NAPLES, Fla. (AP) — Suspense novelist Robert Ludlum, author of the Jason Bourne series of spy thrillers and "The Matarese Circle," died Monday. He was 73.
The cause of death was believed to be a heart attack, said Matthew Shear, a spokesman for Ludlum's publisher, St. Martin's Press.
Ludlum started his career in the theater, working as an actor and a producer until he published his first book, "The Scarlatti Inheritance," in 1971.
The best-selling novel about a group that financed Adolf Hitler's Third Reich was followed by 20 novels that sold more than 210 million copies.
Government secrets and corruption were a recurring theme in his spy adventures, which were known for twists and turns that kept readers turning pages and critics sometimes rolling their eyes.
Readers can expect at least three more novels, Shear said.