The Facility

Lelic (The Child Who) considers whether and how the state’s power should be limited in a chilling look at a near-future Britain. When dentist Arthur Priestley winds up in a cell in a strange facility after two men who refuse to identify themselves harshly interrogate him, Priestley’s estranged wife, Julia, asks Tom Clarke, a journalist for an online libertarian news site, to investigate her husband’s arrest. Clarke discovers that his government sources, who should know what’s going on, won’t tell him anything. The reporter also finds out that Priestley is but one of many white male professionals who have gone missing. With the government using antiterror legislation to carry out the mysterious policy that led to Priestley’s incarceration, Clarke and Julia have an uphill battle to learn the truth. Lelic’s lean prose and intelligent approach to a controversial issue produce a riveting read. Agent: Zoë Pagnamenta Agency. (Sept.)