A Royal Palm Literary Award-winner.
In a land where hope is the rarest resource, one woman becomes the only force standing between freedom and surrender.
Alaska is in the grip of an unrelenting recession. In an attempt to reignite the economy, a deal is struck to supply natural gas to China, but the new pipeline will leave the state $50 billion in debt to the Chinese Communist Party and ultimately spawn a struggle for control of The Last Frontier.
Lucy Hall knows none of this. A spirited college student stuck in the limbo of early adulthood, she never planned to play detective. But when she impulsively signs on as a security guard for the pipeline project, she's thrust onto the geopolitical frontline.
A transforming Alaska proves to be a world of exploited laborers, industrial espionage, state secrets, and murder.
Beneath the frozen surface of the pipeline project, Lucy uncovers the grim reality of forced rehabilitation programs and the disappearance of those who dare to resist. The investigation into the deaths of prominent businessmen leads her down a rabbit hole of surveillance and harassment, where the line between protector and pawn begins to blur.
As the balance of power begins to tip from west to east, Lucy must navigate betrayal and her own doubts to expose the truth and keep hope alive: both for herself, and for all those who value freedom.
Occupied Alaska is a timely, page-turning tome for those who appreciate high-stakes geopolitical suspense. A piece of speculative fiction rooted in the realities of modern international relations, it explores the fragility of democracy and the chilling possibilities of our shared near-future.
