Barbara Louise Mertz (September 29, 1927 – August 8, 2013), known professionally as Elizabeth Peters and as Barbara Michaels, was an American author. In 1952, she received a PhD in Egyptology from the University of Chicago. She was best known for her mystery and suspense novels, including the Amelia Peabody book series. In the 1960s, Mertz authored two books on ancient Egypt: Temples, Tombs, and Hieroglyphs, a popular history of ancient Egypt; and Red Land, Black Land, which explores daily life …