George V. Higgins, the prosecutor-turned-novelist who put Boston organized crime figures in both prison and fiction, including his bestseller "The Friends of Eddie Coyle," died of natural causes. He was 59.
Higgins was found Saturday at his Milton, Mass., home.
Higgins published about 25 books. "Eddie Coyle," which was published in 1972, was made into a movie directed by Peter Yates and starring Robert Mitchum and Peter Boyle.
By 1970, he had written as many as 14 novels, all of them unpublished. In 1972, "Eddie Coyle" was an instant bestseller.
Higgins also won recognition for several subsequent books, including "The Digger's Game," "Cogan's Trade," and "A City on a Hill." His last novel, "The Agent," was published this year.
He is survived by his wife, Loretta, and a son and a daughter.
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