This was twisty and entertaining, well thought out, and fast paced. I loved the backstory of the town's fascination with Halloween, I just wish that Halloween vibe was a bit stronger through the story. It was definitely more of a police procedural with a touch of Halloween vibe, and less of the creepy, Halloween mystery I was expecting. I love the cover, it was one of the things that drew me to the book, I figured the cats would fit into the Halloween theme, or that there would be a cat(s) in the story somehow, but they were very minor and their portion of the story was actually the only part I didn't enjoy for a couple of reasons- I didn't like what happened to the cats, and I felt like it was just popped into the story just to be popped in.

The writing was great, if I didn't know, I wouldn't think this was a debut. I am looking forward to reading other books by the author in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press Minotaur Books for the ARC copy! All opinions are my own :)

Ok this one actually surprised me so much! It was the perfect moody slow burn thriller! It was creepy and eerie without being TOO creepy. It kinda gave me the same feeling as watching Vampire Diaries except no vampires just a murder mystery.

This will be such a fun read for the fall and definitely surprised me with some of the twists!

My only complaint is just like… what was the point of the cats?

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This was such a great mystery-- I can't believe it's a debut! So rarely does a twist truly surprise me anymore, but this one was really shocking!

Dolores, a forensic pathologist in California, has been estranged from her father, Alexander; stepmom, Charlotte; and two half siblings since age 18. She left her hometown of Little Horton, Wisconsin and never looked back. Little Horton is famous for its Halloween celebrations--and violence that has occurred over the years on that date--but for Dolores, it's just a holiday that she studiously avoids since she left.

But then she receives a call from the FBI: her father has gone missing. She reluctantly returns to Little Horton to investigate with two agents.

This book is spell binding! It effortlessly draws you into the claustrophobic and judgmental town of Little Horton, with its relentless focus on Halloween--and secrets and lies. Everyone in Little Horton reveres Alexander as their former mayor and Senator. For Dolores' family, especially the formidable and scary Charlotte, nothing matters more than appearances.

Adams weaves a taut and dark tale, as the bodies pile up, and Dolores looks into her father's life and disappearance, while slowly remembering more and more about why she left Little Horton so long ago. This story is dramatic and well-written, filled with plenty of suspense. It keeps you guessing, while also featuring nuanced, flawed characters. I would love a sequel!

If you are looking for something that screams fall and Halloween, look no further than Rachel Louise Adams’s debut novel, No Rest for the Wicked.
If there is one thing Dolores never thought she'd do, it's return to her hometown of Little Horton, Wisconsin. A small town known for Halloween and all the freak accidents that have occurred on that day in the town's history. But when an FBI agent calls to say her father is missing, that's exactly what she does, albeit reluctantly.
No Rest for the Wicked reads like a fast-paced, scary movie with crazy plot twists and a little bit of gore. I can honestly see this being the perfect spooky season read with hot chocolate by the fireplace.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Dolores Hawthorne is called back to her hometown of Little Horton, Wisconsin because her father is missing. She hasn’t seen or talked to her father or her siblings since she left twenty years ago and is having a hard time coming back to the life she has tried so desperately to forget. Her father was the former mayor so Dolores thinks that his disappearance will eventually lead to a ransom for his return, but then the bodies start dropping. She soon realizes that the skeletons in her closet from twenty years ago have finally caught up to her and it’s up Dolores, a local cop, and a couple of FBI agents to figure out what’s going on in this little Halloween town.

I was craving a small town missing person’s story and this thriller was one of the best that I’ve read this year! Don’t let the cover fool you, I thought it would be a cute and cozy mystery but this was a full blown murder mystery where no one is safe. I’m usually pretty good at solving mysteries, but this was so well written that the ending took me by surprise. This was a debut novel and I can’t wait to read this author’s next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Dolores is a forensic pathologist that left home at 18 and hasn’t been back or been in contact since. She received a phone call from the FBI stating that her father is missing. She's forced to return to her hometown of Little Horton to face her demons as well as get involved in her father’s disappearance. We soon found out everybody is hiding secrets, including Dolores.

I enjoyed this book and as a murder mystery with some horror elements, it hit the nail on the head. The story was engaging and I became invested. I liked Dolores as a character and thought her becoming involved in a case that could be related to her father’s disappearance because of her professional background was wild.
We, as readers, keep getting breadcrumbs as to why Dolores left town way back when, and you think you know, but you have no idea.
I enjoyed the set-up of the novel, the progression of the story, and the development of the plot and characters. I often try to think of a similar book to compare it to, to suggest to readers “if you liked xyz, you’ll enjoy this”, but this book was unique enough that I don’t have any particular book to compare it to.
One thing I did dislike is the cover and title. I felt it doesn’t really convey the essence of the story.
I will be reading another book by this author in the future.

I will start off with the positives of this book, the story line was engaging for the most part. Small town girl moved away just to be dragged back by unforeseen circumstance. Family drama all that good stuff. It was also a pretty easy read (which I quite enjoy).
The downsides to this book was I found the pacing to be slightly odd.The beginning was very very slow in my opinion then about 50% in I was a bit more hooked, then the last like 20% dragged and I just kind of wanted it to end. This book was a middle of the pack book for me. I didn’t dislike it but I can’t really say I much enjoyed it either.

DNF. Too much angst for my taste. I didn't care about the characters, but I shouldn't have chosen something described as dark in the first place.

📖 Book Review 📖 Close your eyes, feel the cool breeze, and inhale the pumpkin spice - you are imagining yourself living in the grown-up version of Halloweentown. Welcome to Little Horton, Wisconsin, the town obsessed with Halloween, accompanied by a macabre pairing with gruesome deaths. It’s been nearly two decades since Dolores Hawthorne left this tiny town, changed her last name, and never looked back. But when her father goes missing, she has no choice but to return home. What follows is a chain of unfortunate events that lead Dolores to finally confront her past in the hope of finding her father. Rachel Louise Adams combines elements of mystery and familial saga. No Rest for the Wicked is one impressive debut novel, gripping readers from the first chapter and as the countdown to Halloween closes in, the frequency of visits to the morgue increases as Dolores works closely with the FBI to solve this case. The pieces to this puzzle are far more complicated than anyone could have imagined and yet Adams puts them together splendidly!.

The main character of this story is Dolores, a woman searching for answers about her father. The characters around her each have rich descriptions just enough to get to know them and how they're connected to Dolores. The plot keeps you guessing till the end with a nice, unexpected twist. The short chapters enable the plot to flow smoothly. I stayed up late reading this book!

The cover of this book caught my attention first, and I’m so thankful I picked it up. I LOVED this one. Complex characters, twisty plot, this missing person mystery caught my attention and didn’t let go.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC ecopy of this book! Opinions are my own.

“No Rest for the Wicked" by Rachel Louise Adams is an absolute gem that captivated me from the very first page. The narrative is both gripping and thought-provoking, blending elements of suspense and emotional depth seamlessly. Adams has a remarkable ability to create relatable characters, each with their own struggles and complexities, making it easy to become invested in their journeys. I highly recommend "No Rest for the Wicked" to anyone looking for a compelling narrative that lingers long after the last page is turned

A cozy Halloween mystery that tilts on the darker side. Honestly, I would have enjoyed more darkness, but I appreciated what was there. I would have liked more of the town. A fun read with a satisfying ending.

This is a fun, enjoyable, slightly dark book perfect for the Halloween season. Dolores is a likable main character and easy to root for as she delves into hometown mysteries. I look forward to reading more from this debut author.

This story was a bit darker than the cozy Halloween mystery I was expecting, but I still really enjoyed it. I liked the MC, Dolores, and all the characters had their own clear personalities with plenty of depth. This book kept me guessing the whole time, and I found the ending to be satisfying and heartwarming.

✨✨✨A cute Halloween mystery read! ✨✨✨

I went into No Rest for the Wicked thinking it was going to be a cutesy cozy mystery/Halloween read. Which it was, but it was also a little bit darker than I had expected as well! Nothing too crazy, just a little bit, which I really liked that and some parts were pretty funny too! This book really had a terrific mix of things to enjoy.

The writing is spectacular and it flows extremely well. The plot is engaging, even though it is a bit predictable at times (which is fine), and I liked our MC, Dolores. This was a fun mystery and I love the little Halloween details as well!

Overall I really liked this one and it was such a fun read!!


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free ebook copy in exchange for an honest review. This book will be released September 16, 2025.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Shocked that this a debut for this author. I didn’t really know what to expect going into this as I had no familiarity with her writing style, but wow. Slow burning in the most compelling way, our FMC goes in search of her missing father who she just happens to be estranged from. It’s a classic hometown thriller but feels fresh with the characters and writing. I chewed through this and can’t wait to read more from this author!

thank you to netgalley and st. martin's press for the advanced readers copy in return for my honest review.

3.25 i wish the entire book had been like the last 30%. i felt like i was on a rollercoaster that kept going up and down, up and down. unfortunately my connection to the characters never developed and i think that hindered my experience. however, i will be tuned in to see what future books rachel louise adams releases, as i found the writing easy to digest.

No Rest for the Wicked is an enjoyable mystery with well-developed characters. This book has brutal murders, a disappearance and plenty of dark secrets to be revealed. Despite that, I would call it a slow burn and there were times I wished it would move a little faster. Some of the twists were predictable, although I didn't figure them out until fairly far along, but there still a few surprises in store. The ending was heartbreaking and left me with tears in my eyes. This would be an excellent Halloween read if you want some seasonal vibes without the scares. All in all, I thought this was a great debut and I look forward to seeing what Rachel Louise Adams comes up with next.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

You know what? The ending was both surprising and satisfying. However, with a cover like this, this novel is missing the small-town spooky vibes Little Horton is promised to be.

There are some pretty heavy discussions being had in the book, so I do find the choice for the cover... interesting. Maybe a little misleading.