‘War of the Roses’ author Warren Adler dies at 91

NEW YORK – Bestselling author Warren Adler who chronicled dysfunction and duplicity, most notably in his divorce novel “The War of the Roses,” a dark comedy that was made into a hit film has died. He was 91.

Adler died at his Manhattan home on April 15. The Washington Post reports that his son Michael Adler says the cause of death was liver cancer.

He published his first book at 46 and wrote more than 50 novels, plays and works of poetry or short fiction.

His characters were often plotting their escape from unhappy marriages, concealing affairs or scanning the obituary pages in search of wealthy widowers.

He told the New York Times in 1991, “I’ve become a specialist in wrecked relations,” adding “My turf is the never-ending battle of the sexes that goes on to the grave.”