Jilly Cooper’s novel Riders, published in 1985, propelled her to the top of the best-seller lists. She was a consummate entertainer—as well as a gifted novelist and journalist—and her devoted fans and friends could never get enough By Harry Mount Earlier this year, not long after Rivals was released on TV, I saw Jilly Cooper at a dinner. I told her how much I’d enjoyed the series, which was based on her Rutshire Chronicles novels, particularly the sex scenes. She said, deadpan, “Doe...
