It Takes Monsters

She had decided to kill her husband. But then somebody else got there first.…

Victoria Tate has had enough of her controlling, incompetent husband Warren. But planning the perfect murder is more difficult than it looks. When the social event of the year, an over-the-top costume ball, is rescheduled for the date she has selected for her crime, Victoria has to scramble to make sure she will still be able to follow through. But even hours of listening to crime podcasts cannot prepare her for the next wrench that is thrown into her plans: Warren turns up dead by someone else’s hand.

Now Victoria finds herself at the center of a murder investigation in which she is actually innocent. The real killer taunts her, making it clear that they knew what she was planning all along. With the police closing in and her neighbors turning on her, Victoria is going to lose everything she had hoped to gain from Warren’s death, unless she can figure out who wanted her husband dead and why. It turns out that Warren was better at keeping secrets than she ever could have guessed. But which secret is the one that led to his death? And even if she can find the answers, does Victoria have what it takes to confront a real murderer?

In this twisty thriller from the author of Chloe Cates Is Missing, danger comes from both the monsters among us and the monsters that lurk inside us.

Dark, disturbing, and twisty … McHugh’s biting sarcasm and witty humor take center stage in this fast-paced domestic-suspense story full of secrets, lies, and betrayals.”
―Booklist

A clever and pacey thriller. McHugh delivers a tantalizing story about a dysfunctional marriage and what happens when one decides to take matters into their own hands. Claws out, no holds barred, this one is urgent, sinister, and sharp as a knife.”
―Christina McDonald, USA Today bestselling author

IT TAKES MONSTERS is a spellbinding thriller that dives deep into domestic dysfunction, sibling side-eye, and the monsters in our midst. Dark, clever, and even shocking at times, the novel proves that Mandy McHugh is a writer to watch.”
―Alex Finlay, author of Night Shift

McHugh has done it again. With a close look at a likeable villain, this roller coaster ride is a beautifully written story with brilliant plotting where you will learn to trust no one. Revenge takes center stage as you piece together the puzzle, with twists and turns at every opportunity. IT TAKES MONSTERS is a compelling, standout novel like nothing I’ve ever read before.”
―Jaime Lynn Hendricks, bestselling author of I Didn’t Do It

With twists till the very last page, this is the kind of book that’s incredibly hard to put down.
―Criminal Element

Mandy McHugh holds an MA in English from the College of Saint Rose and a BA in English Education from Le Moyne College. Her works have appeared in various literary magazines and podcasts, and she lives in upstate New York with her husband, two kids, and dog.

See more titles by Mandy McHugh