BOOK lovers were treated to a special afternoon when high-profile crime author Martina Cole from Thurrock began her national book tour in her own county.

Martina, who now lives in Benfleet but began here writing when living in Tilbury, visited Waterstone's in Eastgate Shopping Centre, Basildon, to sign copies of her new novel on Friday and turned up at Lakeside on Saturday.

Faces is the 14th in the author's series of crime novels, which often depict the gritty and violent lives of London's criminal underworld.

She said: "My new book is a gangland thriller set in London.

"I love a good crime and it just comes naturally in my writing. I think I would have made a great criminal."

Martina has sold more than 3 million books worldwide and her tenth novel, The Know, spent seven weeks on the Sunday Time's hardback bestsellers list.

Two of her novels, Dangerous Lady and The Jump, were made into successful TV dramas.

Martina said: "There was no real inspiration for my books from Essex, but I suppose it's a good background for them.

"It takes a year from start to finish to write each book and I have to research them thoroughly, but it's a labour of love."

Although Faces has only just been released, the writer has already started work on her 15th novel.