Under Cover of Chaos

by Liz Wanic, Rebekah Wanic

A serial killer hides behind an untouchable global institution. A broken system fails the victims. One woman vows to uncover the truth.



When young women are found dead in the capital of the Central African Republic, United Nations official Stella Fairmont is reminded of the unsolved disappearance of a friend. As she investigates, she uncovers what may be a chilling pattern-similar deaths in another UN location.



The deeper she digs, the more twisted the view becomes, and Stella finds herself up against a system built on compromise where accountability is often an illusion. When the truth gets blurred and personal histories can be hidden, the only way to survive is to trust her instincts. As friendships run thin and time runs out, she must navigate a minefield of lies, moral complexity, and buried secrets-all while trying to stay ahead of someone who would kill to keep the truth hidden.



A sharp, authentic international thriller, Under Cover of Chaos delivers gripping suspense, a strong female lead, and a brutal What happens when one of the world's most powerful institutions is the perfect place to hide a killer?

Genres: Thriller, Mystery

299 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 18, 2026

Reviews

[Leanne]

Under Cover of Chaos is a taut, worldly thriller that feels both razor‑sharp and quietly devastating. It’s the kind of story that doesn’t rely on spectacle, but on the slow, unsettling realisation that the very institutions meant to protect people can also be the perfect places for danger to hide.

Stella Fairmont is a compelling centre of gravity. There’s a steadiness to her—an intelligence shaped by experience, a moral compass that hasn’t yet been worn down by bureaucracy. When young women begin turning up dead in the Central African Republic, her reaction isn’t just professional; it’s personal, coloured by the unresolved disappearance of a friend. That emotional thread gives the novel a grounded, human pulse even as the stakes widen into something far more global.

The investigation unfolds with a kind of elegant tension. Stella’s discoveries feel incremental at first—small echoes, unsettling coincidences—until the pattern becomes impossible to ignore. The idea that similar deaths have occurred in another UN location is chilling not because it’s sensational, but because it’s plausible. The book leans into that realism: the compromises, the political shielding, the way accountability can be softened until it’s barely recognisable.

What makes the story truly gripping is the atmosphere of moral complexity. Stella is navigating a world where truth is negotiable, where friendships thin under pressure, and where personal histories can be rewritten or erased. The danger she faces isn’t just physical; it’s institutional, structural, the kind that forces her to rely on instinct when every official channel seems designed to fail her.

The suspense tightens beautifully as she edges closer to answers—and closer to someone who will kill to keep those answers buried. The final stretch is tense, urgent, and deeply satisfying, the kind of ending that makes you sit back for a moment before moving on.

Sharp, authentic, and quietly fearless, Under Cover of Chaos is an international thriller that asks a brutal, unforgettable question: what happens when the world’s most powerful organisation becomes the perfect camouflage for a predator?

With thanks to Liz and REbekah Wanic, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC

[Joan]

The setting and atmosphere of this novel are unique in that they involve people working for the UN in the Central African Republic. The heroine, Stella, is a complicated character. As an amateur sleuth, she is obsessed with finding the serial killer. She is impulsive and reckless, however, often jumping to conclusions. She frequently blurts out statements that do not help the investigation. There are many suspects and she changes direction frequently to follow the one she is currently concentrating on. Her pursuits lead her into a very suspenseful situation near the end.

There is some interesting information about working for the UN and being in a foreign country like CAR. The plot is not deeply steeped in the culture of the location, however. The overarching villain named the “King” remains a mystery and may lead to additional adventures for Stella. This is a good mystery to learn some about the atmosphere of working for the UN while hunting a serial killer.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through WOW Women on Writing. My comments are an independent review.

[RPM]

I loved this book and just found it so refreshing! Not only was the author able to build a strong yet charming main character, one that you want to spend time with, but she was also able to take me away on a real adventure. I've read books that have taken place in Africa but this one was the first that actually transported me back there, and I had so much fun experiencing Bangui for the first time with the main character. The story, surrounding UN humanitarian workers in the Central African Republic, also gave me a unique look into a professional world that I would have had no other way of knowing about, and have often been curious about. This book is completely unpretentious and I love how real and honest both the characters and the story feel. It was easy to imagine what it would be like to be there, sharing a cold beer with a group of my co-workers after a hard day at the office, or in this case, a hard day of tracking down a murderer. I could not put down the book until the very end and absolutely recommend this read to anyone seeking a thoroughly enjoyable escape!

[James Foley]

Young women are being murdered in Bangui, Central African Republic, and their bodies are left on the side of the road. For a young, altruistic UN appointee on her first overseas mission, the deaths are impossible to ignore. Haunted by the victims and determined to find the serial killer before more women die, she throws herself into a dangerous search for answers.
Suspenseful from the start, the tension never lets up. But this is more than a thriller. At its heart, it is a powerful story about women—their voices, their lives, and the importance of making sure they are heard.
Liz Wanic's debut thriller is an engaging and thought-provoking read, and she cleverly lays the groundwork for what promises to be an intriguing series. With its compelling protagonist, international setting, and plenty of suspense, this book has all the makings of a great series. I’m looking forward to seeing where Wanic takes it next.

[Kim McCollum]

In her debut novel, UNDER COVER OF CHAOS, Liz Wanic delivers a fast-paced thriller that plunges the reader into the morally complex world of a UN humanitarian mission in Bangui. The novel centers on Stella, a woman working far from home who is abruptly pulled into a deadly local crisis when a young woman is found murdered. Stella quickly becomes a novice sleuth, operating outside official channels after realizing that the institutional indifference of UN personnel and the local police’s reluctance to interfere threatens to let the killer walk free. Stella’s pursuit of a serial killer through the volatile landscape of Bangui is gripping, transforming the story from a standard murder mystery into a timely exploration of privilege, accountability, and the search for truth where authority has failed. A must-read for fans of thrillers with high-stakes political undertones.

[Pamela Norsworthy]

Liz Wanic creates a dangerous, unpredictable world with her debut Under Cover of Chaos. Set within a UN office in the Central African Republic, young American Stella is the newest employee to arrive. When young women begin turning up dead on the streets, Stella fears the killer is close at hand--but will she figure out who it is before she puts herself in danger?

How refreshing to read a thriller with a feisty, brave woman at its center. Wanic's deep personal knowledge of Africa and the UN make this an enlightening read, infused with detail and nuance that take the reader inside the UN compound and the night clubs the workers frequent. Imaginative and absorbing, I am already looking foward to Stella's next adventure.

[Debra Thomas]

This fast-paced international thriller set in the Central African Republic is sure to keep you riveted and guessing. Like Stella, an official for the United Nations in Bangui, you think you know who the serial killer of young women is, but the twists and turns and surprises that follow take you on a dizzying journey. The opening chapter sets you on edge, and while there is, at novel’s end, a satisfying sense of resolution, the final chapter tips the scales just enough to leave you wanting more—and expecting a sequel. With a well-drawn, strong female protagonist and two very creepy, chilling villains, Under Cover of Chaos is a must read for fans of crime thrillers.

[JB Harris]

Not your average thriller. Under the Cover of Chaos is an international thriller that combines the CAR culture with a fast paced who done it. Wanic gives you multiple options for who might be the killer while also laying a trail of breadcrumbs for those of us who like to figure out the ending before we get there. That said, the final pages got me. No spoilers but I had honestly hoped for a different ending, not because the ending wasn’t great but because I liked certain characters more than other’s and I didn’t want their stories to end the way they did. That said, they had to, and because they did the story is stronger. And can I just say, I still have no idea who the King is. Iykyk.

[Brian]

I love a good thriller and I was not disappointed with Liz and Rebekah's debut. Set within the Central African Republic (CAR) and the complex world of UN staffers, Under Cover of Chaos went beyond a thriller in ways I was not anticipating.

Through Stella Fairmont, the authors weave gender issues, like women's empowerment (and disenfranchisement), tension between global, federal, and local governments to explore who actually runs a community, and traditional thriller concepts of misdirection and plenty of red herrings that had me thinking I knew the ending until the shocking reveal.

Plus a possible twist and cliff hanger for more books to come?! (I can only hope!)

Great Debut!!!

[Leslie]

Amazing book by new Author Liz Wanic and her sister! Sucks you in straight from the beginning making you not able to stop. Even better is unlike any other thriller I have read about the subject of UN that I know very little about. Book leaves you craving what is next, who is the King and and how this group came to be!!! I cannot wait for the next book and need it NOW!

[Barbara Kinnecom]

Great different storyline!

This was a great book even though I wasn’t familiar with either how and who works for the UN. I am eagerly awaiting the next book in this series (hope). I read this in one sitting which attests to the interesting storyline and the characters!

[Linda Avellar]

A fast-paced international thriller that kept me guessing all the way through. The author gives us an inside look into a gritty UN mission in the Central African Republic where no one is what they seem. A compelling debut from an author to watch.

[Judy]

Will update my review in August when I post it on my website.

[Chris Manning]

Loved this book. Started and finished it in a day. Kept me guessing until the end. A terrific whodunnit set in an exotic locale with a strong female lead

[Liz]

A great read! There was a reality to this story that drew me in and kept me til the end. Loved Stella -- smart with a great moral compass. Can't wait to find out what her next adventure will be.

[Maryanne Jonas]

For a debut, this book is remarkably assured and difficult to put down. The authors have created characters who are believable and complex. The protagonist’s determination and vulnerability give the novel real weight while maintaining suspense and tension. The unusual backdrop of a foreign country and a UN mission is not merely used as scenery, but becomes an essential part of the story’s power, creating a constant sense of unease and making the reader feel as though danger could emerge from anywhere. The central mystery is deeply immersive, gripping, and expertly paced, with enough twists to keep the reader guessing until the end. An impressive and compelling novel, Under Cover of Chaos marks the arrival of authors worth watching.