'...This is the type of rule-breaking that separates the good from the great. Proof of Life places Campbell firmly in the latter camp. Ambitious, entirely authentic, and razor-sharp in its observations, it is a superb addition to the Scottish crime canon.' -- www.bookgeeks.co.uk 'With lashings of black humour and wry observation, [PROOF OF LIFE] deftly captures the essence of Glasgow itself, the ebb and flow of the city's energy, its epic patter and inimitable swagger.' -- Herald Summer Reads 'Fearlessly plotted... This slow-burn thriller exploits the classics of the genre - secrets, lies and misdirection - but does it so skilfully that the mechanics are camouflaged amid the emotional entanglements of lives lived... Campbell, an accomplished wordsmith, excels here. You can touch and smell her Glasgow November dreichness, but always her images are unexpected, her prose tight, and her narrative unflinching. As a former Strathclyde Police officer, she has no illusions about the pressures and compromises, the dogged determination and unlooked-for heroism, of the job. This is no police procedural - her officers are raw and real... The denouement is head-behind-cushion nightmarish, brilliantly done.' -- Scotsman 'Karen Campbell deserves to be admitted to membership of what's becoming a very large club - Scottish crime writers of excellence ... As to be expected from a former police officer, Campbell portrays her milieu with harsh authenticity, and Anna Cameron is wholly believable in her unheroic role. Glasgow and its citizens are described with vivid passion.' -- The Times on SHADOWPLAY '[a] fine, accomplished novel ... The characterisation is impeccable ... a true literary talent' -- Scotsman on SHADOWPLAY 'Campbell's third and most powerful novel yet ... this is intelligent, gripping crime writing.' -- Stylist on SHADOWPLAY 'Meticulously detailed and brutally authentic, this could only have come from a writer who has been there, done it and banged up the bad guys.' -- Daily Record on SHADOWPLAY 'Fast-paced and hard-hitting' -- Woman & Home on SHADOWPLAY 'The plot is wonderful, the characterisation of a family in crisis is both sharp and sympathetic, and the author does not shy away from examining the less palatable aspects of relations between the police and the public.' -- Guardian on AFTER THE FIRE 'Sharp, perceptive prose and meticulous attention to detail... a literary force to be reckoned with.' -- Daily Record on AFTER THE FIRE 'She handles this topical and gripping tale with expert skill.' -- News of the World on AFTER THE FIRE 20090315 'I loved it ... Anna is a great, original character and Karen Campbell has a great way with images.' -- Kate Atkinson on THE TWILIGHT TIME 20071114
