{"product_id":"if-we-were-villains-novel-ml-rio-9781250095299","title":"If We Were Villains | M. L. Rio","description":"\u003csection class=\"product-description\" style=\"color: #1a1a1a; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.6;\"\u003e\n  \u003ch2 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.75em; margin-bottom: 15px; border-bottom: 2px solid #2c3e50; padding-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eIf We Were Villains: A Novel\u003c\/h2\u003e\n  \n  \u003ctable style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 25px; font-size: 0.95em; border: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n    \u003ctbody\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #2c3e50; width: 30%;\"\u003eISBN-13\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a; font-weight: bold;\"\u003e9781250095299\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #2c3e50;\"\u003eAuthor\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003eM. L. Rio\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #2c3e50;\"\u003eFormat\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003eTrade Paperback\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #2c3e50;\"\u003ePublisher\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003eFlatiron Books\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #2c3e50;\"\u003ePublication Date\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003eApril 17, 2018\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #2c3e50;\"\u003ePage Count\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003e368\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #2c3e50;\"\u003eSubjects\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003ePsychological Thriller, Literary Fiction, Mystery\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003c\/tbody\u003e\n  \u003c\/table\u003e\n\n  \u003ch3 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.25em; margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eExtended Synopsis\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003eOn the day Oliver Marks is released from jail, the man who put him there is waiting at the door. Detective Colborne wants to know the truth, and after ten years, Oliver is finally ready to tell it. A decade ago, Oliver was one of seven young Shakespearean actors at the Dellecher Classical Conservatory—a place of keen ambition and fierce competition. In this secluded world of firelight and leather-bound books, Oliver and his friends played the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingénue, and extra.\u003c\/p\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003eBut in their fourth and final year, good-natured rivalries turned ugly, and on opening night, real violence invaded the students’ world of make-believe. In the morning, the fourth-years found themselves facing their very own tragedy, and their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, each other, and themselves that they are innocent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003ch3 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.25em; margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eReader Targeting\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cul style=\"margin-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 20px;\"\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eReaders who enjoy atmospheric \"Dark Academia\" settings and Shakespearean motifs.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eFans of complex, character-driven psychological thrillers like \u003cem\u003eThe Secret History\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eBook club members seeking gripping tales of ambition, friendship, and moral ambiguity.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n  \u003ch3 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.25em; margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eM. L. Rio\u003c\/strong\u003e is a writer, dramaturg, and bookseller. \u003cem\u003eIf We Were Villains\u003c\/em\u003e is her highly celebrated debut novel, hailed as a \"gripping ode to the stage.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003ch3 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.25em; margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eAccolades \u0026amp; Features\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003eThis edition features a stunning Dark Academia design and includes customized Shakespearean dramatic dramatis personae layouts, theatrical act\/scene chapter framing, and comprehensive reading group guide discussion matrices.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e\n  {\n    \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n    \"@type\": \"Book\",\n    \"name\": \"If We Were Villains: A Novel\",\n    \"author\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Person\",\n      \"name\": \"M. L. 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