Late, Late in the Evening presents readers with the dystopian nightmare of a Britain which has descended into authoritarianism, where nationalism and xenophobia are now the guiding values of government. Advanced surveillance means individuals are never free, and robot armies make states almost invulnerable. But it is never straightforward when one wishes to suppress an entire nation, and at the heart of any resistance is the question of how we react when forced to fight in a conflict we never wanted. This is the story of a poet who must confront the nightmare of dictatorship. Imprisoned for his writings, Gabe is released into a life little better than slavery, serving a member of the ruling party and in constant danger from the merciless agents who guard the country estate where he now lives. Any infraction could mean returning to prison or even execution. Yet there is still the prospect of being reunited with the family who escaped before the borders closed, and the longer he remains on the estate, the more he realises that he is not alone in his opposition to the country's new rulers. He also finds himself drawing closer to Caroline, the enigmatic wife of his master. As events in the wider world become ever more unstable, Gabe will have to decide where his ultimate loyalties lie and whether he will fight or run.
