British author Jilly Cooper, known for her bestselling risqué novels including "Rivals" and "Riders," has died at age 88, her agent and family said Monday.

A statement from her family said that the author's "unexpected death has come as a complete shock."

Cooper was best known for her books in "The Rutshire Chronicles," which portrayed the sex lives and excesses of the well-off, horse-riding set in 1980s England. The books sold millions of copies in the U.K. alone.

This Sept. 20, 2025 file photos shows author Jilly Cooper at The Queen's Reading Room Festival at Chatsworth in Derbyshire, England. Lucy Ray/PA via AP

One of the books, "Rivals," was turned into a hit Disney+ TV series last year starring David Tennant and Alex Hassell.

"The privilege of my career has been working with

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