Death by Chaos
“Time may fly if you’re having fun, but if you’re waiting to give the performance of a lifetime — that is, convincing everyone from roommates to college presidents and Topanga sheriffs that you are totally surprised by the sudden death of one of your classmates — well, time can drag. And did it ever.”
That is the dilemma facing Tasha, one of four self-proclaimed goddesses at an elite California college in Renaii West’s fun, nostalgic and well-scripted debut novel Death by Chaos.
To call this book a mystery is not quite right — the facts of the case in question are laid out almost from the get-go. The intrigue is trying to decipher how, when and if at all they are going to be revealed.
It takes place at toney Parnassus Canyon University in Southern California, where four talented, quirky beauties find themselves tucked together as roommates in small quarters. Elizabeth, Dawn, Tasha and Miranda quickly establish themselves as “Big Women on Campus” with charmed lives seemingly in their future, whether it’s for their popularity, personality, advocacy stances, active participation in student and social affairs, or their high batting averages for sleeping around.
One night, as Tasha wanders to the ball field to meet up with the rich, entitled, bully Kip Morgan to pay for answers to an upcoming midterm, she witnesses a strange occurrence. The athletic Miranda, out for a run, is cornered and threatened in the stands by Kip. One thing leads to another, Kip falls in his pursuit and meets his demise.
While trying to piece together what happened, the facts are clear — Tasha witnessed it all. But she and Miranda decide not to come forward, and with good reason. Kip’s powerful father is in a position to create — and have the public believe — a story that protects Kip and implicates Miranda. Rather than stand trial to that scenario, Miranda goes on the run … for what turns out to be close to two decades.
Just as fascinating as sorting through this main storyline is the interaction of the four goddesses (actually three for most of the book) — their exploits in college, their achievements, their successful careers and their family life.
Writes West, “While the physical surroundings were small, the realm, in spirit, was large enough to encompass and nurture four strong, distinct personalities. Each would grow stronger and more distinct with each passing day: the regal Elizabeth, the turbulent Miranda, the halcyonid Dawn, and last, but never least, the mercurial Tasha.”
Readers will relish the dorm room scenes listening to the girls share everything from a joint to tomorrow night’s dreams to their long-term hopes. The conversation is warm, witty and real, quickly bringing back memories for anyone who ever lived the college dorm life.
But what of Miranda? What became of her and will she ever return? And wouldn’t her decision to run feed into the theory of her guilt?
As the three girls stay friendly over the years, have annual jaunts to a spa, and brace for their 20-year reunion in the hope that it’s time for secrets and revelations to come out, West introduces us to characters capable of filling in some of the blanks — although she holds her cards and plays her hand at the appropriate time for full dramatic effect.
Writers write about what they know. West fits that mold — no coincidence that her background as a drama instructor resembles the character of Tasha.
If chaos is the operative word in this book and this title, then readers should embrace it and enjoy it. They are in store for a fun ride, and as we learn at the end, “out of chaos came the truth.”
You can purchase Death by Chaos here.
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About Renaii West:
Renaii West has been writing and performing from an early age. After earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, she became the Dramatic Arts instructor in a performing arts program, where she wrote and directed many of her own productions. Desiring to expand her creative wings, she is now creating fun-loving and sometimes quirky characters who inadvertently find themselves in the middle of a mystery and must use their wits and cunningness to solve the case. Her passions and hobbies include mythology, classic films, travel, belly dancing, yoga, jigsaw puzzles, and of course, mysteries.
