Frederick Forsyth, Day of the Jackal author and former MI6 agent, dies at 86

Frederick Forsyth, the author of The Day Of The Jackal, died at the age of 86 after a brief illness, his literary agents said. The best-selling author was surrounded by his family as he died at home on Monday morning, Curtis Brown added.

His agent Jonathan Lloyd said: “We mourn the passing of one of the world’s greatest thriller writers.

The former RAF pilot and investigative journalist went on to write novels including The Fox, The Kill List, and The Afghan. Hie was the author that turned his adventures as a journalist and work with MI6 into bestselling thrillers.