Joan Rivers dead: Book sales of Diary of a Mad Diva soar by more than 70,000 per cent

The legendary comedienne's death at 81 was announced yesterday evening

Joan Rivers' death has sparked a huge surge in her book sales (AP Photo/Dan Steinberg, File)

The death of Joan Rivers yesterday has sent sales of the controversial comedienne’s book soaring.

The entertainer died aged 81 a week after suffering a heart attack during a routine operation on her vocal chords.

Just hours after the sad news broke, Amazon recorded a massive 70,750 per cent rise in sales of Diary of a Mad Diva, which hit stores in July.

The book has rocketed from number 1,417 on the web retailer’s bestselling chart to number two, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Rivers’ earlier book, I Hate Everyone…Starting With Me, jumped in sales by 17,496 per cent to reach number 55.

Published in 2012, I Hate Everyone...Starting With Me includes spectacular tongue-in-cheek plans for her funeral.

“When I die (and, yes, Melissa, that day will come; and, yes, Melissa, everything’s in your name), I want my funeral to be a huge showbiz affair with lights, camera, action,” she wrote in a chapter called “Death Be Not Proud”.

Rivers’ wishes include a wind machine to make her hair blow “just like Beyoncé’s”, paparazzi and publicists “making a scene” and Meryl Streep crying “in five different accents”.