Mississippi writer and New York Times best-selling author Greg Iles dies at 65

Published 3:21 pm Friday, August 15, 2025

Mississippi writer and New York Times bestselling author Greg Iles died Friday morning at the age of 65 after a courageous battle with multiple myeloma, an incurable blood cancer. His passing marks the end of a remarkable literary career deeply rooted in the American South, yet reaching readers worldwide.

Born in Germany in 1960, where his father ran the US Embassy Medical Clinic during the height of the Cold War, Iles’s early life was a blend of international experience and Southern heritage. Iles spent his formative years in Natchez,  a place that would become the backdrop for many of his novels.

He graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1983. According to his website, Iles, during his time at Ole Miss, notably lived in the cabin where William Faulkner and his brothers heard stories told by “Mammy Callie,” their beloved nanny who had been born enslaved.

While battling cancer, Iles decided to delay a life-extending stem cell transplant to complete his final novel, “Southern Man,” published in May 2024. In an interview at the time, he shared his unwavering commitment to his work: “I waited to do the stem cell transplant, which some people will tell you is insane, but this book is so important. What it deals with is so dangerous and is what the country is dealing with right now. It’s an important political novel. I was not going into a procedure like that, which could potentially kill me without it being finished.”

For over a year, Iles had undergone rigorous treatment in preparation for the transplant, a process designed to suppress the body’s immune system to accept new, cancer-fighting stem cells.

A Prolific Career and Enduring Legacy

Iles launched his literary career in 1993 with a thriller about Nazi war criminal Rudolf Hess, which became the first of his seventeen New York Times bestsellers. Primarily set in the Deep South, his later novels have been adapted into films, translated into more than twenty languages, and published in over thirty-five countries worldwide. His final novel, “Southern Man,” continues the story of his iconic character, Penn Cage, following the epic trilogy that culminated with the New York Times #1 bestseller, “Mississippi Blood.”

Beyond his writing, Iles was also a member of the legendary lit-rock group “The Rock Bottom Remainders.” Alongside bandmate Stephen King, Iles returned to the musical stage after recovering from injuries from a near-fatal car accident in 2011, joining the band for their “final” two shows in Los Angeles in 2012. A nonfiction memoir by the band, “Hard Listening,” was published in 2018, by which time the band had resumed playing shows. In 2020, demonstrating their irrepressible spirit, they released a social-distancing video produced by Greg and his son Mark, titled “DON’T Stand By Me!” — truly a band that just didn’t know when to quit.

Band member and celebrated writer Dave Barry wrote about Iles’ death on Facebook.

“Greg Iles, my bandmate and friend, died today after a long, hard fight with blood cancer,” Barry wrote. “He was incredibly talented, both as a writer and as a musician; he was also a genuinely good guy. He loved being a member of the Rock Bottom Remainders, even though the truth is he was way too good for us. We’re all grieving for him and his family. Rest in peace, Greg. We love you.”

Greg Iles lived in Natchez, Mississippi with his wife Caroline and leaves behind four children.

Tributes from His Hometown

Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson expressed profound sorrow at the news on social media. “I am heartbroken to hear of the passing of our beloved native son, Greg Iles,” Gibson said. “Greg was a talented and brilliant author who never backed away from standing for justice and being an outspoken advocate for change.”

Mayor Gibson lauded Iles’s captivating storytelling, recalling, “His books were captivating and in fact, mesmerizing. Once I would start reading one, I struggled to put it down. Sometimes I would stay up all night straining to stay awake as I turned each page. I was so blessed to call Greg a friend, not only personally but a friend to all of Natchez. We will forever miss him.”