INSPIRED by her family's Lake District literary heritage, a fledgling author has published a "gentle" murder mystery.

Roberta Smithies, of Cark-in-Cartmel, was bequeathed an unfinished manuscript of her mother Muriel's after her death.

She loved its humour and glamorous European settings, like Venice and Berlin, and set about completing and updating it to modern times. The resulting paperback and e-book, "Azalea and I", has been "quietly selling on Amazon", as Roberta modestly told the Gazette.

Having worked in the civil service, as a Liz Taylor lookalike, and as a property developer, Roberta returned from London to her family home in Skelwith Bridge and ran half of it as a holiday cottage.

Moving to Cark four years ago, she started to pen the first of her series of "Cozy Murder Mysteries", writing as R M Howe.

The second adventure, "On the Road to Spain", is well under way, offering shades of Agatha Christie and Ngaio Marsh.

Roberta said: "I always wrote long essays at school and was writing short stories at every opportunity but never did anything with them. Seems writing is in the blood - my father wrote as well as my mother and aunt."

Of her two sleuthing heroines, Azalea and Babs, and their puppy Angelique, Roberta explained: "They manage to overcome mayhem and murder with humour, a feelgood factor for any age group.

"I worked in a community library and was often asked for recommendations in this category by people who wanted to put their feet up after a long day and be transported into another world.

"I believe there is such a thing as gentle murder and my book fits this exactly."

Roberta's mother, Muriel Howe, and aunt, Doris Howe, published dozens of books in the 1940s, 50s and 60s. Roberta's mum started the Writers Circle in the Lake District, and both ladies met Beatrix Potter and artist Kurt Schwitters.

"I am a late starter in wanting to write to be published, as life took me in other directions," said Roberta.

"But now it is my main hobby and my passion and I want to share it with the world to make someone’s day much brighter."

Roberta's book signing at Grange library is on Friday, November 15, from 2pm to 5pm. For more, see rmhowebooks.co.uk