Billy is a funny little guy – he went through a range of emotions during this 20 second photoshoot. There was a squirrel taunting him from a nearby tree.
Thank you Minotaur Books for the gifted copy!
NO REST FOR THE WICKED – Rachel Louise Adams (Released September 16th, 2025)
Book Description:
With an expert hand, Rachel Louise Adams’s debut No Rest for the Wicked reads like an edge of your seat, heart-pounding scary movie.
In one Halloween obsessed Midwestern town, everyone’s on red alert after a local politician goes missing. Little do they know it’s only the beginning.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 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.
My Thoughts: 5/5 stars
A book that literally has Billy on the cover is one that I need. This is a fantastic debut and I cannot wait to see what we get from Adams comes out with next! Initially I was anticipating a slower burn thriller, based on some other reviews, but I FLEW through this book. Perfect for the Halloween lovers out there and for those who believe it’s not just a holiday, but a way of life. This town is OBSESSED with Halloween and I’d 100% go visit. This also being set in the midwest made this Minnesota reader very happy.
Missing persons, drama, murder, corruption, deep buried secrets, all with the backdrop of a small town preparing for their favorite time of year. Dolores, now a forensic pathologist, returns to her hometown of Little Horton Wisconsin to assist in the investigation of a missing local politician. Well, that local politician also happens to be her father.
There’s ALWAYS drama going on when we get a small town setting and I’m here for it. It always raises more questions and creates great tension. While I was captivated from start to finish, that last 20%? You couldn’t get me to put it down until I knew how it ended.
Don’t let the cover fool you, this isn’t a cozy little Halloween read. This is a fast paced, dark thriller with murder and mysteries to drag you in.
Jessicamap Reviews 