If We Were Villains - M.L Rio - A Short Summary and Review

 If We Were Villains - M.L Rio - A Short Summary and Review

By: a.d. elliott | Take the Back Roads - Art and Other Odd Adventures

A Rite of Fancy Book Recommendation and Review

Elite thespians act out the tragedy of murder.

A short summary:

If We Were Villains follows a tight-knit group of elite acting students at an exclusive conservatory where Shakespeare is not just studied, but lived. When one member of the cohort is found dead, the line between theatrical tragedy and real-life violence collapses.

Told through memory and confession, the novel blurs performance and identity, asking what happens when people immerse themselves so fully in roles built on betrayal, ambition, and murder that they forget how to step back into themselves. As secrets surface and loyalties fracture, the story unfolds like a slow-burning classical tragedy, inevitable, atmospheric, and heavy with consequence.

My favorite quote from the book:

"Secrets carry weight, like lead."

- M.L. Rio, If We Were Villains

Questions to ponder while reading:

Does life imitate art or vice versa?

Can you get too involved in your work?

My review:

This is a surreal, cerebral take on the murder mystery, more mood than mechanics, more psychology than procedure. The plot is intriguing, but the real tension lies in the characters’ devotion to their craft and the emotional cost of total immersion.

Rio’s use of Shakespeare isn’t decorative; it permeates the novel, shaping the characters’ relationships and choices. That commitment gives the story its haunting quality but also raises unsettling questions about identity, obsession, and whether constant emotional excavation is healthy, or even sustainable.

While the pacing is deliberately measured, the novel rewards patient readers with rich atmosphere and a lingering sense of unease. If We Were Villains is less about solving a crime and more about watching a tragedy unfold, one soliloquy at a time.

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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life

She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.

You can also browse her online photography gallery at shop.takethebackroads.com.

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