I couldn’t download this book fast enough. Look at that cover! 🙀

Home is where the heart is. For some, maybe, but for Dolores it has been 20 years since she left her small hometown in Wisconsin. If it hadn’t been for a call from the FBI informing her that her father is missing, it could’ve been 20 more before she returned. The small town feel was real, but it wasn’t warm and fuzzy. Maybe the way this town bonded over their enthusiasm for Halloween could stand out as a small town feeling, but it wasn’t warm, it was creepy. Dolores’ reception home was cold, at best.

The character development was fantastic and the suspense kept the pages briskly turning. Why did Dolores leave anyway? Luckily, the narrative peeks into the past. For a debut novel, it’s a good, dark thriller. And the cats! Great Halloween fodder. Recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an early copy.

Dolores Hawthorne left her home in Little Horton, Wisconsin twenty years ago and never looked back. She left her beloved father, stepmother and brother behind and made a new life for herself. She became a forensic pathologist, got married and never told anyone the secrets she left behind. Life-changing secrets.

Little Horton isn’t just any small town. It takes Halloween very seriously. In fact, many violent deaths occurred in Little Horton on Halloween. Dolores is less than thrilled when she gets a call from the FBI. Her father is missing and she’s needed back home. After all these years, she has no choice but to face her fears.

Her stepmother and siblings aren’t too happy to see her, but Dolores just wants to find her father and go back to her life. All she finds is a message from her father telling her to trust no one.

The book is filled with secrets, emotions, tragedy and betrayal. It’s all wrapped up in this captivating tale of one woman’s fight for her family’s survival.

This is edge-of-your-seat reading at its finest. It would make an excellent movie and a great Halloween read. The characters are well-written and realistic. The storyline could be taken from a news headline. It’s fast-pace and filled with suspense at every turn.

Just when I thought I knew exactly what was going on, I found out that I didn’t know anything. There were many twists and turns along the way. I’m stunned to learn this is the author’s debut novel. She got it right the first time out.

The cover is a bit misleading. It looks supernatural with a bunch of scary cats. The town is overrun with feral cats and it’s a sad aspect of the story, but it’s a side storyline which isn’t mentioned often.

A spellbinding thriller that kept me up late into the night. I’ll definitely be checking out the next book this author writes.










FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I really enjoyed this novel. The writing is solid, the plot is propulsive and the characters are relatable. The story is deceptively simple and yet, when you really think it over, there are layers upon layers and a wall full of maps, photos and red string. I look forward to reading more from this amazing author.

This eerie story follows Dolores Hawthorne, a forensic pathologist, who is estranged from her family. Her world is turned upside down when she gets a call from the FBI stating that her father is missing, who is the mayor of a small midwestern town infamous for Halloween celebrations and untimely deaths. Upon her arrival, she must face her past while also taking heed of her father’s warning to trust no one.
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Really enjoyed this arc! Loved the small town setting with the creepy vibes. The author did a good job of setting the tone and pace throughout the book. I was intrigued from the beginning and found myself racing through to the end. Definitely has some triggering events/themes so make sure you check beforehand! Recommend for thriller/mystery lovers!

This is pretty dark and has a lot of twists you won't see coming (and a couple you will). It reads well and the characters are very interesting. Don't wait on this one!

A slow burn thriller but kept me guessing. Delores get a phone call from the FBI needing to meet with her, turns out her father a former US senator has been abducted.  Delores has been estranged from her family for several years and gets a very cool welcome when she returns home. Delores is a forensic pathologist. Her hometown (Little Horton) is known for its Halloween celebration and draws tourists by the thousands. There are lots if past histories and secrets to be told. Delores even gets to use her skills s a pathologist to use.  This was a very entertaining and fun read. Perfect for fall / spooky season.

This was an unexpected surprise! I didn’t know if it was a horror novel or something supernatural based off of the cover and Halloween themes, but it was definitely a mystery with some horrifying things in it. I got hooked from the beginning with the phone call from the FBI summoning Dolores to Wisconsin. The rest of the book kind of flew by. I liked that the killer was someone who was avenging the person he loved most in the world, and not just some random psycho serial killer. He was a serial killer kind of but to get revenge for his sister. There was a little more depth to him. I liked Dolores as well, and thought she was a strong leading character.

"By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes."

THIS. This is what I'm looking for when I pick up a thriller.

where you don't actually know what to believe until the very end. everything keeps you second guessing. it's such a *thrill* (I'm cheesy, shh it's fine.) I was even thrown by the cover up until a certain point! the whole time I was like, what do the cats have to do with this? 😂 you too shall find out. seriously, hands down in my top thriller reads.

everything from the spooky little Halloween town, the trauma, the plot twists, was all done incredibly well. a spectacular debut Rachel! 🖤🐈‍⬛

there is a certain character that I have beef with still, but I can't say more. they know what they did. it's definitely one you should go in relatively blind, but read over the trigger/content warnings at the least! there are dark themes happening. I'm gonna leave my review at that, so I don't end up spoiling anything!

thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and the author, Rachel, for gifting me with an e-arc.

It’s been close to twenty years since forensic pathologist Dolores Hawthorne fled her hometown of Little Horton, Wisconsin. The town is famous for its Halloween celebrations, as well as its history of violent deaths linked to the holiday. To Dolores, it’s also the place she fled from famly & bad memories, But when the FBI calls to tell her that her father--the former mayor turned US Senator--is missing under mysterious circumstances, Dolores knows she has to face her demons and return to her hometown. 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 were a note left addressed to her warning her 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.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I had seen so much hype over it, I was excited to read it, and I was not disappointed. I loved Dolores. She was someone everyone loved, and she fled the town after she graduated, because she was drugged & raped by her boyfriend during a Halloween party she was throwing. She got pregnant and had to have the pregnancy terminated because it was an ectopic pregnancy. All of this caused her to have a severe aversion to Halloween, and to leave town and never look back. Once she gets back to town however, she begins to remember things from that night, and realizes she got it all wrong. While coming to grips with that, she is searching for leads to what has happened to her father, hoping to find him before it is too late. This had an excellent mystery, and I loved the inclusion of Halloween, which added a creepiness factor, since people were wearing masks during several of the key moments of the book. Oh, and there were lots of cats.... and who doesn't love cats?

My god, the twists this took! So many bodies dropping, it had me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out who did it! A great, suspenseful whodunit! 5/5 stars! Thank you so much to NetGalley, Minotaur Books and Rachel Louise Adams for this eARC! I loved every minute of it! I’ll definitely be reading more from this author!

No Rest for the Wicked by Rachel Louise Adams 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. I thought the author did a great job of depicting the small town feel of this book. Little Horton, is where everyone 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 was a well-crafted debut novel and I look forward to what Ms. Adams has in store next for readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy prior to purchasing this book.
# NoRestForTheWicked #Netgalley #StMartinsPress

I cannot imagine something happening so horrible that I would stay away from my family for eighteen years. When Dolores goes back home all she wants is to find her father. When she reconnects with her blended family things are very awkward. Soon she is drawn back into drama that she wanted to avoid. The author made this novel simple and straight forward to read and enjoy. This book dealt with some crazy dynamics’s. I felt sorry for all the adult children. Every time I read about their strained conversations and crazy interactions; I wanted to interrupt the discussions and help the family. I found this family sad and really broken.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur for an advance copy of this novel.

I have read some impressive debut novels in the past year of reviewing and Rachel Louise Adams is now on that list.

The main female character is LA forensic pathologist Dolores Hawthorne, frequently called Doll or Dolls by friends and family, though it’s hard to picture her in little girl mode. Her profession keeps her hands full with ‘viscera,’ and every person, or situation, she comes upon makes her think of the many different deaths they might lead to. She is plagued by violent nightmares that she can only deal with by naming head bones—sphenoid, frontal, lacrimal. She also uses the bone mantra to pull herself together when anxiety overtakes her, which, considering her preoccupation with death by career and personality, is often.

As the story opens, she has just caught her philandering husband Max ‘in flagrante’ with his yoga teacher, and has kicked him out. At peak anxiety and with corpses piling up at work, she receives a middle of the night phone call from the FBI that compels her—though with great fear and loathing—to return to her hometown after a 20 year absence and a fierce determination not to. That happens to be Little Horton, Wisconsin, a town renowned for its Halloween celebrations and little else. Except perhaps for her famous father, former mayor, now senator, seemingly abducted from his home office.

Dolores has a hard time going home because she is estranged from her father, her southern belle stepmother, and her younger half-siblings. Nor, when she arrives at the family mansion, are they in any way welcoming. She hasn’t seen her brother and sister since they were babies, and though she has warm memories of them, her brother is openly hostile and her sister has no memory of her except what the others have related, none of it good.

It’s clear that Dolores doesn’t want to dig up her own memories. It’s equally clear that no one in Little Horton, which has a truly ‘Halloween’ feel, wants her there or is willing to help her find her father, much less the reason for his disappearance. It seems to be related to her own sudden departure; everyone seems to blame her for something that happened at a Halloween party in 2003, and by extension, for her father’s kidnapping.

The tension builds slowly as the obsessive-compulsive Dolores starts to unravel memories and dig up hidden facts. There are ugly things happening, there is danger to mind and body, but, emotionally fragile as she is also smart and doggedly persistent. There are scream moments, but they are interwoven with a wonderfully dark humour. I found Rachel Louise Adams’ debut to be, like her main character, truly compulsive and I hope there is a series being planned.

Wow! Its hard to believe this is a debut novel. Its so well done. I was gripped from the start. The characters are interesting. I was invested in the outcome. Which i didn't see coming. When the end came I wasn't ready to say goodbye.

This is not what I was expecting! I thought I was going into a spooky, maybe creepy Halloween story.... Well, no ma'am! We follow Pathologist Dolores who has to return to her small Wisconsin hometown when she is informed her father is missing. The town itself has so many secrets and deaths revolving around Halloween and then there's the mystery on why Dolores left in the first place? This book is definitely Wicked , so make sure and check your trigger warnings! I could not put it down and let me say, I am still trying to pick my job up after the ending!! Definitely recommend as we enter spooky season. Put it on your Halloween TBR !!

Thank you Minotaur Pree and NetGalley for letting me read and review an eARC of this book!

A missing person's case in a small town during the Halloween season makes for a perfect mytery thriller to read in the fall. The cover is deceptive because it gives off “spooky supernatual” vibes. However, sometimes the scariest things are people and what they are capable of doing.

I enjoyed this book! It was a quick read and the mystery was intriguing. It had me guessing "who done it" after every chapter, gasping at the reveals and revelations.

One thing I am bias of in thriller books are short chapters and No Rest for the Wicked delivered. I also appreciated the authors presentation of how trauma effects memory. This allowed me to connect more with the characters, and be decieved by others…

Overall good read and perfect pick to add to your fall tbr!

This book is wicked…just like the title!! I loved the intricacies and all the twists and turns. This book keeps you on your toes for sure!

It’s been close to twenty years since forensic pathologist Dolores Hawthorne left her hometown of Little Horton, Wisconsin. Dolores fled everything when she was younger…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.

Dolores is a tough character but she has some major trauma as well. She covers this well…until she can’t anymore. I found her character heartbreaking but I loved her toughness and intelligence.

Then there is the huge twist I did not see coming. Talk about gasping when I read it…this knocked me for a loop!

This tale has quite a few moving parts and the author wove them around each other magnificently. I love how the author brought all the moving parts together…and not without consequences.

The narrator, Jeremy Carlisle Parker, is excellent! But he really had a very good tale to work with!

Need a good fall read that will give you a few surprises…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

I finished this book in a day!

This is like a dark mystery that I didn’t know I needed. I was able to get this as an early arc from
NetGalley and St. Martins Press.

I loved the way this story unfolded even though something’s could possibly be predicted it kept me on the edge of my seat. The character set ups, the story line, the mystery, the heartache and the character development was written so well. I understood it all and just overall enjoyed this debut!

Traditional format (digital)

Let's start off by saying the cover of this book was super misleading and quite frankly might cause people who do judge books by their cover to shy away (unless you're a cat lover I guess lol!). There is a subplot involving cats but this book is more dark police/forensic drama and less black cat Halloween cozy mystery like the cover suggests.

My thoughts on the book: This was a easy read with lots of secrets, lies, twists and turns and the right amount of creepiness. The characters and setting/ambiance were enjoyable and added to the overall feel of the book. I did find the pacing a little off for my liking. The book started off pretty slow for me which sometimes turns me off especially for slow burn type thrillers but it did pick up and come together nicely by the end.

This was a great debut novel that I can see being turned into a series. I am Looking forward to seeing what else this author has up her sleeves. I give this one a 4/5 black cats (see what I did there hahahaha)

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for a digital ARC of this book. Opinions are my own.

WOW! I read this in one day! I simply could not put it down. Such great characters, idyllic setting (I love Halloween themed mysteries!), exciting plot and great writing makes No Rest for the Wicked a must read. I cannot believe this is this author's debut! Amazing!