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Outline....
A sleepy Welsh village out in the sticks has a women's support group where nothing happens and life continues to meander on its mundane way. That is until a beautiful stranger turns up and ingratiates herself into the group. She secretly begins to stir the pot and long buried issues begin to surface once more. Sexual tensions rise, cliques are formed and broken. Is she controlling the group? Is someone controlling her? What is her history? A young man's death sparks police involvement. It's all spiralling out of control or maybe it is all going according to plan...
My review...
I was first drawn to this book because it has a great cover and is set in a small village 50+ miles outside Cardiff much like the village I was born and brought up in. However the author's village is very different to my own. It is a lot more middle class and it is full of twisted, duplicitous inhabitants and that's the beauty of this book. It set me to thinking, perhaps the people in my village were like that but I just was unaware of it. All sorts of things go on under a rock but you can only see the rock.
This book is a sequel to Chris Westlake's first book "30 days in June" that tells the tale of a serial killer from the Bridgend area of Wales. Thanks to some clever writing I am here to kill you can be read as a stand alone though with the benefit of hindsight I would have read 30 days in June first. (As an aside; immediately after reading I am here to kill you I bought 30 days in June that should tell you how much I enjoyed this book)
It is written in the first person, however the author avoids the pitfall of only seeing one point of view by having each chapter devoted to one of the main characters and seeing the narrative from their point of view. Very "Quantam Leap" and it works because there are huge differences in the characters. From the bored Thai bride, to ex hooligan with a heart of gold to the sad lonely widow who organises the support group. The author inhabits their souls extremely well.
Old memories are dredged up from those affected by horrific crimes. Others begin to see they are living a lie. Hidden desires are revealed and passions released. What originally seemed a bland community slowly morphs into Soddam and Gomorrah.
The author writes with a sure touch about the most scariest of things......yes that's right Women. Here they can be lovely cuddly bottles of nitro. Each one has depth and shade no 2D cardboard cutout stereotypes here.They can be just as ruthless as the men and a lot more cunning. Take Sheena as a case in point. The sexy stranger who enters the metaphoric quiet pond of the sleepy village of Pontbach and causes the ripples to radiate. She is manipulative and manipulated, depraved and wicked like a cross between Jessica Rabbit and Priti Patel.
The author swings our allegiance between the cast members as our understanding of them grows. There are several plotlines which I would love to expound upon but will refrain from doing so in case I give the game away.
If you cant tell already I really enjoyed this book. A thrillingly, well plotted, complex thriller that shows that underneath we are all far deeper than can be seen from the surface. Its up there with Alex Michaelides The Silent Patient.
Selected quotes...
"It's different for me. I've lived here all my life. Why would you want to jump from the big sea, with endless possibilities, into a goldfish bowl, where the same things happen day after day? Why would anybody willingly make that choice?"
"I love her because she stops me from being alone."
"My house is meticulously clean and tidy - very minimalistic. It is the perfect example of how a normal, sane person should live. Of course, there is nothing accidental about that."
"I swear to God, her tiny, child- like tits perked up. Who needs plastic surgery when you have gossip to share?"
About the author...
Chris Westlake was born in Cardiff and brought up in Wick, a coastal village seven miles from Bridgend. He now resides in Birmingham with his wife, Elizabeth, and two young children, AJ and Chloe.
After completing a Creative Writing course in 2010, Chris' short story, Welsh Lessons, was awarded 1st place in the Global Short Story Award. He followed this up with 1st place in the Stringybark Erotic Fiction Award and 2nd place in the HASSRA Literary Award.
He has written three previous novels, Just a Bit of Banter, Like, At Least the Pink Elephants are Laughing at Us, and 30 Days in June. You can find out more about Chris, and his books, at his website, chriswestlakeauthor.co.uk
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