Author Eric Jerome Dickey, whose novels of romance, mystery and adventure were best-selling page-turners over more than 20 years, has died aged 59.
The US writer wrote 30 novels about breathless relationships and thrilling adventures involving young African American characters.
They included Friends & Lovers, Milk In My Coffee, Cheaters and Finding Gideon.
He also wrote a series of Marvel comics about a love story between Storm from the X-Men and the Black Panther.
“His work has become a cultural touchstone over the course of his multi-decade writing career, earning him millions of dedicated readers around the world,” his publicist Becky Odell told USA Today in a statement.
Writer Roxane Gay was among those paying tribute, describing him as “a great storyteller”
RIP Eric Jerome.
