After the Fire

Anna Cameron #2

by Karen Campbell

"Someone is dead because of Jamie. Yesterday they were alive. When we woke up yesterday and argued about how many pairs of shoes I could take, that person was alive, making coffee maybe. Scratching her arm or yawning in the mirror . . . "  Newly qualified as a firearms officer, Jamie Worth is called to a domestic disturbance. Events get out of hand, and he shoots and kills a teenaged girl who appears to have been unarmed. Already wracked with guilt, he is horrified when, with the media baying for blood, he is accused of murder. How can a cop survive in prison, when he suddenly finds himself on the wrong side of the law? And how can his wife Cath and ex-lover Anna come to terms with what has happened?

Genres: Crime

480 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2009

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Scottish writer Karen Campbell is a graduate of Glasgow University's prestigious Creative Writing Masters, and author of The Twilight Time.

A former police officer, Karen can legitimately claim to have worked the streets of Glasgow, and her debut novel, described as 'gritty as hell, shot through with black humour', weaves personal insights and experiences to take a look at life behind the uniform - and the choices women make in life.

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really rate this author. Following on from The Twilight Time, we find Jamie Worth in prison for the shooting of a child whilst he is in the armed defenders unit. The story is told from several points of view. His wife Cath is coming to terms with his incarceration plus his affair with fellow officer Anna. Jamie tells his tale of what transpired and how he ended up in prison, Anna is torn between her love for him (still) and trying to do the right thing by his wife, and also proving he has been set up. And finally we hear the story of Sarah, her sad sad life and how she came to be shot by Jamie.
I have already ordered the next 2 books in this series. Cannot wait!

[Mirren Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crime fiction isn't a genre I would normally choose to read, but having heard Karen Campbell's story based in Glasgow on BBC Radio 3's 'The Verb' recently I was inspired to try one of her novels. 'After the Fire' proved to be well worth the read. In fact, I could hardly put it down. Karen writes with a very powerful, psychologically tense style, so much so that at times I wanted to read the lines whilst peeking through my fingers held over my eyes. I was drawn quickly to care deeply about the main characters and what happened to them:Jamie - one of the Glasgow 'polis', a firearms officer who finds himself on the wrong side of the law after a fatal shooting incident; his wife Cath and their two young children, and Jamie's ex-lover Anna, a police Inspector, also in the Strathclyde Police.

The plot is fast-paced, the dialogue ultra-sharp, often chilling - most particularly when Jamie is in prison - and laugh-out-loud funny at others. Having lived in Scotland for 20 years and worked with Glaswegians perhaps allowed me an extra sense of appreciation here.

Karen's experience as a police-officer in Strathclyde, wife and mother ensures her writing is ultra-credible across all the many themes covered in this gripping crime thriller which is also a psychological examination of a family in crisis. Karen Campbell has a new fan - I'm off to find the other books she's written! ~ Jones

[Big Bertha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brillian characterisation, gritty and gut-wrenchingly real!

[Graham · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this much as the first book. In this book Anna wasn't the focus - the story changed focus to Jamie and Cath. Well written but I preferred the first book. Skipped after amount saying "get on with it"

[Marge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Searing Storylines

Karen Campbell is a wonderful writer. This the second of her books I've read. Her characters are flesh and blood and alive on the pages of her books. Read about this book and her others on the websites of all fine bookstores.

[Jill Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well paced psychological thriller around themes of loyalty, betrayal and family.

[Anna Burgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second book in this series which was much better than the first and carries the characters and story/links into this book. A different angle - no spoilers - you'll have to read it!

[Marguerite Kaye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wanted to like, because I went to a talk by the author and she's from Glasgow. Did like at the start, especially her almost stream-of-consciousness style, and her use of different POVs. But it was way too long. I hadn't read the previous book and this was a wee bit of an issue. I didn't like the main protagonists one bit. And though it was worthy, showing policing from the inside, and though there were lots of worthy causes in there too, for me as a work of fiction that was kind of the problem - the worthiness and the weightiness got in the way. I expect it works for lots of people though, just not my cup of tea.

[Lwg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I would give this one two stars for the first half, and four stars for the second half. Found the long, drawn-out descriptions in the first half really tedious - they put me outside the characters' feelings rather than drawing me in. The pace picks up dramatically in the second half ( well last third actually) - lots of coincidences but you'd expect that in a thriller - and it was quite thrilling. In the end, looking forward to reading the next in the series.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

And whoops, I seem to have begin a Karen Campbell binge-read.

I've just put my life on hold in order to finish this. Heart-gripping, throat-aching, peer through my metaphorical fingers in the hope that justice will be seen to be done - and the undeniable fear that it won't.
Karen Campbell can do suspense like no-body else.
Wow.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not exactly what I expected, Anna Cameron does not appear until two thirds through the book. It gives different views of the incarceration of Jamie Worth for shooting a young girl. It was a good read though.

[Fictionophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think any fan of Denise Mina, Val McDermid, Ruth Rendell or Ian Rankin will enjoy this series set in inner city Glasgow. Highly recommended.