Rumaan Alam

An ambitious young Black woman, plotting her way into the world of the one percent. An old white billionaire, facing his own extinction.

He's attracted to her intelligence, her refusal to be deferential, maybe also her Blackness. She's drawn to his power and money - and his apparent willingness to share both with her.

But how far is each prepared to go to get what they think they deserve?

Amanda and Clay head to a remote corner of Long Island expecting a holiday. But with a late-night knock on the door, the spell is broken.

Ruth and G. H., an older couple who claim to own the home, have arrived there in a panic. These strangers say that a sudden power outage has swept the city, and - with nowhere else to turn - they have come to the country in search of shelter. But with the TV and internet down, and no phone service, the facts are unknowable. Should Amanda and Clay trust this couple - and vice versa? What has happened back in New York? Is the holiday home, isolated from civilisation, a truly safe place for their families? And are they safe from one another…