Bestselling author Frederick Forsyth has died after a brief illness aged 86.

Frederick Forsyth was king of the spy thriller.

His books include The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Fourth Protocol, The Dogs of War, The Devil’s Alternative, The Fist of God, Icon, The Veteran, Avenger, The Afghan, The Cobra and The Kill List.

Forsyth’s works frequently appeared on bestseller lists and more than a dozen of his titles have been adapted to film. By 2006, he had sold more than 70 million books.

Forsyth flew fighter jets during his national service, was a highly respected journalist and, although he always denied ever being a spy, he did admit being an intelligence ‘asset’ for more than 20 years.

When Forsyth found himself out of a job he decided to try and write a novel as a way to bring in income. He said, ‘I just sat down and wrote about the invisible assassin with no name. I knew my material; I had walked every inch of it. I wrote night and day for 35 days.’ The Day of the Jackal was an instant bestseller.