TRIBUTES POUR IN FOR DAME JILLY COOPER

Trailblazing author Dame Jilly Cooper has left behind a heartbroken family and legions of devoted fans

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She was one of a kind – and fans of her racy novels were devastated at the sudden death of beloved author Jilly Cooper last week, aged 88.

Yet what a legacy she left behind.

The larger-than-life ‘queen of the bonkbuster’, who sold more than 11 million books in the UK alone, died following a fall in her Gloucestershire home on the morning of Sunday 5 October, her heartbroken family revealed.

Her children, Felix and Emily, issued a statement which read, “Mum, was the shining light in all of our lives. We are so proud of everything she achieved and can't begin to imagine life without her infectious smile and laughter all around us.”

Dame Jilly’s most successful tomes were The Rutshire Chronicles, which began with Riders in 1985, portraying the sex lives, scandals and social circles of the wealthy horse-loving country set.

Its followup, 1988 romp Rivals, won a new legion of fans last year when it was adapted as an irreverent Disney+ TV series, starring David Tennant, Emily Atack, Katherine Parkinson and Danny Dyer.

Scores of warm tributes to the late author flooded social media last week.