Krysten Ritter pens first novel

Actress Krysten Ritter is adding novelist to her resume after landing a publishing deal.

The Jessica Jones star has penned a psychological thriller named Bonfire, about an environmental lawyer tackling company officials accused of dumping toxic waste.

In a statement issued to The Associated Press, Ritter reveals writing the fictional story allowed her to "explore a character journey", much like she does when studying a new acting role.

Sharing the news with fans on Instagram, she writes, "BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! Thrilled to announce that my first novel will be released in November! It's a major passion project of mine and I've been working on it for a very long time. It's been torture keeping it a secret!

"BONFIRE is a dark and twisted suspense novel and it's coming out this November. I am so proud of it and can’t WAIT for you to read it."

The book will be published by Crown Archetype.

Ritter isn't the first actress to turn author - Julianne Moore and Julie Andrews both have their own collections of children's books, while Lauren Graham and Gillian Anderson have also found success writing novels.