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.

After her mom needs someone to take care of her because of dementia, Loyal moves back to her small town life in Louisiana. Shortly after, her high school best friend is found deceased in the river. After a quick suicide determination from the local police, Loyal insists on digging deeper knowing her friend wouldn't kill herself.

This book took A LONG time for me to get through. I was excited to read it based on the summary but couldn't get in to it. Everything seemed to drag for me and although I did finish the book, it was a struggle.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was SO GOOD. This book was what every thriller I've read recently dreamed of being - the writing was so beautiful, the characters are compelling and the narrative kept me awake reading.
5 stars this book was fantastic.
If you like good books, thrillers, mysteries or southern gothic tales this is for you. If you want a crime novel that doesn't center a cop, this novel is for you. If you want to feel the writing in your soul, pick this up!
Thank you so much @atriabooks @simon.audio & @annabaileywrites I'm not going to shut up about this book for ages.

This was a slow start for me. I wanted to read this because I lived in south Mississippi for years & miss the feel of the Cajun bayou & all that comes with it.

The slow burn had me nervous but I’m so glad I kept reading. This is one of my favorite books so far this year. I need to read her debut because I really enjoyed this southern gothic thriller so much.

Anna Bailey’s Our Last Wild Days is a moody, atmospheric journey deep into the swamps of rural Louisiana—an evocative setting that lingers long after the final page, even when the story itself sometimes struggles to hold firm ground.

The novel opens with the death of Cutter Labasque, a member of an outcast family known for gator hunting and backwoods living. Her death is ruled a suicide, but childhood friend Loyal May, recently returned to Jacknife, isn’t convinced. From there, the story meanders through layers of small-town secrets, personal betrayals, and buried guilt.

This is a slow burn of a novel—and perhaps too slow at times. It took a while to become fully immersed, and I found it hard to invest in either Loyal or Cutter’s storylines. Loyal’s quest for redemption didn’t always feel urgent, and Cutter, despite being the catalyst for the plot, remains more of a mystery than a fully formed character.

Where Our Last Wild Days truly shines is in its setting. Bailey’s writing conjures the swampy, oppressive atmosphere of Jacknife with vivid, almost tactile detail. The bayous, the heat, the murky stillness—they all feel alive, a haunting backdrop that does much of the emotional heavy lifting. It’s this immersive sense of place that gives the novel its weight and intrigue.

Of the cast, the standout character for me was Sasha. He brought depth, compassion, and nuance that often felt lacking elsewhere. His presence added emotional resonance and complexity that kept me turning the pages. Unfortunately, much of the narrative is bogged down by side plots that feel either unnecessary or underdeveloped. These threads sometimes dilute the central mystery and sap the story of momentum.

Overall, Our Last Wild Days is a beautifully written book in terms of tone and mood, even if the plot and character arcs don’t always match that same level of precision. It’s a novel to savor for its atmosphere rather than its pace or central narrative—a murky, tangled journey through grief, guilt, and the ghosts of the past.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Atria Books, for sharing this eARC with me in exchange for my honest opinion. This review is based off of an uncorrected proof which did not sway my opinion either way.

This book was very wordy. It was hard for me to latch on to anything though to want to keep going (obviously I did). The ending was semi predictable, and there were other plot points that were glossed over when I would have wanted more details. This writing style/genre might not be for me and that's ok because it is for someone else.