Where There's Smoke
Will be published approx. on 6. October 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
368 pages
978-1-83541-876-5 (ISBN)
Description
A dark, suspenseful, Wisconsin-set thriller with a rich (opened) vein of pitch-black humour, this standalone novel sees No Rest for the Wicked's pathologist heroine Dolores Diaz return to the Midwest to investigate a suspicious, grisly death in a small-town slaughterhouse. Perfect for fans of Ronald Malfi and Rachel Harrison.
A lot has happened in Dolores Hawthorne's life since the events of last Halloween. She's divorced, traded being a forensic pathologist for a job as a medical examiner, and now lives in small-town Wisconsin, close-but not too close-to her family.
Dolores doesn't have much in the way of work, but that all changes when a body is found at the local slaughterhouse. Benedict Marcy owned Marcy's Meats, and is affectionately called Mr. Mercy across the region. This high-profile case quickly catches the attention of Dolores's friends at the FBI.
From the very beginning, this case is full of contradictions and surprises, and the team quickly learns someone is willing to go to extreme lengths to stop them from finding out the truth behind Benedict Marcy's murder.
A lot has happened in Dolores Hawthorne's life since the events of last Halloween. She's divorced, traded being a forensic pathologist for a job as a medical examiner, and now lives in small-town Wisconsin, close-but not too close-to her family.
Dolores doesn't have much in the way of work, but that all changes when a body is found at the local slaughterhouse. Benedict Marcy owned Marcy's Meats, and is affectionately called Mr. Mercy across the region. This high-profile case quickly catches the attention of Dolores's friends at the FBI.
From the very beginning, this case is full of contradictions and surprises, and the team quickly learns someone is willing to go to extreme lengths to stop them from finding out the truth behind Benedict Marcy's murder.
Reviews / Votes
PRAISE FOR NO REST FOR THE WICKED:Something wicked this way comes trick-or-treating: No Rest for the Wicked creeps in like a Halloween cozy mystery, then cuts like an autopsy incision straight down the reader's imagination. Rachel Louise Adams writes with a scalpel, and her delicious debut novel reads like a candy corn coroner's report.
-Clay McLeod Chapman, author of Wake Up and Open Your Eyes
An electrifying and intoxicating read. This kept me up at night for all the right reasons.
-Irenosen Okojie, author of Curandera
No Rest for the Wicked gives Sleepy Hollow crime vibes perfect for Spooky Season. Readers won't want to rest once they enter the world of death and secrets in Little Horton.
-V. Castro, author of The Haunting of Alejandra and Immortal Pleasures
A dark, twisty mystery with a cascade of blood splatter, Rachel Louise Adams's debut had me on the edge of my seat until the very end, with twists I never saw coming and characters to die for.
-Kelsey Cox, author of Party of Liars
An eerie small-town mystery that builds to a pulse-pounding conclusion.
-Olivia Worley, author of So Happy Together
An original story with a twist like a knife to the gut.
-People magazine, 'Best Books of the Month'
Not to telegraph the ending or anything, but sometimes I launch into a book and find myself thinking This is a debut novel? Seriously?'... I am experiencing it once again with Rachel Louise Adams' No Rest for the Wicked... The book impresses on every level-suspense, characters, plot, twists, milieu and quality of writing.
-BookPage starred review
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 130 mm
Thickness: 55 mm
Weight
255 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-83541-876-5 (9781835418765)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Rachel Louise Adams was raised in a small town in Brittany by a French father and a North American mother. After spending most of her childhood reading and writing, she went on to study literature at university (Universite de Bretagne Occidentale), graduating with honours and getting a PhD scholarship. Her debut novel No Rest for the Wicked was published in September 2025 by Titan Books in the UK and Minotaur Books (Macmillan) in the US, and was selected as one of the 'Best New Books' of September by People Magazine.
Instagram: @rachellouiseadams
Instagram: @rachellouiseadams