Len Deighton, the English novelist who alongside Ian Fleming and John le Carré breathed new life into the spy fiction genre, has died at 97, the Associated Press reports.

Deighton, a London native, served in the Royal Air Force for more than two years, and was then educated at the Royal College of Art. He worked as a pastry chef, flight attendant, and professional illustrator, designing the cover of the U.K. edition of Jack Kerouac’s On the Road and inventing “cookstrips,” comic strips with recipes.

He made his literary debut in 1962 with The IPCRESS File, a novel about an unnamed British spy trying to find a scientist who has been kidnapped. The book was a bestseller, and was adapted into a 1965 movie, The Ipcress File, directed by Sidney J. Furie and starring Michael Caine as the spy, named Harry Palmer in the film.

He went on to write more than 25 other novels, including The Billion Dollar Brain, An Expensive Place To Die, City of Gold, Violent Ward, Faith, Hope, and Charity. He also wrote several cookbooks and nonfiction books about history.

Deighton’s admirers paid tribute to him on social media. On the platform X, journalist Tim Shipman posted, “Deighton’s writing was sharp, satirical, gripping and often amusing. His office infighting in the intelligence services was delicious and his characters are beautifully drawn.”

And broadcaster Samira Ahmed wrote, “I’ve always loved how ahead of his time Len Deighton was. And whether on cookery or living in London, how he invited us in to share his expertise with such style and charm. A life lived well. Goodbye, sir.”

Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.