M.L. Rio

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio is a 2017 Flatiron Books publication.

This is a psychological thriller for deep thinkers. There is crime and there is punishment. There is mystery, suspense. There are intense characters, shallow ones too, those who are fatalistic and those who are tragic… just like a Shakespearean play.

Ten years ago, Oliver Marks was one of seven Shakespearean actors at the prestigious Dellecher Classical Conservatory. Today he is about to walk out of a prison cell for the show more first time in a decade. How did he end up behind bars?

That’s something Detective Colbourne would also like to know. He may have put Oliver in prison, but he knows there is more to the story than he's been told.

He can’t rest until he coaxes the entire story out of Oliver once and for all. With Colbourne retired, and with nothing else to lose, Oliver grants Colbourne his wish.

‘But that I am forbid/ To tell the secrets of my prison -house,/ I could a tale unfold whose lightest word/ Would horrow up thy soul.’

The story then flashes back ten years as Oliver walks us through the events that left him holding the bag for crimes he may or may not have been solely responsible for.

When one of the seven elite actors’ dies, the remaining six thespians are the very picture of innocence. It was an accident after all… wasn’t it? But, Detective Colbourne’s senses they know more than they are telling. Are they as innocent as they appear or are they harboring a dark secret- one that is eating away at them more and more with each passing day?

I tend to gravitate towards these types of stories, which are too few and far between, but I suppose that only makes me appreciate them even more when I stumble across one.

The Shakespearean allegory is well done, as the stage is set for the ultimate tragedy. Our little acting coalition is as thick as thieves, too close, too driven, too immersed within their own little thespian world to cope with reality as most of us know it, which leads to grave consequences, when they begin to become the roles they often play on stage. Jealousy, competition, unrequited love, anger and resentment stir the bubbling pot until ‘exuent omnes’.

I was so engrossed in Oliver’s tale, so mortified, so mesmerized and tantalized, and despite knowing most of the details of the crime in question, and that Oliver has obviously paid his debt, the suspense is still nearly unbearable, because I still didn't know WHY- or HOW things turned out this way. I was filled with such dread, I almost felt like I was back in Vermont at Hamden College listening to Richard Papen unfold a similarly horrifying tale of obsession.

But, as morally questionable as those standing center stage may be, as superficial and self-absorbed, or in some cases, as honorable, or heroic- the classic “Villains VS Heroes”, if you will, the story is haunting and left a painful ache in my heart.

“But that is how a tragedy like ours or King Lear breaks your heart- by making you believe that the ending might still be happy, until the very last minute.”

The author did an amazing job with presentation and ‘staging’, as such, and created a vivid atmosphere, perfect for settling in for a modern Shakespearean tragedy. If you are a fan of the Bard, you will really appreciate the way the dialogue mirrors the events as they unfold and of course the bittersweet irony.

This is not just a psychological thriller, it’s a literary novel filled with obsessions and angst, with beauty and horror, and a near pitch perfect delivery!

This is a debut novel, incredibly, and I for one am pretty much blown away!

Pulling out all the stars for this one! show less

I have a lot of feelings about this book. First off, the dark academia vibes were so incredibly on point and the writing was absolutely stunning. While I did find the amount of Shakespeare to be pretentious, I also feel as though the book wouldn’t have immersed me quite as much without it. The relationship between James and Oliver is so incredibly raw and painful to read but good god did I love the ambiguity. It was obvious from the start just how in love with James Oliver was, and I knew show more they wouldn’t get a real romantic scene together (not to say the final performance of King Lear wasn’t romantic) but somehow I almost preferred the lack of physical proof they were in love. It was also rather obvious to me that James was the one who killed Richard but that doesn’t mean I was constantly waiting to find out what had actually happened. If We Were Vilains very closely resembled The Secret History, but in every way that they were similar, they were also vastly different and it’s safe to say I enjoyed this book just as much as I thought I would. show less

First published at Booking in Heels.

I’ve heard it said that this is a poor man’s The Secret History, but that is profoundly unfair. It’s definitely marketed that way and, at first glance, the premise looks similar too. A group of pretentious, sheltered young academics, one of whom eventually dies. The tone is vaguely reminiscent too – it’s gothic and mysterious, and peppered with archaic references. However. It could be that I read The Secret History long enough ago that the show more majority of it has faded from memory, but I still think that If We Were Villains is different enough, and M.L. Rio skilled enough, that this book can completely stand on its own.

It did take me a while to figure out which character is which. There are seven people, three female and four male, and whilst the narrative does try to emphasise that Oliver is the nice one, Meredith is the sexy one, etc, it still took about a quarter of the novel to get it straight. I can’t say this bothered me overmuch, however. At that stage, you just need to know that there are seven of them and they’re under intense amounts of pressure. It does become clear by the time anything dramatic happens.

It’s a very emotional, but in a hidden restrained way? All the emotions are sort of bubbling beneath the surface, so you’re left to interpret them and it’s perfect. Hatred, jealousy, love, lust, suspicion, despair… It’s a book that never feels the need to say ‘Wren was feeling very jealous,’ as you know damn well how she’s feeling because you can see it. Even then though, it can be interesting trying to figure out why the characters are acting as they are. What are the links between the characters? What’s going on? Are they covering for each other? It’s so wonderfully crafted.

It’s very, very tense. It’s a slowbuild book – the tension and atmosphere builds so slowly that by the time I reached the ending, my heart was beating in my chest and I felt physically sick. What an ending. Both the conclusion of the original mystery, and the current-day ending with the detective are rough and gritty and… argh. I’m still having an adrenaline spike now.

It might have helped if I’d had a slightly better knowledge of Shakespeare. I was alright with the Macbeth and the Romeo and Juliet, but they also do King Lear and Caesar, and I have absolutely zero knowledge of those. They frequently talk in Shakespeare quotes and whilst you can usually puzzle out the meaning (and it doesn’t really affect your understanding of the plot if you don’t), it might have flowed a bit better if I could. I could have taken this as a spur to go and educate myself… but I didn’t.

I finished If We Were Villains in two sittings, and I only stopped reading the first time because I absolutely had to. I was glued to this. I actually clicked onto Amazon and bought my own copy when I was about four pages from the end. It’s the sort of book you need to own.

In short, I’d really recommend it. I’m not convinced that I don’t like If We Were Villains more than The Secret History, but I’d need to reread that to nail my colours to the mast. It’s a book I’ll definitely reread and it’ll be interesting to look at the story from a different perspective, considering I now know the conclusion. It’s subtly emotional, but also tense and nail biting. Do read this – but note that you’ll be up until 1am. show less

When I described this book to one of my friends, she said "oh, it's dark academia genre - that's what my 16 year old calls it". I hadn't heard that description yet, but it certainly fits!

This book is a mystery/thriller set at a small arts college in Illinois. The main characters are fourth year acting students in an extremely competitive Shakespeare program. The class is whittled down each year and the talented seven are the last ones standing. They have become incredibly close over the show more four years, but are they friends? Tensions are seething and they are becoming violent with each other. The whole story, including the death of one of them and the aftermath, is being narrated by Oliver, who is telling the story to the detective who worked on the case after the detective is retired and Oliver has been released from prison. It's clear that Oliver, though he's been in jail, may not have been the actual killer. Or is it an unreliable narrator situation?

The seven have complicated relationships - they know tons about each other, but at the same time they are all keeping secrets. Meredith has been dating Richard (the one who dies) and she is beautiful and sexy and talented. Oliver and James are roommates and best friends, but Richard's death reveals some weaknesses in their friendship. Alexander is gay and increasingly using drugs and alcohol to numb himself. Wren and Filippa round out the group and try to bring a bit of grounding to the group.

The author does a fantastic job of creating a realistic group dynamic between these artistic young adults. They are competitive but also each other's support system. It's set in the 1990s and she gets that era just right (they were my college years while doing a music performance degree as well!). She gets how they are all at the age where they are trying to create themselves but also being pulled back into home situations with parents and siblings. AND she works tons of Shakespeare into the book. Of course the actual plays they are doing are part of it, but the group also has their own internal language that incorporates Shakespeare quotes and I found this totally realistic when I think of the actor friend groups I've been on the fringes of.

Definitely recommend this when you're looking for a mystery/suspense novel that is smart and engaging. show less