Stephen King reveals 'Diary' author

The mystery has been solved: Stephen King is not the author of The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer, an American bestseller based on a fictional character from King's Rose Red TV miniseries.

"Now it can be told - the actual author of The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer is suspense novelist Ridley Pearson," said King, who many assumed had written the book. He made the announcement in a message posted this week on his website.

"Ridley did a great job - I couldn't have done better myself."

In the series, Rimbauer is a psychologically tormented industrialist's wife living in Seattle at the turn of the 20th century. The book is published under the name of its 'editor' Dr Joyce Reardon, another character from the series, who is a specialist in paranormal studies.

Pearson plays with King in the all-author rock group, Rock Bottom Remainders. His new thriller, The Art of Deception, comes out in the US in August.