After loving Anna’s first novel Tall Bones I was excited to read Our Last Wild Days. It definitely lived up to expectations, I loved it, it is one of my favourite reads this year.

This novel is not your usual mystery thriller, it is about so much more than the mystery of Cutter Labasque’s death . It’s about small town prejudice, the lengths people will go to in order to survive and how the actions of our youth impact our future as adults.

The writing is exquisite, it demands you take your time and savour every word. The sense of time and place is brilliantly realised, you can feel the threat of violence which hangs over Jacknife and the claustrophobia imposed on its residents.

Loyal is a likeable character who carries her own demons. She is robbed of the opportunity to ask for Cutter’s forgiveness for the damage she inflicted on their friendship and is determined to find out what happened to her in order to make amends.

My heart however was with Sasha, a character who breaks the mould. Despite heartache and sadness, Sasha finds a way to exist in Jacknife without apology and shows great dignity. I so desperately wanted him to find some happiness.

I thought it was outstanding, I can’t recommend it enough.

Our Last Days is a haunting, emotive and atmospheric read. Bailey's prose is mesmerising and I felt myself transported to the swamps of Louisiana, a truly visceral experience. It's a slow burn, and Bailey takes their time to build rich, layered and vibrant characters, and positions readers within the chaos and conflict of the town of Jackknife. The central mystery is compelling and twisty, driven by these intense characters and lush, steamy backwater setting.

This is my first of Bailey's books, and I look forward to picking up others. Perfect for anyone looking for an intense, slow burn, dark and character driven mystery.

Thank you Random House UK for this ARC. Opinions expressed are my own.

An atmospheric small town tale, Our Last Wild Days follows Loyal who comes back to her childhood home when her family needs support. Soon after arriving back, she has a mystery to solve that will mean her delving into the darkness under the facade of the community she thought she knew.

Beautifully written with some richly developed characters, I highly recommend this as a slow-burning, gritty mystery.

I was entranced by Tall Bones, Anna Bailey’s first novel, and couldn’t wait to read Our Last Wild Days. It certainly didn’t disappoint.
Anna is so brilliant at evoking a sense of place and Jackknife is vividly brought to life. Surrounded by alligator swamps, it’s a small town largely dependent on the local plastics factory for work, with all the health issues that brings. The Labasques are outcasts, even in such a rundown place - surviving on alligator kills and barely making ends meet.
Loyal May was once the best friend of Cutter Labasque but they fell out and Loyal wrote a vicious article about the family for the local paper before she left the area.
Now she’s back and hoping to build bridges, but finds she’s too late as Cutter is found dead in the swamp.
Loyal doesn’t believe it’s suicide and soon finds there are some very nasty secrets being kept by people in the town.
Brilliant characterisation, wonderful descriptions and a story that hooks you in - this book shows that Anna Bailey is in it for the long haul. Another sensational novel.

You know you’re in for a great read when you can’t stop thinking about a book after three short chapters. This happened to me with Our Last Wild Days. I read three short chapters before starting a different book for a buddy read, but I just wanted to come back to reading this one! I loved every page of this brilliant book.

The body of a young woman is found washed-up in the water and deemed a suicide by police, but our main character Loyal believes there is more to the story and the death of her old, estranged friend. A well-paced, atmospheric thriller, but also a story about poverty, violence, extremism, pollution, survival, outcasts, community, alligators, secrets and love.

The story line kept me on my toes and was multilayered. What I loved most about the book though was the beautiful prose. The writing immediately hooked me, with descriptions so rich you can almost feel the setting of the swamps and small town in Louisiana. Atmospheric, immersive and a total page turner for me. The characters were messy and real, they really got to me and had me emotionally invested.

I’m officially a fan. Off I go to buy Tall Bones!

Having read and loved this author's debut book, "Where the Truth Lies", when I read it a few years ago, I have been eagerly anticipating this, her second book.
Loyal May has returned home to care for her mother who is struggling and often displaying strange behaviour. She would really rather have not come back to Jacknife as she worked hard to escape the rural Louisiana bayou. But she has and she is trying to make the most of it by working on the local paper. It is on her first day that she is called to the scene of a death. That of her childhood friend Cutter Labasque who was living with her brothers on their island Alligator farm. Loyal is determined to find out what happened to her old friend, more so when the cops doesn't seem as bothered just cos of who she was, and who her brothers are. This is especially important to Loyal being as how things were between them when she left. As you will find out in the flashbacks.
But it's more than just about this. In fact, on occasion, the crime takes a bit of a back seat in amongst all the rest of the wonderful lyrical story that the author has created. Pacing is slow, there is a lot of description, which is necessary to properly convey the setting and its important contribution to said story. But, that said, outwith that, it gets on with itself very well indeed.
Characters are all well described and play their parts well. Obviously due to their nature some are easier to like than others but all managed to invoke some reaction / emotional connection from me. Especially the setting which is so prominent that it could be a character in its own right.
It's not always pretty, in fact some of the themes in the book are downright ugly. But they all feel real, and it never gets too dark. I have never lived anywhere like Jacknife but the author did a great job of describing and explaining it all to me.
And the crime when all was exposed was indeed shocking and unexpected, and much greater than the sum of its parts.
All in all, a cracking book which, along with her debut, I am happy to recommend. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

So much secrecy and danger in this book, the whole thing felt very suspensful and compelling all the way through.

I’ve never been to Louisiana but with Anna Bailey’s extraordinary atmospheric story telling and outstanding descriptive writing I felt I was there - at one point I swatted a non existent mosquito away! There was so much going on in this book, with complex characters and tough issues running through each chapter, but at no point did it ever feel too much for one book to cover; that’s how exquisite Anna’s writing is.

I don’t think I have ever been so totally immersed in a book or had my feelings for a character so totally upended. By the final few chapters I still had no idea who was guilty but I very definitely knew who I didn’t want it to be.

Our Last Wild Days is going to stay with me for quite a while. I’m definitely going to read Tall Bones, Anna Bailey’s debut novel, and am already looking forward to the next book from this talented author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for an eARC of this book.

The story is set in Jacknife, a small town Louisiana.
The story is told in great detail and very atmospherically, you can almost breath in the swamps, hear the mosquitoes, feel the tension in the air as the swamp is home to alligators.
Cutter Labasque has been found dead, face down in the muddy swamp. Cutter knew the swamps well as her family are alligator hunters, she worked the swamps with her two brothers, barely scraping a living together.
Cutter’s childhood friend, Loyal, has recently returned to Jacknife, she is a reporter, she wants to know what happened to Cutter and begins her own investigation.
This is a dark read, there are many secrets in the small town, and few unsavoury characters.
The story cover family bonds, drug addiction, poverty, loyalty, murder, love and survival.
I thoroughly enjoyed this extremely atmospheric read, my first book by this author, definitely keen to read more.
Many thanks to Net Galley and Random House UK for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one! I was incredibly sad throughout the entire story.

I would say this is mostly scene setting, explaining behaviour and attitudes, rather than heavily plot focused. This isn’t a bad thing - I’ve maybe described this badly…

I felt like I knew everyone and the town, and almost forgot there was a murder being investigated. I really enjoyed how immersed I was, and I thought it all came together so so well.

Overall, I think I liked this, I’m just so sad!

My thanks to Netgalley and Transworld, Penguin Random House for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars.
I enjoyed the slow burning, suspenseful read of ‘Our last wild days’ by Anna Bailey. The success of her writing certainly lies in the effective setting, the claustrophobic atmospheric of the swampy, alligator infested small Louisiana town. The acute sense of place held all the strings of the plot together nicely.

The messy Labasque family’s character development and revelations were most intriguing, but I did feel the main protagonist, Loyal May, wasn’t quite as well sketched as she could have been; she was a little faceless. All in all, a decent read, and I don’t want to add any spoilers, but for me, I was a little disappointed the it didn’t reach a little further.

This was a very atmospheric story, set in the swamp lands of Louisana with a disociated family and alligator hunting..Loyal returns home as her mother needs to be looked after and discovers very quickly that her childhood best friend has been found dead. The police say that it was ana ccident but Loyal sets out to resolve what she believes to be a murder and a cover up by the corrupt local police.It is a very well written book but I had difficulty coming to get to grips with all the characters as none seemed real to me.

Our Last Wild Days is a hauntingly atmospheric novel set in the swampy backwaters of Louisiana. The story follows Loyal May, a journalist who returns to her hometown of Jacknife to care for her ailing mother. Upon her return, she learns of the death of her estranged childhood friend, Cutter Labasque, whose body was found in the swamp. While the sheriff deems it a suicide, Loyal suspects foul play and embarks on a quest to uncover the truth, seeking redemption for past wrongs.
This book masterfully captures the essence of the bayou, making the setting a character in its own right. The oppressive heat, the ever-present danger of alligators and the claustrophobic atmosphere of the swamp are vividly portrayed. There are themes of loyalty, redemption and the complexities of small-town life, where secrets run deep and appearances can be deceiving.
The character development is exceptional, with each individual portrayed in shades of grey. Loyal's journey is both personal and investigative, as she confronts her past and seeks justice for her friend. The supporting characters, including Cutter's family and the residents of Jacknife, add depth and nuance to the narrative.​
The pacing is deliberate, allowing tension to build gradually. The plot is intricately woven, with twists and revelations that keep you engaged until the final page.
Our Last Wild Days is a compelling and evocative tale that explores the darkness lurking beneath the surface of a seemingly idyllic community. This novel is both a gripping mystery and a poignant exploration of human nature. The prose is lyrical and captures the beauty and brutality of the setting and its inhabitants. Highly recommended! (I also enjoyed and recommend Tall Bones).
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my review.

”We’re living in our last wild days, boy.”

“Our last wild days” says the story of Loyal May, who comes back home in Jacknife, Louisiana. A few days later, her childhood friend, Cutter Labasque is found dead in the swamps. At first, everyone says that it was suicide, but Loyal wants to find the truth. How did Cutter really died?

The story takes place in the swamp and I love that setting. It’s very eerie and beautiful, especially in mystery books, with alligators and creepy forest and haunted waters. So of course, “Our last wild days” was the same. Throughout the whole story I had the feeling that I was there, in the swamp, hearing the sound that surrounded it.

Loyal wants not only to discover the truth, but to redeem herself, feeling almost guilty for Cutter’s death, even if she didn’t take part in it. But because she left Cutter and Jacknife, moving to the big city. Leaving Cutter alone with her two brothers, Beau and Dewall, and the rest of the village.

The pacing is satisfying, the author does not hurry in solving the murder, but shows us everyone’s different life and tries to keep us engaged in the story. The writing is easy to read, the chapters are short and the gothic atmosphere is present.

It’s a book about injustice, family, friendship, regret and loyalty. It’s a book about small villages where everyone knows everyone, where no one can hide and no one can runaway from it. It’s about struggling with what you have and knowing that even if you want more from life and from yourself, sometimes you won’t have it.

”I think if you leave a place, it just gets worse and worse in your head, until you hate to think about, and I don’t ever want to hate all this.”

My only complaint is that I couldn’t care enough about the murder. I wanted to find what actually happened, but when everything is discovered, I couldn’t care a lot. I struggled with the pacing, because the author tended to show us more about Loyal’s life than the murder or the people in the village.

Overall, it was good. I enjoyed it a lot and I wish the authors would write more stories with the swamp setting. I recommend it to everyone, especially in the summer.

I want to thank NetGalley and Random House for the e-arc.

A young woman returns to her home town in Louisiana, a small backwoods town of swamps and alligators and regrets. She fell out with a friend years ago over an article she wrote in the heat of anger. Before she has a chance to make amends a body turns up in the swamp, and she will get embroiled in its consequences. A good read, and it feels atmospheric in all its heat and heated exchanges with corrupt police and ‘low life’s’.

I thoroughly enjoyed this new novel from Anna Bailey. Set in the swamps of Louisiana it tells the tale of Loyal who has returned to her home town to care for her mother after years away. The characters were excellently drawn and the heat and smells of the environment were so brilliantly depicted that I felt I was there. This book is not only a murder mystery but is an intimate depiction of the folks living in the area

Solid read.
When the blurb promises to deliver an atmospheric story set in the swamps of Louisiana, where people live somehow isolated, it makes me cautious. Too many times, I have taken that promise for granted. This time—bull's eye! The author has a delicate, almost lyrical writing style, so everything becomes almost real when she describes the swamps, sets the mood, and talks about emotions. You can see the nature, the characters, and the town. This is a rare ability among modern writers.
Also, because it is a mystery/thriller novel, one can expect violence and gore. Once again, kudos to the author for not making it too slashy. This could have easily spun out of control, but thankfully, the author doesn't turn the story into a bloody massacre. Instead, she keeps it to a minimum and shifts the focus to the characters.
This is a book about "dead end kids", as the author describes her characters. People are somehow isolated, desperate, with no prospects for the future. After devastating hurricane Katrina, they know it's only a matter of time before the next one happens, and it will be just as deadly. These people have no support from their state. If they can`t rely on their own police force, then what do they have left?
This book touches on many issues: environmental destruction, economy, stigmatization of LGBT (subtly), corrupt and violent police force, suicide, child abuse and its consequences, social isolation, dementia, and many more. And again, this could have easily turned into a massive mess, but no. It does not feel like too much. The author doesn't explore any of the issues in depth; she rather tells us that a small community has a lot to deal with. It's as if the tries to tell the public that we cannot and should not turn our backs on small communities. Thank you for that.

BEAUTIFULLY written. The Labasques are flawed but I rooted for them all the way. Deep, dark, suffocating and addictive. I did need to take a few deep breaths whilst reading. The descriptive passages of the swamps, the weather and the lifestyles are beyond immersive. This feels like a Sunday afternoon novel that you can devour over several hours. I will definitely be searching out more writing from this author.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This gritty, compelling novel, laced with danger and menacing characters is set in the town of Jacknife in the Louisiana swamps, an area which time forgot. Loyal had escaped this town where she grew up, to work as a journalist in a city, but has to return to look after her ailing mother. She signs up to work with the local newspaper and becomes embroiled in a murder and all the school characters she used to know. In this lawless area where the cops are as bad as the wild swamp inhabitants, she becomes entangled in doing the work that the police should be doing to avenge her old friend.
With gritty, vivid characters who each tell chapters in their own voices in the present tense, this was hard to put down and an exciting read.

What a talented writer the author is. This book is filled with descriptive passages which transported me right into the swamps of Louisiana. The plotting was excellent, family relationships, loyalty, drugs and alligator hunting. I loved the characterisation, especially the Labasque family with all their flaws and complexities. This is an easy 5* read from me and I am sure readers will love it as much as I did. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.