I love a good crime thriller, and this one seemed different from the normal crime thriller. Detective Nikki Mayeaux finds herself ready to cross the ethical line when a serial rap*st gets released from prison on a technicality. She shows up at his house to take care of him, but upon arrival, she finds that someone beat her to it. Was it someone random or one of his victims? OR is something more going on?

I thought I would love this one, but it was slow, and I wasn't interested in any of the characters. That makes it hard for a book to resonate with me. This was a slow burn where I felt nothing much happened until the end, and even then I was underwhelmed. While this story was not for me, it might be your next 5 star read!

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Overall, I felt I struggled a bit to get through this audiobook. I believe the story is well-structured, but the narrator was hard to listen to. They were legible, enunciated and was easy to understand, although the way the spoke for different characters and the tone in general throughout the audiobook made it difficult to stay engaged. There were multiple points throughout that I felt like I needed to rewind and re-listen because what I was hearing was just not sticking with me. I thought that maybe it was a me issue, so I took a few days off from listening as a break. When I picked back up, I experienced the same concerns.

In terms of the writing and the way the author detailed the story, I enjoyed that! The plot was a great idea for a story, and setting the scene in Louisiana/Mardi Gras gave for a really cool visual throughout. the vocabulary and writing style the author used was great; it made me feel like I was digesting a more mature read rather than young adult (YA is great, but for this type of storyline, it was refreshing that the author kept it mature and did not water-down their vocabulary/descriptions). There was no lack of action/dangerous scenes in this book; the author did a great job at making you wonder what would happen next, who was actually involved, who's covering for who, and are we really sure Emma is who we think she is?

I would recommend picking up the physical copy of this book and giving it a read!

Detective Nikki Mayeaux from New Orleans PD comes close to committing a crime, killing a rich entitled man who raped a young teen, Emma, but when she gets there he is already dead. Next thing Nikki knows she is leading the case with her ex Keith Teague, as backup. Working with Keith might be the hardest thing she has done since their breakup, can they get past their traumatic past and work together.

The rich men is this town look out for only one another, they are depraved and uncaring. This book takes a look into the underbelly of the French Quarter, of the different groups who live on the streets and the chain of authority between them. Everyone thinks Emma is guilty of the murder and as more bodies pile up, Nikki is desperate to find her. As more bodies start to pile up, Nikki starts to think that Emma might be the guilty party. As Nikki and Keith get closer to the truth, their lives become endangered. Can they solve crimes before another murder takes place.

I enjoyed listening to this book, it was a good road trip listen that left me wanting to eat some gumbo and watch the Mardi Gras parade.

Thank you to NetGalley, the audio house, the narrator and the author for the opportunity to listen to a complimentary copy of this book in return for review, based upon my honest opinion.

The premise of this book intrigued me. The first chapter, with two people showing up to murder the same person hooked me instantly. The narrator was great and did very well with multiple characters. Unfortunately, the rest left me wanting more. More suspense, more thrills, more connection. It was not the book for me and I DNFed it.

Thank you to Netgalley for this. I enjoyed the audio, it was narrated very well. I enjoyed the plot and characters.

When Emma is raped she takes revenge on those who have done wrong. The police and detectives are after her despite feeling she is taking out unwanted men. An interesting mystery. Very suspenseful.

I didn't care at all about this book, I wanted to but I was bored. And the title was weird considering Emma is hardly in the story. I did like the main female character though.

This was not my favorite book by Barker. The constant use of the term “gutter punk” was extremely annoying and the insistence from a grown woman that she be called “Jonesy” by her peers was just silly. As far as the story line, there was very little depth and it was just not believable. I listened to the audio book, and I do think I might have liked it better if I would have actually read the book.

I got to listen to the audio book. The narrator did a great job with the different characters. The storyline overall was a great crime thriller trying to find Emma and figure out what is going on. In the end it did come with a twist figuring out who the murderer was this whole time and the truth of Emma.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

This was a DNF for me.

I loved the premise of the book but I had a hard time getting into it. I listened to the audiobook (the narrator was fine) and it took me quite a while to get through the first 30% and I DNF. I’m sure this will be a favorite for some but it just wasn’t the book for me at this time.

This whole book concept was fantastic, from two vigilante killers showing up at once, to the New Orleans setting. It just fell kind of flat in the presentation. The romance was off, the investigation was off, and the result was off. I really wanted this to work, but the elements that made it compelling were insufficient. That said, it's still a mediocre book, I was invested in it, and wanted to see how it would conclude. I'd recommend it to the right reader who wasn't as discerning about their thrillers.

nikki mayeaux had seen a rapist walk free, escaping justice. the justice system has failed, so she decided to take matters into her own hands. the detective had never taken a life before, but tonight, she’s ready to make an exception.
when she sneaks up to kill the rapist, she discovers that someone else has already done the job - he’s already dead, his throat slashed and a knife in his groin.
before she can react, she catches only a glimpse of the real killer - someone who got there first.

it was my first book by j.d. barker (and e.j. findorff), so i didn't know exactly what to expect. after reading it, i hate to say it, but i was left with nothing but disappointment.

i found the first 60% of the book not very entertaining. the characters were so unlikeable and i couldn't connect with any of them. the dialogues felt kinda unrealistic, and i had a really hard time getting into the story.

while the book is a standalone, for me, it surely didn't feel like one - i mean nikki and keith and that thing going on between them. i thought that it's either a sequel or that i had missed a chapter or two (because of how boring the story was lol). the romance felt so awkward and unnecessary.

i also had a hard time with keeping track of all the characters. i'm sure some of them were completely rrelevant and the story would have been less cluttered without them.
the audiobook would be less confusing, because the voices mostly sounded the same, making it hard to follow the story. nevertheless, the narrator- piper goodeve - did a good job to keep me reading until the end, though i was struggling and seriously considering dnf'ing.

to sum up, the book didn't do much for me and I probably would not recommend it.



thanks to NetGalley, the authors and RB media for providing me with an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this the twists omg it was well read and well voiced it was sad but yet it wasn't and i loved learning about emma nicki and the whole crew

I may be a complete outlier opinion on this, but it took me a very long time to get into this one. I felt like I dropped into the middle of a duology or series, and felt like I was missing a lot of context with characters and the main storyline. It seemed like there was a whole backstory I wasn’t privy to, and there was a big cast of male characters that took time to separate out and discern between as well. Character development and growth didn’t really happen for me either.
When I got past 60% I was more invested in the story and the twists were intriguing, but this one didn’t live up to Barkers other books that I have loved unfortunately. From an audio perspective, the narrator did a great job with the story at least!

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for my ALC in exchange for my honest feedback!

Did not finish in light of the the author's controversies from last year and also because it's boring as hell. Would not be reading anything by this author going forward

🎧
Detective Nikki watched a rapist go unpunished. She takes the law into her own hands and goes to kill him herself. But when she sneaks up, he’s already been killed and she only gets a glimpse at the murderer who beat her to the punch.

The general consensus is that one survivor in particular is responsible, and now Nikki, her ex and fellow detective Keith, and New Orleans’ wealthiest businessmen are on the hunt to find Emma. During the chase into the underground of New Orleans during Marti Gras, there are several clues and bodies left behind.

I found the plot really unique and interesting. We’re not sure if a victim is getting justice or if there’s a serial killer on the loose in New Orleans. The cast of characters were shady, the kind of evil that we forget goes on daily in this world. Exploring the concept of the homeless network, way of life, and constant exploitation was insightful.

The forced proximity between exes Nikki and Keith reminds me of slow burn detective TV dramas. I learned a lot of about New Orleans and Marti Gras as well.

I had some difficulty discerning between the male characters because the cast of characters was large, but I overall enjoyed this.

The audiobook was presented well and the narrator did a good job distinguishing between voices, which is difficult to do based on the size of the cast.

I was given this copy in exchange for a honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and RBMedia.

We Don’t Talk About Emma takes readers on a mysterious and chilling journey with twist that keep you guessing. The story follows Emma a young girl with a dark past, and her attempt to shine the light on some of those darkest corners as eerie events surround her.
The storyline is intriguing with unexpected twist and turns keeping listeners engaged and curious about what will happen next. Some listeners might find the characters, including Emma, lacking depth. They often come across as one-dimensional, which makes it challenging to connect with them on a deeper level. The narrator had a talent for capturing the essence of each character and setting the perfect tone for every scene..

I enjoyed We Don't Talk About Emma. It was just a four star read for me. Nothing wrong but nothing that knocked my socks off.

Thank you to Netgalley for a free audio version of We Don't Talk About Emma.

I gave this book 3 stars. While I did find it interesting, I had a hard time keeping all of the characters straight. There were a lot of different people who pop up throughout the book, and I had to keep going back to figure out who was who.

There were some good twists and unexpected turns, but the ending was definitely predictable. Overall I did like this book but wouldn't read it again.