Complex sentence: Mr. Smith, the character in her first book, was taken from Walford's own life experience; the character was based on an actual man named Mr. Smith who was found dead, as described in her novel.
Split into simpler sentences: Mr. Smith, the character in her first book, was taken from Walford's own life experience. The character was based on an actual man named Mr. Smith who was found dead, as described in her novel.