Our Last Wild Days by Anna Bailey is an amazing slow burn that takes you to the visceral depths of Louisiana Swap land. Loyal May returns to her hometown after finding out that her childhood best friend is found dead. Ruled a suicide, Loyal faces the trauma of her childhood to find justice for her friend. She doesn’t believe Cutter killed herself and is willing to risk her life to find the truth, while also finding the power to forgive herself for past transgressions that she has not been able to get over.

Our Last Wild Days by Anna Bailey is a suspenseful novel; it has been described as a gritty Southern Gothic. It is at times a dark story, reflecting the hard existance of people living in isolated and arduous Louisiana communities. Loyal May was a journalist in Texas living the life she dreamed of as a girl, when she received notification that her mom, Rosa, was behaving erratically: walking aimlessly in the night, digging up her front yard... etc. Loyal was an only child, and as much as she did not want to return to her hometown in Assumption Parish, Lakeknife, Louisiana she realized her mom needed her. Loyal had grown up in this "backwoods" area with her best friends, Marianne (Cutter) and her brother Beau LaBasque. The eldest brother, Dewall raised his siblings after their parents died; Dewall was a hard-core, strict, cold man- a loner. He and his sister hunted alligators to support the family. Loyal, Cutter and Beau had been inseparable until their late teens when they had a major falling out, and Loyal submitted an unkind article about them to the Bayou Leader, the local newspaper. Returning was not easy for Loyal, and almost as soon as she arrived she learned that Cutter was dead. Did she drown? Was she murdered? Loyal joined the small Bayou Leader staff, and with the help of her colleagues Sasha Petitpas and owner ChuckDeForest she was determined to get the answers; with or without the cooperation of the local police. Our Last Wild Days is a very good novel; Anna Bailey brings the area and its hardships alive while telling a story of lost friendship, family, love and redemption. Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and the author for the opportunity to read an ARC; my review reflects my candid opinion. 4 stars.

Anna Bailey’s Our Last Wild Days is a haunting, atmospheric novel that lingers long after the final page. I was captivated by the grit and raw emotion woven into every chapter—from the fierce loyalty of friends who don’t always get it right, to the unshakable bond between siblings. The setting is so vividly rendered, it practically seeps into your dreams—though in my case, that included a few alligator-induced nightmares! A gripping and beautifully written story about love, survival, and the wildness that lives in all of us.

While I overall enjoyed this book, trying to keep up with character names was a struggle at first! I'm not sure what I was expecting with this story, but urinating on diner signs was not it, lol

A very interesting look at life in backwater bayou swamp country. The characters are bleak as is their story. Loyal made it out of the area, but finds herself back to help her Mom who is suffering from dementia. While back, she has some ghosts to deal with and things to set right. She is a journalist and is chasing a story that closely and painfully marks her past. Add in some colorful characters and some gators and you have a winner.

I ended up DNF'ing this book at 20%. I plan to go back and try again with a different format, since I loved Anna Bailey's WHERE THE TRUTH LIES. This one sounds right up my alley, so it might've been a case of "right book, wrong time."

Sadly, this book fell short of my expectations. Usually, I love mystery/thrillers that take place in Louisiana because I find the atmosphere to be so cool! But I had trouble getting into this story and it was such a slow burn for me! I also didn't connect with or care much for any of the characters. I also love alligators so the fact that the Labasques hunted and killed them just made me sad.

[Know that my opinion is an unpopular one as the Goodreads rating as of now is 4.18!]

DNF this one at around 10% just could not get into it and had a hard time wanting to try and pick it back up. Was a miss for me but would always recommend others to give it a try.

This was a great read. I really enjoyed it. Loyal May heads back to her hometown Jacknife, Louisiana to care for her mother who has dimension. When her estranged childhood friend, Cutter Labasque, is found face down in the Louisiana swamp and it's ruled a suicide, Loyal can't accept that. She teams up with her group of co-workers to find the answers.

This was dark, atmospheric and had plenty of suspense. The beginning was a little slow but once it got going I was hooked, and I'm happy I stuck with it. There's plenty of secrets that get exposed and I did not guess the twist. The writing was great and I loved the descriptions of the swamps and areas around it and the small town vibes. Just overall a good mystery!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

This was haunting. I don’t usually go for the southern gothic type books, but I branched out and I do not regret it at all. Absolutely beautiful writing, I felt I was sitting in Louisiana dripping with sweat myself. This was a slow placed story with a mystery unraveling little by little. I devoured it

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A young woman returns to her hometown on the bayou to take care of her mother who has early onset dementia. She is also forced to deal with her past and circumstances around a friend that she did wrong a long time ago.

Atria Books and NetGalley, Thank you for this ARC!

I ended this book staring at the wall. It was AMAZING. That's all I have to say, no notes, 10/10, 6 stars. You will love this.

Holly Collins

Anna Bailey's "Our Last Wild Days" is less a novel and more a lingering disquiet, a whisper carried on the wind through desolate landscapes. From the opening pages, a sense of melancholy hangs heavy, a palpable atmosphere that seeps into your bones and stays there, long after the last word has been read. This isn’t a story that announces its mysteries with fanfare; instead, it slowly, artfully, unwraps them, revealing layers of fractured lives and the persistent ache of unspoken grief.

The setting itself, a seemingly isolated pocket of rural existence, becomes a character in its own right—wild, beautiful, and harboring secrets as deep as the shadowed forests that cling to its edges. Bailey’s prose is exquisitely rendered, painting vivid, almost tactile, images of nature’s stark beauty and its indifferent cruelty. You can practically smell the damp earth, feel the chill of the wind, and hear the rustle of leaves as forgotten memories are stirred. This rich, evocative backdrop creates a profound sense of place, one that feels both intimately familiar and profoundly alien, a crucible where past transgressions and present anxieties are forged.

At its heart, the novel explores the delicate, often destructive, dance between memory and reality. The characters, each carrying their own burdens of regret and longing, are drawn with a raw, unflinching honesty. They are flawed, vulnerable, and deeply human, their inner lives laid bare in fragments and fleeting glimpses. You find yourself drawn into their struggles, their yearning for connection, and their desperate attempts to outrun or reconcile with the echoes of their past. There’s a pervasive sense that something is missing, something broken, lurking just beneath the surface of their seemingly ordinary lives. The narrative weaves between perspectives and timelines, each shift a subtle tilt of the kaleidoscope, revealing new facets of a shared, yet deeply personal, tragedy.

What truly elevates "Our Last Wild Days" is the insidious way its central mystery unfolds. It’s not a whodunit in the traditional sense, but rather a profound exploration of why. The questions it poses are existential: What does it mean to truly disappear? How do we live with the lingering presence of those who are gone? And what secrets do we keep, even from ourselves, to survive? The answers aren't handed to you neatly; instead, they emerge through the quiet accretion of detail, the haunting power of suggestion, and the unsettling realization that some wounds never truly heal. The suspense is not generated by jump scares or dramatic confrontations, but by the slow, creeping dread of truths unveiled, of consequences long deferred finally catching up.

"Our Last Wild Days" is a deeply atmospheric and psychologically resonant novel that will linger in your thoughts long after you’ve turned the final page. It’s a testament to the enduring power of loss, the complexities of human connection, and the wild, untamed corners of the heart where our deepest fears and most profound longings reside. If you’re seeking a book that will engage your mind and stir your soul, one that doesn’t just tell a story but evokes a profound emotional landscape, then venture into the wild days of Anna Bailey’s unforgettable novel. But be warned: some echoes are louder than others.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great story about friendship and redemption. There was also a compelling murder mystery. The writing was beautiful and the characters were well-developed. I just had a hard time connecting with the characters. The mystery was well-written but not suspenseful enough for me to want to fly through it. I was really excited about the bayou setting, but this on wasn't my favorite read.

LOVED this one for the atmospheric vibes, descriptive writing, and memorable cast of characters.

Deep in the swamps of small town Louisiana, a local woman is found dead, and the cops seemed unmotivated to investigate and decide it is a drowning. However, her estranged friend, Loyal May, has recently returned to her hometown is determined to investigate her friend’s death. Loyal works for the small local paper and as she begins digging, threats are made on her life indicating something sinister is at play.

This was a fantastic slow-burn southern gothic thriller. There are alligator hunters, dirty cops, Christian cults, drug rings, and morally gray characters! I loved Loyal’s determination and desire to atone for mistakes she made years ago.

this was an amazing small town thrillers. The one that gives you creepy vibes all through the books.

Simply wonderful.

I am really sad to say I DNF this one, I just couldn't get through it. The writing is great but the story just wasn't for me and just moved at such a slow pace.

Our Last Wild Days dropped earlier this month (May 20th).

Loyal May comes back to her hometown to dig into the mysterious death of her childhood friend, Cutter. The small-town bayou setting really adds a unique and gritty charm. I appreciated the rawness and emotion it portrayed of the characters. I found myself fully invested in the mystery of it all and not wanting to put it down.

Overall, I very much enjoyed it, if you love a dark, down-in-the-bayou story, I suggest you check this southern gothic thriller out. I think it could be one of this summers hit reads.

*thanks to NetGalley and to Atria Books for the Arc*

Thank you to Atria and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. I am sad to say I DNFed this. I got pretty far in because the writing was just lovely, but the story dragged and I wasn’t invested enough to continue

Our Last Wild Days is an atmospheric, gritty, and mysterious story much like the gators that prowl the South Louisiana swamp it’s set in.

Loyal returns to her hometown from Houston to care for her ailing mother. A journalist by trade, she joins the local newspaper. When a body turns up in the swamp, it's none other than Cutter, Loyal’s old friend. Their complicated history drives Loyal to dig into the truth behind Cutter’s death.

The author does a remarkable job bringing the setting to life. The swamp feels like a living, breathing character: dangerous, suffocating, and full of secrets. At times, the story felt heavy and bogged me down, but in a way that mirrored the stifling heat and humidity of the bayou. The vivid atmosphere, paired with the layers of suspense, drug trafficking, and small-town poverty, created a compelling read.

While the religious themes didn’t resonate with me personally, the spiritual element, especially toward the end was beautifully done and added depth to the story.

Thank you to Atria Books for the copy of this book.