Battle in the Avenue by Sean McCutchen

Almost two decades after the collapse of fossil fuels, civilization is precariously held together by an alternative energy source rising in cost. In order to avoid another Fuel Wars, three long lost family members must each find their own answers to the betrayal that tore their family apart. Orphaned for as long as he can remember, Owen Bradley grew up searching for an answer to his isolation. Now, a graduate student studying alternative fuels, Owen receives a mysterious package. The cryptic riddle inside sends him on a harrowing journey across Chicago in search of his family and the lineage he didn't know existed, if he can outrun those that would stop at nothing to profit from a lucrative new energy source. Clare Furmore strives to fill the cracks left in justice from the loosely rebuilt world following the Fuel Wars. Clare's drive stems from her attempts to escape the painful memory of the car wreck that took her parents when she was young. Now, a job has come along that sets her on a collision course to discover the truth from that day, if Clare can face the one monster she has suspected her whole life and put a stop to his tyrannical rule. Dr. James Stevenson is betrayed by his lifelong friend and business partner. He is then forced to watch as his prediction comes true and humanity tears itself apart in the wake of the Fuel Wars. Then, a new fuel is discovered and the world stabilizes, but how long will it last? James learns that the fuel is only temporary but not all is lost, there is still something worth the fight. A journey of retribution is ahead, if he can solve the world's energy crisis and come up with a plan to take down one of the most powerful men on the planet. Battle in the Avenue is a fast-paced story of a family seeking to discover the truth in a world on the edge of destruction.

Adult • Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense