In Frodsham's quiet streets, a murderer strikes.

While this might seem far-removed from the reality of life in our town, local crime author, Ruth Welsby, who uses Frodsham as the setting for her detective novels, clearly thought otherwise.

"I just thought it was such a nice, quiet place that it needed shaking up!" Ruth laughs.

After she retired from her 48 year career as a Nurse Manager in 2013, a period of ill health motivated Ruth to fulfil her lifelong dream of becoming an author.

"I've always loved thrillers and drama," Ruth says, adding that: "I would always think: "I'd love to have a go at that!""

Writing a book had always been on Ruth's bucket list, but it was her illness that finally gave her the impetus she needed to get going.

Her first novel, The Legend of Grace Roscoe, which she published on her 70th birthday in 2014, holds particular personal significance.

Not long before the book was written, Ruth had discovered not only that the real-life Grace was her fifth great-grandmother, but also that she had close links to Frodsham.

"I was born in Liverpool so I had no idea that my ancestors were from Frodsham when I moved here," Ruth says. "But about 10 years ago, when I was looking into my family history, I found Grace. She just dominated my life after that.

"When I was ill, I don't know whether it was the drugs that I was on or what, but I felt that Grace was visiting me and saying, "Get my story out there!""

And what a story it is!

Grace Roscoe was a relation of John and James Hardman, who owned Allerton Hall in Liverpool. She was sent to live with them as a child and made heir to their estate, on the condition that she marry the well-connected James Percival.

However, unbeknownst to her cousins, Grace had already fallen in love with the Hall's Frodsham born coachman, John Hazlehurst.

Before John and James had the chance to marry her off, she gave up her claim to Allerton Hall, and eloped with Hazlehurst.

They married in 1735, leased a farm, had 11 children and lived together until Grace's death in 1795.

"When I was growing up I always heard about some scandal in the family, which no one ever talked about properly," Ruth recalls. "And now I realise it was only the elopement, which would mean nothing these days!"

Since Ruth published her account of Grace's life, "I have found hundreds of her descendants from all round the world. Most weeks I get a message from places as far-flung as South Africa saying that they are a relative.

"So the project snowballed into something really interesting. It's been brilliant," she says.

Once Grace's story was out in the world, Ruth turned her attention to the crime genre, and published three detective novels set in Frodsham.

Unholy Revenge, Death by Revenge and Death Awaits Her follow protagonist Helen Cooke, as she investigates a sinister spate of murders in the quiet town.

"It's such a buzz!"

Inspired by her setting, Ruth tells me that her stories begin to unfurl in her head before she even begins to plan them out.

"The story starts to formulate bit by bit until it's almost real in my mind. But the hard bit then is getting it out of my mind and onto the paper!

"Once you start, that's all you're thinking of. You eat, sleep and breathe it. So I have to be in that frame of mind.

"I'm a bit erratic in my writing, so I don't really plan it out. Now and then, if I get stuck, I have to go back and do a plan of where I've been and where I might need to go. But often, when I do plan it out, I end up taking another direction anyway.

Ruth particularly enjoys the process of character creation, and draws inspiration from the faces, voices and gestures she encounters on the street, on TV or in magazines.

"It's like making a new person. You're in their head, so they're yours. You can make them do what you want most of the time. But sometimes, when you are writing, they do do their own thing!" she says.

However, the most exciting stage for Ruth has to be the moment when her finished manuscript is sent off to the printers.

"When you publish, it's like being given a prize. And when you get your first sale...well, it's like someone has just given you a million pounds. It's such a buzz. And it's just brilliant when you see nice reviews or when someone sends you an email.

"I love it. I'm not literary in any shape or form, and it was for that reason that this is such a delight to me, because I have managed to write a book."

Ruth's book-writing blog

The exhilarating experience of publishing her first novel prompted Ruth to encourage others to do the same.

So, alongside her fiction, Ruth publishes a book-writing blog, full of reassurance and advice for budding authors.

"Anyone can do it as far as I'm concerned, but some people just need that nudge to help them get going. Hopefully my little tips will help." she says.

"You don't have to be good at spelling or grammar because there are tools to help you. If you've got the story, get it out!

"Anybody and everybody can write. There are so many stories kept back because people are afraid."

"When I started I had no idea where to begin. I didn't know what to do; all I knew was that I really wanted to write a book. So I just did it by trial and error.

"I did it my way, and it worked for me. So I just try to share that with people.

"I have had people get in touch with me to say that they have helped them and that they've published their book, so that's great."

A few years have now elapsed since Ruth wrote her last story, Death Awaits Her, and so I wonder: will DI Helen Cooke be returning with a new mystery to solve sometime soon?

"There are quite a few people in Frodsham who always say: "When are you going to do another one?"" Ruth replies.

"I haven't been writing for ages because I've been doing other things. But there's one idea that keeps bouncing round in my head, so I might get going on it over the winter."

"I've got to have it all in my brain and ready to go before I begin writing, and it's not quite ready yet.

Let's hope, then, that 2021 will bring us another instalment of Helen Cooke's Frodsham adventures!

Visit Ruth's website to find out more about her books, which are also available on Amazon.