M.L. Rio and the cover of ‘Hot Wax’.Photo:Cait Brady; Simon & Schuster
Cait Brady; Simon & Schuster
M.L. Rio has a rockin’ new novel on the way.TheIf We Were Villainsauthor shared the cover of her highly anticipated third book,Hot Wax, exclusively with PEOPLE. The novel will hit shelves this fall via Simon & Schuster.In 1989, 10-year-old Suzanne is on tour with her father Gil’s rock band, The Kills. Desperate to leave her mother’s home after she remarries, Suzanne becomes wrapped up in her dad’s rock and roll world, but as the band rises to fame, tensions grow right along with them, leading to an act of violence that ultimately ends their reign.
Simon & Schuster
Now 29 years later, Suzanne has traded life on the road for a quiet existence in the suburbs with her husband, Rod. But when Gil’s sudden death resurrects the past, Suzanne must embark on a road trip for answers. Rob, however, doesn’t want her to leave, leading to a “raucous” cross-country chase, per the book’s synopsis.
Rio’s debut novel,If We Were Villains, was published in 2017, and has since gained a rapid following as one of the most popular books in the dark academia genre today. Her novella,Graveyard Shift, was published in 2024.
The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!“I’ve been working on this book for a long time,” the author tells PEOPLE ofHot Wax. “My favorite places to be are on the road or at a gig, so it was second nature to write my second novel about a concert tour. But my favorite shows to see are the small ones, before the band hits big.”
M.L Rio.Cait Brady
Cait Brady
“It’s more exciting to discover something that way, when you can really get close to it,” Rio adds. “There are a lot of novels out there about fame and fortune, but I wanted to shine a light on the other 99% of artists out there who are fighting every day to keep their art alive.”Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Hot Waxwill be published on Sept. 9 and is now available for preorder, wherever books are sold.
source: people.com
