If We Were Villains

Much like Donna Tartt The Secret History, M. L. Rio sparkling debut is a richly layered story of love, friendship, and obsession...will keep you riveted through its final, electrifying moments.ynthia Dprix Sweeney, New York Times bestselling author of The Nest Nerdily and winningly in love with Shakespeareeadable, smart.ew York Times Book Review On the day Oliver Marks is released from jail, the man who put him there is waiting at the door. Detective Colborne wants to know the truth, and after ten years, Oliver is finally ready to tell it. A decade ago: Oliver is one of seven young Shakespearean actors at Dellecher Classical Conservatory, a place of keen ambition and fierce competition. In this secluded world of firelight and leatherbound books, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingénue, extras. But in their fourth and final year, goodnatured rivalries turn ugly, and on opening night real violence invades the studentsworld of makebelieve. In the morning, the fourthyears find themselves facing their very own tragedy, and their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, each other, and themselves that they are innocent. If We Were Villains was named one of Bustles Best Thriller Novels of the Year, and Mystery Scene says, A wellwritten and gripping ode to the stage...A fascinating, unorthodox take on rivalry, friendship, and truth.