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We Don't Talk About Emma
When is cold-blooded murder justified?
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.
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.
358 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 4, 2025
84 people are currently reading
5066 people want to read
About the author
J.D. Barker
55 books6,900 followersJ.D. Barker is the New York Times and international best-selling author of numerous novels, including DRACUL and the wildly popular 4MK series. He is currently collaborating with James Patterson. His books have been translated into two dozen languages, sold in more than 150 countries, and optioned for both film and television. Barker resides in coastal New Hampshire with his wife, Dayna, and their daughter, Ember.
A note from J.D.
As a child I was always told the dark could not hurt me, that the shadows creeping in the corners of my room were nothing more than just that, shadows. The sounds nothing more than the settling of our old home, creaking as it found comfort in the earth only to move again when it became restless, if ever so slightly. I would never sleep without closing the closet door, oh no; the door had to be shut tight. The darkness lurking inside needed to be held at bay, the whispers silenced. Rest would only come after I checked under the bed at least twice and quickly wrapped myself in the safety of the sheets (which no monster could penetrate), pulling them tight over my head.
I would never go down to the basement.
Never.
I had seen enough movies to know better, I had read enough stories to know what happens to little boys who wandered off into dark, dismal places alone. And there were stories, so many stories.
Reading was my sanctuary, a place where I could disappear for hours at a time, lost in the pages of a good book. It didn’t take long before I felt the urge to create my own.
I first began to write as a child, spinning tales of ghosts and gremlins, mystical places and people. For most of us, that’s where it begins—as children we have such wonderful imaginations, some of us have simply found it hard to grow up. I’ve spent countless hours trying to explain to friends and family why I enjoy it, why I would rather lock myself in a quiet little room and put pen to paper for hours at a time than throw around a baseball or simply watch television. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I want to do just that, sometimes I wish for it, but even then the need to write is always there in the back of my mind, the characters are impatiently tapping their feet, waiting their turn, wanting to be heard. I wake in the middle of the night and reach for the pad beside my bed, sometimes scrawling page after page of their words, their lives. Then they’re quiet, if only for a little while. To stop would mean madness, or even worse—the calm, numbing sanity I see in others as they slip through the day without purpose. They don’t know what it’s like, they don’t understand. Something as simple as a pencil can open the door to a new world, can create life or experience death. Writing can take you to places you’ve never been, introduce you to people you’ve never met, take you back to when you first saw those shadows in your room, when you first heard the sounds mumbling ever so softly from your closet, and it can show you what uttered them. It can scare the hell out of you, and that’s when you know it’s good.
jd
A note from J.D.
As a child I was always told the dark could not hurt me, that the shadows creeping in the corners of my room were nothing more than just that, shadows. The sounds nothing more than the settling of our old home, creaking as it found comfort in the earth only to move again when it became restless, if ever so slightly. I would never sleep without closing the closet door, oh no; the door had to be shut tight. The darkness lurking inside needed to be held at bay, the whispers silenced. Rest would only come after I checked under the bed at least twice and quickly wrapped myself in the safety of the sheets (which no monster could penetrate), pulling them tight over my head.
I would never go down to the basement.
Never.
I had seen enough movies to know better, I had read enough stories to know what happens to little boys who wandered off into dark, dismal places alone. And there were stories, so many stories.
Reading was my sanctuary, a place where I could disappear for hours at a time, lost in the pages of a good book. It didn’t take long before I felt the urge to create my own.
I first began to write as a child, spinning tales of ghosts and gremlins, mystical places and people. For most of us, that’s where it begins—as children we have such wonderful imaginations, some of us have simply found it hard to grow up. I’ve spent countless hours trying to explain to friends and family why I enjoy it, why I would rather lock myself in a quiet little room and put pen to paper for hours at a time than throw around a baseball or simply watch television. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I want to do just that, sometimes I wish for it, but even then the need to write is always there in the back of my mind, the characters are impatiently tapping their feet, waiting their turn, wanting to be heard. I wake in the middle of the night and reach for the pad beside my bed, sometimes scrawling page after page of their words, their lives. Then they’re quiet, if only for a little while. To stop would mean madness, or even worse—the calm, numbing sanity I see in others as they slip through the day without purpose. They don’t know what it’s like, they don’t understand. Something as simple as a pencil can open the door to a new world, can create life or experience death. Writing can take you to places you’ve never been, introduce you to people you’ve never met, take you back to when you first saw those shadows in your room, when you first heard the sounds mumbling ever so softly from your closet, and it can show you what uttered them. It can scare the hell out of you, and that’s when you know it’s good.
jd
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews
November 21, 2024
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.
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.
November 10, 2024
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
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
November 18, 2024
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.
*A witches words buddy read.
Thank you to Hampton Creek Press, J.D. Barker and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖
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.
*A witches words buddy read.
Thank you to Hampton Creek Press, J.D. Barker and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖
February 10, 2025
EXCERPT: As the dancing subsided, outside the gate most of the crowd hung back, not allowed to enter. The carriage parked as close as it could for the body to be carried inside where the caretakers would slide Napleton onto a shelf in the family tomb for a year and a day, after which the bones of the decomposed body would be swept into an opening in the floor. Leaving room for the next in line.
ABOUT 'WE DON'T TALK ABOUT EMMA': When is cold-blooded murder justified?
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?
MY THOUGHTS: I got lost at the beginning of this book. I felt like I had missed something important. Something I needed to know to make sense of it. I went back and reread the opening pages but, no, I hadn't missed anything, and I was still confused.
At 28%, I was seriously considering abandoning We Don't Talk About Emma. I was feeling no love for it and was becoming frustrated. The writing was unwieldy. I was having trouble keeping track of the characters, who was who and where they fitted in. But just after 30%, it all began to gel. Things became clearer, even if not crystal clear. I began to enjoy what I was reading and devoured the following 50% eagerly. But then, towards the end, it all became messy again and my frustration mounted. I was glad to finally close the cover on this read.
The saving grace in this read are the two detectives, Nikki Mayeaux and Keith Teague. They were the only characters I could relate to, the only ones I liked and, I have to admit, I would like to see more of them as long as the plot and writing is tidier than it was here.
Why, Mr Barker, just why are you collaborating with other writers? I love the books you write on your own. I enjoy the books you write with James Patterson. But your other collaborations have left me disappointed and disgruntled. I wanted to love this, I really did. But in the end, I barely liked it.
⭐⭐⭐
#WeDontTalkAboutEmma #NetGalley
MEET THE AUTHOR: J.D. Barker is the New York Times and international best-selling author of numerous novels and resides in coastal New Hampshire with his wife, Dayna, and their daughter, Ember.
E.J. Findorf: I had no idea that growing up in New Orleans was a unique experience.
Didn't all kids get Monday through Wednesday off for Mardi Gras?
Didn't all kids eat Gumbo, Jambalaya, and Alligator Sausage?
Didn't all kids go crawfishing, crabbing and knee-boarding in the bayou?
I developed my love of writing after moving to Chicago and decided to become serious about it. I hope you enjoy my novels as much as I loved writing them. Never have I ever considered writing a chore. The day I stop looking forward to writing is the day I quit.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Hampton Creek Press via NetGalley for providing a digital e-ARC of We Don't Talk About Emma by J.D. Barker and E.J. Findorf for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
ABOUT 'WE DON'T TALK ABOUT EMMA': When is cold-blooded murder justified?
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?
MY THOUGHTS: I got lost at the beginning of this book. I felt like I had missed something important. Something I needed to know to make sense of it. I went back and reread the opening pages but, no, I hadn't missed anything, and I was still confused.
At 28%, I was seriously considering abandoning We Don't Talk About Emma. I was feeling no love for it and was becoming frustrated. The writing was unwieldy. I was having trouble keeping track of the characters, who was who and where they fitted in. But just after 30%, it all began to gel. Things became clearer, even if not crystal clear. I began to enjoy what I was reading and devoured the following 50% eagerly. But then, towards the end, it all became messy again and my frustration mounted. I was glad to finally close the cover on this read.
The saving grace in this read are the two detectives, Nikki Mayeaux and Keith Teague. They were the only characters I could relate to, the only ones I liked and, I have to admit, I would like to see more of them as long as the plot and writing is tidier than it was here.
Why, Mr Barker, just why are you collaborating with other writers? I love the books you write on your own. I enjoy the books you write with James Patterson. But your other collaborations have left me disappointed and disgruntled. I wanted to love this, I really did. But in the end, I barely liked it.
⭐⭐⭐
#WeDontTalkAboutEmma #NetGalley
MEET THE AUTHOR: J.D. Barker is the New York Times and international best-selling author of numerous novels and resides in coastal New Hampshire with his wife, Dayna, and their daughter, Ember.
E.J. Findorf: I had no idea that growing up in New Orleans was a unique experience.
Didn't all kids get Monday through Wednesday off for Mardi Gras?
Didn't all kids eat Gumbo, Jambalaya, and Alligator Sausage?
Didn't all kids go crawfishing, crabbing and knee-boarding in the bayou?
I developed my love of writing after moving to Chicago and decided to become serious about it. I hope you enjoy my novels as much as I loved writing them. Never have I ever considered writing a chore. The day I stop looking forward to writing is the day I quit.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Hampton Creek Press via NetGalley for providing a digital e-ARC of We Don't Talk About Emma by J.D. Barker and E.J. Findorf for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
March 30, 2025
I'll be honest, when I started to read this book I thought it was part of a series and that I had missed out on the reason two people, including New Orleans Detective Nikki Mayeaux, wanted to kill this man, Herman Napleton. Eventually it became clearer but it seemed like an odd way to present the story.
This book was okay and probably better if you can read it in a shorter time period than I did. I kept putting other books ahead of it and then had to backtrack because the story just wasn't staying with me. I did like the character of Nikki and also liked her partner Keith in the beginning, then I thought he was crooked but it turned out he wasn't, I think. As far as Emma, we really didn't get to know her at all and she seemed to be pretty devious for a 16-year-old. I think the book should've been called "Looking for Emma" because that's mostly what was going on! But the choice of New Orleans for the setting was excellent. There's a lot of violence and bloodshed in the story. The ending was quite sweet considering all that the characters had been through. This book is a collaboration between J.D. Barker and E.J. Findorff, an author I'm not familiar with, and I suspect it was mostly Mr. Findorff's creation as the chapters are very short (unlike Mr. Barker's usual) and the storyline isn't reminiscent of J.D. Barker's works. I think I'm ready to give up on these collaborations.
TW: Sex trafficking, drug use, graphic violence.
Thank you to Hampton Creek Press, via Netgalley, for providing an ARC of this novel for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: February 4, 2025
This book was okay and probably better if you can read it in a shorter time period than I did. I kept putting other books ahead of it and then had to backtrack because the story just wasn't staying with me. I did like the character of Nikki and also liked her partner Keith in the beginning, then I thought he was crooked but it turned out he wasn't, I think. As far as Emma, we really didn't get to know her at all and she seemed to be pretty devious for a 16-year-old. I think the book should've been called "Looking for Emma" because that's mostly what was going on! But the choice of New Orleans for the setting was excellent. There's a lot of violence and bloodshed in the story. The ending was quite sweet considering all that the characters had been through. This book is a collaboration between J.D. Barker and E.J. Findorff, an author I'm not familiar with, and I suspect it was mostly Mr. Findorff's creation as the chapters are very short (unlike Mr. Barker's usual) and the storyline isn't reminiscent of J.D. Barker's works. I think I'm ready to give up on these collaborations.
TW: Sex trafficking, drug use, graphic violence.
Thank you to Hampton Creek Press, via Netgalley, for providing an ARC of this novel for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: February 4, 2025
November 25, 2025
3.5 rounded up. The summary is misleading and may cause certain expectations that could leave the reader disappointed when they are not met. If you can temper expectations away from the summary, a very good book you'll find.
As described, but what this book is not: a thriller. It is a murder investigation which then leads to the uncovering of a significant crime scheme. It's slower paced, yet filled with an excellent protagonist and supporting characters. Tiny bits of dry humor and snark are placed throughout and it is both funny and an offset, to the increasing darkness of the crimes as they unfold for the reader.
I kept pushing this one off. I finally picked it back up, and was glad I did. I don't believe reader's will find it a typical Barker style book based on the pacing. However the dark nature combined with excellent characters and enjoyable dialog are notable hallmarks of this author, and what make this book another solid turnout.
As described, but what this book is not: a thriller. It is a murder investigation which then leads to the uncovering of a significant crime scheme. It's slower paced, yet filled with an excellent protagonist and supporting characters. Tiny bits of dry humor and snark are placed throughout and it is both funny and an offset, to the increasing darkness of the crimes as they unfold for the reader.
I kept pushing this one off. I finally picked it back up, and was glad I did. I don't believe reader's will find it a typical Barker style book based on the pacing. However the dark nature combined with excellent characters and enjoyable dialog are notable hallmarks of this author, and what make this book another solid turnout.
June 11, 2025
We Don't Talk about Emma - well I don't want to really talk about this book. I just couldn't resist that line. Once again I had thoughts of dnfing this one and once again the tail end of this book saved it but I honestly cannot recommend it and hence the two stars.
I have to admit that JD Barker is my absolute favourite author and I have never read E.J. Findorff so you have to know who I am blaming. The premise of this book is quite good actually but to me the story was not told in a proper way.
So detective Nikki Mayeaux is about to kill a pedophile who got off on the rape case against 15 year old Emma when evidence went missing. She goes to the home of Herman Napleton set to kill him and as Napleton enters his garage she is ready to strike but surprise surprise someone in the rear seat of Napleton's car slices his throat beating Nikki to the punch. So Nikki witnesses the murder but the murderer is wearing a mask. The next morning this scene becomes Nikki's assigned case which is pretty cool in thought and Emma is the natural suspect. Nikki's former love interest and her partner Keith Teagues work the case and very early on Teague knows that Nikki was at the scene but when a pedophile is murdered does anyone really care? There is also a great subplot between Nikki and Keith. Is Keith dirty?
So the hunt for Emma is on and the murder's take place in New Orleans and asector of NO society is revealed as gutter punks which are basically homeless youth who Emma has befriended. They are filthy, smelly and nomadic. Emma though comes from money but her mom has remarried and her current father who is monied never believed that his daughter was raped by his friend Herman.
As the story unfold's we learn how some monied people are working hand in hand with the gutter punks who bring these monied pedophiles younger girls. Emma's stepfather being one. Not young young but in their early teens. At points the rationalization of such deviant behaviour is rationalized by these pervs. Things are pointed out along the lines of a 14ish year old Brittany Spears being made a sex symbol and such and I have to agree. I remember my 12 year old daughter bringing me her cd's of Christina Aguillera. She had gotten the second for Christmas and brought her first and second to me and asked why the huge difference because the first cd cover showed her lovely face while the second showed her whorish side as sex sells. Hell the second cover got me going just looking at it. As we all know young girls from 12-17 can be quite attractive but there are rules in place to protect them and safeguard them from men of seedy repute. It's just not right and bottom line - its the law folks!!
So we are led to believe that Emma is the killer and Napleton is found with black lipstick on his forehead with the number 5. In the disappearing video of Emma's rape Herman was shown in it raping Emma and there were two other men wearing masks who were unidentified. Soon after Napleton's death two more bodies number 4 then 3 are found killed. Again Emma the presumed killer. Yet that means there are two more to die and who will they be and they need to find Emma.
So pretty cool premise right? What didn't I like, like am I crazy, this should have been right down my wheelhouse. So I am friends with a massage therapist who just wrote her first book (Forbidden Powers by Melissa Silva). She knows I aspire to write and do write. We both love the idea of dialogue carrying a book forward and we discuss writing at length. We both feel that dialogue is the natural way we communicate. When I read her book the subject matter was not my style but man her writing was exactly the way I write. I was quite stunned by that. I bring this up as this story uses way too much dialogue to push it forward and the dialogue is really really bad and frustrating as well as it is just so hard to follow. It really annoyed the hell out of me. I love reading dialogue and kudos for the authors who use it but a reader has to be able to follow it and here that just wasn't the case and I would say that it was very poor dialogue as well and dare I say way overused here.
Yet towards the end, maybe the last 1/4 or third, the pace really picks up and the story was told in a more direct way. Of course there has to be some dialogue but the lack of it and the more story told made it way way better and so the ending completed the great premise this book was built on. It was an awesome ending versus a very very poor start.
Kind of long winded to ultimately not be able to say read this one and thus the two star rating. I noted as well this is the lowest rated of any JD book by far. I don't really understand how books are coauthored other than the obvious pov style where one author takes certain characters and the other author others but this writing is not of JD's style imo. I am so glad he has so many newly written books out there but I am going to a just JD written one when I read him next. 😊
I have to admit that JD Barker is my absolute favourite author and I have never read E.J. Findorff so you have to know who I am blaming. The premise of this book is quite good actually but to me the story was not told in a proper way.
So detective Nikki Mayeaux is about to kill a pedophile who got off on the rape case against 15 year old Emma when evidence went missing. She goes to the home of Herman Napleton set to kill him and as Napleton enters his garage she is ready to strike but surprise surprise someone in the rear seat of Napleton's car slices his throat beating Nikki to the punch. So Nikki witnesses the murder but the murderer is wearing a mask. The next morning this scene becomes Nikki's assigned case which is pretty cool in thought and Emma is the natural suspect. Nikki's former love interest and her partner Keith Teagues work the case and very early on Teague knows that Nikki was at the scene but when a pedophile is murdered does anyone really care? There is also a great subplot between Nikki and Keith. Is Keith dirty?
So the hunt for Emma is on and the murder's take place in New Orleans and asector of NO society is revealed as gutter punks which are basically homeless youth who Emma has befriended. They are filthy, smelly and nomadic. Emma though comes from money but her mom has remarried and her current father who is monied never believed that his daughter was raped by his friend Herman.
As the story unfold's we learn how some monied people are working hand in hand with the gutter punks who bring these monied pedophiles younger girls. Emma's stepfather being one. Not young young but in their early teens. At points the rationalization of such deviant behaviour is rationalized by these pervs. Things are pointed out along the lines of a 14ish year old Brittany Spears being made a sex symbol and such and I have to agree. I remember my 12 year old daughter bringing me her cd's of Christina Aguillera. She had gotten the second for Christmas and brought her first and second to me and asked why the huge difference because the first cd cover showed her lovely face while the second showed her whorish side as sex sells. Hell the second cover got me going just looking at it. As we all know young girls from 12-17 can be quite attractive but there are rules in place to protect them and safeguard them from men of seedy repute. It's just not right and bottom line - its the law folks!!
So we are led to believe that Emma is the killer and Napleton is found with black lipstick on his forehead with the number 5. In the disappearing video of Emma's rape Herman was shown in it raping Emma and there were two other men wearing masks who were unidentified. Soon after Napleton's death two more bodies number 4 then 3 are found killed. Again Emma the presumed killer. Yet that means there are two more to die and who will they be and they need to find Emma.
So pretty cool premise right? What didn't I like, like am I crazy, this should have been right down my wheelhouse. So I am friends with a massage therapist who just wrote her first book (Forbidden Powers by Melissa Silva). She knows I aspire to write and do write. We both love the idea of dialogue carrying a book forward and we discuss writing at length. We both feel that dialogue is the natural way we communicate. When I read her book the subject matter was not my style but man her writing was exactly the way I write. I was quite stunned by that. I bring this up as this story uses way too much dialogue to push it forward and the dialogue is really really bad and frustrating as well as it is just so hard to follow. It really annoyed the hell out of me. I love reading dialogue and kudos for the authors who use it but a reader has to be able to follow it and here that just wasn't the case and I would say that it was very poor dialogue as well and dare I say way overused here.
Yet towards the end, maybe the last 1/4 or third, the pace really picks up and the story was told in a more direct way. Of course there has to be some dialogue but the lack of it and the more story told made it way way better and so the ending completed the great premise this book was built on. It was an awesome ending versus a very very poor start.
Kind of long winded to ultimately not be able to say read this one and thus the two star rating. I noted as well this is the lowest rated of any JD book by far. I don't really understand how books are coauthored other than the obvious pov style where one author takes certain characters and the other author others but this writing is not of JD's style imo. I am so glad he has so many newly written books out there but I am going to a just JD written one when I read him next. 😊
May 5, 2025
J.D. Barker returns with a captivating collaboration alongside E. J. Findorff, creating the perfect crime thriller set in the heart of Louisiana. A gritty cop seeks to find a young woman accused of murder, but whose crime appears justified due to the torture and trauma she underwent. Now, it’s trying to find that young woman and piecing the story together than sends New Orleans PD Detective Nikki Mayeaux on a mission where few have thought to go, all in an effort to extract a truth many want left to dissipate. Barker and Findorff deliver a great story and string thriller for all to enjoy!
New Orleans PD Detective Nikki Mayeaux has been on the hunt to help bring justice to the streets of the town she has vowed to protect. She’s located a disgusting sexual predator and is on her way to pay him a visit. However, once she arrives, she quickly discovers that someone beat her to it. The body of the man has had its throat slit and he is dead in his car.
As Detective Mayeaux tries to piece the crime together, everything points to his final victim, the only person who wants him handled more than she does. Emma is sixteen and has gone missing into the seedy French Quarter, where crime fills the streets and no one wants to be left alone.
As Detective Mayeaux seeks to locate Emma to get the details of what’s happened, she feels the pressure to make sense of it all. Few people are willing to help her and there is no way Emma can be seen as a justified vigilante, at least out loud. Worried that Emma will dive even deeper, perhaps out of fear, Detective Mayeaux must follow the trail and hope for the best. New Orleans’ rich history comes to life in this well-paced thriller that Barker and Findorff have created.
While I have read a number of collaborations with J.D. Barker involved, this was the first where I was introduced to E.J. Findorff. The story worked well under their control, mixing a solid narrative with strong settings that add something worth the time and effort needed. As things gain momentum, characters emerge to shape and flavour the larger story in ways that complement it. Plot points keep the piece clipping along but do not leave it too predictable. I am eager to see more by this pair, if only to feel more of that New Orleans spin on a great thriller.
Kudos, Messrs. Barker and Findorff, for this Bayou tale that is as spicy as a good gumbo.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
New Orleans PD Detective Nikki Mayeaux has been on the hunt to help bring justice to the streets of the town she has vowed to protect. She’s located a disgusting sexual predator and is on her way to pay him a visit. However, once she arrives, she quickly discovers that someone beat her to it. The body of the man has had its throat slit and he is dead in his car.
As Detective Mayeaux tries to piece the crime together, everything points to his final victim, the only person who wants him handled more than she does. Emma is sixteen and has gone missing into the seedy French Quarter, where crime fills the streets and no one wants to be left alone.
As Detective Mayeaux seeks to locate Emma to get the details of what’s happened, she feels the pressure to make sense of it all. Few people are willing to help her and there is no way Emma can be seen as a justified vigilante, at least out loud. Worried that Emma will dive even deeper, perhaps out of fear, Detective Mayeaux must follow the trail and hope for the best. New Orleans’ rich history comes to life in this well-paced thriller that Barker and Findorff have created.
While I have read a number of collaborations with J.D. Barker involved, this was the first where I was introduced to E.J. Findorff. The story worked well under their control, mixing a solid narrative with strong settings that add something worth the time and effort needed. As things gain momentum, characters emerge to shape and flavour the larger story in ways that complement it. Plot points keep the piece clipping along but do not leave it too predictable. I am eager to see more by this pair, if only to feel more of that New Orleans spin on a great thriller.
Kudos, Messrs. Barker and Findorff, for this Bayou tale that is as spicy as a good gumbo.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
November 4, 2025
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 markbut 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?
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley
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 markbut 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?
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley
December 19, 2024
My rating is 3.5 rounded to 4
I enjoy reading J.D Barker's books. Detective Nikki Mayeaux is angry that a rapist escaped.she arrives at his home to find someone who has killed him.Who behind his murder?found the book was a long read, a good thriller.looking forward to reading more of his books.
I enjoy reading J.D Barker's books. Detective Nikki Mayeaux is angry that a rapist escaped.she arrives at his home to find someone who has killed him.Who behind his murder?found the book was a long read, a good thriller.looking forward to reading more of his books.
May 4, 2025
Book Title: We Don't Talk About Emma
Author(s): J.D. Barker & E.J. Findorff
Publisher(s): Hampton Creek Press/Recorded Books, Inc.
🤔 𝕎𝕙𝕪 𝔻𝕚𝕕 𝕀 ℝ𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕀𝕥: I previously read and loved Barker’s first 4MK book The Fourth Monkey, so when I saw We Don't Talk About Emma I figured I would give it a try. I’m also a sucker for dark and gritty detective novels.
🍿 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴: This has a very intriguing and dark beginning that I was hoping would set the tone for the rest of the book. While this is definitely a dark read, it was also a bit confusing at first and took me a minute to be able to differentiate between Nikki and Emma and how they knew each other though the latter came a bit later for me. It also almost immediately grossed me out.
👏🏼 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒫𝑜𝓈𝒾𝓉𝒾𝓋𝑒𝓈: I loved the New Orleans setting which I’m pretty sure is thanks to Findorff. The location practically felt like a character itself, and I found myself escaping into the descriptions of the area as well as the mystery itself. Nikki is a fierce female lead who is very take charge and assertive. I loved that about her, and she would make an excellent lead to a series of her own. The pacing is on the slower side but there was still enough going on to keep things moving relatively well.
🫤 🇹🇭🇪 🇳🇪🇬🇦🇹🇮🇻🇪🇸: Nikki’s character felt rather masculine to me at times and while I wouldn’t expect her to be ‘girly’ I wasn’t completely sold on that as her personality. It also got a bit long for me and besides being confusing in some areas, it did lag at times as well. There were also too many viewpoints and characters for me which further exacerbated my confusion at times. They started to blend together, and I had to really concentrate to keep them separated in my head.
🎧 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝒩𝒶𝓇𝓇𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃: The audiobook was ok for me, but not my favorite. Piper Goodeve did fit the grittiness of Nikki’s character, but I didn’t always love her voices for the other characters. A full cast here would have been best.
💭 𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴: I expected a lot from this book due to Barker and it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The action in the last quarter of the book moved a lot faster though and I did enjoy that as well as the very end. I would love to get to know Nikki’s character better, so if this became a series, I wouldn’t be mad at it and would definitely read them. This might be best for readers who like dark mysteries and don’t mind a slower pace.
T͏h͏i͏s͏ B͏o͏o͏k͏ i͏n͏ 5͏ E͏m͏o͏j͏i͏’s͏ o͏r͏ L͏e͏s͏s͏: 🐀🪳🚔🤔
𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: ⭐⭐⭐💫
𝙰𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: ⭐⭐⭐💫
Author(s): J.D. Barker & E.J. Findorff
Publisher(s): Hampton Creek Press/Recorded Books, Inc.
🤔 𝕎𝕙𝕪 𝔻𝕚𝕕 𝕀 ℝ𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕀𝕥: I previously read and loved Barker’s first 4MK book The Fourth Monkey, so when I saw We Don't Talk About Emma I figured I would give it a try. I’m also a sucker for dark and gritty detective novels.
🍿 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴: This has a very intriguing and dark beginning that I was hoping would set the tone for the rest of the book. While this is definitely a dark read, it was also a bit confusing at first and took me a minute to be able to differentiate between Nikki and Emma and how they knew each other though the latter came a bit later for me. It also almost immediately grossed me out.
👏🏼 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒫𝑜𝓈𝒾𝓉𝒾𝓋𝑒𝓈: I loved the New Orleans setting which I’m pretty sure is thanks to Findorff. The location practically felt like a character itself, and I found myself escaping into the descriptions of the area as well as the mystery itself. Nikki is a fierce female lead who is very take charge and assertive. I loved that about her, and she would make an excellent lead to a series of her own. The pacing is on the slower side but there was still enough going on to keep things moving relatively well.
🫤 🇹🇭🇪 🇳🇪🇬🇦🇹🇮🇻🇪🇸: Nikki’s character felt rather masculine to me at times and while I wouldn’t expect her to be ‘girly’ I wasn’t completely sold on that as her personality. It also got a bit long for me and besides being confusing in some areas, it did lag at times as well. There were also too many viewpoints and characters for me which further exacerbated my confusion at times. They started to blend together, and I had to really concentrate to keep them separated in my head.
🎧 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝒩𝒶𝓇𝓇𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃: The audiobook was ok for me, but not my favorite. Piper Goodeve did fit the grittiness of Nikki’s character, but I didn’t always love her voices for the other characters. A full cast here would have been best.
💭 𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴: I expected a lot from this book due to Barker and it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The action in the last quarter of the book moved a lot faster though and I did enjoy that as well as the very end. I would love to get to know Nikki’s character better, so if this became a series, I wouldn’t be mad at it and would definitely read them. This might be best for readers who like dark mysteries and don’t mind a slower pace.
T͏h͏i͏s͏ B͏o͏o͏k͏ i͏n͏ 5͏ E͏m͏o͏j͏i͏’s͏ o͏r͏ L͏e͏s͏s͏: 🐀🪳🚔🤔
𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: ⭐⭐⭐💫
𝙰𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: ⭐⭐⭐💫
December 20, 2024
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 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.
February 3, 2025
I pick up every book J.D. Barker writes, so I was happy to see this one. He is such a great writer and I really enjoy his books. This one is co-authored with E.J. Findorf. It is not my favorite, but it's good.
Description:
When is cold-blooded murder justified?
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.
My Thoughts:
I enjoyed the New Orleans setting of the story and felt the book conveyed the feel of the area. The story was complex and sometimes I was confused. I felt really bad for Emma - she had so much to overcome. My favorite character was Nikki, but most of the characters I didn't like very much. It took me awhile to read this one - I had to keep putting the book down to think about things and get them straight in my mind. The second half of the book was the best part, and I did like the ending.
Thanks to Hampton Creek Press through Netgalley for an advance copy.
Description:
When is cold-blooded murder justified?
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.
My Thoughts:
I enjoyed the New Orleans setting of the story and felt the book conveyed the feel of the area. The story was complex and sometimes I was confused. I felt really bad for Emma - she had so much to overcome. My favorite character was Nikki, but most of the characters I didn't like very much. It took me awhile to read this one - I had to keep putting the book down to think about things and get them straight in my mind. The second half of the book was the best part, and I did like the ending.
Thanks to Hampton Creek Press through Netgalley for an advance copy.
May 11, 2025
3.5
Good plot and great setting in New Orleans, likeable cop central protagonists but so many characters my poor brain couldn’t keep track!
Good plot and great setting in New Orleans, likeable cop central protagonists but so many characters my poor brain couldn’t keep track!
October 22, 2024
Set in New Orleans, We Don’t Talk About Emma is a novel about exposing the dirty underbelly of New Orleans’ high society, an underbelly as sordid, dark, and immoral as anything the denizens of Jeffrey Epstein’s little black book could talk about or anything Hollywood or music celebrities could muster in their twisted underage sexual exploitation scandals. Emma, though, and a few others, having been abused and passed around like party favors, has decided to fight back. Bodies are turning up across New Orleans with numbers scrawled on them as the countdown continues. A pair of compromised police detectives are one step behind the killers in this novel and Emma, though from a wealthy family, runs with the gutterpunks, homeless squatters who beg in the town squares and are recruited to dance in strip clubs. Barker and Findorff almost manage to make this modern thriller work, but not quite.
October 19, 2024
I love Barker's books as they are always deliciously plotted and creepy as as they come! In this one Nikki sneaks up on Herman in his garage, ready to kill him but someone there kills him first! It's clear he knows his killer but Nikki is really confused; how many women could want him dead? He'd been accused of rape before so many women are possibilities but of course we the readers, are left in the dark until the bitter end. It's a crazy, wild story that you will need to read in daylight as it has Barker's signature twisty plot!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
November 3, 2024
2⭐️⭐️ Underwhelming and a bit boring!!!
When is cold blooded murder justified??
New Orleans Detective Nikki Mayeaux has decided its when a technicality sets a serial rapist free. Jaded and frustrated, this latest injustice brings her to the 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, still warm. Only one person wanted him dead more than her - his final victim. A girl of only 16 years old who has vanished into 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.
Well I saw this one up on NetGalley and immediately went for it, J.D Barker books are usually not ones that let me down and I really liked his last co-authored book so thought lets do it. This one unfortunately was the first that I was very very meh about.
The writing itself was fine, that wasn’t really my issue. The story but just a circular repetitive trip of looking for Emma. Now I get it we needed to find her but so much stuff was happening so why was this boring. There were so many ways this could have gone and it was actually an interesting concept but I think just poorly executed the way the story was told just became boring and I was over it.
I did think it would get better … but it never really did. In the end there was too much going on and not enough focus on the one or two things that would bring it together. I think that Nikki was a good character as was Emma but everyone else was on the periphery and I just felt so meh about it.
I am not going to give up on the author by any means but this was not his best work. And maybe the second author E.J Findorff wrote more and tried to ride off the name but either way… I dont think it worked. I was left let down and like I had wasted my time. Thankfully this one was just over 400 pages unlike the usual 600 J.D normally gives us. I could not have done that many pages of this story there was simply not enough substance.
Overall, if you are a fan of J.D Barker then you might be let down, this had potential but wasn’t what I had hoped.
Thank you to NetGalley, Hampton Creek Press and the author for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
When is cold blooded murder justified??
New Orleans Detective Nikki Mayeaux has decided its when a technicality sets a serial rapist free. Jaded and frustrated, this latest injustice brings her to the 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, still warm. Only one person wanted him dead more than her - his final victim. A girl of only 16 years old who has vanished into 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.
Well I saw this one up on NetGalley and immediately went for it, J.D Barker books are usually not ones that let me down and I really liked his last co-authored book so thought lets do it. This one unfortunately was the first that I was very very meh about.
The writing itself was fine, that wasn’t really my issue. The story but just a circular repetitive trip of looking for Emma. Now I get it we needed to find her but so much stuff was happening so why was this boring. There were so many ways this could have gone and it was actually an interesting concept but I think just poorly executed the way the story was told just became boring and I was over it.
I did think it would get better … but it never really did. In the end there was too much going on and not enough focus on the one or two things that would bring it together. I think that Nikki was a good character as was Emma but everyone else was on the periphery and I just felt so meh about it.
I am not going to give up on the author by any means but this was not his best work. And maybe the second author E.J Findorff wrote more and tried to ride off the name but either way… I dont think it worked. I was left let down and like I had wasted my time. Thankfully this one was just over 400 pages unlike the usual 600 J.D normally gives us. I could not have done that many pages of this story there was simply not enough substance.
Overall, if you are a fan of J.D Barker then you might be let down, this had potential but wasn’t what I had hoped.
Thank you to NetGalley, Hampton Creek Press and the author for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
October 30, 2024
So I love the New Orleans setting especially as someone who lives in New Orleans.
There were some moments where this book dragged for me and I wish those parts just had a little more too it.
There’s a lot that we uncover in this book and the underbelly of New Orleans and Emma and so many other girls went through so much, and of course the police are always 1 step behind everyone.
Thankful to NetGalley for this ARC
There were some moments where this book dragged for me and I wish those parts just had a little more too it.
There’s a lot that we uncover in this book and the underbelly of New Orleans and Emma and so many other girls went through so much, and of course the police are always 1 step behind everyone.
Thankful to NetGalley for this ARC
December 5, 2024
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.
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.
November 4, 2024
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 plot 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.
Thanks to the authors, Netgalley and Hampton Creek Press for the opportunity to preview the book.
February 17, 2025
En algunos momentos se me ha hecho bola porq avanza despacio o con temas que redundan o no aportan.
Ha estado bien pero nada que ver con los libros anteriores del autor.
Ha estado bien pero nada que ver con los libros anteriores del autor.
January 14, 2025
358 Pages
92 Chapters
New Orleans, Louisiana
Thanks to Goodreads Giveaway, I had the awesome opportunity to read and review this Kindle edition.
The characters are really easy to get to know and relate to. You are introduced to a pair of NOPD Detctives, who you instantly are drawn to. You learn about ‘gutter punks and/or traveler kids’. One of the gutter punks, Emma, plays a major role in this thriller.
How often do you find yourself cheering for the villain? Trust me, you will in this one!
Nope, don’t quit turning the pages, the best is in the end!
92 Chapters
New Orleans, Louisiana
Thanks to Goodreads Giveaway, I had the awesome opportunity to read and review this Kindle edition.
The characters are really easy to get to know and relate to. You are introduced to a pair of NOPD Detctives, who you instantly are drawn to. You learn about ‘gutter punks and/or traveler kids’. One of the gutter punks, Emma, plays a major role in this thriller.
How often do you find yourself cheering for the villain? Trust me, you will in this one!
Nope, don’t quit turning the pages, the best is in the end!
February 10, 2025
We Don’t Talk About Emma is a standalone crime novel set in New Orleans, about a maverick homicide cop investigating the murder of a prominent businessman. I’ve read several of JD Barker’s books, and am usually persuaded by the rave reviews, but am coming to the conclusion that his thrillers are not for me - this took me three weeks to finish because it was so boring. It is a collaboration with EJ Findorff, who I had not previously heard of, but won’t be rushing to read again either.
Detective Nikki Mayeaux is all set to exact vigilante justice on Herman Napleton, the corrupt hotel owner who got away with the gang rape of Emma, the teenage daughter of one of his friends. When she arrives at his home, she discovers someone else got there first. Assuming it was Emma, who has disappeared into the New Orleans street kid community, she and her partner and ex-boyfriend Keith vow to find and protect her, but as Herman’s associates also start dying violently, how far will she go to save a clearly disturbed killer?
This book appears to be a standalone, but all the way through I kept feeling like I had missed a previous instalment - there’s all sorts of backstory about Nikki & Keith’s previous relationship, the loss of her sister and her relationship with Emma, forged during the rape investigation which foundered due to crucial evidence disappearing from police storage. Then there are all the various “Gutter Punk” characters - a borderline offensive term which is repeated far too often. I found Nikki hard to like because she’s so unprofessional, bordering on unhinged, and we don’t ever actually get to meet Emma until the end. The plot was very slow and repetitive with way too long spent in Nikki’s head. The ultimate reveal felt very obvious and the outcome implausible. If you love this/these authors then do give it a go as other reviewers clearly enjoyed it more than I did, but for me it’s 2.5 stars rounded down.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hampton Creek Press. We Don’t Talk About Emma is available now.
Detective Nikki Mayeaux is all set to exact vigilante justice on Herman Napleton, the corrupt hotel owner who got away with the gang rape of Emma, the teenage daughter of one of his friends. When she arrives at his home, she discovers someone else got there first. Assuming it was Emma, who has disappeared into the New Orleans street kid community, she and her partner and ex-boyfriend Keith vow to find and protect her, but as Herman’s associates also start dying violently, how far will she go to save a clearly disturbed killer?
This book appears to be a standalone, but all the way through I kept feeling like I had missed a previous instalment - there’s all sorts of backstory about Nikki & Keith’s previous relationship, the loss of her sister and her relationship with Emma, forged during the rape investigation which foundered due to crucial evidence disappearing from police storage. Then there are all the various “Gutter Punk” characters - a borderline offensive term which is repeated far too often. I found Nikki hard to like because she’s so unprofessional, bordering on unhinged, and we don’t ever actually get to meet Emma until the end. The plot was very slow and repetitive with way too long spent in Nikki’s head. The ultimate reveal felt very obvious and the outcome implausible. If you love this/these authors then do give it a go as other reviewers clearly enjoyed it more than I did, but for me it’s 2.5 stars rounded down.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hampton Creek Press. We Don’t Talk About Emma is available now.
February 20, 2025
Narrated by Piper Goodeve
Presented by RB Media
Can't say this one really did much for me.
A cop goes out to kill a man who got away with rape, only to discover he's already been bumped off. The main suspect is the girl he got away with raping, and she's fled into the belly of New Orleans.
The story gets pretty messy from here, and for some reason Nikki has zero concerns about the fact that she was at the crime scene. Instead, everyone just assumes Emma is the killer and ignores any kind of actual crime solving while they commence the manhunt. So the biggest pull this story had is immediately swept under the rug.
I'm gonna be honest - I didn't really like any of these characters. There's a lot between Nikki and Keith that makes it seem like this is a sequel, yet it's supposed to be a standalone. Not sure what's up with that. The romance between the two felt clunky and awkward and mostly pointless.
There's also a confusing cast of villains with similar personalities and the audio had most of the voices sounding the same so I found it difficult to keep straight who everyone was. I was getting names mixed up a lot and not sure where other characters were relevant.
Aside from that, there's just really not a lot to this story. It's mostly just cops chasing Emma, and a couple of creative deaths here and there to try and stay interesting.
The narration was okay, with enough inflection to keep the story clear, but as mentioned the voices all sounded the same to me so it was hard to tell people apart. I'd give this narrator another go, though, as I think it's more a fault of generic characters.
All in all, okay for a freebie but I wouldn't go out and buy it, and crime fans won't find anything special here.
With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC
Presented by RB Media
Can't say this one really did much for me.
A cop goes out to kill a man who got away with rape, only to discover he's already been bumped off. The main suspect is the girl he got away with raping, and she's fled into the belly of New Orleans.
The story gets pretty messy from here, and for some reason Nikki has zero concerns about the fact that she was at the crime scene. Instead, everyone just assumes Emma is the killer and ignores any kind of actual crime solving while they commence the manhunt. So the biggest pull this story had is immediately swept under the rug.
I'm gonna be honest - I didn't really like any of these characters. There's a lot between Nikki and Keith that makes it seem like this is a sequel, yet it's supposed to be a standalone. Not sure what's up with that. The romance between the two felt clunky and awkward and mostly pointless.
There's also a confusing cast of villains with similar personalities and the audio had most of the voices sounding the same so I found it difficult to keep straight who everyone was. I was getting names mixed up a lot and not sure where other characters were relevant.
Aside from that, there's just really not a lot to this story. It's mostly just cops chasing Emma, and a couple of creative deaths here and there to try and stay interesting.
The narration was okay, with enough inflection to keep the story clear, but as mentioned the voices all sounded the same to me so it was hard to tell people apart. I'd give this narrator another go, though, as I think it's more a fault of generic characters.
All in all, okay for a freebie but I wouldn't go out and buy it, and crime fans won't find anything special here.
With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC
February 6, 2025
3.5 stars
We Don't Talk About Emma by J.D. Barker and E.J. Findorff is a thriller about the death of a serial killer, and someone out for revenge.
First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Hampton Creek Press and of course the author (who sent me a widget), for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
My Synopsis: (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Detective Nikki Mayeaux is fed up and decides to take matters into her own hands. Herman Napleton has been released from jail because of missing evidence. The man is a serial rapist, and Nikki has had enough. She will kill him herself. She has it all planned out, and arrives just after he pulls into his garage. But someone beats her to it. Although she doesn't see the killer's face, she is sure who it is. She leaves the scene.
Nikki starts searching for the 16 year old girl who was raped by this man and others. But Napleton will not be the only one with a target on his back. Nikki must find Emma.
My Opinions:
I was thrilled to read another book by one of my favorite authors. I just wish he would stop collaborating with others. Yes, this was good, but it lacked something. I think it was the creepiness and horror that I associate (and love) from a JD Barker book. This was just a run-of-the-mill mystery. And a little slow.
However, the overall story was really good. Great plot, and excellent characters. I loved the storyline between Nikki and Keith. I also loved the setting of New Orleans around Mardi Gras.
So, I will continue to read Barker's books....and hope the next will be a solo writing.
For a more complete review of this book and others (including the reason I chose to read/review this book, as well as author information), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
March 5, 2025
For this mystery, J.D. Barker has collaborated with E.J. Findorff, a life-long resident of New Orleans where this novel is set. It takes place right before Mardi Gras, so this is the perfect time to read it too.
An NOPD detective named Nikki Mayeaux is just about to take justice into her own hands when someone beats her to it. The killer seems to counting down on a list of five victims--can they be stopped before that happens?
This is a quick, entertaining read with some fun moments. I enjoyed spending time with the main characters in one of my favorite cities. However I found several of the plot twists to be either obvious or unbelievable and some conversations didn't always ring true. This is not one of J.D.'s best efforts but worth reading nevertheless.
Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc off this new mystery via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own. I actually read a library copy because the arc archived early, before I could download it.
An NOPD detective named Nikki Mayeaux is just about to take justice into her own hands when someone beats her to it. The killer seems to counting down on a list of five victims--can they be stopped before that happens?
This is a quick, entertaining read with some fun moments. I enjoyed spending time with the main characters in one of my favorite cities. However I found several of the plot twists to be either obvious or unbelievable and some conversations didn't always ring true. This is not one of J.D.'s best efforts but worth reading nevertheless.
Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc off this new mystery via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own. I actually read a library copy because the arc archived early, before I could download it.
February 8, 2025
Don't talk about Emma didn't do it for me.
Slow paced, nothing about the plot or characters grabbed me at all.
I received a copy from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Slow paced, nothing about the plot or characters grabbed me at all.
I received a copy from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 12, 2025
An Interesting Plot Concept Whose Execution Falls Short Of Its Potential!
I’ve been a big fan of all of J.D. Barker’s books that he wrote alone but I’ve had mixed feelings about books in which he’s teamed up with other authors to write. I accepted the offer by Net Galley to read We Don’t Talk About Emma because Its plot concept seemed intriguing and I figured how bad could it be even if Barker only co-authored it. Well, as it turned out, I did not consider We Don’t Talk About Emma to be a bad book…although I found it to be only mildly interesting; and, thus, not a book I’d recommend you rush out to read.
My primary reasons for feeling this way are as follows: (1) unusual for a book by J.D. Barker, the characters were thinly developed, causing me to not be able to like or relate to them very much; (2) again atypical of Barker’s books whose plots move at a fast, hard-to-put down pace, the pace of this new book is slowed down a lot by its narrative that largely involves the constant dialogue between the two detectives assigned to solving the murder, and who have a “past” together; (3) while this book has some good plot twists and surprises, for me they were “too few, too late” to keep me engrossed in the book; and (4) the ending seemed a bit abrupt; leading me to think that We Don’t Talk About Emma” is possibly the start of a series to be co-authored by Barker and Findorff, If this is the case, at this time I’m not likely to be going on another case with these detectives. I will, however, definitely be planning to read whatever the next book is that J. D. Barker writes on his own.
2 1/2 stars rounded up to 3 stars.
#We Don’t Talk About Emma #Net Galley
I’ve been a big fan of all of J.D. Barker’s books that he wrote alone but I’ve had mixed feelings about books in which he’s teamed up with other authors to write. I accepted the offer by Net Galley to read We Don’t Talk About Emma because Its plot concept seemed intriguing and I figured how bad could it be even if Barker only co-authored it. Well, as it turned out, I did not consider We Don’t Talk About Emma to be a bad book…although I found it to be only mildly interesting; and, thus, not a book I’d recommend you rush out to read.
My primary reasons for feeling this way are as follows: (1) unusual for a book by J.D. Barker, the characters were thinly developed, causing me to not be able to like or relate to them very much; (2) again atypical of Barker’s books whose plots move at a fast, hard-to-put down pace, the pace of this new book is slowed down a lot by its narrative that largely involves the constant dialogue between the two detectives assigned to solving the murder, and who have a “past” together; (3) while this book has some good plot twists and surprises, for me they were “too few, too late” to keep me engrossed in the book; and (4) the ending seemed a bit abrupt; leading me to think that We Don’t Talk About Emma” is possibly the start of a series to be co-authored by Barker and Findorff, If this is the case, at this time I’m not likely to be going on another case with these detectives. I will, however, definitely be planning to read whatever the next book is that J. D. Barker writes on his own.
2 1/2 stars rounded up to 3 stars.
#We Don’t Talk About Emma #Net Galley
December 20, 2024
Barker and Findorff have managed to pique our curiosity from the very first pages. Throughout the novel, we come to believe, one after the other, almost all the characters as the possible murderer and to even doubt the guilt (pedophilia) of the victim. Their description of the characters and their surroundings is precise and colorful. The authors succeeded to maintain the suspense and our interest from cover to cover. I recommend this novel to all whodunit fans.
Rating: 4.5 /5
** A big thank you to the author for this very interesting free book.
Rating: 4.5 /5
** A big thank you to the author for this very interesting free book.
January 26, 2025
New Orleans Noir
It’s 2 am with pouring rain and cold. New Orleans Detective Mayeaux is parked behind a public restroom at a picnic rest area. An untraceable gun is in her ankle holster. The claustrophobic car is upsetting her stomach. She opens the door and vomits. Finally, she leaves the vehicle, walks over a levee, and enters a residential neighborhood. She is in the backyard of Herman Napleton's home. As she is caught in his headlights, she stands still as a tree while he pulls into the driveway. The garage door opens. This is perfect. She enters the garage for the kill, but he is dead. From this twist, the novel proceeds.
The main storyline consists of four subthreads. The primary thread is the investigation. There is a thread for the criminal elements, another for the suspect, and another for the person who is playing both sides. There is an impressive list of difficulties Detectives Mayeaux and Teague are facing. While in the Special Victims Unit, she led an investigation into the Napleton, but the case had to be dropped due to missing evidence. She was so much affected that she had to transfer out of SVU. Since she had investigated Napleton before, she has the lead in investigating his murder. She had a romantic relationship with her new partner that ended three years earlier under terrible circumstances. Now, they have just a frigid relationship. Her partner is being blackmailed to interfere with the investigation. Actual attempts follow the death threats. Two of the criminal elements and the suspect live with and move around with a large group of young homeless adults who actively protect them. The chapters are short and quick, but this pace, with the multiple threads, did not create any confusion in following the flow of the novel. This novel starts with a significant twist. More twists, misdirections, and red herrings continue throughout the novel. To keep the suspense high, the men in the criminal element keep being killed with a countdown number put on their foreheads. Needless to say, my interest was quickly piqued and kept to the end of the novel.
This novel contains aspects that can cause some readers to stop reading. There are no intimate scenes, but there are scenes just before and after. A very noticeable amount of vulgar and rude language appears in the novel. While not extensive, impious language is also at a noticeable level. Both were situational-appropriate, but they could still be offensive to some readers. As for violence, its description starts with the first scene in the novel. On the positive side, this novel is a standalone, so there are no previous novels about which to worry.
This genre of novels includes obstacles that the protagonists must overcome. The two detectives' flawed natures raised questions since they did not seem to suffer any consequences. Because of this, I was ambivalent about the ending. The detectives’ flaws were needed to support the storyline. I did like how the main storyline was complex but easy to follow. The co-author is one of my Must-Read authors. I have read nine previous novels by him as the author or co-author. I am currently reading another prepublication e-book he has co-authored. I enjoyed reading this novel. With my issues with the novel, it is not a five star, but it is closer to a five than a four star for me. Therefore, I rate this novel with five stars.
I received this novel's free prepublication e-book version through NetGalley from Hampton Creek Press. My review is based solely on my own reading experience. Thank you, Hampton Creek Press, for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.
It’s 2 am with pouring rain and cold. New Orleans Detective Mayeaux is parked behind a public restroom at a picnic rest area. An untraceable gun is in her ankle holster. The claustrophobic car is upsetting her stomach. She opens the door and vomits. Finally, she leaves the vehicle, walks over a levee, and enters a residential neighborhood. She is in the backyard of Herman Napleton's home. As she is caught in his headlights, she stands still as a tree while he pulls into the driveway. The garage door opens. This is perfect. She enters the garage for the kill, but he is dead. From this twist, the novel proceeds.
The main storyline consists of four subthreads. The primary thread is the investigation. There is a thread for the criminal elements, another for the suspect, and another for the person who is playing both sides. There is an impressive list of difficulties Detectives Mayeaux and Teague are facing. While in the Special Victims Unit, she led an investigation into the Napleton, but the case had to be dropped due to missing evidence. She was so much affected that she had to transfer out of SVU. Since she had investigated Napleton before, she has the lead in investigating his murder. She had a romantic relationship with her new partner that ended three years earlier under terrible circumstances. Now, they have just a frigid relationship. Her partner is being blackmailed to interfere with the investigation. Actual attempts follow the death threats. Two of the criminal elements and the suspect live with and move around with a large group of young homeless adults who actively protect them. The chapters are short and quick, but this pace, with the multiple threads, did not create any confusion in following the flow of the novel. This novel starts with a significant twist. More twists, misdirections, and red herrings continue throughout the novel. To keep the suspense high, the men in the criminal element keep being killed with a countdown number put on their foreheads. Needless to say, my interest was quickly piqued and kept to the end of the novel.
This novel contains aspects that can cause some readers to stop reading. There are no intimate scenes, but there are scenes just before and after. A very noticeable amount of vulgar and rude language appears in the novel. While not extensive, impious language is also at a noticeable level. Both were situational-appropriate, but they could still be offensive to some readers. As for violence, its description starts with the first scene in the novel. On the positive side, this novel is a standalone, so there are no previous novels about which to worry.
This genre of novels includes obstacles that the protagonists must overcome. The two detectives' flawed natures raised questions since they did not seem to suffer any consequences. Because of this, I was ambivalent about the ending. The detectives’ flaws were needed to support the storyline. I did like how the main storyline was complex but easy to follow. The co-author is one of my Must-Read authors. I have read nine previous novels by him as the author or co-author. I am currently reading another prepublication e-book he has co-authored. I enjoyed reading this novel. With my issues with the novel, it is not a five star, but it is closer to a five than a four star for me. Therefore, I rate this novel with five stars.
I received this novel's free prepublication e-book version through NetGalley from Hampton Creek Press. My review is based solely on my own reading experience. Thank you, Hampton Creek Press, for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.
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