How far will power go to hide the truth?
Welcome to the Cyberpunk Noir world of Shadows of Verisim, where justice and corruption collide in a city that masquerades as a digital utopia.
Detective Dylan McKnight, once a struggling beat cop now hardened by Verisim’s harsh realities, faces his most challenging case. When the daughter of a powerful congressman glitches out in her suite, the incident seems straightforward—until shrouded in layers of secrecy and political maneuvering.
Branch Chief Smith, whose rise to power is tangled in controversy, gives Dylan one directive: keep this case quiet and make it your top priority.
Navigating a landscape where digital illusions blend with stark societal decay, Dylan must untangle a complex web of deceit. In Verisim, tourists uphold the law under surveillance while citizens, trapped in their digital shells, cannot escape their gilded cages.
Shadows of Verisim immerses readers in a world where every shadow hides a secret, and every truth has its price. If you crave intricate plots, complex characters, and a suspenseful exploration of power and privilege, this novel will captivate and haunt you long after the final page.
Can one man’s quest redefine justice in Verisim?
That perspective changes drastically when a string of murders, orchestrated by a shadowy figure who knows far too much personal information about Dylan, threaten Verisim’s fragile peace, forcing Dylan into a high-stakes game that pits the digital illusion he’s living in against the harsh reality he sought to escape. Campbell masterfully constructs Verisim as a stark reflection of societal divisions, with its wealthy citizens and disadvantaged “tourists”—visitors to Verisim desperate to experience its delicacies—creating a backdrop of tension that mirrors the real world’s disparities. As Dylan’s investigation drags him back to that desolate real world, currently in collapse and ruled by an oppressive regime, those disparities become ever more apparent.
The novel's strength lies in its challenge to readers to consider the ethical and existential implications of a dark world hiding behind a virtual fantasyland. Campbell’s writing is sharp, with a fast-paced plot that keeps the tension high as Dylan uncovers a string of secrets that threaten the very foundation of Verisim, and his internal struggle against “a world veiled by digital illusions” is palpable. Readers will be swept into the disorienting, fragmented nature of living between two realities, marking this edgy thriller, the first in Campbell’s Verisim Chronicles, perfect for contemporary audiences.
Takeaway: Thrilling exploration of the intersection between digital escapism and reality.
Comparable Titles: Nick Harkaway's Titanium Noir, Richard K. Morgan's Altered Carbon.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-
