Here is a new release from one of my favourite authors: Chris Westlake – not a stranger to this blog as you can see:
New Release: “30 Days in June” by Chris Westlake
New Release: “At Least the Pink Elephants are Laughing at Us” by Chris Westlake
![I AM HERE TO KILL YOU: A psychological crime thriller by [Chris Westlake]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ZgFXKpYML.jpg)
Here is the blurb of his latest novel:
Charming. Charismatic. Beautiful.
And deadly?
The members of a local support group in a sleepy welsh town are captivated by the new arrival, Sheena Strachan. Each member of the group has a reason for attending. Some hide dark, sinister secrets, and for others it is the highlight of their week.
But what are Sheena’s motives for attending?
The group’s leader, Rose, unexpectedly stops attending meetings. She goes into hiding, and quickly becomes an outcast. And then she is arrested for her estranged husband’s murder.
Did Sheena really have no involvement in his killing?
With Sheena at the helm, the group goes from strength to strength, both in numbers and commitment. But their behaviour is changing. No story is to leave the room. They trust nobody. Men are the enemy. The residents of the previously peaceful town start turning against each other.
Was this Sheena’s plan all along?
One mystery, however, stands out more than all the others.
Who is here to kill who…?
I AM HERE TO KILL YOU is a compelling psychological thriller that explores the potential power and devastation of manipulation.
MY REVIEW:
The thriller grabs our attention with a gruesome seduction / murder scene, but then goes back in time to tell how we got there. The backstory is told in segments with changing point of views: Sheena, who is new to town; Katherine, Rose and Apinya, who go to a women’s group where they share their secrets and where Sheena soon becomes a prominent member; and then the husbands and love interests Ray, Bernard, Grant and Daniel.
While the changing perspective makes it initially a little difficult to settle in, it is a well chosen tool to keep the mystery buzzing. Once I found myself drawn in I couldn’t put the book down. The plot and characters are excellent. Just when you think you know where this is going another surprise pops up and shifts focus and suspicions in a different direction. The book is full of hints and clues but always keep back enough to keep ambiguity and mystery.
While we know that Sheena is a baddie of sorts, we know nothing of her motives or of her past with the members of the community. Likewise, we get small glimpses of insights into the other characters and what drives or worries them, but not enough to fully comprehend the connections and implications.
The female characters are very enjoyable to follow, the changes they go through and the character developments throughout the book are quite impressive and the ending is pretty sensational.
I really enjoyed this book and hope there’ll be another soon.
ABOUT CHRIS:
After completing a Creative Writing course in 2010, Chris Westlake’s short story, Welsh Lessons, was awarded 1st place in the Global Short Story Award (not bad for the first writing competition he had entered). He followed this up with 1st place in the Stringybark Erotic Fiction Award and 2nd place in the HASSRA Literary Award.
Chris has written three novels. 30 DAYS IN JUNE is his first crime thriller. He is currently writing his second thriller, on schedule to be completed in 2020. He is determined to write many, many more – his main regret is that he didn’t start writing earlier.
Chris considers himself to be a developing author. He is always looking to improve, to make his next novel even better than the last. He is continuously experimenting with different styles, different genres.
You can discover more about Chris on his website, chriswestlakeauthor.co.uk
You can contact Chris at chriswestlakeauthor@hotmail.co.uk
