London, June 10 (V7N) — Frederick Forsyth, the internationally acclaimed author of The Day of the Jackal, has died at the age of 86, his agent confirmed on Monday.

“We have lost one of the world’s greatest thriller writers,” said Jonathan Lloyd, Forsyth’s longtime agent, in a statement. Over his illustrious career, Forsyth wrote more than 25 books, including The Odessa File and The Dogs of War, which together sold over 75 million copies worldwide.

His publisher, Bill Scott-Kerr, paid tribute to Forsyth, saying, “Freddie’s thrillers remain in the hearts of millions of readers. He redefined the thriller genre and continues to inspire contemporary writers.”

Born in Ashford, Kent in 1938, Forsyth joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) at the age of 18 before embarking on a journalism career with Reuters and the BBC. In a revelation in 2015, Forsyth disclosed that he had secretly worked with British intelligence agency MI6 for more than two decades, experiences that often inspired his novels.

His breakthrough came with The Day of the Jackal (1971), written during a difficult period when he was unemployed. Recalling that time, Forsyth once said, “I was broke, in debt, homeless, carless—nothing. I thought, ‘How am I going to get out of this mess?’ And then the craziest solution came to mind—write a novel.”

The novel, set in 1963, follows an English assassin hired to kill French President Charles de Gaulle. It was adapted into a successful film starring Edward Fox in 1973 and again into a TV drama featuring Eddie Redmayne in 2023.

Lloyd shared that just weeks before his passing, Forsyth had watched a new documentary about his life. “His extraordinary life captivated me all over again,” he said.

Publisher Scott-Kerr added, “Working with Frederick was one of the greatest joys of my professional life. His journalistic discipline made him precise and punctual. His ability to craft a great story kept him ever relevant.”

Tributes poured in from friends and collaborators. Singer Elaine Paige expressed her “immense sadness,” while composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, who worked with Forsyth on Love Never Dies, the sequel to Phantom of the Opera, said, “Freddie had a deep understanding of the mystery and romance of the Phantom character. Thank you, Frederick—your stories will live on for generations.”

END/MSS/AJ