BANGKOK, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- Award-winning Spanish author Manuel Vazquez Montalban died in Bangkok, Thailand, Saturday at the age of 64.
There were reports that Montalban suffered a fatal heart attack at the Bangkok airport, but an official autopsy has yet to be performed, Voice of America reported.
Montalban, a native of Barcelona, was on his way back to his home in Spain after a book and lecture tour through Australia and New Zealand, VOA said.
The creator of the popular "Pepe Carvalho" detective series was imprisoned during the dictatorship of Gen. Francisco Franco for his political writings.
Montalban's work has been translated into more than 20 languages and spanned a wide range of topics from food to football.
His numerous literary prizes included Spain's Prix Planeta, which he won in 1979 for a political mystery called "Southern Seas." His latest novel, "Milenio," was scheduled for publication in January.
Montalban is survived by his wife and one son.
