After Dark by Jayne Cowie

 

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. 

After Dark by Jayne Cowie will be published on 12th May 2022 in paperbook, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Century Books UK for a review copy.