About Chris Westlake

Thriller writer

At a Glance

Chris Westlake is a writer of psychological thriller books that delve deep into the darker side of the human psyche. His books focus on original premises, flawed but relatable characters and plots that spiral in unexpected directions.

It wasn’t always like this, though. His first two novels, Just a Bit of Banter, Like and At Least the Pink Elephants are Laughing at Us, fell within the contemporary humour genre.

Chris has published three psychological thrillers. His latest, The F-Word Reality Show, was published in August 2023.

Here is a sprinkling of some of the reviews for Chris’s latest book:

“Disturbingly brilliant and gripping…”

“This book was literally as if Big Brother and Hunger Games had a baby!”

“Authors have taken me on wild rides and rollercoaster trips before but what Westlake has created is another level…”

“Chris Westlake has penned another cracking thriller and I highly recommend it…”

Taking a Closer Look

Personal Background

Born in Cardiff and bred in a small coastal village just outside Bridgend, Chris Westlake now lives in Birmingham with his wife and two children.

Chris says: In my mid-twenties, I lived in London for three years. I worked in Monument, just the other side of London Bridge, and I loved the fast-paced, high-octane city life. In retrospect, I wished I stayed for a few more years, progressed the career ladder and got some money behind me. Outside of work, though, London felt too big and cumbersome for a country boy like me, and I didn’t like how long it took to travel, to do anything. My wife, Elizabeth, is from east London; she didn’t want to move to Wales, and I didn’t want to stay in London, and so we made a compromise to move to Birmingham, where we could both be unhappy together. We love Birmingham now, though, and the kids love their holidays at Nanny and Grampy’s back in Wales.

My books have a strong Welsh theme, and London tends to crop up quite a bit, too!

Writing background

As a young child, Chris wrote books about monsters, roller coasters and winning the FA Cup. He still has one book he wrote when he was seven stored away in a dusty drawer. School, University and work took over and Chris didn’t put pen to paper (or fingers to laptop) again until he was thirty-three. He completed an online creative writing course, and the tutor suggested he enter some writing competitions, just to dip his toes in the water. Chris’s short story, Welsh Lessons, was awarded first place in the Global Short Stories Award, one of the first competitions he entered (not bad when there were approximately 600 entrants). Shortly after, Heatwave of 76  was awarded first place in the Stringybark Erotic Stories Award. Riding high on  success, Chris decided to write his first novel, Just a Bit of Banter, Like.

Chris says: I always knew I was going to write; I think I delayed it for so long because I was terrified I’d realise I couldn’t. Finally, I decided I’d run out of excuses, concluded that it was now or never. It was the best thing I ever did: it gave me real focus, a genuine creative outlook. The tutor commented on my first assignment that I was already a very good writer. Winning the competitions came early, without much effort, and I thought: this is easy. On reflection, I was the fisherman who caught a whopper on his first outing. I quickly realised that writing wasn’t easy at all, that most of it is down to perspiration, not inspiration. But then, where is the challenge if it was easy?

Chris’s novels

Just a Bit of Banter, Like is an adult coming-of-age novel about a twenty-something high-flyer who returns home to Bridgend and re-evaluates his life.

At Least the Pink Elephants are Laughing at Us tells the story of three hopeful comedians who take on the Edinburgh Festival.

30 DAYS IN JUNE was  Chris’s first crime thriller. He followed this up with I AM HERE TO KILL YOU, which subtly explores the potentially horrific outcomes from brainwashing and manipulation. 

Chris’s latest book, THE F-WORD REALITY SHOW, is his most ambitious book yet. Set during a pandemic with no end in sight, fifty contestants are transported to a derelict holiday park to participate in a reality show to be aired to millions of viewers across the world. Or are they? Contestants soon realise that they have a simple choice: kill, or be killed.

Chris says: Just a Bit of Banter, Like is only 70,000 words in length, who equates to about 200 pages. It was my first novel, and so I didn’t want to take on Everest; I kept it simple and focussed on telling an enjoyable, endearing story. On the whole, readers love this book because it is breezy and fun. It was a great start.

It took me nearly three years to write At Least the Pink Elephants are Laughing at Us, and I lost my way. This is partly because of the arrival of my beautiful son, AJ; I quickly realised that exhaustion and creativity do not go hand in hand. I endeavoured to make this book bigger and better than the last, for it to be a masterpiece. The result? I ended up rewriting and reediting, again and again and again. At some point I lost my confidence, and writing became a chore and not a passion.

Personally, I think that At Least the Pink Elephants are Laughing at Us is a much better book than Banter because it has so many more layers. Not that many people seemed interested when I released it, however, and after three years that kind of hurt.

I’ve went back to basics with 30 DAYS IN JUNE. I actually found a popular genre!  took on board all the constructive feedback from the first two-books and written a book that is snappy, fast-paced and full of suspense. I found this book so much easier to write, and my mojo returned (you can’t keep a good man down).

Writing Aspirations

Chris recently typed The End (not literally) on his fifth novel. The F-Word Reality Show was published in August 2023. Whilst Chris is delighted with this novel, he is aware that his writing is continuously a work in progress. At some point he wants to write a novel he is totally proud of, one that leaves a mark.

Chris says: That is one of the fantastic things about writing: so long as I make sure I don’t get run over by a bus tomorrow (and every other tomorrow) then I could still be writing for another thirty or forty years (and I’m not young even now). Even though I’ve been writing seriously for over ten years, I still consider myself a developing author, and I think I always will. I’m forever reading and learning from other authors. I have long-term aspirations; perseverance and patience are the virtues that will win the day.

Watch this space!

Highlights

Sharing some figures to give you a better feel for Chris and his work. Chris has already written his 5th novel. The F-Word Reality Show is a psychological thriller that will get under your skin.