This was a well written and thought provoking book but I can’t honestly say I enjoyed it. No one disputes the statistics about male violence, but I don’t like the idea of curfews for men, or women, and the thought of tagging all males over the age of 10 makes me cringe. Some of the characters really got on my wick, especially Cass - I wanted to give her a good slap! I can’t actually think of a character that I liked. I’m sorry to say that this book is not one that I would recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read it.

This was a gripping book, after the first couple of chapters, I couldn't put it down! It's set in the future where men are tagged and have to stay at home after curfew in order to stop violence against women. This story follows Helen and Sarah, whose friends and lives intersect, with terrible consequences.
A woman is found murdered, and Pamela is one of the policewomen investigating the crime. She is near-retirement and remembers life before Curfew was enacted, so brings a different and unwanted viewpoint to the investigation. There are lots of twists and turns, and tension while we wait to find out who the victim is, and the killer.
Recommended.

Not a genre of book that I would usually read but very enjoyable all the same. A dystopian world where men (and boys over 10) are curfewed at night to protect women. Also, couples are counseled before they are allowed to cohabit. But then a woman is found murdered. Was the perpetrator another woman or did a man manage to remove his tag?

This book has an intriguing premise. It's several years into the future and women hold all the power. In the 2020s, after several high profile murders of women, it is decided that to keep women safe all men have to be curfewed between the hours of 7pm and 6am. An electronic tag ensures that they stay put for these hours. It's foolproof or is it? When a women is found dead in a park, police officer Pamela becomes convinced that a man could have done it but this view is not popular with her superiors. After all, if curfew doesn't work, why bother? A conviction of a man could lead to all sorts of rebellion.

I enjoyed this book. There's all sorts of unanswered questions though, the main one being: How did a law ensuring men are effectively imprisoned in their homes come to pass? A majority of MPs are men, can we really believe they'd vote for this? For that matter would all women MPs vote for this? I would have thought there would be much more of an underground movement against restrictions of this kind. Just look at the way some people behaved when they were asked to wear masks during the pandemic! Something much less restrictive than an electronic tag. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

The blurb of this book really caught my attention! I was intrigued as to what live with a curfew would look like.

This book is a really powerful and brilliantly written book, which really does provide a lot of thought provoking ideas about the safety of women and what life would be like if men really did have a curfew. It had me hooked from the start, desperate to find out what was going to happen next! You can tell the author has put a lot of thought into the different aspects of the curfew, which makes it quite a believable story.

There were quite a few characters involved in the story, but they all added different views to the story and they were all connected to eachother in one way or another. The only think I will say about the characters is that one or two of them have a real hatred for men, which at times felt a bit too overbearing. I also didn’t love the ending, it felt slightly rushed and I wanted more about what actually happened to the women that was murdered, but this was kind of skipped over, with the story focusing more on how it effected the rest of the town.

The story itself is written from the few points of a police detective and 3 other characters, flicking between two different time scales until they all get to the present day. The chapters are a nice length, not really short but not too long that they feel like they go on for ages!

All in all a lovely little thriller of you want something that isn’t too heavy!

I absolutely loved this book! It's such a thought provoking and relevant premise and whilst the story itsself is really engaging and has all the qualities of any good thriller, it also has the added real life questions about women's safety and male on female violence. I particularly liked that even though its set in the future with tags and curfew and slates rather than mobile phones, the writer didn't go over the top with how different the future might be. There are no flying cars or holograms so it keeps the over all very realistic and the world is still extremely similar to the current time period which makes it very easy to relate. Questions about women's safety aside, the book itsself is really well written. The characters all very nuanced and you can understand the choices they all make. These are intelligent and strength women who are doing the best they can and the men are being.... well they're being men lol. It had me hooked from the 1st chapter. I also loved that even though it all takes place in a relatively short time period, there is character growth and learning that happens. It's just everything that a domestic noir/ thriller should be. A really enjoyable and thought provoking read

Wow this is a powerful book, at first you could be forgiven for thinking it's just about having men and i did originally. It's totally true Women or females even have had the rough end of the deal through history it may be getting better but it's still not level. It's true that some men are total headcase.. As a man who suffer abuse I now it's not great pleasant or acceptable. I'm not asking for violins either.

That all said this is a novel telling a story set in the future were something is being down to protect females from males age 10 upwards. As i write this review I'm conscious that i don't want to offend anyone by the use of wrong terminology and I'm sure I probably will so sorry. But I found the authors notes about the book at the end really helpful to understand her angle. Life is never straight forward and there us never a one size fits all.

But this is meant to be a book review I Just felt the need to share that, it is a very powerful book as i said at the start. There is a lot of emotions played out but then it's an emotional subject and i isn't life emotional anyway so I feel that novels should be as well. I invest my time and emotions when i read so i want something like this to stretch my feelings, pull on my brain and defend my cause. 3 baddies all male several hero's all female but that's the point. I feel Billy wasn't a badie but hardly a hero either but definitely had a big part to play. You will have to read it to see if you agree.

There are a lot of strong characters and several I would say generations but it's more than that 17 to retirement. There is the new use of tagging guilty because of your gender and all that would go with that. It starts with a dead body female dumped in a park. The police feel the need to blame a female as to do otherwise could derail the cause, but what do you do if your a police officer nearing retirement do you look for the guilty look for the truth or tow the party line. That's one of the questions this novel asks and you have to read it to see the argument for and agaist and the decision taken.

Yes this it's a book you should read, I do recommend it I was given a free copy for a honest review its set me thinking and this is my response.

In the near future women in Britain no longer feel vulnerable. A change to the law following a spate of murders means that all men over the age of 10 are tagged and must observe a strict curfew from 7pm until 7am. When the body of a women is found badly beaten in a park, questions are asked about the possibility of someone breaking the curfew.

In light of recent events this novel is a timely contribution to the discussion of violence against women. The story focuses on four women and how their stories are connected to the murdered woman. Each of the women is at a different stage in their life so we get a clear understanding of how the curfew effects each one.

The story is set 16 years after the curfew laws came into being, this means we don't get the debate about whether the curfew is reasonable. The story centres on how safe women now feel in society. There are a few brief mentions concerning the type of work men can now do, but I felt that this could have been covered in greater depth. Are there enough women to safely carry out all occupations between 7pm and 7am?

The story comes to a head when we discover the identity of the body and it's connection to the main characters. We also get to see how this effects some of those characters and the implications for the future.

This is a thought provoking story. What is basically a murder mystery raises lots of questions about the society we live in.

I didn’t really know what to make of this book . It is an interesting concept having men on a curfew in the not too distant future. It was very black and white and I’m not sure they men would accept this curfew so readily . The characters were all entangled with each other in the story and it did keep me guessing who did it . I’m not sure I would recommend this book but some aspects of it were interesting

This was such an interesting premise for a book that I just had to read it and so I was thrilled to be given it as an ARC from Netgalley.
This is such a good take on the issues that face women all over the world, I liked how the author turned it on its head to wonder what would happen if men were treated as the lesser sex. It was a great social commentary and I liked the murder mystery that was woven in to it as well. I think the thing that was lacking for me was that I wanted characters with a bit more depth, the only person I had any strong feelings about was Cass and that was mostly anger and annoyance, other than that I found this to be really enjoyable.

The synopsis of this book drew me in as soon I read it. The story takes place in future England, a time where The Curfew exists. After a public and brutal murder of a woman perpetrated by a man, women reached their breaking point and demanded the government do something. This led to the implementation of The Curfew; men were fitted with electronic ankle tags and have to stay indoors from night till the morning to avoid going to jail. Women are free to go out at any time of the night without fear. The peace is shattered when a body is found, the murder having taken place during curfew hours.

The author weaves a mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat as you try to figure out not only the identity of the murder but the victim too. I struggled with the morality of the decisions made by the characters and the concept of The Curfew. I really wanted to talk to someone about the book after I finished but I’ll have to wait until it comes out!

This is quite difficult to review. On the one hand this is a fabulous thriller that kept me guessing throughout. On the other hand the concept at the core of the book really brought up some conflicting thoughts and feelings that I think are far more nuanced than the book or the authors notes at the end suggests.

I'm going with 4 stars because the book kept me guessing. A body is discovered and Pamela is the woman who is tasked with wrapping up the case quickly and within the 'acceptable' parameters set by her boss. Alternating between Pamela's investigation are chapters from the key characters in the books; three women at different stages of life. Each has her own view of Curfew and the tags that the men wear, and what impact this law has had on their life. As their lives intertwine in unexpected ways, the truth about who the dead woman is and the events that lead up to her murder are revealed.
I was kept guessing for most of the book, and the dreadful way that seemingly unlinked events result in murder is quite shocking.

This is a book that I'm going to be thinking about for some time, and I would like to thank the publishers and NetGalley for the advance copy in return for an honest review.

This is a thought provoking read that starts as a slow burner but increases in pace as the tension increases, ending being a gripping read that I couldnt put down. I liked the writing, i liked the characters and I liked the premise as the way the world si going at the moment this is prehaps more believeable than it would have been a few years ago.
I found it to be unpredictable and thrilling and by the end I couldnt put it down. I really enjoyed it,

I really enjoyed this book, sure it isn't perfect but it is well worth a read.
Cass was incredibly annoying and naive and was my least liked female character.
I don't know how I feel about curfew, on the one hand it would be fantastic for women to feel safe from male violence but on the other hand, the thought of having to get co-hab certs puts me ill at ease.
That is probably because I like to do what I want without being told, which could be the mens argument against curfew, but the the counter argument to that is that men statically are a danger to women so curfew is needed as it curtailed the killing of women in a huge way.

Sarah mentioned that she believes there is something fundamentally wrong with men. It made me think about abuse statistics, the sheer number of women and other men being killed by men, not to mention that most crimes are committed by men, does make me wonder if that may be a bit true but then I think that's an awful thing to think because my sons and husband are nothing like that.

This book makes you think which is a great thing imo.

I really wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading After Dark as it’s not my usual type of read. After a bit of a slow start I gradually got into the storyline and by the end I was gripped wanting to know the outcome! Pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did!

A world turned on its head - women have the power, make the decisions whilst men are ankle tagged and not allowed outside during the hours of dark. Violence has dropped since Curfew was enacted. The main characters, however, are stereotyped - the violently man-hating Sarah (with reason), her hormone-ridden rebellious teenage daughter, Cass, her manipulative ex, Greg, now released from imprisonment for breaking curfew, Helen a self-effacing, needy teacher and 'Tom', her dreadful boyfriend who is just so squeaky clean on the surface and completely manipulative underneath. .When a woman is found murdered, outside in the dark Pamela, the near retiring detective, has her work cut out to find the murderer. It had to be a woman didn't it because men are on Curfew? Her colleagues want it to be a woman because, otherwise, Curfew didn't work and there'd be revolts. The thoughts and discussions about the pros and cons of Curfew, and how the characters inter reacted were certainly thought provoking but everything is very much seen in black and white. Real people are grey and I felt that the book was the opposite end of 'little-woman 'staying at home making cakes and having babies' of the 19th century. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK Cornerstone for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

When I started this book I was really not sure about it, I suppose the concept of curfew made me feel slightly uncomfortable. The more I got into the book the more I enjoyed it. I think it can be read on many levels, as difficult subject with some very strong characters, both female and male, which were so necessary to the storyline. I could not wait to see how the story ended and “who done it”. I found it very well written with emotions expressed very eloquently. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

* spoiler alert ** 3.5 stars

One of those books that sends a shudder through you, as you realise this COULD be a not too distant future you're reading about.
An interesting idea, putting men on a curfew, and a good look at the rights and wrongs of it in the storyline.
It was a good read, lots to think about, and I was racing through the last fifty or so pages to see how it all unfolded.
There were a few niggles, most especially how quickly one of the characters became such a stereotype.
Mainly, I just enjoyed the story

I was interested to see how the author would execute the idea of Curfew. While the statistics about male violence can't be disputed, I found the tone of this book occasionally vitriolic. I am sick and tired of living in a world where women constantly have to check themselves and men don't. I don't feel having so many female characters in the novel expressing their hatred of men is helpful for change, though.
It was a good idea and a promising plot. I felt lack of description and basic expression also let it down.

This is a good idea, badly executed. The characters are false-sounding - I found the story to be boring and predictable