Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

J.D. Barker and E.J. Findorff's "We Don't Talk About Emma" is a chilling descent into the abyss of grief and the destructive power of secrets. This isn't a story of jump scares or gore, but of a pervasive sense of dread that gnaws at the reader's soul.

The novel follows a family grappling with the tragic disappearance of their young daughter, Emma. Years later, the pain of their loss still lingers, a gaping wound in their lives. But when a series of unsettling events begins to unfold, they are forced to confront the possibility that Emma may not be gone forever, but that she may be trapped in a nightmare.

Barker and Findorff masterfully weave a tapestry of suspense. The narrative shifts seamlessly between the present day and the events leading up to Emma's disappearance, revealing a web of family secrets and hidden traumas.

"We Don't Talk About Emma" is a powerful exploration of grief, loss, and the enduring power of family bonds. It's a story that will stay with you long after you've finished reading it, a haunting reminder of the fragility of life and the enduring power of hope.

Recommended for readers who enjoy suspenseful thrillers, emotionally charged narratives, and stories that explore the complexities of family relationships.

This is my first JD Barker read and I really enjoyed it. It made me think of the tv show Castle. I really liked the plot, the characters, the pace. A definite rollercoaster to a great end. Thank you for the opportunity to read this arc.

This is a very entertaining novel with a good plot, and I really like the writing style which is light and funny, but still to the point. The characters are very good, with a sharp female main character, and there are a couple of twists in the mystery.

I have read one other book by this author which I did find cleverly plotted and a real rollercoaster. This one not so much - I did not feel engaged by the police officers who were not representative of law and order and I felt the collective of rich businessmen and their nefarious dealings, not explicitly described, left a lot to be desired. It is hard to engage when there are no good guys to balance out the seedy side of life. Having said all that it was a page turner.
Many thanks to Netgalley/J.D.Barker/E.J. Findorff/Hampton Creek Press for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

I enjoyed the pace of this book, there was always something happening, great for an impatient reader like me .The story was good, and the characters were great. I enjoyed the setting too. Terrific read, I recommend it.

New Orleans Detective Nikki Mayeaux has decided it’s when a technicality sets a serial rapist free.
Jaded and frustrated, this latest injustice brings her to a boiling point. She arrives at the monster’s home intending to end his reign of terror, only to find someone else got there first. His throat slit, his lifeless body left in the front seat of his car.

They seem to do a lot of talking about Emma. This is an interesting read with well defined and real characters. A good pacy plot which skips along well and doesn’t get lost in the middle. It’s a great read.

A decent stand alone book from J D Barker. Not his best and maybe that’s because of having two writers. I’m not a fan of these as I feel they never quite flow. I would also liked to have had a preview of Emma in some way as I felt no real empathy towards her, not knowing if she was good or evil, misguided or conniving. Without any real knowledge of her, it took a while to get into this book and understand the relationships between certain characters. Obviously not all could be revealed as that would be to the detriment of the entire book but maybe a chapter of what happened to her in the beginning would have made this story more engaging. However, I did like the atmospheric descriptions of New Orleans and its somewhat unsavory characters, far away from the tourist attractions that welcome visitors, and this added to the dark story that unfolded. I enjoyed the relationship between the police colleagues of Nikki and Keith and would be quite happy to meet them again in a future book. On the whole I enjoyed this book, despite its subject matter of rape, drugs and murder and would recommend.

This is one of the best stories I've read in awhile. It hooked me from the beginning. The characters are complex and interesting. I loved Nikki and Keith. There were so many aspects to the plot that it kept me guessing. And questioning. The ending was perfect. I have to say I wish this wasn't a standalone. These characters would make an excellent series!

A bit different from a typical (if there is one) Barker story. More of a mystery/thriller and less horror. I enjoyed this story, especially our MC Emma. She had a difficult life only made tougher by the powerful men surrounding her.

I would like to know more of Nikki’s backstory. She started fairly psychotic… I’m sure the full story of what happened is intriguing.

Warnings for rape and all things underaged (drugs, drinking, sex trafficking).

Many thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

I don't know how the title of this book came to be, because the characters in this book are solely focused on Emma. Why?
They believe she killed the man she accused of rape.
Even Detective Nikki Mayeaux, the woman who handled her case, believes she is guilty of the crime. She just needs to find her before more blood is spilled.

Both Nikki and her partner, Keith Teague, should not be on this case, for reasons I won't disclose, other than to say for Nikki, she is too connected to the suspect. However, they don't let their personal issues stop them from doing everything they can to catch Emma. And boy is she one difficult witness to chase down.

This is one of those stories, where I didn't particularly feel sorry for the victims. They treated women like objects to do with as they pleased, so yes, their deaths may be a twisted sense of justice, but I wouldn't lose any sleep over them.

Throughout the story, I grew to admire Nikki. She's got an emotional connection to Emma, wanting to do right by her, but she also shows true grit in chasing down the truth. Given how they honed in on only one suspect, I liked how things ultimately played out. Bit of a twist, although I did have my suspicions as the story progressed.

Overall, this was an action packed police procedural, that will keep you on your toes.

I enjoyed the characters, two ex-lover detectives whose constant banter laced with sexual innuendos made this a worthwhile read. It was a fast paced story with a lot going on, but the dialogue and the unfolding of the mysteries seemed a bit forced and somewhat clunky. Not having read either of the authors' other books, I'm not sure if this is their normal style. Having said that, the characters are worth the read. Strongly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Hampton Creek Press for an advanced reader copy.

New Orleans Detective Nikki Mayeaux attempts to kill a serial rapist who escaped justice on technicality only to find that someone else got there first. Then Nikki and her partner/ex-boyfriend Keith are assigned to the case. The case is not only a conflict of interest considering she was about to kill him, but it also becomes awkward as her and Keith share unresolved feelings and grief in the death of Nikki's younger sister Morgan. The 2 of them suspect the rapist's final victim Emma, but trying to find her becomes tricky.

I really liked Nikki and Keith, they made great partners and there was obviously some chemistry between them. However, there were a lot of other characters and things going on that made the story difficult to grasp. Since it was written by two authors, that may be why it felt a little clunky. Overall, it wasn't a very compelling story that made me want to keep reading. I enjoy J.D. Barker's books as a solo author, so I will gravitate toward those in the future.

I am a huge fan of JD Barkers earlier books. With being said, this one was pretty good. Fast-paced, lots of great characters - loved the setting of New Orleans since I lived there. He did a great job describing the scenery. Would definitely recommend.

Thank you #netgalley and #hamptoncreekpress for the eARC.

This is fast paced and very action packed and it's so good. The pages just fly by and I have a hard time putting it down. Love it and I have new favorite authors! Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the chance to read this book.

If you like a lot of non-stop action and movement in your stories, then you should definitely take a look at this one.

This story does include including rape, sexual assault, and drug use. This especially touches on some power dynamics amongst wealthy families and also racial and family trauma. If these are triggers for you, this may not be the story for you.

We first meet Detective Nikki Mayeaux as she's planning to commit murder. She's in place, hidden, armed, and ready. Until...someone else strikes minutes before her. As she flees the scene and arrives home, she gets the call that the case is hers. Hard to be motivated to find the killer when you planned to kill that person yourself. Everyone assumes Emma Courtland, the young girl who accused the victim (and I use that term loosely) of rape is the killer. Nikki is torn between trying to solve the case, and trying to help Emma at the same time.

This story bounces through several characters: Keith, Nikki's ex-boyfriend and partner on this case, Nikki, and another traveling kid, who goes by Dread. We meet several other folks along the way, but the perspectives primarily come from these three. With the characters and locations, everything flowed well and I never found myself confused as to who each person was in the story.

If you enjoy high intensity procedurals, New Orleans, and a side of corruption and revenge, this may be the book for you.

OMG this book is amazing. The twist and turns just blew your mind. Just when you think you know who did what, you are proven wrong. It gives insight to how the rich and powerful believe they run the world and no one can harm them. The way the story was written had you feeling sorry for Emma and so angry at the people who did her wrong. My emotions were like a roller coaster. I would have liked more of a back story for Dread and Emma, especially how they found out the truth. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves mysteries. It was beautifully written and I cannot wait to read more J.D Baker books.

Thank you, NetGalley, the author and the publisher, for the advance copy for an honest review.

Dark, gritty and filled with revenge! New Orleans detective, Nikki Mayeaux, has been appointed lead on the investigation of a prominent man who was found brutally murdered in his own garage. Ironically, Nikki watched it happen because she was there to kill him herself. Is murder ever justifiable? That’s the big question in this story surrounding rich, powerful men who abuse young, vulnerable girls. With the chaos of Mardi Gras in full swing and the French Quarter filled with Gutter Punks who protect their own, Nikki and her partner, Keith Teague, have their work cut out for them trying to find Emma. Because Emma is their main suspect in a countdown of grisly murders.

I will read anything JD Barker writes and, even when he writes collaboratively, I can always find his voice. This book is fast paced and filled with surprises and twists that I did not see coming! If you enjoy a well written police procedural then put this one on your TBR.

Thank you Netgalley, Hampton Creek Press and the authors for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on February 4, 2025

I'm a fan of all of Barker's books and his collaborations with James Patterson - with that said this collaboration with Findorff is OK but not one of his best. Although I enjoyed reading this book I feel it took to long to get to the end. I look forward to Barker's next book! Thanks for the advanced read.

We Don’t Talk About Emma by J.D. Barker and E.J. Findorff. I received a copy of this book as a special sneak peek. It is set to be released in February of 2025. I have read J.D. Barker before, and I do think he will be one of the great thriller writers of our time. This is the first collaboration I have read, and I have to say it leaves something to be desired.

Nikki Mayeaux is a detective in New Orleans, Louisiana. In the past, Nikki had worked a particularly gruesome rape case where in the end some damning evidence went missing under suspicious circumstances, leading to the main suspect being set free. Nikki decided to take things into her own hands and kill the rapist herself, however, when she arrived at the scene to take care of business, someone else had beat her to the punch. Now, the main suspect in his murder is the victim in the rape case – Emma. While Emma seemed to have trusted Nikki after the rape case fell through, Emma disappeared into the homeless population of New Orleans and nobody can say for sure the who, what , when, and where necessary for Nikki to uncover this new mystery. Through a series of events Nikki learns there is more to it all than initially thought, and there are many more victims to come. Will she, or won’t she? You’ll just have to read it for yourself and find out 😊

I am in love with the story that this book promises. It takes place in one of my most favorite places in the US – New Orleans, Louisiana. Centered in and around the iconic French Quarter, I could see it all so clearly as things progressed. There are a few murder mysteries, a bit of romance thrown in, a smidge of spirituality, and rich people behaving badly. All great things in a thriller novel!

But, there were definitely a few things that contributed to me taking over a month to read this one:

There are A LOT of players involved. Characters just coming out the wahzoo, and it was very hard to keep track of who was who and why I should care to remember them. I think one issue there (which may be because it is two authors?) is that they hardly refer to the same person the same way each time. So, I’d say pick first last every time, or just first or last every time, but the mix of both, then first, then last, then back again, was hard for me to read. Even with that, I figured out the killer early on, but I won’t give it away!

The romance part of the story was missing something. It didn’t have that underlying feeling you should get when reading romance. It is hard to describe, but if you read real full romance novels, you know what I mean. Like, you can’t wait to read their next scene together because you want them together that bad. But this was more of a - hey you’re a guy and I’m a girl and this story needs some lovin’ so yay – feel. I also feel like Keith should have more of a backstory. It seems at times like his part in the whole thing was thrown in as an afterthought because they needed more pages. Then they tried to make it mysterious but, in the end, it just fell a bit flat.

I thought there may be more of a paranormal/supernatural/spiritual part in the end-game story. For instance, the video evidence that went missing that then set the rapist free, it was alluded to that what was happening in the video was ritualistic. That would fit the setting, as New Orleans is historically known for voodoo and a very spiritual culture. But, that was it. There was nothing else in the entire book that had anything to with that. I was disappointed when not one scene took place in any of the famous cemeteries. That could’ve added some intrigue, I think, and maybe made that part of it more rounded out in the end.

On a final note, I’m not a huge fan of how this book is laid out. The chapters are very short, and it reads strange. I’m not sure if each author took turns writing chapters or what exactly happens there, but I would be reading one chapter and it had that oomph that I was looking for, but the next chapter would have an entirely different feel. It jumped back and forth like that so much that I could only do a few chapters at a time and then have to stop.

In any case, as I am reading this pre-release, I believe things may still be tweaked before final release. Don’t count it out of your reading list if you are a fan of Barker’s past work. I will still happily pick up a J.D. Barker novel in the future!

3 stars
Content Warning: Police activity, gun violence, murder, and rape.

Not as clever, unexpected and captivating as Barker’s Behind Closed Doors or Heavy are the Stones. Still a good story.