Best-selling American author Tom Clancy has died at the age of 66.
His publishers gave no cause of death but local reports say he died at a hospital in Baltimore, near his home.
Clancy was best known for his thrillers featuring CIA agent Jack Ryan.
Several of his books, including The Hunt for the Red October, Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger were made into Hollywood films.
Clancy's publishers say he was due to release another book Command Authority in December, Reuters reports.
His most recent book Threat Vector last year went straight to the top of the Publishers Weekly bestseller list.
Clancy has said his action hero Jack Ryan was an idealised version of the man he would have liked to have been if he had not been a best-selling author.
