Author: Barbara Mertz
Alternate names: Barbara Michaels, Elizabeth Peters; Barbara Mertz (Barbara Michaels)
Born: 1927
Died: 2013
Bio: Barbara Louise Mertz (September 29, 1927 – August 8, 2013) was an American author who wrote under her own name as well as under the pseudonyms Elizabeth Peters and Barbara Michaels. In 1952 she received a PhD in Egyptology from the University of Chicago. While she was best known for her mystery and suspense novels, in the 1960s she authored two books on ancient Egypt, both of which have remained in print ever since.