A former Croydon Guardian reporter who has recently had her novel published has had even more success after actor Martin Jarvis agreed to record an extract of her book.

Susie Cornfield spent most of her working life as a journalist and worked for the Sunday Times, the Sunday Telegraph and the BBC before briefly working on the Guardian.

Struggling to find someone locally to record an extract from her new novel, The Sticky Rock Caf, for her website, a friend suggested she contact Martin Jarvis.

Susie said: "Never in my dreams did I think he'd do it, but the following morning I left a message at his London office and then forgot all about it.

"When the phone went in the late afternoon I answered it, expecting it to be someone else. No,' said a voice at a other end, this is Martin Jarvis, ringing you from Los Angeles'."

After reading the opening pages Mr Jarvis - famous for his roles in The Forsyhte Saga and Nicholas Nickleby - recorded eight minutes which can now be heard on the website.

Susie said of the extract: "It's like writing a piece of music and hearing it performed by the Berlin Philharmonic."

To listen to the extract visit garretbooks.com/srcmj.html.