Word comes that Iconic crime writer Barbara Mertz has passed away. Mertz wrote under the names Elizabeth Peters and Barbara Michaels.
William Morrow released the following statement:
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.
Long before she started writing crime novels, Mertz earned a Ph.D. in Egyptology, from the University of Chicago. She used her knowledge to create the world of Amanda Peabody, her most popular character. She earned numerous awards, including being named Grandmaster by The Mystery Writers of America.