Add this one to your spooky season TBR lists! It publishes on September 16th and is the perfect book to read in October.

𝘐𝘯 𝘢 𝘏𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯-𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘔𝘪𝘥𝘸𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯, 𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘤 𝘴𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴. 𝘕𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘤 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘋𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘏𝘢𝘸𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘰𝘯, 𝘞𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘯, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘺 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘏𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘴. 𝘛𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘉𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘢 𝘜𝘚 𝘚𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘰𝘳, 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯. 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘪𝘳. 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘏𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘋𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘺𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳.

Do not go into this book looking at the cover and thinking you’re going to get spooky cozy mystery vibes. This was a thriller with some dark themes. I love a good murderous thriller so I ate this one up. I loved the small town setting of a Halloween town. The beginning was a little slow but had me hooked nonetheless. The pages were full of compelling scenes and memorable characters. This would have been a five-star read for me but I just can’t get over the fact that justice wasn’t served the way I wanted it to be.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC. All opinions are my own!

This blew me away. I was expecting a cute small-town mystery, possibly setting up a series where Dolores is a pathologist for the FBI. But the writing was electric. I was immersed almost immediately. (I read a LOT of books and that is kind of uncommon.) The ending is less cozy, more psychological thriller, so be prepared. I was glued to it and there's a Halloween visual I won't forget anytime soon.

Decent story. Didn't quite have it all figured out, which was a pleasant surprise.

Dolores must return home, after years of running from her past. Her father has been kidnapped and she needs to learn the truth of things. Before he was taken, her father left her a note that said "Trust no one" and she should have listened.

Slow at the start but then picks up the pace. Nice Halloween party in town.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a copy of an ARC. Publication date is September 16, 2025

🐾 No Rest for the Wicked 🐾

Rachel Louise Adams’ debut novel is a thriller mystery that tells the story of Dolores Hawthorne, a forensic pathologists who left her Halloween obsessed home town of Little Horton, Wisconsin nearly two decades ago. Now, the FBI has called her to let her know her father, the town mayor and U.S. Senator has gone missing, Dolores has to return to not only her hometown, but her siblings she left behind, and her dark memories she wishes to forget.

Rating; 5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I read this book in one go because I could not out it down! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. This is the type of mystery that has so many different things going on, but the tie nicely together at the end.

There was some things that I saw coming and others that I did not. The beginning of the ending had me in shock as I thought I had things figured out, but I didn’t.

Dolores is such a relatable main character. I felt for her the whole time and found myself wanting the best for her and her siblings. Dolores is close to 49 years old, and even though I’m only in my mid twenties, it was refreshing to read about a character who wasn’t 18-24

The writing is excellent and super easy to read.

Oh and there are cats! They aren’t a main plot point, but they are still there.

I recommend No Rest for the Wicked if you like thriller, mysteries with multiple twists, and older main characters.

Trigger warnings: This book doesn’t contain a few sensitive topics, so I advise looking at trigger warnings before reading.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I wasn’t sure if I would vibe with this book based on its eerie version of Halloweentown as the setting, but I kept hearing high praise. In this case, I’m glad I trusted the reviewers rather than my gut. The setting wasn’t cheesy at all and the book itself was full of complex characters and tension. There were quite a few characters, and we got many POVs, yet no one felt underdeveloped or shallow. The plot itself was tangled and mysterious without being confusing or overdone. This book dives into the themes of the depravity of human nature and morality, the way trauma prevents itself, and what different versions of family can look like. Dolores was a fantastic main character. Her strength and determination battling alongside her emotions and confusion made for a captivating FMC. I am in awe of this being a debut! I kept waiting for the cats to have more of a significance, which is really my only negative for this book. They felt like a weird diversion from the story except for the one scene they were involved with the investigation.

This is the perfect fall and Halloween read. Full of suspense, mystery, and even a dash of horror, this had me guessing till the very end. The writing was fine with good pacing and flow. It never failed to hold my attention, and I was hooked fairly quickly. It had a good plot that wasn't easily predictable. The characters were likeable, but the character development definitely could have been better. I really enjoyed this; however, I was not a fan of the ending. It felt so anticlimactic. I was just expecting a little more from all the buildup

The cover absolutly drew me in for this one but don't expect a cute cozy cat mystery. This was an overall quick mystery book set during the week of Halloween in a "Halloween obsessed small town" That's what everyone keeps saying about the town but I dont really get that vibe btu regardless I still enjoyed this book.
The plot part about the stray cats being round up was an odd little bit but i'll overlook that.

🐈‍⬛Vibes🐈‍⬛
Secrets from the past
Flashback chapters
Coming back to hometown
Fastest paced thriller mystery

No Rest for the Wicked by Rachel Louise Adams is a gripping thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat—I’d give it 5 stars. Dolores Hawthorne, a forensic pathologist, returns to her Halloween-obsessed hometown of Little Horton after her father, a former mayor turned U.S. Senator, goes missing under mysterious circumstances. As she delves into the investigation, Dolores uncovers dark family secrets, including a decades-old disappearance and a violent history tied to the town's Halloween celebrations. One thing I loved was how the eerie atmosphere of Little Horton added to the suspense, making every corner feel ominous. Another highlight was Dolores's complex relationships with her family, especially her half-siblings and estranged father, which added emotional depth to the story. The twists and turns kept me guessing, and the pacing was relentless, making it hard to put the book down. This debut novel is a must-read for fans of atmospheric thrillers with rich character development.

I could not stop reading this book! I was hooked from the begining to the end. I needed to know more and to find out what happened.

Dolores Hawthorne has returned to her small hometown, Little Horton, known for their Halloween celebrations. Also known for the deaths and mayhem that surrounds Halloween. Dolores has run far away from Little Horton, all the way to LA, where she is working as a medical examiner. She received a call that her father is missing. She has not talked to her father in 20 years, since she left Little Horton and never looked back. She is now forced to return and is determined to find her dad.

The more Dolores learns, the more she realizes she doesn't know who to trust, including herself. The cover made me think I was going to be reading a cozy cat mystery, but that was not the case.

As soon as I finished this book, I immediately looked up the author to see if she has more.

Thank you to NetGaley for an ARC of this book.

4.25⭐️

*Check your Trigger Warnings before reading. I have quite a few triggers and it didn't bother me but it is something to be aware of!

Don't let the cover fool you on this one. The cover kind of gives the cute spooky vibes but it was a pleasant surprise to realize that it wasn't!
I thought I had this one figured out a few times and every time I was sure I had it figured out, it changed on me and the twist went a completely different way.

I did get a little confused sometimes with the family dynamics between Delores and her dad but that was a minor issue. The second half of the book really hit its stride and I couldn't put it down! The twists and turns were plentiful but it didn't feel overdone! I enjoyed the chapters that went back in time to give some perspective and I usually hate going back in time.

Overall, I will definitely pick up anymore books this author publishes to give them a try because this was a refreshing read that sucked me in when I have been in somewhat of a slump lately!

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for the digital advanced copy and advanced listeners copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

⭐ Rating: 4 – 4.5 stars

Review:
No Rest For The Wicked is a dark, twisty thriller with just the right touch of horror — the kind of book that feels tailor-made for spooky season. Set in a small town that lives and breathes Halloween, it layers missing girls, long-buried secrets, family corruption, and a constant eerie atmosphere into a story that had me hooked from the very beginning.

What I loved most was how Rachel Louise Adams blended the mystery with almost gothic, horror-adjacent elements — the gruesome details, the conspiracies, the feeling that no one could be trusted. Dolores is such a compelling protagonist: flawed, haunted, but strong enough to dig for the truth even when it threatens to break her. The way her story wove together with Wyatt/Junior, Kate, and the Winslow family made for a web of trauma and betrayal that was both heartbreaking and impossible to put down.

This book doesn’t shy away from darkness, but it balances it with moments of humanity and even humor.

Highly recommend for readers who want a thriller that borders on horror, with chilling atmosphere, generational secrets, and a Halloween setting that makes it the perfect October read.

No Rest for the Wicked is author Rachel Louise Adams debut novel set in the quaint small town of Little Horton, Wisconsin during Halloween season.
Our main protagonist, Dolores Hawthore is a forensic pathologist who moved across the country after high school and has not been back in 18 years. Dolores is drawn back to Little Horton after a phone call from the FBI informs her her father has gone missing under disturbing circumstances. Dolores returns home to her estranged family to face long forgotten secrets and ends up helping the FBI and police investigate using her unique skills to help solve the mystery of what happened to her father.
This was a slow burn mystery told from multiple POV’s with a dual timeline narrative. The town of Little Horton as a Halloweentown (think Salem in October) is the setting which gives it Fall vibes, but the main mystery is not directly linked to Halloween per se but rather as a background for the events as they occur. The description and cover of this book really drew me in and I was expecting something more spooky or witchy to unfold. Although this was not what I expected it to be, it was still a solid mystery and strong writing for a debut novel.
Thank you to Rachel Louise Adams, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this debut novel!
Publishing Date: 9/16/25
3.5 Stars

No Rest for the Wicked by Rachel Louise Adams was a fun, quick mystery read. It’s set in a small, Halloween-obsessed town in Wisconsin where they are no stranger to tragedy. This, and the cover alone, were enough to draw me in.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book, but I was along for the ride. Thankfully, I truly enjoyed every minute.

This was incredibly well-written. The author did a great job of creating a delightfully dark and suspenseful atmosphere that just worked. One of the things that really worked for me was the shift in character perspective throughout the book.

I had no idea where this story was going next as I was reading and the twist at the end genuinely shocked me. This book will be an incredible addition to your fall tbr so grab your ghost blanket, light some candles, and prepare to dig in to this Halloween mystery.

This is a well-written, entertaining, fast paced, captivating thriller. It has a likable, intelligent female protagonist, a small town setting, wit, a touch of humor, murder, mystery, suspense, secrets, lies, twists and turns, and an unexpected, satisfying conclusion. I especially liked the cats and the Halloween theme, and the heroine's unconventional method of dealing with stress. Many thanks to Ms. Adams, St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books, and NetGalley, who provided me with an advanced reader copy of this fantastic novel. This is my honest opinion.

In the days leading up to Halloween, in a town defined by both their festivities and their violent Halloween past a local politician/legend goes missing. Estranged daughter comes home after a 20 year absence to halp with the investigation. Que murders and feral cats while Delores tries to remember the details of the violent attack and coverup that caused her to leave. A wild ride and pretty original mystery. Save this one for October spooky season.

Received an ARC via NetGalley.

After reading a couple duds lately, this came as such a relief. I really like it and it didn’t feel like it followed the same formula.

There were little things I could pick out but not the relevance to the story. I really had no idea what was going on and the perpetrator wasn’t on my radar at all.

I liked the characters, I like the Halloween backdrop, and I liked that it kept me guessing. I really looked forward to coming back to it to find out what was happening, whenever I put it down.

3.5-4 stars

Alright, overall, this was a good read. The beginning was very slow, but hang with it because it gets better!

Murder mystery in a Halloween obsessed town. Beloved daughter returns to her hometown after not being back (or speaking to her family) in like 18-20 years when her father, the former mayor, goes missing.

The first 1/3 of the story was really slow for me. This is a debut, so I'm going to give the author a little grace, but the setting of the stage for the story was a little jumbled and I was starting to get impatient for what was actually happening. Why does Dolores not remember parts of her life here? Why did she leave? Why do I care about the POVs of a cop named Katie and these two FBI agents? It wasn't until about the 40% mark the strands of this jumbled web finally started to intersect and make sense as to where the story was going. Once that happened I was able to really start enjoying it. There's not a ton of character development, but that's ok. The story lies more in the murder mystery and the lies and deceit.

If I hadn't read this for Netgalley, I might have DNFd, just because 35-40% is kind of a long ways to read before a book "clicks" for you. However, I'm glad I stuck it out, because I did end up enjoying it.

This book! What in the world!? Whew!

I just finished, and honestly—I’m at a loss for words. My jaw is still on the floor. This was an engaging, twisty thriller/murder mystery that kept me guessing until the very end. Every time I thought I had it figured out, BAM!—Rachel Louis Adams hit me with another twist that completely changed the game.

The characters are complex and layered, so well-written that I felt like I was walking right alongside them in this small town. The atmosphere was incredible—I could practically smell the crisp autumn air, hear the buzz of Halloween preparations, and see the parade rolling by. And don’t even get me started on the float… YIKES.

The last six to ten chapters had me absolutely on edge. This is a story that I would love to see adapted into a movie—I could visualize every scene unfolding as I read, and it was a thrilling ride. Honestly, I’m going to have to wait a day before I even think about picking up another book, because this one needs time to settle in.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press | Minotaur Books, and Rachel Louis Adams for the ARC of this atmospheric novel. I am leaving my honest review voluntarily and without coercion.

I wasn't sure if I would like No Rest for the Wicked at first because I thought from the summary it would be more of a political thriller but I was wrong. I liked how the MC's hometown was known for its halloween traditions which helped set the story up. I would suggest checking trigger warnings before reading this.

Very atmospheric with strong characters, this twist novel is perfect for the Halloween season. Buried family secrets, missing and murderer townspeople and long lost family all contribute to a fast-paced, twisty plot that keeps you on your toes. Some of the twists were a little convoluted, I would have appreciated a little more time to flesh them out.