don’t let the cozy cover fool you, a cozy halloween read this is not!

Interesting premise. Pretty intense and graphic. Plot is a bit all over the place and i didn’t expect so many characters in play, but made for an interesting read.

Thank you to St Martin's Press/Minotaur for the free electronic copy via Netgalley.

I really enjoyed No Rest for the Wicked. I can also see this book turning into a series based on the MC, forensic pathologist Dolores Hawthorne. She is quirky and has some tics based on passed trauma but hasn't been turned into some odd savant. She is a hard worker and is smart.

Dolores left her home town two decades ago. She left her father, stepmother, and young half brother. When her father goes missing, she is called back to her very small hometown to provide insight to the investigators.

It is back in the home town Delores has to face her past while facing the possible murder of her father and others. Here the author does a great job fleshing out the back story without it taking over the current mystery.

Family relations are strained for serious reasons
Siblings are resentful for Delores' leaving and not being in their lives
Past classmates aren't too happy that Delores has returned
Only a few people really know what happened all those years ago


Great suspense is built up when the past and present are on a collision course. Though not scary in a more traditional Halloweenie way, this town is full of wicked people and it's time someone pays for it.

Who says you can never go home again? Dolores Hawthorne is a forensic pathologist who has not stepped foot in her hometown of Little Horton, Wisconsin in almost twenty years. When she receives a phone call from the FBI informing her father is missing under suspicious circumstances. Correct me if I am wrong but most people who go missing do so under mysterious circumstances, but I digress.

His final words to her were to trust no one, which doesn't make coming home feel very inviting. Her family members are giving her a cold reception, and the townspeople aren't that chummy either. But Dolores is determined to get to the bottom of what happened to her father and not one single creepy Halloween obsessed townsperson is going to get in her way or will they????

I thought the author did a great job of depicting the small town feel of this book. Little Horton, is where everyone either knows everyone, has dated everyone or is related to everyone. The author also does a great job of creating atmosphere and tension! The town has a dark, eerie, and creepy vibe with its Halloween obsession and cats running about.

This book is packed full of secrets and lies and a few twists as well. As the plot unfolds readers get glimpses into the past and the reason Dolores left town and stayed away for so long. This was a very well-crafted debut novel, and I look forward to reading more books by Rachel Louise Adams.

Dark, Mysterious, Gripping, and hard to put down!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
No Rest for the Wicked ate. Left no crumbs.

This book was feral in the best way. Chaos. Banter. Tension. Pining. ✨Morally grey excellence✨ all wrapped up in a fantasy world that felt fresh, dangerous, and weirdly cozy at the same time?? I was unwell in chapter two and fully obsessed by chapter five.

You’ve got your morally questionable guy (who I would simply forgive for anything) and a heroine who is ✨done✨ with everyone’s nonsense but still somehow carries the weight of the world. Add in ancient curses, enemies who want you dead (or worse—in love), and a plot that doesn’t let up? Yeah. It’s giving dark romance meets found family meets “I will burn the world down for you.”

Also the writing?? So sharp. So immersive. Like being dropped into a fantasy fever dream you don’t want to wake up from.

Read if you like:
🖤 enemies(ish) to lovers
🔥 unhinged tension + witty banter
⚔️ fantasy with grit, heart, and bite
💀 slow burn but make it deadly

Catch me rereading just to feel unhinged again.

No Rest for the Wicked is a chilling, atmospheric debut that blends small-town secrets, family trauma, and Halloween horror into a compelling mystery. Rachel Louise Adams crafts a story that feels like a slow-burning thriller with just the right amount of eerie charm. Dolores Hawthorne, a forensic pathologist reluctantly returning to her hometown, is a strong and layered protagonist whose personal history adds emotional weight to the unfolding mystery.

The setting—Little Horton, Wisconsin—is vividly drawn, with its Halloween-obsessed culture and dark past creating a perfect backdrop for the suspense. The pacing is deliberate, building tension steadily, and the writing is fluid and evocative. The mystery surrounding Dolores’s missing father kept me intrigued, and the twists, while not shocking, were satisfying and well-executed.

If there’s one critique, it’s that the story occasionally leans into predictability, and some secondary characters could have used more development. Still, the novel’s mix of cozy and creepy, along with its emotional undercurrents, makes it a standout seasonal read.

A strong debut that promises even more to come from Adams—I’ll definitely be watching for her next book.

Between the glowing reviews and the stunning cover, I was so hopeful I'd love No Rest for the Wicked. The first few chapters did hold my attention, but as the story went on, elements of the dialogue and the descriptions felt really forced, almost like the author was trying to weave in a noir vibe.

Multiple POVs are always a hard sell for me — especially when I don't expect them — and the pivot to Wyatt's perspective really didn't help me stay engaged. I'm bummed that this is a DNF for me, but I will definitely try the author's next book.

Dark, suspenseful and gritty Thriller that kept me flipping pages trying to solve the Mystery!

Initially the cover of this book is what caught my attention, I assumed I was going to be reading a whodunnit mystery with a Halloween backdrop but it ended up being a lot deeper than that. It had a dark and eerie element to it, perfect for a spooky season read.

My only critic is that the beginning was a bit slower than I would have liked, it took me awhile to get into it but once the story got going I thought the plot was interesting,suspenseful and it held my attention.

Thank you Rachel Louise Adams, Net Galley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Forensic pathologist Dolores hasn’t returned to her hometown in almost 25 years. But a call from the FBI saying her father, a former US senator, is missing under mysterious circumstances, forces her to return home and face the demons she fled so long ago. No Rest For The Wicked centers around Dolores and her quirky small hometown, Little Horton, Wisconsin, known for its elaborate Halloween celebrations and it’s dark history of violent deaths on that day. Dolores, who gets a chilly reception from the family she hasn’t seen in years, quickly gets enmeshed in the search for her father, and it’s not long before the body count rises, and Dolores is left to wonder if the reason for fleeing her hometown is the cause. The plot is basically a whodunnit, with Dolores’ back story adding more mystery to the terror gripping the town as Halloween approaches. The book flows nicely, there’s no lack of suspense, and the plot deftly unfolds with plenty of misdirection and twists. Definitely a worthy debut novel. I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a well written story. Past trauma brought back to the forefront for the main character. No matter how loving a family is, feeling alone is real. And secrets never stay secret. An unusual detective story in that the one doing the slouthing is the victim. She must figure out the past in order to solve the current mystery. Although the subject matter isn't what I normally go for, this was a really good book. Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for letting me read the ARC.

No Rest for the Wicked is a dark and suspenseful thriller that delivers an intricate and unexpected mystery. While the deceptively cute cat cover might suggest a lighter story, the novel explores unsettling themes, including an animal death as part of a subplot. However, beyond that, the book is an engaging and original read.

The story follows Delores Hawthorn, a respected pathologist who has spent nearly two decades away from her hometown of Little Orton, Wisconsin. When her father, a former U.S. senator, goes missing, the FBI calls her back. Along with agents Paul and Wyatt, she unravels the connections between a series of recent murders, her father’s disappearance, and the discovery of the remains of a girl who vanished years before.

Told through a layered and immersive narrative, the mystery unfolds in a way that keeps readers guessing. Despite its darker tones, the story is compelling, unpredictable, and cleverly structured. The twists were well executed, making for a gripping read that kept me invested until the very end.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

Let's just get out of the way that the cover for this book looks like it could be for a cozy mystery, and this is not a cozy mystery. It is not really a psychological thriller, but it is much more a suspense/thriller. And if you need trigger warnings, there is rape in the book. That happens as a predecessor to the main timeline of the book, and it drives Dolores (Hawthorne) Diaz out of Little Horton (aka Halloweentown, USA) in Wisconsin all the way to Los Angeles where she's a well renowned pathologist. The disappearance of her father, the city's former mayor and a former senator for the state, brings her back home to her remaining family members and the community she fled 18 years ago. It also brings FBI agents Paul and Wyatt to town, and they end up staying when several other prominent members of the community are murdered. Also in play is Officer Kate Butcher, who went to school with Dolores and has a grudge against her. As Dolores finally remembers what happened to her so many years ago, the remains of a girl she worked with that went missing the few months before she left are found, and they increasingly seem to have a connection to the disappearance of Dolores' father, the murders that have occurred and what happened to Dolores. For most of the book there doesn't seem to be any obvious suspect, although it increasingly appears that Dolores' father and the other two victims were connected. Late in the book Kate finally makes a connection that provides a good suspect. Not to belittle the local police force, but it seems ironic that the small town police officer that is more a minor character in the book is the one that connects the dots, not Dolores (despite her personal interest and high level of expertise) or the FBI. The way things unfold is interesting, but it almost feels like things are unveiled too slowly - I wish the pacing felt better. Also, I love cats, and I'm all about cats in books, but here the cats feel like a very random storyline, despite serving a key role at one point in the book. There's also several characters that feel superfluous and unnecessary to the storyline. There were things I liked about this, but also things I think could have made it better and more engaging. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow! Almost the best cover I have ever seen! Also, almost the creepiest story I have ever read. Great job, Rachel Louise Adams!
Halloween itself shouts creepy, dark anticipation of horror, so when the story is set during this time, you know you need to hold on for a bumpy ride ahead. This one is good! I can only hope we get to see more of the incredible character, Dolores.
If you are a fan of tense and terrifying books, I highly recommend this one for you!
I received this advanced reader copy as a gift from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books, delivered by NetGalley. All opinions are my own and are truly honest.

I was hooked in the beginning but then the story was becoming slow for me. I love the cover of the book though.

I have to agree with another reviewer that the cover doesn’t match the story at all BUT it’s a really page-turning thriller!

I loved the political family secrets dynamic, forgotten cold case, and of course cats. I wish there were more cats I’d love a novella to see what happens with them all!

I really recommend this to readers who enjoy Holly Jackson and Loreth Anne White.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me a free eARC in exchange for an honest review

many thanks to minotaur books and the author for this e-galley

every time i thought i knew what was going on, i was wrong. i figured out what happened to Dolores but i did not catch the hints of who the villain was until it was revealed and i really enjoyed that element of confusion. i liked that the book was split into past and present and that it was third person pov with multiple characters. it felt like i was in Little Horton myself and it made me want even more povs to see what i may have missed.

this was a sloowww burning mystery even though the actions themselves took place in a fairly short time frame. i got to know the characters, their motivations, and see what life was like for them in that small town. i loved that we got to be in every crime with Dolores and how the the reveals just kept coming. i liked the ending but i'm hoping that was a set up for book 2 because the material is there and i'm intrigued.

No Rest for the Wicked was not at all what I expected. It was nearly as mysterious or suspenseful as I had hoped. Overall not bad, but didn't blow me away.

Thank you Netgalley and St Martins Press for the advance ebook.

It’s been close to twenty years since forensic pathologist Dolores Hawthorne left her hometown of Little Horton, Wisconsin. The town is famous for its Halloween celebrations, but also its history of violent deaths linked to the holiday. To Dolores, it’s the place she fled, family, bad memories, and all. Until the FBI calls to tell her that her father--the former mayor turned US Senator--is missing under mysterious circumstances.

Some people count to ten to wake up from a nightmare. Dolores always counts the bones of her head instead: sphenoid, frontal, lacrimal. But no matter how many times she counts them, it doesn’t change the fact that her father is missing, that his final words of warning to her were to trust no one, and that now, the rest of her family is giving Dolores a chilling welcome. With Halloween fast approaching, Dolores must face the past she left behind before it’s too late.

This book starts off VERY slowly. It picked up pace about 50% of the way through. I liked the main character. However, I did not care for some of the subject matter. That being said, this is a solid novel for the author.. 3.5 out of 5 ⭐️

Wow! A fast-paced wild ride that had so many curves I didn't see anything coming! I can't believe this was a debut. I am impressed!

Dolores hasn’t been home for 18 years. Another 18 might have passed if she hadn’t received a phone call saying her father had gone missing. Since the FBI wants to speak with her, Delores makes her excuses at the LA hospital where she’s a pathologist, and boards a plane for Wisconsin.

As I read further, I was increasingly intrigued by the number of secrets Delores had. Everybody has secrets but Delores and her family seemed to have big secrets. Delores has extremely vivid nightmares involving her secrets.

The FBI agents, Wyatt and Paul, pick up on the fact that Delores isn’t telling them everything. It’s not that they suspect her of a crime; they just don’t think they’re hearing the whole story.

During the search for Delores’s father, other crimes start happening. No clear suspects emerge in the investigation. Then, there’s the twist I never saw coming. I hope you’ll be just as gobsmacked as I was.

Rachel Louise Adams has written a book that’s hard to put down. I recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader’s copy. This is my honest review.

No Rest for the Wicked sounds like a cozy mystery, but it's not. Dolores Hawthorne gets a call from the FBI informing her that her father, an ex-senator, has been kidnapped. She rushes back to Little Horton after leaving 20 years ago and never looking back. She dredges up secrets from her past while trying to help find her missing father. The book dragged for me at first, but picked up in the last half with twists I didn't see coming. Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC.