M.L. Rio | Hot Wax

Schedule

Wed Sep 24 2025 at 07:00 pm to 08:00 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

Quail Ridge Books | Raleigh, NC

Advertisement
A vivid and immersive tale of one woman’s reckless mission to make sense of the events that shattered her childhood, and made her who she is
About this Event

ABOUT THE EVENT

Tickets include a copy of HOT WAX, guaranteed entry to the event, and a seat in the reserved section. M.L. Rio will sign books after the program.

All live author events are subject to change. More information about our events can be found at quailridgebooks.com/eventsfaq.


ABOUT THE BOOK

The new novel from the bestselling author of If We Were Villains and Graveyard Shift—a vivid and immersive tale of one woman’s reckless mission to make sense of the events that shattered her childhood, and made her who she is.

Summer, 1989: ten-year-old Suzanne is drawn like a magnet to her father’s forbidden world of electric guitars and tricked-out cars. When her mother remarries, she jumps at the chance to tag along on the concert tour that just might be Gil and the Kills’ wild ride to glory. But fame has sharper fangs than anybody realized, and as the band blazes up the charts, internal power struggles set Gil and his group on a collision course destined for a bloody reckoning—one shrouded in mystery and lore for decades to come.

The only witness to a desperate act of violence, Suzanne spends the next twenty-nine years trying to disappear. She trades the music and mayhem of her youth for the quiet of the suburbs and the company of her mild-mannered husband Rob. But when her father’s sudden death resurrects the troubled past she tried so hard to bury, she leaves it all behind and hits the road in search of answers. Hitching her fate and Gil’s beloved car to two vagabonds who call an old Airstream trailer home, she finds everything she thought she’d lost forever: desire, adventure, and the woman she once wanted to be. But Rob refuses to let her go. Determined to bring her back where she belongs, he chases her across the country—and drives her to a desperation all her own.

Drenched in knock-down drag-out rock and roll, Hot Wax is a raucous, breakneck ride to hell and back—where getting lost might be the only way to find yourself and save your soul.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR & MODERATOR

M.L. RIO has been an actor, a bookseller, an academic, and a music writer. She holds an MA in Shakespeare studies and a PhD in English literature. She is the author of the internationally bestselling novel If We Were Villains, the USA TODAY bestselling novella Graveyard Shift, and Hot Wax. She never stays in one place for long, but keeps her books, records, and four-legged sidekick in south Philadelphia.

Advertisement

Where is it happening?

Quail Ridge Books, 4209-100 Lassiter Mill Road, Raleigh, United States

Event Location & Nearby Stays:

Tickets

USD 0.00 to USD 33.69

Quail Ridge Books

Host or Publisher Quail Ridge Books

It's more fun with friends. Share with friends

Discover More Events in Raleigh

Founders Local Practice Pitch Night (September 2025)
Wed, 24 Sep at 06:00 pm Founders Local Practice Pitch Night (September 2025)

Raleigh Founded (North Street)

BUSINESS CHARITIES
Bring Your Own Craft Night at Raleigh Brewing
Wed, 24 Sep at 06:30 pm Bring Your Own Craft Night at Raleigh Brewing

Raleigh Brewing Company

CRAFTS ART
Raleigh Brewing Run\/Walk Club
Wed, 24 Sep at 06:30 pm Raleigh Brewing Run/Walk Club

3709 Neil St, Raleigh, NC, United States, North Carolina 27607

Small Business Showcase - Presented by Wealth We Deserve
Wed, 24 Sep at 06:30 pm Small Business Showcase - Presented by Wealth We Deserve

The Portal HQ

BUSINESS
What We Leave Behind
Wed, 24 Sep at 07:30 pm What We Leave Behind

6638 Old Wake Forest Rd., Raleigh, NC, United States, North Carolina 27616

ART THEATRE
Dragos in RALEIGH | 24.09.2025 | - SOURCE OF SADNESS TOUR + CROWD WORK
Wed, 24 Sep at 07:30 pm Dragos in RALEIGH | 24.09.2025 | - SOURCE OF SADNESS TOUR + CROWD WORK

Goodnights Comedy Club

COMEDY ENTERTAINMENT
The Power of Repentance Revivial
Wed, 24 Sep at 07:30 pm The Power of Repentance Revivial

3100 Sanderford Road, Post Office Box 28659, Raleigh, NC, United States, North Carolina 27610

Rilo Kiley at Red Hat Amphitheater
Wed, 24 Sep Rilo Kiley at Red Hat Amphitheater

Red Hat Amphitheater

Inspirational Book Club Meeting
Sat, 02 Aug at 06:00 pm Inspirational Book Club Meeting

Virtually

MEETUPS
AWAY HOME: A work in development
Fri, 12 Sep at 06:30 pm AWAY HOME: A work in development

Frank Thompson Hall

ART THEATRE
Becoming You Book Club (Parents): Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline
Mon, 22 Sep at 06:00 pm Becoming You Book Club (Parents): Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline

8300 Health Park suite 228

HEALTH-WELLNESS MENTAL-HEALTH
M.L. Rio | Hot Wax
Wed, 24 Sep at 07:00 pm M.L. Rio | Hot Wax

Quail Ridge Books

ART LITERARY-ART
September Book Club
Wed, 24 Sep at 07:00 pm September Book Club

So & So Books

ART LITERARY-ART
Becoming You Book Club (Parents and Babies): I Love You Rituals
Thu, 25 Sep at 09:00 am Becoming You Book Club (Parents and Babies): I Love You Rituals

8300 Health Park suite 228

HEALTH-WELLNESS MENTAL-HEALTH
SenLinYu | Alchemised (OFFSITE)
Thu, 25 Sep at 07:00 pm SenLinYu | Alchemised (OFFSITE)

Stewart Theatre

ART LITERARY-ART
Meet Andrew K. Clark, Author of "Where Dark Things Grow"
Fri, 26 Sep at 10:15 am Meet Andrew K. Clark, Author of "Where Dark Things Grow"

Quail Ridge Books, 4209-100 Lassiter Mill Road Raleigh, NC 27609-5882

ART LITERARY-ART
Root to Rise Women's Circle
Sat, 27 Sep at 11:00 am Root to Rise Women's Circle

Fallon Park

WORKSHOPS HEALTH-WELLNESS
Raleigh Book Fair (Hosted by Front Paige Media)
Sat, 27 Sep at 11:00 am Raleigh Book Fair (Hosted by Front Paige Media)

Raleigh Iron Works 1101 East Whitaker Mill Road Raleigh, NC 27604

VV September Book Club
Tue, 30 Sep at 06:00 pm VV September Book Club

200 Park at North Hills Street, Suite 130, Raleigh, NC, United States, North Carolina 27609

MEETUPS HOLIDAY
Brian Recker | Hell Bent
Tue, 30 Sep at 07:00 pm Brian Recker | Hell Bent

Quail Ridge Books

ART LITERARY-ART

What's Happening Next in Raleigh?

Discover Raleigh Events