What do you think?
Rate this book
Graveyard Shift
Author of sales sensation If We Were Villains returns with a story about a ragtag group of night shift workers who meet in the local cemetery to unearth the secrets lurking in an open grave.
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 evening 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 realize 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 may be closer to the mystery than they thought.
Atmospheric and eerie, with the ensemble cast her fans love and a delightfully familiar academic backdrop, Graveyard Shift is a modern Gothic tale in If We Were Villains author M. L. Rio’s inimitable style.
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 evening 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 realize 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 may be closer to the mystery than they thought.
Atmospheric and eerie, with the ensemble cast her fans love and a delightfully familiar academic backdrop, Graveyard Shift is a modern Gothic tale in If We Were Villains author M. L. Rio’s inimitable style.
144 pages, Paperback
Expected publication September 24, 2024
About the author
M.L. Rio
4 books7,630 followersM. L. Rio is an author, but before she was an author she was an actor, and before she was an actor she was just a word nerd whose best friends were books. She holds a master's degree in Shakespeare Studies from King's College London and Shakespeare's Globe and a PhD in English from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews
Want to read
February 2, 2024and it's a novella???? let me at it!!
Want to read
April 21, 2024all the if we were villains fans waiting for another book for 7 years only for it to be 128 pages...kind of a slay
July 7, 2024
I was drawn in by the premise and loved the execution.
You know it's a great novella when you wished it was longer after finishing it.
I listened to the audiobook version and I especially loved the multiple narrators adaptation of the multiple point of views writing.
It felt somewhere between mystery and atmospheric horror, with well fleshed out characters and great pacing.
It was my first book from the author but with such great writing style and original ideas I will check out their other work.
You know it's a great novella when you wished it was longer after finishing it.
I listened to the audiobook version and I especially loved the multiple narrators adaptation of the multiple point of views writing.
It felt somewhere between mystery and atmospheric horror, with well fleshed out characters and great pacing.
It was my first book from the author but with such great writing style and original ideas I will check out their other work.
Want to read
February 1, 2024i’m about to become the most insufferable person you’ve ever met
July 8, 2024
I guess I'm going to be the outlier here because I found this one to be kind of “meh.” I mean, it was okay and I found the individual chapters enjoyable, but there just wasn't enough of them to make an entire story. This is a very superficial tale with no real depth to the plot line or characters – it kind of reminded me of a dog-less Scooby Doo episode for adults, except for with way less action than the cartoons. If it had been longer and more fully fleshed out, I'm pretty sure I would have loved it. Insomniacs in a spooky graveyard are right up my alley!
But, yeah … what is the gravedigger doing in the graveyard so late at night? There's a tremendous sense of foreboding as our sleuths follow him around and you keep expecting something horrifying to happen, but then they move on to the next part of their investigation and it just kind of fizzles out. “Ooh, we discovered this crazy thing is happening in a totally mundane way! Anyway, let's eat breakfast burritos.” (This might be a slight oversimplification, but still.)
Despite my disappointment surrounding the ending, however, M.L. Rio really does know how to write atmospheric prose. The beginning bits in the graveyard are really top notch and I so wish that sense of creepiness had lasted through the entire novella.
Oh, and if you're wondering about animal death, there's definitely some in this book. Most of the deaths happen “off stage” and don't involve any gore, but there is a scene with a rat that's fairly awful.
The audiobook recording is pretty well done, although there is one character who sounds kind of flat and rather AI-narrated. It's 100% a real human voice, but my first thought was “this narrator sounds like one of those AI book readers.” Otherwise, though, it was fine.
My overall rating: 2.65 stars, rounded up.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is September 24, 2024.
But, yeah … what is the gravedigger doing in the graveyard so late at night? There's a tremendous sense of foreboding as our sleuths follow him around and you keep expecting something horrifying to happen, but then they move on to the next part of their investigation and it just kind of fizzles out. “Ooh, we discovered this crazy thing is happening in a totally mundane way! Anyway, let's eat breakfast burritos.” (This might be a slight oversimplification, but still.)
Despite my disappointment surrounding the ending, however, M.L. Rio really does know how to write atmospheric prose. The beginning bits in the graveyard are really top notch and I so wish that sense of creepiness had lasted through the entire novella.
Oh, and if you're wondering about animal death, there's definitely some in this book. Most of the deaths happen “off stage” and don't involve any gore, but there is a scene with a rat that's fairly awful.
The audiobook recording is pretty well done, although there is one character who sounds kind of flat and rather AI-narrated. It's 100% a real human voice, but my first thought was “this narrator sounds like one of those AI book readers.” Otherwise, though, it was fine.
My overall rating: 2.65 stars, rounded up.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is September 24, 2024.
Want to read
June 12, 2024♡ signed waterstones copies (available as of june 12th)
♡ If We Were Villains ★★★★★
/the/ novella of 2024 wow
(also, i recently found out that the m in ml rio stands for melanie and that's still extremely wild to me for some reasons hahah)
blog | instagram | youtube | kofi | spotify | amazon
♡ If We Were Villains ★★★★★
/the/ novella of 2024 wow
(also, i recently found out that the m in ml rio stands for melanie and that's still extremely wild to me for some reasons hahah)
blog | instagram | youtube | kofi | spotify | amazon
June 5, 2024
A grim, feverish delight that keeps you guessing and doesn’t overstay its welcome after the macabre events unfold.
March 30, 2024
i love the cover <3 i hope it’s like if we were villains!! the perfect autumn book
Read
February 3, 2024wdym it’s only 128 pages???? 😩
April 3, 2024
a discomforting, sleep-haunted thrill of a novella about hostile science, an abandoned church, and a group of insomniacs who stumble headfirst into the fungi-laden roots of their university's most recent and violently unsettling headlines, graveyard shift is a screaming fever dream of a read that entirely satisfies. i can't wait for it to creep into the world this fall. y'all are in for a ride.
Shelved as 'not-yet-released'
February 9, 2024when i tell you i trust M.L. Rio enough that i wish this novella was a 500 page novel of some people following a dude around in the dark-
July 11, 2024
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio is one of my favorite books that I have read in the last few years. I, like many others, have been eagerly awaiting Rio's second book which happens to come in the form of this little novella. I think this is a great example of Rio's writing skill when it comes to prose, but it is not a good example of what she is capable of when it comes to characters and plot. Everything sort of fell flat except for the eerie atmosphere of the graveyard.
In the end, I was a bit disappointed because I felt like the whole book was for nothing as the ending is quite lackluster. I did enjoy the audio narration and even though this novella is only 140 pages and therefore wouldn't be a hassle to read with your eyes, I think the audio is definitely worth a listen.
In the end, I was a bit disappointed because I felt like the whole book was for nothing as the ending is quite lackluster. I did enjoy the audio narration and even though this novella is only 140 pages and therefore wouldn't be a hassle to read with your eyes, I think the audio is definitely worth a listen.
April 9, 2024
i’m gonna need everyone to read this the minute it comes out
Want to read
February 2, 2024having this book is not a WANT. IT'S. A. NEED.
Shelved as '2024-new-releases'
February 26, 2024let me process this. shhhh. hold on. i need to gather my thoughts. i am computing. beeep beep. ohhhh something is reaching my brain i think. no. there is nothing. i'll try again another time. for now i rest
July 8, 2024
Unfortunately, this book was really not for me. I've been keen to try one of Rio's works for a while, but when it came down to it, I was incredibly underwhelmed. Ultimately, this is a rather badly constructed book, with no appeal in worldbuilding. Maybe if this was not novella it would work but it is not.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 26, 2024
A quick, smart novella combining medical ethics, religious imagery, insomnia, and chainsmoking. Fans of Rio's prior release If We Were Villains will love this return to spooky academia, and Rio remains uncannily good at believably assembling groups of characters who have no actual business interacting at all. Content warning for violence against animals, which is pivotal to the plot but not my cup of tea nonetheless.
Many thanks to netgalley for this ARC!!
Many thanks to netgalley for this ARC!!
July 8, 2024
3.75⭐️ Not quite If We Were Villains, but an engaging, smart and well-written novella. Thank you to Flatiron Books for an advance reading copy.
Want to read
December 18, 2023fall 2024 we will be tuning in!
April 30, 2024
This was the perfect book to curl up with in a pitch-black room with my Kindle perched on my chest beneath the covers as I flinch at every sound my dog makes thinking it's a rat coming to eat me alive.
I'd say that's a win in my book.
I hate that this is a novella, but I'm glad I got to experience it.
I'd say that's a win in my book.
I hate that this is a novella, but I'm glad I got to experience it.
Want to read
February 1, 2024BABE WAKE UP NEW M.L RIO IS DROPPING
July 5, 2024
This had so many good things going for it: a ragtag group of friends, multiple POVs, an eerie setting, excellent writing, and an interesting premise - A group of night shift workers who regularly meet up at a local defunct cemetery find a freshly dug grave. I loved the shift in POV between chapters and how that gave us a different perspective to the grave, group dynamics, and happenings around town. There was one very memorable scene with rats that has, unfortunately (lol), stuck with me. While this was a good read at 3.75 stars, it was short in a way that left me a bit unsatisfied and wanting more. Still, a well-written and interesting little horror novella.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this novella in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this novella in exchange for an honest review.
Want to read
March 26, 2024It truly was time for M. L. Rio to come and save us from this madness...
Thank you.
.
Thank you.
.
Want to read
March 26, 2024I’ll be honest I adore this kind of book covers with dead or tortured animals.
Want to read
February 1, 2024128 PAGES? gorllll can I have some more
April 13, 2024
3.5 rounded up because i still think everyone should read it when it comes out this fall!!
Want to read
February 1, 2024i’d like to apologize for the person i’ll become when this comes out because you're gonna be SICK OF MEEE
Want to read
April 29, 2024I've been on my knees
Change the prophecy
Don't want money
Just someone who wants my company (this book)
Change the prophecy
Don't want money
Just someone who wants my company (this book)
July 11, 2024
thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced audiobook copy!
this one is out September 24, 2024.
--
this little novella was my first experience with m.l. rio and i thought it was... fine. graveyard shift is a tiny, well-written story about a handful of people that stumble across a freshly dug grave. they let their curiosity get the best of them and go on an investigation to figure out who dug up the ground and what secrets they want to bury.
i would say where this book excelled was in vibes and atmosphere. 10/10 was fully immersed in the darkness, i could smell petrichor, i would feel the dirt on my hands. the atmosphere was so rich and so visceral that i'm definitely going to have to pick up rio's full length novel sooner than later. unfortunately, i do think that the length hobbled this story. because the cast was an ensemble group of characters, each person got their own chapter. this was cool, but because this was a fairly short story it felt frustrating to be engaged with a character knowing that i'd have finite time with them to be put into a different character's head.
i like the whodunit scooby style of the narrative a lot - the investigative work teased open pieces of each character's background and i thought the author did a good job of making each perspective unique. sadly, it made it even more frustrating that there wasn't hours and hours more of this audiobook.
as far as the mystery itself, it was fine. i think length would have served here, too, but since the plot wasn't played out over chapters of set-up, i think an opportunity was missed to make the story more exciting. so i guess not a bad review. the writing, characterization, the dialogue, etc. was all good, i just wanted more of everything.
this one is out September 24, 2024.
--
this little novella was my first experience with m.l. rio and i thought it was... fine. graveyard shift is a tiny, well-written story about a handful of people that stumble across a freshly dug grave. they let their curiosity get the best of them and go on an investigation to figure out who dug up the ground and what secrets they want to bury.
i would say where this book excelled was in vibes and atmosphere. 10/10 was fully immersed in the darkness, i could smell petrichor, i would feel the dirt on my hands. the atmosphere was so rich and so visceral that i'm definitely going to have to pick up rio's full length novel sooner than later. unfortunately, i do think that the length hobbled this story. because the cast was an ensemble group of characters, each person got their own chapter. this was cool, but because this was a fairly short story it felt frustrating to be engaged with a character knowing that i'd have finite time with them to be put into a different character's head.
i like the whodunit scooby style of the narrative a lot - the investigative work teased open pieces of each character's background and i thought the author did a good job of making each perspective unique. sadly, it made it even more frustrating that there wasn't hours and hours more of this audiobook.
as far as the mystery itself, it was fine. i think length would have served here, too, but since the plot wasn't played out over chapters of set-up, i think an opportunity was missed to make the story more exciting. so i guess not a bad review. the writing, characterization, the dialogue, etc. was all good, i just wanted more of everything.
July 5, 2024
Actual rating: 3.5/5 Stars
This is another book that it pains me to give it less than 4 stars but it just seemed too abrupt for me. M.L. Rio is a fantastic character writer and if you loved the cast in If We Were Villains be prepared to see similar people in this story. The problem arises in that this story is entirely too short. I felt like I was just getting to hear the story when it abruptly cuts off at ends. One of the characters almost got zero screen time. The others were establishing their relationships and mending past problems. The mystery was coming out of the woodwork. I just expected a whole night of scooby gang sleuthing and then it just left me with nothing. Should have been a whole book or at least 100 pages longer. All of that to say that M.L. Rio is an incredible writer so I really enjoyed the characters for the time I got to see them. Maybe one day we will revisit these characters in a longer novel. One can only hope.
Thank you to the publisher for providing this audioARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is another book that it pains me to give it less than 4 stars but it just seemed too abrupt for me. M.L. Rio is a fantastic character writer and if you loved the cast in If We Were Villains be prepared to see similar people in this story. The problem arises in that this story is entirely too short. I felt like I was just getting to hear the story when it abruptly cuts off at ends. One of the characters almost got zero screen time. The others were establishing their relationships and mending past problems. The mystery was coming out of the woodwork. I just expected a whole night of scooby gang sleuthing and then it just left me with nothing. Should have been a whole book or at least 100 pages longer. All of that to say that M.L. Rio is an incredible writer so I really enjoyed the characters for the time I got to see them. Maybe one day we will revisit these characters in a longer novel. One can only hope.
Thank you to the publisher for providing this audioARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews