Frederick Forsyth, the British author of “The Day of the Jackal" and other bestselling thrillers, has died after a brief illness, his literary agent said. He was 86.Jonathan Lloyd, his agent, said Forsyth died at home early Monday surrounded by his family.

Frederick Forsyth, a British author of thrillers who frequently made the bestseller lists, sold 70 million books and saw his novels “The Day of the Jackal,” “The Odessa File” and “The Dogs of War,” among others,

British author and journalist Frederick Forsyth, best known for thriller novels such as "The Day of the Jackal," "The Odessa File," "The Fourth Protocol" and "The Dogs of War," has died. He was 86.