I loved this Southern Gothic tale of violence, murder, and oppression in an area of swamp land that's rich with alligator life. It's densely atmospheric and reminded me of the long tradition of Southern literature like Carson McCullers, Capote, and John Berendt.
The central story about a murdered young woman and her former best friend is gripping and compulsive. The social commentary is well played and there are themes around modern American and the stripping away of women's rights, the rise of men's rights movements and neo-fascism, poverty and drug fuelled desecration. These are well integrated into the plotline and feel like part of the terrain.

If you want an immersive reading experience, then Anna Bailey is an author to read. They write beautifully and are expert in plotting and tension.
It's both a propulsive and beautifully told story and an alarming and accurate social commentary. Highly recommended.

‘People are mostly good, and the dead are just plain old people a little further down the road than us. What you should be worried about is the things that weren’t ever alive in the first place.’

Our Last Wild Days takes a microscope to a small community and the goings-on of the people who reside there. With the backdrop of an unsolved murder in Jacknife, a town steeped in the Louisiana bayou, Bailey explores the various manifestations of grief and how we hold on and let go of one another. They gracefully weave subjects of reproductive health, substance abuse, the cycle of violence and more into this story. We follow multiple characters as they navigate the world without Cutter Labasque, and the truths that come to light in the wake of her death.

I am, once again, in awe of Anna Bailey's ability to unlock a singular, emotional experience with each book they write. I was lucky to get an early copy of Our Last Wild Days through NetGalley, and I sped through this story like you wouldn't imagine. I recognize that this is not the best habit, but I put most all my priorities on the back-burner to take in more and more of Bailey's words as often as I could. One thing about Bailey's writing is that I want to stay in the current moment as long as possible. Nearing the end of one of their books is like coming up on the end of a much needed trip away.

Now to the story: What beautiful and complex these characters are. I have never read a book that takes place in the Louisiana bayou until this one, and now I have a soft spot for the Labasque siblings, who also happen to be alligator hunters. I feel so strongly for these characters. They all have their own perception of what they call home in the people in it, and like most who stay in one place for a while, they come to find new truths about their home, good, bad, and ugly.

I cannot recommend this story enough. If you loved Where The Truth Lies (Tall Bones in the UK), Bailey's second book will not disappoint. Our Last Wild Days comes out April 24, 2025. Preorder, wait at the door until your local bookshop opens on pub day, whatever. Just get your hands on it asap. Thank you again to the publisher for granting me an early copy, my first one at that! Started off with a bang,

Lastly, I wish I could share every single quote I kept, and I will hold onto these dearly for a long time. Thank you Anna Bailey for a new favorite.