Before the carrier sank, before the world changed, the decline was already under way...

Detroit is a city on the brink. And America is right behind it.

Decades of economic collapse, political neglect, and gang warfare have hollowed it out. Entire neighborhoods stand abandoned, police patrols cling to the gentrified downtown core, and the rest of the city is left to fend for itself.

When the local power company cuts electricity to thousands during a brutal winter, families turn to kerosene heaters. Fires sweep the streets. The death of a beloved schoolteacher and her family ignites protests that spiral into open revolt. Thousands flee across the river to Windsor, Canada, sparking an international refugee crisis that exposes how far Detroit's—and America's—collapse has already gone.

Amid the unrest, the River Gees gang strikes at a rival: Fave, a seasoned street boss whose nephew commands a battle-hardened crew of military veterans. With his organization under attack, Fave fights back—then spots an opening. If he can turn the coming U.S. Army deployment against the River Gees, the Avery Organization might not just survive, but come out stronger.

As the Michigan National Guard falters, militias seize rural roads, and Washington sends in the 10th Mountain Division, Detroit becomes a war zone. At first, soldiers are welcomed as saviors. But in the city's shadows, Fave isn't the only one working an angle—powerful players far beyond Michigan's borders see a chance to turn local chaos into a global windfall.

From gangland alleys to the White House Situation Room, Alter Road delivers a relentless portrait of a fractured America—where the real battle isn't for territory, but for control of the future.

A standalone novel set in the Wartmann universe, Alter Road lays the foundation for the global conflicts to come. 

Reviews

"★★★★★ ... This is a story about a big corporation shutting down the power to a city and the riots that followed ... The novel has an ensemble cast, something I have become personally fond of reading in recent years. It lets authors explore a situation from different character perspectives and Mark James does this masterfully ... I particularly enjoyed how it demonstrated how protests can and do get out of hand ... The sections on the Michigan militia group were fascinating ... Mark has set this up perfectly for a sequel, which I sincerely hope that he is writing ... The twist in the last 3% of the book with the Middle East really caught me off guard. Well done! ... A solid five out of five stars!"
— Blaine Pardoe, New York Times bestselling author (Battletech series, Blue Dawn series, Tenure series)

"★★★★★ ... Mark James has crafted a suspenseful page-turner that is so smart and plausible, I kept forgetting it was a novel, not a work of non-fiction ... Keep your fingers crossed that nothing liked this ever ACTUALLY happens ... Mark James is a major new talent!"
— Peter Gerardo, former New York Times journalist and ghost writer of more than 40 books in finance, marketing, and management

"★★★★★ ... An explosive thriller ... The acceleration of violence during protests is terrifyingly and realistically portrayed ... Filled with heart-pounding and extreme action, it is an intense story with an explosive plot and a riveting storyline ... This is an exciting and mind-blowing novel, and I recommend it for those who relish an electrifying suspense story with a disquieting edge.
— Susan Sewell, Readers Favorite