Our Last Wild Days by Anna Bailey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Loyal May has returned home, the small town of Jackknife in rural Louisiana, to care for her ailing mother. Loyal, a successful journalist, left home at 18 years old, having betrayed her only friend, Cutter Labasque.

The Labasques are a family that lives on the fringes, three siblings who hunt alligators, left to fend for themselves after losing their parents in a spectacular accident. They live in the swamps, and although are known to the town folk, they are not welcomed into the community.

When Cutter is found dead in the muddy swamp, no one seems to care or wonder about the official cause being ruled a suicide. Least of all her two surviving brothers. But Loyal feels there is more to the story, as it would have been out of character for Cutter, even if she hadn’t seen her in years. She is determined to find out the truth, and harbouring guilt about her betrayal, wants to make amends, as she didn’t have the chance to when Cutter was alive. Working with the small team at the local paper, she unravels the webs of lies in the small town connections, amidst the dark atmosphere of the bayous.

I loved the cover and description of the novel. The brooding, dark atmosphere struck me right away. It was a tense, suspenseful murder mystery.

The characters were complex but relatable. Loyal was very believable, and dealing with the decline of her mother while she was trying to find answers, made her sympathetic. I loved how scenes with Cutter were woven so we could witness the bond they had as young teens. Sacha’s character was a good partner for Loyal; he had his own vulnerability and challenges of being different in an unforgiving environment.

The story flowed so well, the tension of the brothers, the cops, and a whole host of other characters (no spoilers). I loved the twists and connections of storylines, and the ominous background of the wild creatures, the alligators, and ties to old superstitions and the unknown.

Every character had a back story, and the author provided just enough on each to enrich the story and make it believable. The story started slowly, but the pace picked up and plot twists happened very quickly. The action scenes were incredibly descriptive and easy to visualize.

I really enjoyed this book! It reminds me of “Where the Crawdads Sing”, so fans of that book would like this.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada, the author and NetGalley for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.



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