In 'After Dark', we're in a world where all men from the age of 10 wear an ankle tag to keep them under curfew from dusk til dawn, in an extreme bid to control male violence and aggression against women. There are also state-mandated cohab therapy sessions where couples who want to live together have to actively talk through their views before moving in with one another, again in a bid to address male violence in relationships. This has led to a very divided society, much freer for women who can walk the streets all night safe in the knowledge that personal safety is not a concern but for men, they are much more restricted in terms of jobs and freedoms, always one transgression away from a prison sentence.

The book begins with the discovery of a woman's body - most police are convinced that she must have been killed by another woman or the curfew records would show which men had been out; though an old-school police officer who remembers life before curfew is still sure that she must have been attacked by a man.

The story develops through the viewpoint of Sarah, a tagger who relishes her job keeping women safe, her 17 year old daughter Cass, who cant understand the need for stringent Curfew rules, and Cass's teacher Helen, who is hoping to move in with her partner if they can pass the cohab therapy sessions successfully.

It was a really interesting idea and sits alongside books like The Power or Femlandia with a view of what a female led society might look like. 4 stars from me

(3.5 stars, rounded down)

The central idea of this book is what would happen if men had a curfew and had to be home at night -- would women be safer? What would the society look like?
And in this case we are told the story from the POV of multiple interconnected women after a woman gets murdered in a park.

I thought it was a very interesting premise, and overall the execution was good, although fairly predictable (which is why I rounded down instead of up -- plus there was a big buildup for something that in the end was quite disappointing). The women that tell the story are at different points of their lives, their careers, and their experiences with men.

I want to specifically mention Cass as a character - she's a 17-year old whose father is in jail for missing Curfew. She's a spoilt kid who's acting out (in class, at home...) the whole book and I just found her annoying. However, I acknowledge that she's needed to advance the story. Her mother (Sarah) is another of the women we hear from in the book, and I just couldn't understand how she chooses to deal (or rather, not to deal) with her daughter throughout the book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

The concept of overnight curfews for men in the future in the wake of the murder of a high profile politician is the subject matter in this dystopian novel.
Men wear tags and are not allowed out between 7pm to 7am, but when a body is found in a park, is it possible that a man has commited the murder?
Sarah works as a tagger and lives with her daughter Cass in a motherhouse, her husband Greg is in prison after breaking curfew but due to be released soon.
I gave to say I didn't particularly like Cass's character very much but I think it adds to the novel, she was deliberately argumentative and petulant and acted younger than her 17 years. Sarah allowed for this behaviour due to Greg being in prison.
All in all I found this an interesting novel, almost like The Handmaid's tale but in reverse, Women call all the shots.
3.5 rounded up

This was a concept I was drawn to, particularly in light of recent events. I was interested to see that the book was written in 2019 as it really would have been ahead of its time then and yet now it feels timely and not so ground breaking.

I can see what the author was trying to do here but it just didn't quite meet the mark for me. I expected it to be a bit more thought provoking.

I really wanted to like this book more, the premise was really interesting and topical just now. I enjoy feminist literature but part way through started to feel really sorry for the men, they were all treated as monsters just because some of their gender were. This made me feel uncomfortable about the book and spoilt my enjoyment of it somewhat.

This was both a difficult book to read and to review. We are in a near future, dystopian Britain, where a series of violent murders on women have led to men being tagged and under Curfew from 7pm to 7am. This has led to a huge drop in murders against women (although, statistically, surely both young children and women are in more danger of being murdered at home, by people they know, but this is based far more on murders, and attacks, by men who are strangers). Smartphones are no longer in use, with people using ‘slates,’ which sound fairly similar to be honest, and if women long to be pregnant, like one of the characters in this book, they want to have daughters. Having a son, tagged at the age of ten and under restrictions, curtails the mother’s life, as well as her sons.

Of course, there have been high profile murders of young women by strangers that have recently made the news and I can still recall how, during the time of the Yorkshire Ripper, women were told to stay home at night, so this is an emotive subject. It is obviously unfair to suggest that women’s lives, and freedoms, should be affected by male violence. However, no system is easy or fool proof, and this book opens with the discovery of a woman’s body in the early morning. Pamela is a detective close to retirement when the body is discovered and the unfolding discovery of who the woman is revealed through the stories of several female characters. Sarah Wallace, whose ex-husband is soon to be released from prison, and her teenage daughter, Cass, Helen, who longs to move in with perfect man Tom and have children, detective, Pamela, and other peripheral characters. Sarah is a ‘tagger,’ who delights in the restriction’s men face, while teenage daughter, Cass resents the loss of her father and derides her mother as a ‘man hater.’

I realise that I am writing this review from the position of a woman who has never suffered from male violence, whose home is a place of safety, but, of course, like all women, I am aware of the statistics. Like all women, I have felt unsafe at times in my life while travelling, especially when young, and who has a teenage daughter (thankfully, one more mature than that of the character in this book!). I think this would be a good read for book groups, as there are lots of themes to discuss and even some discussion questions included. However, this is a somewhat simplistic look at important themes, from the view of a crime novel, and lacks a male character perspective to have added an essential perspective. Men are viewed very one dimensionally and I simply found that I was glad to finish this – an uncomfortable and ultimately unsatisfying read. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

An unusual story & quite timely as they say! Thanks for the opportunity to read & review this book. Will read more by this author.

When women ruled the world. Sarah works in a man’s tagging centre. Cass, her daughter disagrees with the tagging and curfew system. Cass’s father broke curfew and suffered the consequences but now he is free to tell his story. An unusual story from a woman’s perspective.

Interesting twist on a psychological drama. "After Dark" by Jayne Cowie may be set in the future but it isn't altered too much to be unbelievable. Women have taken matters into their own hands after an escalation of the #MeToo movement and #SheWasJustWalkingHome (Sarah Everard), and now men are under curfew at night and have to wear tags. When a woman is found murdered in curfew hours, there is an investigation as to why this has happened. Has a man managed to break curfew unmonitored or is this woman on woman violence. Interesting read and would be good for a bookclub discussion.

I liked the blurb and cover for this one. I understand the concept and is very relavant to nowadays situation. However, I didn't like the feeling of 'all men are evil'. I considered myself a feminist and the ideas on this book came acroas the wrong way for me. It reminded me of Femlandia, which i didn't enjoy either. Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me and I didn't manage to finish it.

A really different twist on human lives and what would happen should men be restricted in their behaviours. Very well written showing the differing opinions and how these can be manipulated...

Book is about an alternative future time in an unnamed Country where men are controlled via a curfew and tagging system as a way of dealing with excessive violence against women over time. Not quite an opposite of The Hamdmaid’s Tale but with a similar vibe.
Ending is almost a beginning, for a sequel novel, an escalation of the Curfew rules and dominance of the women in this dystopian world.
This novel gives a unique perspective of what society could be in the future.
I enjoyed this and would definitely read a sequel.

The murder of Sarah Everard is still raw as this book lands and it does put this fictional story into context of rising violence against women.
This is based in the U.K. and set a few years after violent episodes against women have brought in legislation that all men are tagged and must undergo curfew between 7pm and 7am. This has changed society and put the U.K. into a sort of matriarchy where women have the prominent roles and responsibilities.
Into this scenario we have a woman murdered outside during curfew and some of the evidence suggests it might be a man, but surely that isn’t possible?
So within a small community we see impact on a number of characters who are involved, the single Mum, her grumpy daughter, a jaded police officer, manipulative men and those with other agendas.
An interesting premise but it quickly becomes localised, we don’t get much beyond the basics of how legislation was introduced to the here and now of a local community and our key characters. I found it less of a murder “mystery” than a view on attitudes and characters. Sadly, with the exception of our jaded cop, most of the characters are not very likeable and hard to emphasise with.
So a very interesting premise but doesn’t quite deliver as I was hoping.

With the Curfew law in place, all men are electronically tagged and must stay at home after 7pm.

It changed things for the better. Until now.

A woman is murdered late at night and evidence suggests she knew her attacker.

It couldn't have been a man because a Curfew tag is a solid alibi... Isn't it?

Just get it, you will not stop until your jaw drops. Great read. The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged.

In the world of After Dark all men are tagged and not allowed out at night. Tracked by their tags and monitored often, this world is better for most as women are now safe.
But one night a woman is killed outside, and surely that can’t be possible if all the men are inside.
Told from different perspectives including , a tagged, the detective on the case, and a woman going through therapy to gain a cohab certificate allowing her to move in with her boyfriend, the murder is solved and the motive and opportunity explained.

This is an absolutely incredible book but also so very heartbreaking.It comes at a time where I could I truly believe the safety these women were experiencing with men taken out of the equation after dark. The afterword by the author was touching and so well written. One of the best books I have ever read.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed reading this book.it was well written, and quite fast paced, and the story was good, and original. The characters were well written and believable. I am not sure if the book will appeal to men as much as women as they are not portrayed in a very complimentary way, but that didn't put me off reading and enjoying the book, if I was a man I may feel differently though. I would recommend this book and I thought it was a good read.

After Dark has a really interesting premise....The Handmaid's Tale meets Covid lockdown, but for men! As a woman, I felt a certain kind of way imagining a life where I'm free to roam the streets without fear of something horrific happening to me....but I also have sons and a husband, so it was a bit of a bitter sweet daydream in my mind.

In Britain, men are tagged and have a 7pm curfew....this has seen crime rates drop and women out there living their best lives. Until one day, a woman' body is found and the city is horrified. Patricia, the Detective assigned to the case, is convinced that only a man could have done this....but if she's right, it means men know how to get around being tagged, and can roam the streets after curfew...... Many people do not want her to be right!

There's also the mystery of who exactly our murdered woman is, because her face is unrecognisable. To figure out who the victim is, we go back 4 weeks and meet a few characters:
Sarah, a tagger who has a difficult relationship with her 17yr old (hater of tagging and curfew) daughter Cass.
Helen who is desperate to make things work with her new boyfriend, and to become a mother.
Mabel, who is Helen's best friend and Sarah's colleague.


The book explores an extreme way to end gender based violence, and the consequences of implementing such a system. Also can this system be foolproof?

I really tried to figure out who our victim could be, I don't think we had too many options, BUT I didn't guess who it was, but when I did, I then immediately knew whodunnit. I think that could have been a bit more fleshed out and perhaps a twist around that would have shocked me a bit more. Even though a bit on the predictable side, I enjoyed the concept and premise of this story.

I’m not entirely sure if I enjoyed reading this book or not. What I am certain about is that I found myself thinking about it and the society portrayed in it which means that at the very least, it has grabbed my attention.
Set in a not too distant future, to stop violence against women, all men over the age of 10 are tagged and are subject to a 12 hour curfew. Despite this, a women’s body is found showing that she has been battered to death.
The book has two timelines, the actual murder investigation carried out in real time and then a timeline four weeks earlier where we meet our cast of characters in the weeks prior to the murder. The murder mystery itself was interesting and I liked the fact that there are different possibilities.
The idea of men being subject to tags and a curfew to keep women safe felt very uncomfortable to me but fiction has a role in exploring ideas that might disturb us. However, what I really disliked about the novel is that there is not a single sympathetic male character. I don’t want to say too much for fear of spoiling anyone’s reading but I felt that there needed to be much more of a balance in how men were portrayed in the book.
I feel that this is book that will definitely divide opinions. I thought it was interesting and will certainly read more by this author.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a strange book. Tag all males from the age of 10 and place them under a curfew. I understood the concept but really didn’t like the all men are bad feeling that came across. It repeatedly came across that it was possible the author genuinely hates all males and so was an uncomfortable read. Reading her notes at the end I completely understand her feelings and reason for the book but I think it was poorly done.

Some of the characters, Cass and Tom in particular were so unlikeable. In fact none of the characters really appealed to me which didn’t help with enjoying this book.

The idea that the curfew would stop violence along with the cohabit license was poorly thought out. In reality all that would do would increase domestic violence. Abusers know how to play people and are often the nicest people to the outside world. Getting a cohabit license would be too easy for them. I feel that while a curfew would stop random murders and sexual attacks on strangers it would massively increase domestic abuse. For that reason this story just didn’t feel right for me.

I will add that as a family we’ve experienced domestic abuse over more than one generation and so I probably read this book with the knowledge of exactly how bad that can be. I read it that a curfew would put more women in danger which is possibly why I feel the way I do about this book. It was a little too close to home for me. Others might really like the concept and enjoy the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

A well-paced and gripping look at a world where men are tagged and have curfews, giving women the freedom to feel safe after dark. Couples are also counselled before living together, to reduce the risks of domestic violence. The premise is definitely thought-provoking, forcing us to look from all sides, and the mystery of the murder is very well played out. An enjoyable read.