M.L. Rio

About

M. L. Rio is an American novelist, essayist, and Shakespeare scholar whose fiction blends literary references, psychological suspense, and complex explorations of human relationships. Born in Miami, Florida, she developed a passion for books and theatre, working in both bookstores and theatrical productions before becoming a novelist. She earned a master’s degree in Shakespeare Studies through King’s College London and Shakespeare’s Globe, followed by a PhD in English from the University of Maryland. Her debut novel, If We Were Villains, published in 2017, gained an international following for its dark academic atmosphere and intricate portrayal of ambition, friendship, and betrayal. The novel has been translated into numerous languages. Rio also wrote the novella Graveyard Shift and continues to explore the intersection of literature, performance, and human darkness in her work.

Books on TheBookRoads

All genres Mystery

All themes Friendship

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If We Were Villains

Seven Shakespearean acting students. One elite conservatory. A friendship that ends in murder. Oliver Marks has just been released from prison after serving ten years for the death of one of his closest friends. Now, the detective who helped put him behind bars wants to know what really happened. A decade earlier, at the secluded Dellecher Classical Conservatory, Oliver and six fellow actors were inseparable, their lives blurring the line between the roles they played onstage and the people they became off it. But when fierce rivalries turn into jealousy, betrayal, and violence, their final year takes a deadly turn. Dark, atmospheric, and steeped in Shakespeare, If We Were Villains explores the dangerous consequences of obsession and the stories we tell ourselves to survive.

2017 United States