Greg Iles, the author known for his mystery and thriller novels set in the deep South, has died at 65, the Associated Press reports.

Iles was born in Stuttgart, Germany, raised in Natchez, Mississippi, and educated at the University of Mississippi. He sang and played guitar in the band Frankly Scarlet before making his literary debut in 1993 with Spandau Phoenix, a thriller about Rudolf Hess, the Nazi war criminal. Another World War II thriller, Black Cross, followed in 1995.

In 1999, he published The Quiet Game, which introduced readers to Penn Cage, a former prosecutor turned bestselling novelist. Cage would return in Iles’ Natchez Burning trilogy, which kicked off in 2014 with Natchez Burning, and continued with The Bone Tree and Mississippi Blood.

Iles brought Cage back in his final novel, Southern Man, published last year by Morrow/HarperCollins. In a starred review, a critic for Kirkus called the novel “a perfectly done political thriller with genuine resonance.”

In addition to his writing, Iles performed with the Rock Bottom Remainders, a rock band featuring authors including Stephen King, Amy Tan, James McBride, and Barbara Kingsolver.

Iles struggled with his health for years. He was diagnosed with blood cancer in 1996, and he was severely injured in a 2011 car crash in Mississippi that led to the amputation of part of one leg. He reflected on his battle with cancer on his website, writing, “One thing this experience has taught me is that there is nothing unique about my situation. Many, many people are struggling with similar ailments, and I wish for them all the best possible outcomes. This journey is far from over. My last thought for today is that only two things matter: family and friends.”

Iles’ admirers paid tribute to him on social media. On the platform X, his friend and bandmate King wrote, “Greg Iles, bestselling writer and lead guitarist of a group of writers known as the Rock Bottom Remainders, has died at the unfair age of 65. He was a hell of a writer and a hell of a player. He was also a good friend, and he'll be missed.”

And Mississippi politician Brandon Presley posted, “The great @GregIles was my friend, supporter and an inspiration to me every time we talked. He was kind enough to reference my campaign for Governor in ‘Southern Man’ and always prodded me about writing my own book. Before his health got worse, we planned for him to come to Water Valley. Mississippi has lost one of its best sons and masterful man of letters.”

Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.