Book Review: If We Were Villains 

By M. L. Rio 

5 Stars 

Are you into murder mysteries? Shakespeare? Theatre? Well… I suggest If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio.   

If We Were Villains follows 5 characters attending an arts school…they were all involved in a murder mystery case, and we are taken through the events as told by Oliver Marks, who was arrested for the murder. Upon release, he is asked by the officer who put him in jail what REALLY happened the night of the murder…so we learn alongside the officer as Oliver tells the story of the murder.   

If We Were Villains is a suspenseful novel that is made ever more perplexing by the depth of the characters. We do not know exactly what happened or why it happened…but we learn as the book progresses.   

I truly believe anybody interested in murder mystery would enjoy this novel thoroughly. It was constantly intriguing, and I did not want to put it down. I wished for a second book to be made, to answer questions left unanswered, or to hear more about the characters I began to know as if they were my own friends. In such a short novel, M.L. Rio was able to establish such profound characters that enabled readers to connect with the book on a personal level.   

Tying Shakespearean theatre and murder mysteries together was an excellent genre that I had never read before. The characters were so enthralled with Shakespeare, and I enjoyed reading excerpts of his work as they quoted his lines as if they were day-to-day phrases.   

Most notably, the book is the first of the author’s to be published. I was astonished to find out that such an amazing and well-written novel was written by someone who had yet to release books in the past! I HIGHLY recommend If We Were Villains. 

Reviewed by Erika 

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