Shopping for a Killer

The Roger Smith murder caused a sensation in 1982. The court was mobbed with local and international press as the rich English woman was tried and convicted, together with her two hired co-accused.

The murder plots revealed thirteen failed attempts, some even funny. Many careless mistakes and bungles got them all arrested within four days.

The story delivers to the reader – a fast, easy read, ticking all the boxes – many plots, murder, smart police work, careless mistakes, loyalty, disloyalty, blind obedience and an interesting reason why it all happened in the first place.

In the bigger picture, this is not just the murder of an unlucky man, but also a fascinating human tragedy in all its various forms of misplaced loyalties and, strangest of all, that Roger Smith thought everyone liked him.

The facts of the story are true and publicly exposed at the time through massive media coverage, the author’s access to the Appeals file and a personal interview with Maureen Smith after her release.