Another uninspiring collaboration from Barker, a run of the mill and flat thriller with little to get excited about.

I really hope he concentrates on putting out some books on his own again as anything I’ve read by him when collaborating has been poor to mediocre.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.

Okay, so here’s the thing—I don’t even want to talk about Emma or this story. I made it halfway through and just couldn’t bring myself to pick it back up. Like, at all. It was so slow-paced, and as a thriller junkie, I need something to grab me, you know? But this? Nope. Nada. Zero. I finally decided to throw in the towel because life’s too short for books that don’t keep me hooked.

This was a Witches Words buddy read, and honestly, I think I struggled more than anyone else. I mean, I gave it a fair shot—made it to the halfway mark—but I was the only one who waved the white flag.

Check out Debra, MaryBeth, and Carolyn’s reviews—they stuck it out, so maybe they found something in it that I just couldn’t. Different strokes and all that, right?

New Orleans Detective Nikki Mayeaux is angry that a serial rapist has escaped being convicted of raping his latest victim Emma Courtland, due to the mysterious disappearance of crucial video evidence, and decides she has to take matters in hand herself to stop a monster. However, when she arrives at his house, she finds the man already dead and someone fleeing the scene. She is worried the killer may have been Emma, who is now in hiding, and being protected by the homeless of the New Orleans underworld.

For a J.D Barker thriller, I found this quite a slow-moving plot, particularly in the first half of the book. However, quite a lot is being set up initially and the second half flowed much better with some good twists, although never quite reaching its potential for suspense. The setting of New Orleans, well known to co-author E.J Findorff, is however perfect for this novel with its colourful façade and dark and seedy underbelly. Nikki has her own secrets she’s keeping hidden from her partner and former lover Keith and, as more bodies turn up in New Orleans, knows it’s a race against time to find Emma and protect her.

This one was ok, but somehow i didn't conmect with any of the characters or even the story itself.

I enjoyed the police banter between colleagues that reminded me of the police chemistry in 4MK series, but although the chapters were short and there was a lot of action the story lacked depth. It was like "he said this", "she said that", "they went there" with no added emotions for the characters. The writing was just that simple. Of course it was also easy to follow all what was happening but maybe it was just too simple for me.

As a fast paced action driven thriller it was just ok.

Thank you Netgalley for a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

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.