The book was good at the beginning but then got slow for me . The characters weren’t that likeable . I loved the short chapters . Thank you Hampton Creek Press and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

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.

Only one person wanted him dead more than her - his final victim - a girl of only sixteen who has vanished in the seedy underbelly of the French Quarter where residents will go to great lengths to protect their own, even when their own is a killer.

When is cold-blooded murder justified?

I wish I enjoyed this more. I usually enjoy this author's books but I struggled through this one. It was a very slow paced read. Once I put down the book it was hard to pick it up again. I was so bored. The story is dark and brutal.

The story starts out with roaches, and rats. Eww! The setting is located in New Orleans and there are a lot of dark secrets. I loved the setting.

There were a lot of unlikable characters and I struggled because I didn't have a connection with the characters My favorite character was Nikki. I felt so bad for Emma. She went through so much along with other characters. I did enjoy the ending. The book was written by JD Barker and E.J. Findorff. EJ. Findorff was a new author for me.

2. 5 stars rounded up to 3 stars.

I want to thank Netgalley, Hampton Creek Press for the copy of this book and exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. It was a creepy psychological thriller in my opinion. I was hooked from page one. I absolutely could not put it down! You will not regret reading this one!

WE DON’T TALK ABOUT EMMA was a DNF for me - I’ve historically enjoyed J.D. Barker’s novels and absolutely loved 4MK but his more recent efforts have been too convoluted and just not compelling. I made it about a third of the way through but didn’t find the direction of the narrative interesting, nor did I care about any of the characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hampton Creek Press for the opportunity to read and review WE DON’T TALK ABOUT EMMA.

Always fantastic writing by this author. The tone and descriptions were excellent and the characters very developed.

J.D. Barker is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! While not as good as the 4MK series, this book was amazing with great twists! I highly recommend this book, and anything by this author!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

Some books grab you with their premise but don’t entirely follow through—and for me, We Don’t Talk About Emma falls into that category. While the plot was engaging enough to keep me reading, it didn’t have the impact I was hoping for.

The characters were a major sticking point. I struggled to connect with them, often finding them a bit artificial, which created a sense of distance from the story. The tone of the book is dark, but not as intense or gripping as J.D. Barker’s 4MK Thriller Series, which sets a higher standard in this genre.

On the positive side, the writing was straightforward and easy to follow, though the style lacked cohesion in parts. The ending was a highlight—managing to surprise me while also feeling inevitable in hindsight. It was the kind of twist that leaves you nodding in appreciation.

Overall, We Don’t Talk About Emma is a solid thriller. It’s not groundbreaking, but it does have its moments of intrigue, especially in the final chapters. I’d recommend it to fans of thrillers looking for a quick, enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

New Orleans is the home of secrets and We Don't Talk About Emma shows the dark, gritty, and ugly underbelly of the city. This book is full of dark secrets, lies, danger, powerful players, and revenge. Is murder ever justified? This book was co-written with E.J. Findorff who is from New Orleans, and I am sure he provided his knowledge of the city, the food, the streets, and the vibe.

New Orleans Detective, Nikki Mayeaux is tasked with investigating the murder of a serial rapist. A man she intended to kill that very night! She believes that his killer is Emma, a runaway who was one of his victims. She will be investigating the case with Detective Keith Teague, a man she once had a relationship with. Together they will hit the streets of New Orleans and meet with the haves and the have nots while trying to get to the truth. What they uncover will be dark, dangerous, and deadly. Those in power want to protect their sick secrets while there are those who want justice. This book becomes a cat-and-mouse hunt from Bourbon Street to beyond. It's a dog-eat-dog world and I thought the authors did a great job depicting that in this book.

I struggled with the first half of this book. I am usually fully invested in J.D. Barker's books, but this one had me worried. The second half of the book picked up for me as more was revealed and things began to come together, and I had several 'aha' moments while reading. I can't fault the writing; I just found this one just didn't quite hit the mark for me. That won’t stop me from reading more of J.D. Barker's books and it did pique my interest in reading books by E.J. Findorff.

There is absolutely no way I can be unbiased or objective when it comes to this author. I love the wicked imagination and twist after twist

Read the book please. it was one of the best thrillers i've ever finished.

Thank you to NetGalley, the authors and publishers for this ARC!

JD Barker is my fave author so I was SO excited to see this on NetGalley!

I really liked the characters in this book and enjoyed each of their storylines. I also love a book that can make me gasp in disbelief with a twist I didn’t see coming.

Not as good as Barkers solo work but still 4 stars!

"New Orleans is so much more than a city -- it's an obsession." (O'Neil de Noux)

And combine the talents of J.D.Barker and New Orleans native E.J. Findorff and you have a winner in the making. Barker knows a solid storyline and Findorff knows the back streets, the jazz filled music, and the highly original people of this famous city perched on the Gulf.

Detective Nikki Mayeaux is crossing the line.....a line to the point of no return. There's a serial killer making his mark in New Orleans. No fuzzy details here. Nikki knows exactly who it is. And she's about to end him on a stormy night with no one around. But as she makes her way into his garage after he pulled in some moments ago, someone already did him in. And that someone appears to be Emma.

Emma is a sixteen year old runaway who has been camping out with the New Orleans street kids. There's a certain reason for that as the pages fly by. Emma has quite the back story. Emma seems to have a vengeance motivating her. And Barker and Findorff will lay the bricks in that direction.

But now Nikki is assigned to this case. She'll never reveal what her original intentions were. Now it's a cat-and-mouse game drawing out Emma. But she's a sly one. Nikki's partner, Detective Keith Teague, has a sinking feeling that Nikki is not being truthful. And Keith has secrets of his own. Secrets that may come to light if a hidden someone has their way.

We Don't Talk About Emma has all the flavor and excitement of the lively city in which it resides. These two authors add so much energy to this multi-layered storyline. The beat goes on day and night in New Orleans. And these sharply drawn characters certainly reflect that. I'm hoping for a return visit here with the possibility of a splendid series. So get in on the ground floor. Crazy things happening surrounded by bayous and the eerie banter. Get 'cha some.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Hampton Creek Press and to the talented J.D. Barker and E.J. Findorff for the opportunity.

We Don’t Talk About Emma is a nail-biter. New Orleans Detective Nikki Mayeaux will have her hands full when she is witness to a murder, one that she feels was truly deserved. The question is, will she be able to help Emma when nobody wants to talk about her? The story is a compelling thriller with great plot twists, and great characters. It is an entertaining page-turner and unputdownable from the first page to the last. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

What a unique plot. This gritty story delves into some seriously dark stuff. It’s hard to paint the murderer as the bad guy. I love books like that that make your reality twist a bit. This was so wonderfully written the whole atmosphere of the book became a reality and I was immersed in the storyline. It was heart-wrenching at times coupled with murder and suspense. This one checks all the boxes of a great read with serious substance

Gripping and fast paced! I enjoyed the story line and I think the author is really talented. Although I usually read YA for my job, this seemed a little different (in a good way)!

Wow wow wow!!! This was such a ride. The character development and world building was top notch. This is a must read!!

I prefer J. D. Barker's solo projects, but he does a lot of collaborations. Most are good, this one I'm a little lukewarm about.

Most of the book is spent searching for Emma. She is the young victim of a very bad guy who does very bad things. The main characters are the detectives who are desperate to find Emma and see justice done, even if it's the vigilante kind. The search takes the reader through the dark underbelly of New Orleans and there are some very creepy moments.

J. D. Barker is a fantastic writer with a distinctive voice. Even one of his mediocre books is worth the time to read. I don't know anything about the co-writer. Maybe their "voices" just don't blend seamlessly.

3.5🌟
A brutal murder of one of the wealthiest, most despised men in New Orleans. Given his reputation, who could possibly want him dead? Take a number! In fact more than one person lined up that fateful night to kill him!

New Orleans Detective Nikki Mayeaux will be leading the investigation for the first time. Under her lead will be her former love interest Detective Keith Teague. Rather awkward, yes? Can the two put their personal lives aside and focus on bringing a murderer to justice?

I thoroughly enjoyed the two detectives. Their history together and flaws as individuals was well played out. Despite their past, they made a great team both professionally and personally.

The storyline involving Emma was a bit difficult to follow. Lots of characters to keep tabs on. All bad in their own right, they started to blend together.🤪.

This was a writing duo consisting of JD Barker (well known to me) and E. J. Findorff. (Who I’m not familiar with at all.) I’ve enjoyed JD’s books in the past as solo writer and his combined efforts with others. While this may not have been a favorite, I have another of his writing duo's works currently in my shelf that I’m looking forward to diving into.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hampton Creek Press

This was a fantastic read! I didn’t want to put it down, it had many twists and turns that kept you guessing until the very end.
Emma was the daughter of NOLA royalty who wanted justice for herself.
Nikki and Keith are NOLA detectives that are put on a murder case that brings them around to Emma’s case. What happens next takes you on a ride through all walks of life bringing out secrets never supposed to be discovered.
Everything comes to a head at the end of the book, bringing some relationships closer while tearing others apart.

We Don't Talk About Emma by J.D. Barker and E.J. Findorff There was not the plot and character development that have come to expect from Mr. Barker. The story does have a couple good twists and surprises. The continual dialogue between the detectives slows down the narrative and the ending does seem to be rushed.

Thanks to the authors, Netgalley and Hampton Creek Press for the opportunity to preview the book.

When is cold-blooded murder justified?

I am a big fan of Barker. No matter who he is collaborating with, I always recognize his voice.

We are in New Orleans meeting Detective Nikki Mayeaux during a big storm, as she is climbing levees and hiding in a garage. The garage of a serial rapist and killer. The same man, a technicality let go.

Nikki is tired of young girls dying and no one doing a thing to stop it. She’s ready to stop it her way when a shadowed figure pops up in the back seat and kills the man. While she is sure she knows who, it’s going to take a lot to prove anything and this is New Orleans. A city like no other.

With Mardi Gras ramping up, the city is full of people making it tough to catch anyone, but Nikki has to find Emma. The man’s final rape victim.

Twisty, and totally immersed in the NOLA culture, I loved it. I hope we see Nikkii again!


NetGAlley/Hampton Creek Press February 04, 2025