this was so incredibly good. the writing was propulsive, gritty & punchy. i loved their attention to detail and the way that i felt like i was genuinely in the swamp. their characters were amazing and i was invested into everyone. the mystery and the storyline had me gripped from start to finish. so many twists that made me gasp. so many lines that made me laugh. i couldn’t recommend this more.

thank you atria books & netgalley for this arc!

This is a good thriller but I feel the story line in the beginning is too stressed out l. It takes way too long to get to the twist which could be boring for some. I know that right in the beginning a body is found but you keep wondering what happens and it’s not til halfway through that you truly get answers. This is definelty not my favorite thriller but it’s still an interesting storyline.

This was phenomenal I was genuinely confused throughout the entire book. It kept me guessing who was being honest and I loved it.

Wow. What a great read. Could not put it down. Thank you for letting me read this in advance. I stayed up way to late trying to get to the end.

In many ways, I have lived this. I have lived in rural Louisiana for most of my life, and I have seen the things poverty drives people to do. This book felt beautifully researched, and the way it was written was absolutely stunning. The lilting prose smack dab in the middle of some of the most dastardly written acts stopped me in my tracks multiple times, and was a highlight for me in reading this. The characters were 100% flawed and imperfect, sometimes brutal- but God, how I rooted for and treasured them. Truthfully, I didn't want this one to end. While the outcome was somewhat predictable, I can't name a single thing I would have done better. Justice is somewhat served and honored, and this was a perfect crime thriller. Thank you so much to the publisher for the chance to read and honestly review this eARC!

Thank you, NetGalley, for this uncorrected reader's eproof ARC of 'Our Last Wild Days' by Anna Bailey - expected release date of 05/20/2025.

ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was my 2nd book by Bailey. This one has a "Where the Crawdads Sing" meets "A Time to Kill" kinda feel to it... Bailey set the scene hard for the location, describing everything so well I felt like I was right there in the small, swampy town in Louisiana. My heart broke over and over for the characters, their pain and suffering, along with addiction, poverty, abuse, hate and violence. Her writing was so captivating that I was uncomfortable reading this, the empathy was so real it was almost unbearable. Every single character had depth and not one string left untied. This was one heck of a book, highly recommend.

This was such a good read. It was full of emotion and great writing! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I have to DNF this book on page 100. I just don't care about any of the characters or what happens. I'm not sure if it's my mood or it's the book itself but I keep drifting off while reading it. Hopefully this is a hit for other readers.

A Southern Gothic tale drenched in mystery and atmosphere, where the swamps whisper secrets and danger lurks beneath the murky waters.

The Labasques aren’t like other families. Dirt poor, wild as the land they live on, they’ve long been the town’s favorite scapegoats—always in trouble, always on the outskirts, barely scraping by on gator hunts and bad luck. No one trusts them, and no one is surprised when Cutter Labasque turns up dead.

But someone should be.

Loyal, once Cutter’s closest friend, is the only one who seems to care. Back in town to care for her ailing mother and working at the local paper, Loyal can’t shake the feeling that Cutter’s death isn’t just another tragic end in a family built for ruin. As she digs deeper, she unearths something far worse than she ever imagined—corruption rotting through the heart of the town, secrets people would kill to keep buried, and a monstrous legend lurking in the swamp, as ghostly and vengeful as the great white crocodile the locals whisper about.

Dark, gothic, and laced with the slow-burning tension of the South, The Last Wild Days is a suspenseful, haunting thriller that won’t let go.

#OurLastWildDays #SouthernGothic #AtmosphericSuspense #Atria #AnnaBailey

I wanted to love this book, but unfortunately It just fell flat for me. I felt like it dragged on FOREVER even thought the book itself isn’t that long. I also felt like I was reading a spinoff of Where the Crawdad’s Sing (which I didn’t care for either). I’m not sure if I’ll give this author another go, but I’m sure this book is perfect for someone else.

I have been a long supporter of Chris Whitaker and was lucky enough to read advanced copies of his last two books. When I saw his blurb on this cover I was all in. While I thought the plot was interesting and well crafted, I didn’t feel like the novel ever found a good flow. Parts of the novel seemed to drag by even though it wasn’t a particularly long novel. I will still check out Anna Bailey novels in the future. Maybe I’m at fault here for letting the blurb get my hopes up, but it fell a little short of what I was looking for.

Our Last Wild Days by Anna Bailey is an incredibly atmospheric read, with a writing style that immediately draws you in. I was transported straight to the heart of the bayou, feeling the humidity and the sweat sticking to my skin as the author perfectly captured the setting. Bailey’s vivid descriptions brought the environment to life in such a visceral way, making the world feel palpable and real.

I was also captivated by the unique insight into the Labasque family’s life, learning about the hardships they’ve endured and how they’ve shaped their existence. The exploration of their complex relationships and struggles was both emotional and thought-provoking. Additionally, I was fascinated by the details of the swamp’s wildlife—particularly the alligators—and the way of life that revolves around it.

The multiple POVs throughout the novel were powerful, offering a well-rounded perspective of each character’s inner world. It helped me connect with everyone in a way I didn’t expect, making their journeys even more compelling.

While I loved the pacing throughout most of the book, the ending left me a bit adrift. I felt it could have been wrapped up more concisely and with a bit more clarity. Still, it didn’t take away from the overall experience.

In short, Our Last Wild Days is a beautifully written and immersive novel, with a captivating setting, fascinating characters, and a unique perspective on a life few are familiar with.

atmospheric, slow moving, but building up. The main character returns home to care for her mother with dementia, starts working at the local newspaper and investigates the death of a her childhood friend, who she had fallen out with as a teenager. Lots of unusual characters and lots of unpleasant characters populate this small Louisiana town where there is much poverty and oppression. Loved the main character and Sasha loved the first book she wrote, this one was a harder read for me

Anna Bailey did a great job on her new book. Our Last Wild Days, was a page turner. I enjoyed it from beginning to end.

I really liked this book! It was so fast paced and suspenseful. It kept me truly on the edge of my seat reading and reading until I finished! So good!! It kept me glued and it was written well. I love how it truly made me feel so tense and anxious!!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Give a swampy, southern Louisiana drama all seven days of the week and twice on Sunday! This atmospheric thriller was exactly what the doctor ordered and I ate it right up. The swamp is as much a character in this story as the actual people and this quenched my True Detective season 1 thirst like almost nothing else has since I finished the show. So incredibly descriptive and the characters were multi-layered which just made for a really complete story. Massively compulsive - I think this one is going to a sleeper that makes it onto several best books of 2025 lists and it will be completely unexpected. Five stars, EASY!

3.5 🌟
In the heart of alligator country, this gripping mystery follows Loyal as she returns home to care for her mother, despite a traumatic past caused by Cutter. Now a reporter for the local paper, Loyal teams up with Sasha, uncovering chilling truths after finding Marianne Cutter dead in the lake and the search for a missing girl named Marcie.
The secrets of this small town will come to light!

This book was pretty anticlimactic. The story felt very cliched, and I just could not connect with any of the characters.