M.L. Rio can write creepy. She's a master with atmosphere and plot. Even though this was a mere novella, I couldn't put it down until I finished. The setting was perfectly eerie. And her group of potential victims of the experiment were perfectly cast.
I just hope the wait isn't as long for her next project.

This was a short, easy-to-read novella about a bunch of intriguing characters who work together to uncover a mystery. You could sense the gloomy tone throughout the entire novel, which I thought was great for a short fiction.

The mystery itself, as well as the science behind why all of this occurred, is fairly well thought out. I have a problem with the book being just over a hundred pages long, considering it presents a large cast of characters. I wish the story had been a little bit longer in order to provide more character development and provide closure to certain unanswered questions.

Those who enjoy short, spooky stories with a hint of mystery and a concentration on medical research should definitely check it out. This should be a good, quick read for upcoming spooky season.

This is my first M.L. Rio book!! Even though I know I will adore If We Were Villains, I just haven't had the chance to read it yet. After this though, it is definitely on the shortlist for my next read!

M.L. Rio is a very talented writer and can build an atmospheric setting wonderfully. This is dripping with creepy, spooky vibes. I was sucked in from page one.

I gave this a 3 (more like a 3.5 really) because I think this could have been a little longer! From the reviews I have seen so far, it seems like most people agree. With this being a novella, everything is moves very quickly, which makes for a very fun read. I think it could have really benefited from maybe having another 50 pages. It could have built a little more suspense and fleshed out the characters a little bit more (even though the characters are written very well with the length already!)

This was just a very interesting read and I did enjoy it! Maybe just a little bit longer and it would have been a complete home run!

M. L. Rio writes fantastically dark and twisty stories. Graveyard Shift was phenomenal and had I had an uninterrupted day I would have read this in one sitting. It’s a novella so it’s short but it’s so well crafted to keep you guessing and interested and the whole time.

And they would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for those meddling kids [mostly apathetic smokers who just happened to be in the right/wrong place at the right/wrong time]! This is the perfect one-sitting read for anyone who enjoys a Scooby Doo-esque mystery with a sprinkling of horror.

"Graveyard Shift" is an eerie, atmospheric tale of a single night of a handful of... well, not exactly friends. Acquaintances. Fellow smokers, who met by virtue of smoking in one of the few locations left for the habit. "Graveyard Shift" is absolutely a science fiction tale, albeit one with lots of Halloween trappings, and while I very much enjoyed it, it felt like it could have been a full-length novel. Characterization is a little truncated, plot is swift, worldbuilding is... well. Very little indeed. Why was this a novella? I'm not sure. I did like it but there was a LOT that I needed to handwave in order to move forward with the direction the plot took.

This was my first read by M.L Rio and it was a short and fun one. I liked the Scooby doo-Esq feel of a group of misfits working together to solve a mystery. The gothic/ creepy vibes were there with the fungi and rats but I wish it was a tad bit longer. Def recommend for anyone looking for a fun time.

Thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for giving me an Advanced Readers Copy of this book.

The premise of a story taking place over the course of a night (with each chapter ticking off the hours towards dawn) amongst a rag tag group of night shift workers and insomniacs is a fun one. But although it’s certainly not a bad book, I did struggle a bit to get into it. I will definitely continue to follow this authors work, this one just wasn’t my favorite

Vibes were great I just wish the characters had interacted more with each other throughout the novella.

A delicious little twisted treat about insomnia, loneliness, academic malfeasance, cigarettes, and the friends you meet in the dark.

Like the rest of the reading community, I've been dying for anything written by Rio and I mean anything. Hell, I would have read a note left on a napkin and I would have been overjoyed. Then this little novella fell into my lap and I'm writing this review from beyond the grave.

I went into this one totally blind. I saw the cover and swooned and then spotted the author. I was all in from the start, so I really didn't know what ti expect from this. All I knew was that I was going to be going on a ride to hell and back with a colorful pinwheel in my hand.

This started off bizarre and just grew from there. The more pages I flipped the bigger the confusion in my head grew. Talk about a sweet Scooby snack mystery. I think I examined, "what the f**k" numerous time throughout and even scared my dog once. Poor, Lou! Then the end happened and that part was amazing. It threw me and I had to reread it.

Graveyard Shift was a very weird and mind-blowing read. As a whole it was an okay one and one I can see myself reading again.

A gripping novella with a clever plot and even cleverer characters. The author did a masterful job making each person unique and interesting through their POVs. It certainly kept me engaged the whole time and the story came together perfectly! What a fun mystery!

3.25 stars

I enjoyed this. It was a quick and easy read. I wish it had been a bit longer and tied up some lingering questions but overall a really fun novella.

Really fun and quick novella.

I read this in the span of a few hours and while I had a really good time there were just some questions I was left with and storylines I wanted more from.

The main premise revolves around a group of insomniacs and night workers who gather at a graveyard every night to smoke. When a mysterious hole appears at their spot and later a man is seen dumping objects into it- they must figure out what is happening. It follows the course of a night and multiple povs of the different characters as they unearth the mystery.

M. L. Rio’s writing is spectacular as always and as a novella- this is a great time.

Thank you NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the advanced readers copy.

This read like Goosebumps for grownups.

The writing in this short story had more edge and angst than I was expecting, it reminded me of Olivie Blake. I can't say that I enjoyed it as much as If We Were Villains, but stylistically this was very different anyway.

I would recommend it for those who like short creepy stories, with a focus on rodents and mold/fungus, medical experiments, and a little bit of mystery.

This book was a good time! I was really drawn in to the unique premise and the homage to Mystery Inc. from Scooby Doo. The different perspectives discovering more information of the mystery was a really fun way to build tension and move the plot; however, I found the ending unfulfilling and it left me wanting more resolution. The subtle sapphic subplot was a lovely inclusion and I overall enjoyed the book! 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars!

A quick, smart novella combining medical ethics, religious imagery, insomnia, and chainsmoking. Fans of Rio's prior release If We Were Villains will love this return to spooky academia, and Rio remains uncannily good at believably assembling groups of characters who have no actual business interacting at all. Content warning for violence against animals, which is pivotal to the plot but not my cup of tea nonetheless.

Many thanks to netgalley for this ARC!!