“Graveyard Shift” is Perfectly Chilling https://ift.tt/3oh6IsJ
What do an empty grave, a bunch of dead lab rats, and a string of violent outbursts have in common? The answer to this question can be found in M.L. Rio’s new novella, Graveyard Shift, where Mystery, Inc. meets modern gothic.
Set in a college town, the story begins with a group of late-night workers who convene at the nearby graveyard behind the Church of Saint Anthony the Anchorite every evening at midnight for a smoking break. When the self-dubbed “Anchorites” stumble upon a freshly dug grave with no clue as to why it appeared or who put it there, they speculate that it might have something to do with recent fits of sudden aggression from random people on and off the college campus. Their evening thus turns into a focused hunt for answers.
With Occam’s razor as a guiding principle (“The simplest explanation is usually the best explanation”), each of the Anchorites plays his or her own small part in finding the truth, while also confronting the turmoil, both small and large, in their own lives.
Edie, a journalism student and editor-in-chief of The Belltower Times, thinks she’s found the latest story that will bring her acclaim. Tuck, who is tired, indebted, and has only half a degree in microbiology to his name, just wants a safe spot to sleep for the night. Theo, a handsome screw-up working at the local bar, The Rocker Box, is hoping for second chances with one-night stands. Tamar, a hotel receptionist with a library science degree she doesn’t use, wants something she cares about. Hannah, an insomniac ride-share driver, is looking for real answers to her sleeplessness.
Told over the course of one evening, Graveyard Shift is striking in its mismatched cast of characters and sharp, foreboding narrative voice. The world of the Anchorites is fast-paced and filled with labels — “Anchorites,” “The Hole,” “Hostile Incidents,” “Belligerents.” The terminology can be a bit confusing at first, but Rio quickly ushered me into this odd evening with haunting imagery and ripe tension in the Anchorites’ search for clues despite not knowing what exactly was around the corner. As soon as the second chapter, tensions run high as Edie and Tuck investigate the gravedigger from the shadows:
“…Tuck opened his eyes to try to mime at her to Stop, just fucking stop! But when he did, she wasn’t touching him. Wasn’t even close. Still on all fours, ignoring him completely as she maneuvered for a better view around the tombstone, hair hanging over her shoulder so she looked headless in the dark.”
With the shorter format of the novella, it is impressive how much character work is contained in Graveyard Shift. Each chapter shifts perspective to one or another of the Anchorites as each plays a part in the investigation, and I was enraptured with the decisive agency and personal dramas of each. Though some characters like Tamar and Tuck get less of a chance to shine than the others, it is harder not to be more interested in Hannah, as her eventual connection to the grave becomes clearer. I also felt moved by Edie’s arc throughout the novella, especially as she is the catalyst for the evening’s events and drives the investigation in pursuit of a new story.
With spellbinding characterization and an engrossing, serpentine mystery, Graveyard Shift is sure to add the perfect chill to a fall evening.
Graveyard Shift
By M.L. Rio
Flatiron Books
Published September 24, 2024
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