The Magistrate

Book excerpt: Poverty is rife in twenty-fourth century London, England. Crime rates are at an all-time high, and living conditions for many are bleak. Capital punishment and public hangings have been reinstated, and Magistrates, in their new role, are tasked with patrolling the streets to enforce arrest warrants and 'terminate' any civilians who attempt to evade justice-which isn't always a noble pursuit. The laws are strict, illiberal, and unsympathetic. If you can't afford to feed and clothe yourself, you'll be sent to the workhouse. If you fall behind on your rent, you'll be sent to debtors' prison. If you're gay, you'll be hanged. For Carmen Wild, the latter becomes a potentially deadly problem when the discovery of a murdered prostitute brings her back into the life of her first love-the Madam of an East End cathouse-and the illicit passions between them are swiftly reignited.