Smyth leaves devilish aside hanging in the air

DERIC HENDERSON, the Press Association's long-serving Ireland editor, launched his first book Let This Be Our Secretat a packed reception in Belfast's Reform Club on Thursday night.

The book tells the sensational story of dentist Colin Howell and his lover, Sunday school teacher Hazel Buchanan, who murdered their spouses in 1991 and made their deaths look like a bizarre double suicide.

The adulterous pair had met in the local Baptist Church.

They continued their secret affair after the killings, before later remarrying.

Almost two decades later, Howell confessed to his church elders, leading to his conviction for murder in December 2010, and Stewart’s in March of this year – despite her protestations of innocence.

Henderson’s good pal, journalist Sam Smyth, did the honours.

“Classicists will remind us that there is nothing new under the sun and that similar tales popped up in ancient Greece and Rome. But this is a made-to-measure script for a serious film or an award-winning mini-series for HBO,” said Smyth, speculating that Jimmy Nesbitt would be the man to play Howell and Amanda Burton would be perfect for Buchanan.

“If the project were pitched for Hollywood, the line would be: ‘Primeval forces drive a harrowing tale of manipulation, capitulation, deceit and premeditated murder most foul,” he said with trademark understatement.

“It is a catalogue of forensically executed depravity interspersed with perverted religiosity and a chronicle of loss, grief and heart-wrenching sadness.”

Smyth concluded: “In declaring this book open, I have one last message: The devil, and the redemption, is in the detail.”

We’re not entirely sure if Smyth was talking about the book, or his current travails with Today FM, which recently dropped him him from his long-running and popular Sunday morning radio show.