World mourns the death of Arthur Hailey

The bestselling author, Arthur Hailey who began his writing career in Canada and plucked characters from ordinary life before throwing them into extraordinary ordeals, died in his home in the Bahamas. He was 84.

Hailey died in his sleep Wednesday a few hours after having dinner with two of his six children at his home in Lyford Cay on New Providence Island, said his wife, Sheila. She said doctors believe he had a stroke.

The British-born writer's knack for turning the mundane into thrilling tales resulted in 11 books published in 40 countries and 38 languages, with 170 million copies in print, informs Canada.com.

According to CBC News, Hailey died in his sleep a few hours after having dinner with two of his six children at his home in Lyford Cay on New Providence Island, his wife, Sheila, said.

The cause of death was believed to have been a stroke.

His wife, Sheila, said: "It is obviously a shock to wake up to, but it was peaceful. Arthur was a very humble man but was delighted with the letters he used to get from readers praising his books. He was incredibly proud of them," informs Guardian.