Bestselling German novelist Alexandra Fröhlich has been found dead.
The 58-year-old was discovered lifeless by family members on her houseboat in the Moorfleet district, a report said.
The Guardian reported that a murder inquiry has been launched into the death amid evidence that she had been attacked.
According to Euro Weekly News, Local German broadcaster NDR cited police sources who confirmed that Fröhlich had been shot to death.
Her son discovered her body on Tuesday morning, according to police, who believe she died between midnight and 5.30am.
Fröhlich started out as a journalist, initially in Ukraine where she founded a women’s magazine in Kyiv. She later worked as a freelance journalist in Germany for women’s and other magazines such as Stern, before turning her hand to writing novels, The Guardian said.
Alexandra Fröhlich was considered one of the most successful German authors of recent years. She became particularly well-known for her humorous yet serious Books like “People always die” or “My Russian mother-in-law and other catastrophes”.
Her works struck a chord with the times, found a broad audience and made her a fixture in the German-speaking literary world.
The author leaves behind three sons.