Retired Perthshire teacher writes her first crime novel

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A Carse of Gowrie woman has written her first crime novel.Retired teacher Laura Smith took two years to write the thriller Listen To Mother.After stepping back from her 34 year career in 2019 she began writing seriously.Laura (61) said: “My interest in writing came not just from my own reading but also from the process of teaching others about reading, writing and understanding the written word.“The ideas for this first novel came from my experiences in education and travelling in Europe, as well as my enjoyment of a well told psychological thriller.“The inspiration for Listen To Mother, came initially from a trip to Florence in 2011 with my husband Ian.“I focus on human behaviour and individual motivation when faced with life changing events and difficult decisions.“Relationships are at the heart of the novel.“The decisions made by the characters and the relationships they develop drive the plot leaving the reader to consider how decisions we make, many insignificant, determine our own journey through life.”The story involves Scottish teacher Lesley Hamilton who, after starting a new life in Florence, discovers a dead neighbour.Its main character Paolo Bianchi lives in the shadowy fringes of society and struggles to interact with the world.Laura, who writes as LJ Smith, added; “With Paolo’s mother’s connivance, he has become an assassin valued for his obsessive attention to detail and complete discretion.“As Paolo’s life unravels, Gianfranco Valdi and his Carabinieri team must unpick the threads that lead to Paolo and his connections with organised crime.”Laura was born and brought up in Broughty Ferry and has lived in Perthshire for the past 25 years.Since Listen To Mother she has also completed another two, still to