Locced and Loaded Ladies and Faded Men Mystery/Suspense/Thriller Series

There's a city inside a state inside a country in the middle of nowhere and everywhere.  Reality and fantasy connect to disconnect.  Lies with little drips of truth keep secrets hidden.  The city has become a chessboard, and the people are the pieces.  Who is on which side?  Will the black queen or gold king win?  Are there questions that will ever have an answer, much less the correct answers?  Cults, control, and chaos are in the game.  How do you play a game where the rules can change anytime?