Best-selling crime author Martina Cole will be meeting fans on her home turf this weekend.

Martina lives in Ightham, near Sevenoaks.

It is the 21st novel to be released by the queen of London gangster fiction, who is originally from Essex.

Born and brought up in an Irish Catholic family on a council estate similar to those where many of her books are set, Martina was expelled from her convent school at 15 and had her first son at 19.

She wrote her first novel, Dangerous Lady, when she was 20 but didn’t do anything with it until 10 years later. Having found it, she typed it up on an electric typewriter and sent it to a literary agency. It was subsequently bought by Headline for a record £150,000.

Since then she has written a book nearly every year, almost every single one of which has topped the bestseller charts. Her novels have been adapted into both TV programmes and stage plays.

Martina will be signing copies of her new book, The Good Life, at Waterstones in Bluewater on Saturday, October 18, at 2pm.

A second chance to meet Martina at a book singing session will be held at WH Smith, Bexleyheath, on Saturday, November 8, from 12.30pm. Visit www.events.whsmith.co.uk/events for more details.