"Holding Their Own XIII: Renegade" by Joe Nobody
https://www.amazon.com/Holding-Their-Own-XIII-Renegade/dp/1939473802/

The thirteenth book in a series of nineteen alternate history books
about the economic collapse of the USA in 2015 and onward. I read the
well printed and well bound POD (print on demand) trade paperback self published by the author in 2017 that I bought new on Amazon in 2025. I
own the first fourteen books in the series and will purchase more soon.

Um, this series was published in 2011 just as the shale oil and gas boom
was really getting cranked up. The book has crude oil at $350/barrel
and gasoline at $6/gallon in 2015. Not gonna happen due to oil well
fracking in the USA so the major driver of economic collapse in the USA
is invalid for the book. That said, the book is a good story about the collapse and failure of the federal government in the USA. The book is centered in Texas which makes it very interesting to me since I am a
Texas resident.

The $6 gasoline was just the start. The unemployment rises to 40% over
a couple of years and then there is a terrorist chemical attack in
Chicago that kills 50,000 people. The current President of the USA
nukes Iran with EMP airbursts as the sponsor of the terrorist attack.
And the President of the USA also declares martial law and shuts down
the interstates to stop the terrorists from moving about. That shuts
down food and fuel movement causing starvation and lack of energy across
the nation.

The accumulations of these serious problems cause widespread panics and shutdowns of basic services like electricity and water for large cities.
The electricity grids fail due to employees not showing up to work at
the plants. Then the refineries shutdown due to the lack of electricity.

"Diana is running for reelection, and soon discovers that there are no
rules in post-apocalyptic politics. The citizens of the Alliance become deeply embroiled by the bitter contest, a ruthless challenger seeking to divide and conquer the people of the Lone Star Nation. While the brutal campaign is waged, Bishop becomes immersed in fighting a mysterious
crime wave that is sweeping across the territory. His efforts soon
uncover treachery, that when exposed, pushes the Alliance to the brink
of civil war."

The author has a website at:
https://www.joenobodybooks.com/

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Amazon rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars (296 reviews)

Lynn

--- PyGate Linux v1.5
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)