Barbara Mertz Has Passed Away

Very sad news – Barbara Mertz died this morning. Via William Morrow: It is with great sadness we relay the news that our beloved author, Barbara Mertz, (a.k.a. Elizabeth Peters) passed away this morning at the age of 85.

Under her pseudonym as Barbara Michaels she has written twenty-nine novels of suspense. As Elizabeth Peters, she had produced more than 35 mystery-suspense novels, many of them set in Egypt and the Middle East, featuring the intrepid Amelia Peabody. Under her own name, she authored several nonfiction books about ancient Egypt, still in print today.

She was named Grand Master by Mystery Writers of America in 1998 and had been nominated in 2004 for Best Critical/Biographical Edgar for her book:  Amelia Peabody’s Egypt: A Compendium.