

John Mandel, New York Times bestselling author of Station Eleven I can’t recommend this book highly enough, and can’t wait to read what M. This is a rare and extraordinary novel: a vivid rendering of the closed world of a conservatory education, a tender and harrowing exploration of friendship, and a genuinely breathtaking literary thriller. –Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, New York Times bestselling author of The Nest Expertly plotted, beautifully written, If We Were Villains will keep you riveted through its final, electrifying moments.

Both comic and tragic, this novel asks what people are willing to sacrifice in the name of ambition. Rio’s sparkling debut is a richly layered story of love, friendship, and obsession. Much like Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, M. Nerdily (and winningly) in love with Shakespeare… Readable, smart. Bloody, melodramatic, suspenseful debut… This novel about obsession at the conservatory will thoroughly obsess you.
