Chris Westlake has writing talent and he starts 30 Days in June with an absolute bang. His atmospheric description of the events leading to the first attack will have anyone hooked. There are similar tense moments in subsequent chapters, particularly in the final few days.

From the outset the reader is almost certain in two aspects of this book. Firstly, the title and the chapter headings make it clear that the events will fit into two months thirty years apart; a format that suits my tidy mind. The second aspect is that because much of the tale is told by the main character in the first person he is highly likely to survive the book.

I have to say that I found some chapters rather flat. These were predominantly in the early part of the book when the reader is being drip fed snippets of information about the events of June 1988. There are also some long sessions where Marcus is with his psychiatrist. These were not only tedious but also frustrating because it was obvious that Marcus was not being honest, either with the psychiatrist or with the reader.

Despite those challenging sections it is worth persisting with 30 Days in June because Westlake pulls it all together as the book progresses and there is a very tense standoff situation at the end. It may have been deliberate by the author but I was left with a few questions; in particular how true to life is the character of Spartacus? Could a random serial killer just stop or was there some reason that prevented him killing during that long period? Unless there is a sequel I will never know.

Chris Westlake clearly has talent and on his website he describes himself as a developing writer who wants to get better. Yes, there is room for improvement but if you want to share the Chris Westlake journey then 30 Days in June is an acceptable place to start.

Given the flat chapters I have moderated my rating to a good four stars.

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.

What did you think of 30 Days in June? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!