Writer up for award
A FORMER southside policewoman turned author is finding out at first hand that crime really does pay.
Karen Campbell's thriller Shadowplay has been shortlisted for this year's Crime Writers Association Gold Dagger award.
This accolade recognises the best crime fiction novel written in English in the past year.
Other 2010 contenders include George Pelecanos, screenwriter of critically-acclaimed US TV series The Wire.
Past recipients of the coveted award have included Rebus creator Ian Rankin and Inspector Morse author Colin Dexter.
Mrs Campbell (43) centres her thriller on a female chief inspector based in Giffnock.
Shadowplay relates how CI Anna Cameron attempts to solve the murder of a local Asian teenager and the disappearance of an OAP from a care home – all while juggling a complicated personal life.
The Clarkston-based writer, a married mum of two who left full-time employment to start a family, told The Extra: "I like to write about what I know.
"I often feel that the southside is such a diverse, interesting area, yet, it is often neglected in books".
A former Williamwood pupil, Karen made a career swerve after being a bobby on the beat, when, while working as a city council press officer in 2001, she spotted an advert for a creative writing course at Glasgow university.
Her portfolio work during the two-year, part-time course formed
the foundation of her first crime fiction The Twilight Time .
With both her daughters off to different universities (but neither taking the creative writing path just yet) Mrs Campbell is finding even more time to write.
She has just completed her fourth novel in four years, The proof of life.
Although now the author says she will take a well-deserved rest, she shared with The Extra that the seeds of an idea for her next book include a setting in Strathbungo.
But this time she might stray from tales of law enforcement.
She pointed out: "I take ideas from but I don't base characters on real people.
"But that doesn't stop lots of former colleagues phoning me up and asking if certain characters are meant to be them".
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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