This is my first read of the year, and the first of my Christmas haul.

If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio was in my top three favorite books last year, so naturally I checked to see if she had written anything else. A book about five insomniacs meeting up in a graveyard instantly had my attention. I’ll admit I was a little disappointed upon discovering that Graveyard Shift was a novella instead of a full-length novel, but after reading it, I was quite happy with the length that the author chose. While I always enjoy a good long read, there is something to be said for stories that can be told in such a concise manner. This takes one specific skill that seems to be becoming more and more rare: not including every single detail.

The book takes place over the course of ten hours, and is told from the perspective of five different characters, in only 108 pages. There are many things that are left unanswered, in a way that lets you as the reader fill in the gaps. I have never been a fan of abundant descriptions and lore dumps, so I am always happy to see authors who know how to properly use the “less is more” technique.

A few other things about this book that I thought were worth noting:

• Though each character only gets two chapters from their perspective, it is enough for you to get a glimpse into their personalities and their motives. Large cast viewed from a small window is hard to pull off, but she does it well here.
• It is a quick and easy read (I read it in two sittings) but that does not mean the writing style is amateurish or simple. M. L. Rio is one of the few authors who makes you forget that you’re reading while you’re reading her work.
• It’s a modern gothic, which is reason enough to pick it up off the shelf.