1069 ratings | 335 reviews | avg rating:3.37

M.L.’s Year In Books

M.L.’s 2025 Year in Books

Take a look at M.L.’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

Go to M.L.’s 2025 Year in Books

M.L. Rio’s Followers (10,135)

M.L.’s Bookshelves

to-read (1633)
currently-reading (2)
read (1171)
did-not-finish (0)
academia (35)
biography (93)
books-i-own (730)
classics (294)
comps (88)
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M.L.’s Friends (155)

Lauren Lee

3,751 books | 427 friends

Ben

574 books | 96 friends

Sarah Sanborn

1,038 books | 103 friends

Megan Perciaccante

869 books | 33 friends

Niamh

495 books | 28 friends

Jacob Williams

255 books | 137 friends

Laralee Lynch

23 books | 43 friends

Flatiron Books

424 books | 1,307 friends

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M.L. Rio

Goodreads Author

Website

https://mlrio.com/

Twitter

sureasmel

Genre

Fiction, Literary, Upmarket

Member Since

December 2011

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/mlrio

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M. 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. ...more

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Combine Editions
M.L. Rio’s books

Average rating: 3.96 · 491,094 ratings · 93,093 reviews · 3 distinct works • Similar authors

	If We Were Villains 4.08 avg rating — 429,598 ratings — published 2017 — 81 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Graveyard Shift 3.09 avg rating — 53,446 ratings — published 2024 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Hot Wax 3.36 avg rating — 4,395 ratings — published 2025 — 22 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	In These Hallowed Halls: A Dark Academia Anthology by Marie O'Regan (Editor), Paul Kane (Goodreads Author) (Editor), M.L. Rio (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) 3.34 avg rating — 3,681 ratings — published 2023 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

146 posts
M.L. Rio's Blog

Countdown to Launch

Dear readers,

Today, we are two weeks away from Hot Wax pub day. It’s an exciting but incredibly busy time; if you’ve following me on social media, you’ve probably seen a lot of event announcements, some early reviews, and even some early swag. But I wanted to go ahead and send this reminder for those of you who are less chronically online.

The Hot Wax book tour starts one night early at the Stran

Need another excuse to treat yourself to a new book this week? We've got you covered with the buzziest new releases of the day, according to early...

M.L. is Currently Reading

M.L. Rio is currently reading

Confessions of a Barbarian: Selections from the Journals of Edward Abbey

by Edward Abbey

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Dec 23, 2024 10:05AM

M.L. Rio is currently reading

The Catholic School

by Edoardo Albinati

bookshelves: crime-and-mystery, currently-reading

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Oct 09, 2022 03:05PM

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M.L.’s Recent Updates

M.L. Rio wrote a new blog post Countdown to Launch Dear readers, Today, we are two weeks away from Hot Wax pub day. It’s an exciting but incredibly busy time; if you’ve following me on social media, yo Read more of this blog post »
Aug 26, 2025 04:13AM · 13 likes · like
M.L. Rio has read Hot Wax by M.L. Rio (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 28, 2025 11:36AM · 21 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Hot Wax by M.L. Rio. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Hot Wax by M.L. Rio <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
M.L. Rio has read In These Hallowed Halls: A Dark Academia Anthology by Marie O'Regan	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 28, 2025 11:35AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of In These Hallowed Halls by Marie O'Regan. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — In These Hallowed Halls by Marie O'Regan <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
M.L. Rio has read Graveyard Shift by M.L. Rio (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 28, 2025 11:14AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Graveyard Shift by M.L. Rio. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Graveyard Shift by M.L. Rio <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
M.L. Rio finished reading Death Comes Too Late by Charles Ardai	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 03, 2025 01:18PM · 4 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Death Comes Too Late by Charles Ardai. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Death Comes Too Late by Charles Ardai <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
M.L. Rio finished reading Death Valley by Melissa Broder (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 19, 2025 03:25PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Death Valley by Melissa Broder. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Death Valley by Melissa Broder <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
M.L. Rio is currently reading Death Comes Too Late by Charles Ardai	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 19, 2025 08:32AM · 5 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Death Comes Too Late by Charles Ardai. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Death Comes Too Late by Charles Ardai <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
M.L. Rio rated a book it was amazing Red Harvest (The Continental Op #1) by Dashiell Hammett	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 18, 2025 04:13PM · 39 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
M.L. Rio wants to read Vanishing World by Sayaka Murata	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 16, 2025 12:34PM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Vanishing World by Sayaka Murata. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Vanishing World by Sayaka Murata <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
M.L. Rio rated a book liked it The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 03, 2025 01:48PM · 47 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of M.L.'s books…

Quotes by M.L. Rio (?)

“For someone who loved words as much as I did, it was amazing how often they failed me.”
― M.L. Rio, If We Were Villains

tags: words

1921 likes

“You can justify anything if you do it poetically enough.”
― M.L. Rio, If We Were Villains

1880 likes

“Were you in love with him?'
'Yes,' I say, simply. James and I put each other through the kind of reckless passions Gwendolyn once talked about, joy and anger and desire and despair. After all that, was it really so strange? I am no longer baffled or amazed or embarrassed by it. 'Yes, I was.' It's not the whole truth. The whole truth is, I'm in love with him still.”
― M.L. Rio, If We Were Villains

865 likes

See all M.L. Rio's quotes »

Polls

Mystery March Readathon 2023
Please DON’T vote for one of the options.
Recommend mystery books or graphic novels for our readathon

Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys: The Death of Nancy Drew by Anthony Del Col

4 votes, 33.3%

The Christopher Killer by Alane Ferguson

2 votes, 16.7%

Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead

2 votes, 16.7%

Murder Most Unladylike (Murder Is Bad Manners) by Robin Stevens

1 vote, 8.3%

The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd

1 vote, 8.3%

Five on a Treasure Island by Enid Blyton (write-in)

1 vote, 8.3%

The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer

0 votes, 0.0%

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

0 votes, 0.0%

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

0 votes, 0.0%

Pepper's Rules for Secret Sleuthing by Briana McDonald

0 votes, 0.0%

Dead Girls Don't Write Letters by Gail Giles

0 votes, 0.0%

Something Rotten by Alan Gratz

0 votes, 0.0%

Forget Me by K.A. Harrington

0 votes, 0.0%

Goldie Vance Vol. 1 by Hope Larson

0 votes, 0.0%

Framed! by James Ponti

0 votes, 0.0%

The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud

0 votes, 0.0%

The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane by Julia Nobel

0 votes, 0.0%

Cold Case by Julia Platt Leonard

0 votes, 0.0%

12 total votes

23 comments

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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Game Night: April challenge of the month - Boggle	102	177	May 03, 2017 04:31AM
The Seasonal Read...: Completed Tasks: PLEASE DO NOT DELETE ANY POST IN THIS THREAD	2755	474	May 31, 2017 09:01PM

M.L.’s Quotes

“I switched to thoughts of the play. It was by far the healthiest item to concentrate on. Rehearsals were only days away; there is something wildly exciting about a company assembling for the first time on stage. There is also something strangely sexy about it. I can't pin it down, there just is.”
― James Kirkwood, P.S. Your Cat Is Dead

tags: theatre

5 likes

“Hope is a desperate man's currency.”
― Paul Tremblay, The Little Sleep

tags: poignant

28 likes

“People are islands,' she said. 'They don't really touch. However close they are, they're really quite separate. Even if they've been married for fifty years.”
― Ian Fleming, Casino Royale

tags: relationships

242 likes

“Surround yourself with human beings, my dear James. They are easier to fight for than principles.”
― Ian Fleming, Casino Royale

tags: james-bond, principles

196 likes

“In his mind he fingered the necklace of the days to come.”
― Ian Fleming, Casino Royale

M.L.’s Year In Books

M.L. Rio’s Followers (10,135)

M.L.’s Bookshelves

M.L.’s Friends (155)

M.L. Rio

Goodreads Author

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Ask the Author

Popular Answered Questions

Combine Editions
M.L. Rio’s books

146 posts
M.L. Rio's Blog

Countdown to Launch

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M.L. is Currently Reading

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M.L.’s Recent Updates

Countdown to Launch

See a Problem?

Preview — Hot Wax by M.L. Rio

See a Problem?

Preview — In These Hallowed Halls by Marie O'Regan

See a Problem?

Preview — Graveyard Shift by M.L. Rio

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Preview — Death Comes Too Late by Charles Ardai

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Preview — Death Valley by Melissa Broder

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Preview — Death Comes Too Late by Charles Ardai

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Preview — Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett

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Preview — Vanishing World by Sayaka Murata

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Preview — The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain

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M.L. Rio’s Followers (10,135)

M.L. Rio

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Popular Answered Questions

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rssM.L.’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — Hot Wax by M.L. Rio

See a Problem?

Preview — In These Hallowed Halls by Marie O'Regan

See a Problem?

Preview — Graveyard Shift by M.L. Rio

See a Problem?

Preview — Death Comes Too Late by Charles Ardai

See a Problem?

Preview — Death Valley by Melissa Broder

See a Problem?

Preview — Death Comes Too Late by Charles Ardai

See a Problem?

Preview — Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett

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Preview — Vanishing World by Sayaka Murata

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