seems interested to get to the bottom of what happend. It's a suspence packed, entertaining read, enjoyed the proof on vacation and was immediatly  sucked into this troubled, cajun small town atmosphere.

A captivating thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Perfect for long nights, this book is both engaging and easy to read. The plot twists and well-developed characters make it a must-read for thriller enthusiasts. If you're looking for a book that will keep you hooked from start to finish, this is the one for you.