In a frigid Detroit winter, as the city buckles under the weight of economic collapse, a house fire claims the life of beloved schoolteacher Bernadette Price and her family. The tragedy ignites a powder keg of social unrest when residents discover the home's electricity had been shut off by corporate giant GLEE, despite sub-zero temperatures.

As protests erupt across the city, multiple perspectives converge: Mayor André Murray balances political pressures against his conscience; cross-country runner Ian Nguyen and his friends find themselves caught in escalating violence; teenager David Harvey gets pulled into a dangerous arson scheme; and police chief Tony "JD" Wiggins struggles to maintain order as the city spirals into chaos.

When the National Guard's deployment ends in disaster, the U.S. Army arrives with tanks and fighter jets, transforming Detroit into an urban battleground. Meanwhile, shadowy financial interests exploit the chaos, manipulating events for profit as American refugees flee across the Canadian border.

Mark James' searing debut novel exposes the fragility of American society when corporate greed, political corruption, and desperate inequality collide. Raw and unflinching, Alter Road presents a chilling vision of how quickly civil society can unravel—and how ordinary people find humanity amid the ruins.

If you enjoyed "American War," "The Overstory," and "Station Eleven," you'll love "Alter Road."