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.

I'm going to come right out and admit that I didn't like the book. I started out liking it but each chapter brought on more and more frustration.
Issues I had with the book: plot/story believability, character depth, and story development. Each character felt barely two dimensional.

No Rest for the Wicked
By Rachel Louise Adams

This is a murder mystery, among other things. It is a story about families and relationships, a decades old murder and rape, and a kidnapping – in short, how cover-ups and misunderstandings can change the trajectories of multiple lives until a day of reckoning finally arrives.

The tale, against a backdrop of Halloween, is interesting – but not as spooky or mysterious as it could have been. The whodunit aspect becomes clear fairly early on and the cataclysmic outcome was somewhat of a letdown. Instead the characters simply seem to walk off into the night.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this mystery! I finished this book in two days because I couldn’t wait to see what happened next.
Small town politics, murder, family secrets, past trauma, gory details, and a badass FMC.
I loved trying to solve the mysteries on my own, and the ending was very satisfying! Not to mention the story takes place around (and on!) Halloween, which makes this the perfect holiday thriller.
Overall, I recommend this for anyone who wants a satisfying mystery with a fun setting, actual strong FMC, unsolved murders, autopsies, and dark family secrets.

Absolutely thrilling! I found myself engrossed in the narrative, eager to uncover the truth behind its mysteries. "No Rest for the Wicked" is undoubtedly an engaging thriller. The protagonist, Dolores Hawthorne, is a forensic pathologist based in Los Angeles. After nearly two decades of silence and absence from her family, she receives an alarming call from the FBI informing her that her father has gone missing. This prompts her to return to her small hometown in Wisconsin, which is renowned for its Halloween tourism, just days before the holiday.

As the investigation into her father's disappearance unfolds, a series of murders begin to plague the town. Concurrently, Dolores grapples with the trauma of her teenage years and the reasons that led her to leave home. As she experiences haunting nightmares from her past, she begins to question whether the current murders are somehow connected to her history. This gripping tale earns a solid 4-star rating!

This was a solid debut novel. Kept you turning the pages to see what exactly was going to happen. I was expecting a more light hearted mystery based on the cover but it was still an enjoyable book

No Rest for the Wicked is a paint-by-numbers thriller that hits all the familiar story beats we’ve come to expect, but ends on a strong, emotional high note! Rachel Louise Adams doesn’t reinvent the wheel with No Rest for the Wicked, in fact I found almost every major plot point to be predictable, but the story was still interesting and Dolores, our main character, was compelling. The characters, to me, are the strongest part of the novel - they are all complex, and very rarely is someone exactly what they seem when they were first introduced.

No Rest for the Wicked was slow to get going, but about 50-60% through the action begins to really pick up and it was hard to put down! As generic as the plot felt at times, the story ends on a really beautiful note that plays to the strength of Adams’ character writing and will definitely stay with me for a while.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Sphenoid, frontal, lacrimal.
When Delores gets overwhelmed, she lists the bones of the cranium.

18 years ago, after a traumatic event, Delores left her small town home, her family, and never looked back. Now a forensic pathologist in LA, she receives a call from the FBI that her estranged father is missing, and could she come back home to Little Horton.

Now Delores is immersed in a small town mystery that is starting to expand, and suffocate her, while she confronts her past.

Rachel Louise Adams does a fantastic job of reeling you in and keeping you on edge as can only happen in a small town.

Trigger warnings: SA, and animal death.

Halloween, cat, missing people, returning home after many many years. great set up for a great debut novel!

Keep them coming!

This was a great book, I did not see all of the twists and turns coming. This book definitely kept my attention and kept me guessing.
Thank you to netgalley for an advanced copy. My opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley/Publisher/Author for an ARC of this upcoming book!

No Rest For The Wicked by Rachel Louise Adams is a gripping mystery/thriller that pulls you into the shadowy depths of a seemingly quaint town. When Dolores returns to Little Horton following the disappearance of a family member, she’s forced to confront not only her own buried traumas but also the town’s sinister secrets. What unfolds is a layered, atmospheric tale that keeps you hooked until the final page.

Rachel Louise Adams crafts a compelling narrative told through multiple third-person perspectives. I could easily see this being an adaptation on a network (would totally watch).

The writing is moody, evocative, and perfectly suited to the story’s dark and almost gothic tone. While I was able to predict a few things, the way the twists were revealed still surprised me and kept the tension high. It’s a story that feels both eerie and oddly cozy—a rare balance that makes it stand out.

If you're looking for a thriller that’s atmospheric, unsettling, and full of secrets, No Rest For The Wicked is well worth your time