this little novella was my first experience with m.l. rio and i thought it was... fine. graveyard shift is a tiny, well-written story about a handful of people that stumble across a freshly dug grave. they let their curiosity get the best of them and go on an investigation to figure out who dug up the ground and what secrets they want to bury.

i would say where this book excelled was in vibes and atmosphere. 10/10 was fully immersed in the darkness, i could smell petrichor, i would feel the dirt on my hands. the atmosphere was so rich and so visceral that i'm definitely going to have to pick up rio's full length novel sooner than later. unfortunately, i do think that the length hobbled this story. because the cast was an ensemble group of characters, each person got their own chapter. this was cool, but because this was a fairly short story it felt frustrating to be engaged with a character knowing that i'd have finite time with them to be put into a different character's head.

i like the whodunit scooby style of the narrative a lot - the investigative work teased open pieces of each character's background and i thought the author did a good job of making each perspective unique. sadly, it made it even more frustrating that there wasn't hours and hours more of this audiobook.

as far as the mystery itself, it was fine. i think length would have served here, too, but since the plot wasn't played out over chapters of set-up, i think an opportunity was missed to make the story more exciting. so i guess not a bad review. the writing, characterization, the dialogue, etc. was all good, i just wanted more of everything.

4.5 stars rounded up
Thank you, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the audio arc.
Graveyard Shift starts by plunging this quirky, vastly different group of people who hang out in an ancient cemetery into a mystery. I thought it was atmospheric from start to finish. The plot centers on this unique sleep deprivation/insomnia representation. Everything about this worked so well for me.
Trigger warning: animal testing and animal death.

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio is one of my favorite books that I have read in the last few years. I, like many others, have been eagerly awaiting Rio's second book which happens to come in the form of this little novella. I think this is a great example of Rio's writing skill when it comes to prose, but it is not a good example of what she is capable of when it comes to characters and plot. Everything sort of fell flat except for the eerie atmosphere of the graveyard.

In the end, I was a bit disappointed because I felt like the whole book was for nothing as the ending is quite lackluster. I did enjoy the audio narration and even though this novella is only 140 pages and therefore wouldn't be a hassle to read with your eyes, I think the audio is definitely worth a listen.

Graveyard Shift is a mystery novella that follows a cast of five late shift workers who discover a freshly dug grave in the disused graveyard where they typically cross paths in the course of their jobs.

I read If We Were Villains in the year or so after it came out, and I liked it enough that when I saw the author had a spooky novella coming out, I was very interested. Graveyard Shift carries over a lot of the same elements from its novel predecessor; namely a large main cast and dark academia vibes.

However, these elements don’t translate well into the shorter format. There are too many main characters given its length; readers don’t really get to know any of them, and none of them particularly compelling on the surface. The atmospheric elements also came across as surface-level because of the pace. Within the first chapter or two we’ve already checked boxes on a graveyard, a creepy statue, mushrooms, rats, and moody cigarette-smoking protagonists. The ending comes along just as abruptly, the final scene feeling climactic in its events and imagery but lacking the narrative backup to make it the haunting cliff-hanger it could be.

I definitely recommend reading/listening to this in one sitting as recommended in the author’s note. The full-cast audiobook provided some additional immersion, and I think listening for longer stretches would’ve helped even more. Immersed readers will appreciate mystery and atmosphere shining through the breakneck pace.

Graveyard Shift will fit the season perfectly when it comes out in September, and thank you to NetGalley for the eARC audiobook!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me a copy of Graveyard Shift in exchange for an honest review.

This book was not for me. At first I was hooked, excited about the length of this novella (especially since it was audio) and was hoping to be on the edge of my seat. Unfortunately that did not happen, I was left with more questions than I started with and it fell flat for me.

Solid, atmospheric, mystery/horror writing but the story itself was not fully realized enough for me to enjoy!

Unfortunately I really did not enjoy this audiobook. A lot of it largely has to do with the fact that I dislike audiobooks in general but this was particularly unenjoyable. I did not like the narrator voices- they sounded AI and fake and made it really hard to follow along. I didn't like the characters' personalities, either. I just couldn't get into them and the plot wasn't as interesting as the description sounded. There was one interested scene and the rest was boring and really uneventful. I was looking forward to this but was disappointed.

Graveyard Shift plunges readers into an atmospheric tale of mystery and suspense set against the backdrop of an ancient cemetery. The mood is eerie and sinister, drawing readers into a supernatural mystery. The story focuses on five characters who happen to be an unlikely pairing, but their work hours and insomnia bring them together. They witnessed some strange behavior at an old church near where they met to smoke. This event is the catalyst to kick off the story.

Even though this was a novella, it still had interesting characters, a well-developed story, and a believable mystery. Some of the characters' banter was funny and explored how we control or do not control our behaviors. As with any novella, you want more backstory or buildup of the story. The book's central themes could be expanded into a future book that I would love to read. I enjoyed the pacing and the steady rhythm. The author's descriptive writing created the perfect atmosphere for this story.

I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and MacMillan Audio.

This was a pretty unique representation of sleep deprivation. It was a great novella about 5 people who have night jobs and encounter a grave digger at an old church. They notice a grave and wonder who dug it and why. As these people research and share their findings, they start to unravel the truth. I enjoyed this novella, but wish it was a bit longer as I would have liked some of the plot to unfold a little more.

This was good, enjoyable even, but predictable and formulaic. It has all of the elements of a story that I usually love...But I think this would have been better as a novel, rather than novella. The heart of the story, the best part, was the characters and their relationships to each other. With more time to flesh this aspect out, to let the storylines unfurl, I might have loved this. As it is, I was unable to overlook the "meh"-ness of the plot when coupled with the unexplored potential of these characters.

This book was so clear in each character. Every time the chapter changes to a new POV , the character was a clear image to me. I enjoyed it but found the ending lacking as it was so abrupt, however that is usually how I feel about novellas, like there is never enough story for me. I also appreciated ML Rio’s acknowledgements at the end, talking about the inspiration of the book.
The narrators were really good
Thank you Macmillan audio and NetGalley for the audio arc

I guess I'm going to be the outlier here because I found this one to be kind of “meh.” I mean, it was okay and I found the individual chapters enjoyable, but there just wasn't enough of them to make an entire story. This is a very superficial tale with no real depth to the plot line or characters – it kind of reminded me of a dog-less Scooby Doo episode for adults, except for with way less action than the cartoons. If it had been longer and more fully fleshed out, I'm pretty sure I would have loved it. Insomniacs in a spooky graveyard are right up my alley!

But, yeah … what is the gravedigger doing in the graveyard so late at night? There's a tremendous sense of foreboding as our sleuths follow him around and you keep expecting something horrifying to happen, but then they move on to the next part of their investigation and it just kind of fizzles out. “Ooh, we discovered this crazy thing is happening in a totally mundane way! Anyway, let's eat breakfast burritos.” (This might be a slight oversimplification, but still.)

Despite my disappointment surrounding the ending, however, M.L. Rio really does know how to write atmospheric prose. The beginning bits in the graveyard are really top notch and I so wish that sense of creepiness had lasted through the entire novella.

Oh, and if you're wondering about animal death, there's definitely some in this book. Most of the deaths happen “off stage” and don't involve any gore, but there is a scene with a rat that's fairly awful.

The audiobook recording is pretty well done, although there is one character who sounds kind of flat and rather AI-narrated. It's 100% a real human voice, but my first thought was “this narrator sounds like one of those AI book readers.” Otherwise, though, it was fine.

My overall rating: 2.65 stars, rounded up.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is September 24, 2024.

Despite my love of novellas and the macabre, this one wasn't my cup of tea . The multitude of personalities and points of view made it easy for me to get lost in what felt like a YA novella.

I genuinely love the way that M.L. Rio’s writing makes me feel a little like I stepped into a cyclone. There aren’t down moments or any dragging scenes, every word is important and I love that feeling of a rich story. I needed so much more than just a novella.

This was an intriguing and fast paced novella. The setting of a grave yard and cast of characters thrown together by happenstance added a great layer of atmosphere to the plot. I didn’t see the main twist coming which is always a bonus for anything spooky and mysterious.

Goodreads Review
Claire
3.5 stars
July 6, 2024
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending an audiobook for me to review.

Five insomniacs meet in a graveyard whenever they can’t sleep or need a smoke on the night shift. One evening they find a hole dug in the cemetery, however it doesn’t seem like the “normal” holes dug in a cemetery. The group gets an ominous feeling about the whole thing. Before everyone leaves that night the gravedigger returns and starts to fill the grave with what seems to be…body parts. Who is this suspicious stranger, and what are they doing? Things start becoming violent and strange in town, could this be connected to the secrets in the graveyard?
This book has unreliable narrators, great unsettling scenes and an interesting subplot. I enjoyed the creepy atmosphere and would like to see more of the story in another book.

I liked this a lot and wished it was longer (I understand it was meant to be a novella but still). The only thing I really didn't enjoy was Hannah. I just felt like her character was over the top and annoying? The rest of the characters were interesting and great - she just rubbed me the wrong way I guess. Definitely creepy and transporting for the reader.

I’m not sure what to make of this little book! I wasn’t sure what to expect — all I knew was that it was short and from an author I’ve really enjoyed in the past, and I was sold.

Graveyard Shift follows a group of five… friends? We’ll call them friends. They cross paths at the cemetery every night to share a smoke break, and one day they discover an open grave that should not be there and was not there the night before.

The group dynamic in this is interesting because most of them seem to barely tolerate each other. Once they have something bizarre bringing them together, their reluctance made me almost uncomfortable, like I was overstaying my welcome.

I don’t know that I loved having so many POVs in such a short book, but I did appreciate getting to know what each person’s deal was from their own perspective. I also found the pacing a bit odd — it felt like nothing much happened in the first half and then it was over suddenly.

By the end of the year, I might forget I ever read this. That said, I enjoyed my reading experience and wanted very much to learn what was going on and what would happen to those involved.

Bonus points for the audiobook having a full cast!

A novella about spooky mushrooms/spores doing spooky things--I'll take ten!

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this novella! The narration was amazing, and definitely added to story. It was like a thriller and horror novel combined (chef's kiss). The different point of views to what was happening added a lot of depth to this novella. Seeing what each character saw in that short night following the discovery of the hole in the graveyard.

Overall, this is a quick novella that is well worth the listen! I am super excited for this one to be released!


4.5/5

*3.5 stars* Thank you Netgalley for the audio arc. The writing and atmosphere were awesome, however, it was too short. I love a good novella. Horror in a novella form is my favorite. But this wasn't enough time for ML Rio's writing to shine. Her writing is so beautiful it doesn't really lend itself well to a shorter format. Nothing felt explored enough.

Actual rating: 3.5/5 Stars

This is another book that it pains me to give it less than 4 stars but it just seemed too abrupt for me. M.L. Rio is a fantastic character writer and if you loved the cast in If We Were Villains be prepared to see similar people in this story. The problem arises in that this story is entirely too short. I felt like I was just getting to hear the story when it abruptly cuts off at ends. One of the characters almost got zero screen time. The others were establishing their relationships and mending past problems. The mystery was coming out of the woodwork. I just expected a whole night of scooby gang sleuthing and then it just left me with nothing. Should have been a whole book or at least 100 pages longer. All of that to say that M.L. Rio is an incredible writer so I really enjoyed the characters for the time I got to see them. Maybe one day we will revisit these characters in a longer novel. One can only hope.

Thank you to the publisher for providing this audioARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.