At the age of 55, English teacher Leigh Russell has turned to crime — of the fictional variety. Mrs Russell, who teaches at Aldenham school, Herts, has published her debut novel — a crime thriller titled Cut Short (No Exit Press).

Featuring a female detective as protagonist, the book reached number 2 on the Female Sleuths category on Amazon, and Mrs Russell is now working on her second. She tells People: “I got to a stage in my life where I had some time on my hands. I had this idea and started writing for fun. It never occurred to me that anyone would publish it.” She says: “It is encouraging that you can completely reinvent yourself at 50.” The mother-of-two has been invited to join Curzon Group, a collection of high-profile authors formed to promote British thriller writing.