A futuristic courtroom drama

Welcome to the brave new world where everything is permitted. Well, almost everything. There is no backlog in the criminal courts because there are few crimes to try. A new polygraph that is 100% reliable helps to quickly dispose of what few trials there are. Too good to be true? Yes, probably.  

The background to this dystopian science fiction novel is climate change. The warming Gulf Stream has been cut off, leading to permanent winter in the north. Britain has become an American state following exploitation of its mineral wealth, though parts of the UK joined a federal Europe. 

The plot centres on a family that, in seeking solace after tragedy, joins a popular church whose religion is based loosely on the 1960s Summer of Love. The main characters quickly sign away their money, property and rights to personal relationships. They discover too late that the cult is based on exploitation, not love.  

This is the author’s first fictional offering after writing about the law for many years. I wondered if the new converts would give up their rights so readily. 

There is a creepiness to this story which is very realistic. It develops into a futuristic courtroom drama.  

David Pickup is a partner at Pickup & Scott Solicitors, Aylesbury