Chassie (rhymes with Tracy) West admits that it took a good deal of arm-twisting by a writer friend before she considered becoming a writer herself. After all, it was something she'd done as a hobby as long as she could remember. Once she took the notion seriously, however, it gradually became an all-consuming passion.

Chassie's career as a mystery writer began with Sunrise, published by HarperPaperbacks. It was nominated in 1995 for an Edgar for Best Original Paperback by the Mystery Writers of America. That was followed in 1997 by Loss of Innocence, a HarperPaperback Publisher's Choice. Her next mystery, Killing Kin, the second of a series featuring Sunrise's Leigh Ann Warren, was released in July 2000.