"The Graveyard Shift" by M.L. Rio is a dark and captivating thriller that draws readers into the murky world of night-time investigations. It has everything I love in a short horror: the eerie backdrop of a small town, a band of close knit characters, and the unraveling of a complex case. It’s the perfect short read for the cold season! Rio's writing is atmospheric, effortlessly drawing you into the tense, shadowy world of late-night crime solving. The characters are well-drawn, each with their own motivations. The pacing is relentless, keeping you reading on as the mystery unfolds. What I loved about this book is that it doesn’t try too hard. It nails the balance between suspense and entertainment . M.L. Rio delivers a story that grabs you from the start and keeps you hooked without piling on forced drama, or flowery prose. "The Graveyard Shift" will keep you hooked until the final page! I recommend this book if you want a quick, entertaining read.

Graveyard Shift works perfectly as a novella; it is exactly the right length, precisely paced, and just too short all at the same time. I had been craving a read like this one for a while and wish I had known sooner that this would be perfect. I loved being inside the heads of all of the different kinds of insomniacs, piecing the puzzle together with them until there was no need, following how they all fit together as characters. I really was just astounded at how much I loved the couple of hours I spent with this novella. Rio has a gentle and lyrical sense of style, and it works well with the Gothic tone. Graveyard Shift will definitely be something I can come back to read and reread again.

interesting dynamic with the characters and I you can quickly get attached to them too

After reading If We Were Villains, I was so excited to read more from this author - this book has not disappointed me! This book is set in just one evening and I recommend sitting down to read it in one evening too, get comfortable and be ready to be taken on a journey. The story unfolds through the perspectives of multiple characters. From the first page, M.L. Rio sucks you into the mystery and you'll never guess how it ends up. There's science fiction elements as well as some gory horrific ones that will have you holding your breath to see what happens next. It is a completely different story and totally different genre to M.L Rio's other work, but still just as enjoyable in a completely new way.

A suspenseful, atmospheric read. Rio drags you down within the pages with unmatchable skill. A small novella with enormous teeth. The pacing is fit to thrill and entice, and the characters are flawed and intriguing in the best of ways. Rio is a wonder!