e-Audio, 11:38:39
Narrated by: Nicole Cash
Release Date: June 3, 2025
Published by: Books on Tape
Read from: June 14-19, 2025
Stand-alone
Source: Netgalley (I received a free e-ALC from the publisher and Netgalley. This did nothing to influence my review.)
Content Warning: Murder, Infertility, Domestic Abuse, Kidnapping, Mental Illness, Miscarriage, Sexual Violence, Vomit, Car Accident
For Readers Interested In: Thrillers, Mystery, Historical Fiction, Suspense, AdultA dedicated journalist unearths a generations-old family secret—and a connection to a string of missing girls that hits way too close to home—in this gripping debut novel.
In the wake of her grandmother’s passing, Sydney Singleton finds a hidden photograph of a little girl who looks more like Sydney than her own sister, or mother. She soon discovers the mystery girl in the photograph is her aunt, Carol, who was one of six local North Carolina Black girls to go missing in the 1960s. For the last several decades, not a soul has talked about Carol or what really happened to her. With her grandmother gone and Sydney looking to start a family of her own, she is determined to unravel the truth behind her long-lost aunt and the sinister silence surrounding her.
Unfortunately, this is familiar territory for Sydney. Several years prior, working the crime beat as a journalist on the case of another missing girl, her obsession eventually led to a psychotic break. And now, in the suffocating grip of fertility treatments and a marriage that’s beginning to crumble, Sydney’s relentless pursuit might just lead her down the same path of destruction. As she delves deeper into Carol’s fate, her own troubled past resurfaces, clawing its way to the surface with a vengeance. The web of secrets and lies entangling her family leaves Sydney questioning everything—her fixation on the missing girls, her future as a mom, and everyone she’s come to trust.
Delving into family, community, secrets, and motherhood, We Don’t Talk About Carol is a gripping and deeply emotional story about overcoming the rotten roots of your family tree—and what we’ll do for those we love.
*MY THOUGHTS*
This was gooooood! I do think it was a little long, but it was good nonetheless. I called who it was early on, but it was still a story I was able to get lost in. And I 1000% believe this is a thriller that everyone needs to read because of the greater message.
Ok so the greater message is that no one is looking for the Black kids that go missing even half as hard as they’re looking for any other missing people. And this hit me extra hard because at the time I was reading this, I was also watching this series on Hulu called How I Caught my Killer that was literally giving a perfect example of this and I almost snapped. I got so mad watching this, because no matter how many times or ways we say this, someone is going to say it’s not true. While y’all are so busy trying to save face and not take accountability, it’s going to keep happening and we’re going to always feel unsafe.
Ok as far as the story, I liked the writing style. I’m not much of a historical fiction person, but I AM a fan of solving cold cases, so this was right up my alley. I’m not sure what it is, but the feeling of giving a family (even a fictional one lol) justice after such a long time, makes me feel so good. And this story will definitely give you this feeling when you get to the end. Now it is a slow burn, so don’t go in this expecting results right away. But when it picks up, it gets good. It does seem a little repetitive in some places since she’s going back and forth to her home, but I still enjoyed it.
And like I said, I guessed whodunit early on, but trust me when I tell you, it didn’t make it any less disturbing. Just the whole situation was sad and the way there were so many pieces that came together, it was crazy. I’m just going to tell you, you might get the whodunit, but you won’t get the reasoning behind it. You will never get the motive. And the whole plot twist was crazy. This is a mystery that you won’t see coming!
This mystery had so many components that I love. This is definitely a Nikki book, so YES you will be hearing about this book the rest of the summer. I love a good mystery, and this one delivered. I hope this isn’t the last mystery from Berry, because I need more!
Overall, I give this
