This book takes place in the fictional town of Little Horton, or Little H as they refer to it. A town that seems very much like Salem. Known as Halloween town with a violent history, lots of tourists who show up each fall. The author plays up the spooky/Halloween things which I LOVE and it doesn't feel overdone. IE, one of the local cops name is Officer Butcher. A local doctor who isn't known to have the softest hand or the greatest bedside manner is nicknamed The Ripper etc...

Naturally, everything falls apart days before Halloween. As small, towns go, there are two well known families with lots of ,money between them that everybody knows and loves. The Hawthornes (another Salem nod - Nathaniel Hawthorne is from there) & the Alexanders.

Dolores Hawthorne is called back to her hometown of Little Horton, which she'd left behind 18 years ago, because her father has gone missing. That night fractured her family, we learn why in pieces, flashbacks, throughout the story.

2003 was a rough year for Little Horton where a handful of events - missing teenager, an assault, and so much more all occurred, Everyone seems to have a lot of trauma from that time and has buried things down deep, this novel unravels it all to explain what happened. Are the events from then connected to the events now? Is his disappearance related to his political career? Or has he just run off for his own reasons?

I definitely recommend this book, it will be such a perfect read this spooky season!

This book is giving all the Halloween vibes, which I LOVE. The mystery keeps hold of you until the end and Dolores was an enjoyable narrator. I look forward to reading more of Rachel’s books in the future!

Very enjoyable read. Lots of twists and turns, with characters you can feel for. Would consider it a leisurely read, not something I sped read through but definitely kept me reeled in.
Gotta love a strong FMC with a backbone!

Thank you to the author and publisher for an ARC copy


Trust no one. The high speed roller coaster this book takes you on is no joke. You think you have an idea of what’s happening? Here’s another turn. I did have an idea of what the motive was behind the killing in this Little Halloween Town but I did not have the right culprit. This book was written magnificently and I hope Dolores is a character in a future novel!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Rachel Louise Adams makes an unforgettable debut with “No Rest for the Wicked,” a gripping thriller filled with family secrets, political intrigue, and a chilling mystery that keeps you on edge. Set in the Halloween-obsessed town of Little Horton, Wisconsin—famous for both its festivities and its violent history—the book follows forensic pathologist Dolores Hawthorne as she is forced to confront the past she fled decades ago.

When Dolores’s father, a former mayor turned U.S. Senator, goes missing under suspicious circumstances, she returns home for the first time in nearly twenty years. But she’s not just facing a missing person case—she’s also stepping back into a fractured family and a town filled with people who remember her as the girl who disappeared. With childhood friends holding grudges, a resentful stepmother, and half-siblings who barely know her, Dolores is met with a chilling welcome. And as the FBI, led by Agent Wyatt, begins investigating, it becomes clear that her father’s disappearance is linked to another tragedy from Dolores’s past: the vanishing of her childhood friend years ago.

Told through multiple perspectives—including Dolores, Wyatt, a local police officer, and another FBI agent—the book expertly unravels a layered mystery, keeping you guessing with every twist and turn. Adams’s writing shines in her ability to weave together the past and present, with flashbacks revealing the traumatic events that led Dolores to leave Little Horton in the first place. Her complex character development adds emotional depth, particularly as Dolores struggles to stop running from her past and finally face the truth.

The pacing is tight, the suspense is relentless, and the twists are unexpected, making for an exhilarating read. The book’s ending ties up the loose ends satisfyingly, though I did wish for just a bit more closure with certain characters like Wyatt and Teddy. The political undertones and the town’s eerie Halloween backdrop add an extra layer of intrigue, making “No Rest for the Wicked” not just a thriller, but a deeply atmospheric and emotionally resonant novel as well as a commentary on the rich and powerful who believe they can get away with anything.

Rachel Louise Adams proves she is a master of suspense with this debut. For fans of psychological thrillers and crime fiction with a strong emotional core, “No Rest for the Wicked” is a must-read. And with such a compelling protagonist, one can only hope that this won’t be the last we see of Dolores Hawthorne.

Rachel Louise Adams new book “No Rest for the Wicked” has definitely put Rachel Adams on my “watch for new books list”. Lots of suspense, twists, and turns. Also, dysfunctional family relationships play throughout the storyline. Great book.

Such a great book. Couldn't stop reading it. Thank you for my advance reader copy. Can't wait to look up other books from this author.

I absolutely loved this thriller—I still can't believe it's Rachel Louise Adams's debut novel! No Rest for the Wicked is a masterful example of suspense done right. Adams expertly layers the story with subtle clues, keeping readers guessing without ever revealing too much. I was literally breathless while reading, eagerly flipping pages to unravel the mystery.

Forensic pathologist Dolores Hawthorne suddenly returns to her hometown twenty years after vanishing without a trace, drawn back because her father—former mayor and current U.S. Senator—has gone missing. With the FBI swiftly arriving to investigate, Dolores faces not only her father's suspicious disappearance but also a tangled web of complicated relationships: half-siblings who barely know her, her father's young wife who openly resents her, and childhood friends she left behind—including a police officer holding a grudge and her ex-boyfriend, now serving as mayor.

Why did Dolores leave in the first place? And what really happened to her father? Adams keeps you on edge, peeling back layers of the past and present until the shocking truth is revealed. I’m already hoping for a second book—please, Dolores, come back!

#NoRestForTheWicked #RachelLouiseAdams #StMartinsPress #norestforthewicked #rachellouiseadams #stmartinspress

really enjoyed the secrets and hidden fun in this one. Will enjoy if you like mystery and cozy feelings. this will be great for a fall read