Jilly Cooper , the bestselling author whose novels became synonymous with sex and scandal , and hysterical social commentary to boot, has died at the age of 88. Her agent, Felicity Blunt , confirmed the awful news, calling Cooper “brilliance embodied” and a writer who “defined culture, writing and conversation since she was first published over 50 years ago.”

Cooper died on Sunday morning following a fall. Her children, Felix and Emily, released a joint statement describing her passing as “ a complete shock .” They added: “We are so proud of everything she achieved in her life and can’t begin to imagine life without her infectious smile and laughter all around us.”

Cooper, who became well known for her work on The Rutshire Chronicles , made her name and broke out in a big way

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