“For someone who loved words as much as I did, it was amazing how often they failed me.”
If you’re looking for M.L. Rio books in order, you’ve likely stumbled upon her lauded debut novel, If We Were Villains. Acclaimed for its dark academia atmosphere, Shakespearean themes, and haunting character study, this book quickly established M.L. Rio as a standout voice in the literary fiction space. But readers often wonder: Is If We Were Villains a standalone, or is there a specific M.L. Rio reading order to follow? Her quickly growing reputation has sparked plenty of discussion over which of her works are the best, so we here at What We Reading thought we would weigh in with our favourite M.L. Rio books in order! So, whether you’re a longtime follower or just discovering her work, here’s everything you need to know about all M.L. Rio’s books released so far!
If We Were Villains (2017)
Where else could we start our list of M.L. Rio books than with her viral debut novel, If We Were Villains? Oliver Marks has just served ten years in prison – for a murder he may or may not have committed. On the day he is released, he’s greeted by the man who put him in prison. Detective Colborne is retiring, but before he does, he wants to know what really happened a decade ago.
As one of seven young actors studying Shakespeare at an elite arts college, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingenue, extra. But when the casting changes, and the secondary characters begin to usurp the stars, the plays spill dangerously over into real life. Soon, one of the actors is found dead. The rest face their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, and themselves, that they are blameless.
Check Out The Best Books Like If We Were Villains
Graveyard Shift (2024)
Every night, in the college’s ancient cemetery, five people cross paths as they work the late shift: a bartender, a rideshare driver, a hotel receptionist, the steward of the derelict church that looms over them, and the editor-in-chief of the college paper, always in search of a story. One dark October night in the defunct churchyard, they find a hole that wasn’t there before. A fresh, open grave where no grave should be. But who dug it, and for whom?
Before they go their separate ways, the gravedigger returns. As they trail him through the night, they realise he may be the key to a string of strange happenings around town that have made headlines for the last few weeks – and that they might be closer to the mystery than they thought. Atmospheric and eerie with the same academic backdrop as If We Were Villains, Graveyard Shift is a modern gothic novella perfect for anyone looking for a taste of M.L. Rio’s style.
Hot Wax (2025)
Summer 1989: ten-year-old Suzanne is drawn like a magnet to her father’s forbidden world of electric guitars and tricked-out cars. When her mother remarries, she jumps at the chance to tag along on the concert tour that could well be Gil and the Kills’ wild ride to glory. But fame has sharper fangs than anyone realised, and as the band blazes up the charts, internal power struggles set Gil and his group on a collision course destined for a bloody reckoning.
The only witness to a desperate act of violence, Suzanne spends the next twenty-nine years trying to disappear. She trades the music and mayhem of her youth for the quiet of the suburbs and the company of her mild-mannered husband, Rob. But when her father’s sudden death resurrects her troubled past, she hits the road in search of answers. Yet Rob refuses to let her go. Determined to bring her back where she belongs, he chases her across the country – and drives her to a desperation all her own.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
