Elizabeth Peters

Barbara Mertz, known by her pen name Elizabeth Peters, was an American Egyptologist and mystery writer. Born in Illinois in 1927, she studied at the University of Chicago and the American University in Cairo. After marrying an Egyptologist, she lived in Egypt for several years, where she developed a passion for the country's history and culture. Peters began writing mysteries featuring the amateur sleuth Miss Amelia Peabody Emmett in 1981. The series, set in Victorian Egypt, became a critical and commercial success, with over 35 million copies sold worldwide. Her notable works include "Crocodile on the Sandbank" (1985) and "The Mummy Case" (1987). Peters received numerous awards for her writing, including the Agatha Award for Best Novel in 1984 for "The Mysterious Death on the Nile" and the Nero Wolfe Award for Best Mystery Novel in 1998 for "The Falcon at the Portal." Her books have been translated into over 30 languages and adapted into several television films. Peters passed away in 2013, leaving behind a legacy of beloved and enduring mysteries.