Jeffrey Archer, the bestselling British novelist and former politician, has died aged 86. His publisher HarperCollins announced the news on October 6.

Archer sold more than 300 million books worldwide during a writing career spanning five decades. He was known for pacy thrillers such as Kane and Abel and his 1976 debut Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less.

His final novel, Adam and Eve, is due to be published this month. The book's arrival almost coincides with his death.

Archer was also a prominent Conservative politician. He served as a Member of Parliament and later became a senior party official under Margaret Thatcher in the mid-1980s. He was made a life peer in 1992.

His career suffered a public downfall in 2001. He was convicted of perjury and perverting the course of justice, and sentenced to four years in prison.

HarperCollins UK CEO Kate Elton said the publishing world had lost "a writer who has brought joy to generations of readers, and a true friend".

Archer enjoyed an unusual superstardom in India, where his books found a huge and loyal readership. Tributes poured in from Indian readers and writers after the news broke.