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.

A serial rapist is found dead in the front seat of his car and the video recording shows a woman fleeing from the scene. Detective Nikki Mayeaux suspects a girl named Emma is responsible for the murder as Emma was raped and video taped by the murdered man. On his dead body is a number 5, hinting to more people involved and to possible more murders to come. Detective Nikki Mayeaux sets out to find and protect Emma, but it maybe more difficult then she can overcome as Emma is hiding among the homeless in New Orleans.

3.5/5. This was a solid read, but lacked the intensity of some of the earlier (older) JD Barker books.

Vigilante vibes written by J.D. Barker cannot be wrong! Extremely thrilling and kept me guessing. I felt like I was in the main character's head!

Thank you NetGalley, authors and publishers for the ARC.
As a huge Barker fan, I was ecstatic to receive an advanced copy!! Unfortunately, this book was extremely difficult to finish. The plot and characters were hard to like and follow. The writing was different than Barker’s previous writings, possibly written more in Findorff’s style.
I’ll remain a forever fan, but this is not a book I would recommend.

I read this but I really couldn't focus on this and I tried to follow along with the story but I didn't care too much for it. I read JD Barker before and his other novel really got me I loved it so I was excited but this fell flat for me and I didn't care for it. The writing was dense also and just didn't give me the feelings I was hoping for. This wasn't for me but for other people it could work, It sucks being in a huge book slump. It wasn't horrible I just wish I enjoyed it.

This is another collaboration from JD Barker but for me it just didn’t grip me as his previous books have and I was left a little disappointed. I can’t fault the writing and I loved the setting but I didn’t seem to connect to the characters at all but maybe that’s just me. I’m sure others will enjoy the book more and as always I look forward to more from JD in the future.
My thanks to NetGalley and Hampton Creek Press for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hampton Creek Press for the ARC. This one didn’t grab me quite as quickly as normal for J.D. Barker but it was a solid read. Looking forward to just J.D. Barker books in the future.

Firstly I would like to thank netgalley and Hampton creek press and the authors J.D.Barker and ET Findorff for an early copy of there book to read.

My rating is 3.5 rounded to 4
I really enjoy reading J.D Barker books. An enjoyable read.Detective Nikki Mayeaux is angry a rapist has escaped and turns up at his home but someone was there first..who killed him? A great thriller a bit to long of a read.looking forward to reading more of his books.


This book will be reviewed on goodreads and Amazon.

We Don't Talk About Emma
by J.D. Barker; E.J. Findorff

When we jump into this story, it's like real life, it doesn't just start because we walked into the room. I like that about a fictional world, that it feels like it's been going on before the first page of the book. But I had trouble keeping track of everyone, what has happened in the past, who is doing what now, and how they are connected. I'd like to care about some of the characters more than I do but I have trouble spending much time in the most seedy of places and really just wanted to get out of that world. I won't go into all the big crimes of the bad guys here. Bad things are happening and they are going to continue to happen unless someone does something.

I liked the second half of the book better than the first half of the book. By then I know the two main detectives, Nikki Mayeaux and her ex, Keith Teague. Some important things happened in their past and that led to them breaking up although the spark is still there. They are funny together and I'd enjoy them more on another case than this one, I think. Nikki is messed up and it's hard to know if she can really toe the line of justice after events of her past. She lost someone close to her and that colors everything in her present day. So much happens towards the end, everything wraps up so quickly, and I'm just glad it's over.

Thanks to Hampton Creek Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

Very entertaining and twisty crime novel about vigilante justice and underground corporate trafficking. Plus, any story that has NOLA as a setting is bound to be pretty good.

This was a bit too long for me. Some places dragged rather than being a slow burn. Overall, it was worth reading once. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

I wanted to like this one more. I love a good “take down the scum of the earth” type plot, but the number of characters was a bit confusing at times .
The NOLA culture was unique and kept my interest .

Another amazing read from J.D. Barker! The collaborations are proving to be just as good as his solo works. I loved not knowing from one moment to the next if Emma was victim, vigilante, or just unhinged. Discovering the truth and the complicated layers of relationships was a thrill ride with a twist that was completely unexpected. I had a little trouble with following some of the dialogue between characters and knowing who was saying what, but it did not detract from the enjoyment of the story.

Anyone looking for one of the typical novels of J. D. Barker, in which there is always someone who has a very hard time and is taken to the psychological limit to catch the psychopath, might do better not ing. This novel is rather kind, with a main carácter who is liked from the beginning and the background of a New Orleans preparing for Mardi Gras and the parades and a lot of quite hateful powerful people who wants to continue doing and undoing to their liking, while they are watching how some of them are being killed by their relationship with Emma.

I’ve basically read it in a snap, because although I started it because of Barker's authory and you can immediately see that it is another style, the rhythm is very high and things are happening continuously and it allows you to disconnect the head from other things without requiring very high concentration.

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?

End a killer.
End a cop.
Sometimes, both.

OMG I loved this story. I was hooked from the beginning. Will recommend to others.

This is a good book, though not as developed as I would expect from Barker, I have not read any book by the other author, he is from New Orleans and the descriptions of it really add to the story. Detective Nikki Mayeaux is given the lead on an investigation into the death of a suspected serial rapist, he had his throat slit and was stabbed in the privates. Nikki is working with her ex boyfriend Keith who is also an NOPD detective, the suspect had been on Nikki's to do list, as in she was going to kill him and was in the garage when he pulled in and someone else beat her to it. The story is quite gritty, a band of young homeless kids are suspected of supplying the deceased with young runaways to traffic to a group of rich men. The deceased is found with the number 5 on his forehead and was one of the group of men suspected of trafficking the young women. One young girl in particular, Emma, is suspected of the killing, she had been recorded being raped in a video on a cellphone that went missing from NOPD evidence. Nikki and Keith spend a lot of time trying to track her down, two more killings happen, one with a 4 and one with a 3 on their body, pressure builds as they try to stop the next one. Overall I enjoyed this, there are a lot of twists and I did not figure out who actually was the person doing the deeds. I would recommend. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Hampton Creek Press for the ARC.