Kaleidoscope of Lies: A Story of Friendship and Betrayal - Paperback

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by Keith Declerck (Author)

Friendship can last a lifetime. Betrayal can lead to death. What seductive force lurks in the shadows, pulling the strings?

Kaleidoscope of Lies is a semi-autobiographical crime/mystery/suspense/thriller novel with a magical realism bent-the story of a man who enters an underworld and confronts his addictive past after his best friend dies-when the young engineer realizes the death is a murder shrouded in mystery, he investigates and discovers the people he trusts most are involved, and that he'll need to fabricate a way to save his own life.

The isolation of working on an oil rig is helping Dane Avilla quell his cocaine addiction, but something inside haunts him. His construct of "normal" has been vaporized, his idea of "home" is now a mirage. But when Dane's best friend Blake dies, he must return to Seattle and face his past. Yet, instead of finding closure, Dane finds his old friends-including Blake-are in the drug business, his life is in danger, and his addiction is reborn.

As Dane pieces together fragments of the truth, he's blinded by a kaleidoscope of suspicion and corruption-caught in a cat-and-mouse game with the mob and authorities-rekindling friendship in a cyclone of betrayal. Is the glue of youthful camaraderie stronger than the solvent of reason? Dane's life is turned inside out like a color negative. Those on the inside can never get out; dependency is more spiritual than physical; and every debt ultimately comes due.

Then, as if he didn't have enough to contend with, Dane encounters a street pusher bound to a wheelchair, paralyzed in a seemingly unrelated accident. There, deep in the bowels of Seattle, the pusher recalls the accident and how he met Circe, a goddess of Pharmakeia, at the scene-an enchantress that seduces then disregards without end. Incredulous at first, this encounter leaves Dane reeling: Is it Circe haunting him?

Kaleidoscope of Lies is a dark, gripping tale that probes the ugly depths that those closest to us will go in the name of self-preservation, but it's also a celebration of friendship and our ability to resurrect a life out of the ashes. Consequences can last a lifetime, but it's not about the mistakes you make as much as how you get to the other side.

With a plot and prose filled with energy and action interlaced with humor and reflection, Kaleidoscope of Lies is a treat for the brain and a cornucopia of emotion for the soul. The story is rife with authentic and relatable characters in difficult positions that make them think and do what the rest of us are afraid to let out of the dark; characters that explore internal struggles and external surroundings with the same zeal, while they immerse you in a pool of your senses.

Kaleidoscope of Lies is literary fiction at the intersection of engaging mystery, gripping suspense, and a face paced thriller. The result is a gritty portrayal of crime, murder, and betrayal-page turner fiction at its very best.

Number of Pages: 372

Dimensions: 0.83 x 9 x 6 IN

Publication Date: January 28, 2025