Most Recommended Books

Track reading, wishlists & new-book alerts

Get
Skip to content
Share:

Elizabeth Peters Books in Order

Browse all Elizabeth Peters books in order, with summaries and reading-order tips for the Amelia Peabody, Vicky Bliss and Jacqueline Kirby mysteries.

Last updated: June 7, 2026

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases (at no extra cost to you).

View

Elizabeth Peters books in publication order

Sort:

43 books

The Jackal's Head

by Elizabeth Peters

1968

Althea Tomlinson returns to Luxor as a hired chaperone but secretly to learn why her archaeologist father died there, only to uncover an unplundered tomb, dazzling treasure and killers determined that the past stay buried.

The Camelot Caper

by Elizabeth Peters

1969

American Jessica Tregarth expects a quiet visit to her English grandfather, but a stolen family ring, shadowy pursuers and a charming gothic novelist sweep her across cathedrals and Cornish cliffs in a chase tied to a legendary Arthurian hoard.

The Dead Sea Cipher

by Elizabeth Peters

1970

On a long‑dreamed‑of tour of the Middle East, Dinah van der Lyn hears a cry for help through her hotel wall and stumbles into a deadly search for missing scholars, coded clues and secrets hidden among biblical sites from Beirut to Jerusalem.

The Night of Four Hundred Rabbits

by Elizabeth Peters

1971

A mysterious newspaper clipping suggesting her long‑missing father is alive lures Carol Farley to Mexico City, where ancient pyramids, family secrets and a ruthless drug ring turn a hopeful reunion into a fight for survival.

The Seventh Sinner

by Elizabeth Peters

1972

Graduate student Jean Suttman thinks life in Rome is paradise until a fellow member of her bohemian study circle is murdered in the Temple of Mithra and a string of accidents convince her and visiting librarian Jacqueline Kirby that someone wants Jean dead.

Borrower of the Night

by Elizabeth Peters

1973

Ambitious art historian Vicky Bliss cannot resist a centuries‑old puzzle about a missing Riemenschneider altar, joining rival scholars at a crumbling German castle where secret passages, staged hauntings and very real attacks suggest someone will kill for the prize.

The Murders of Richard III

by Elizabeth Peters

1974

Invited to a costume weekend at an English manor full of Richard III devotees, Jacqueline Kirby expects spirited debate, not staged accidents that copy fifteenth‑century murders, until one turns fatal and she must unmask a killer hiding behind pageantry.

Crocodile on the Sandbank

by Elizabeth Peters

1975

Newly wealthy spinster Amelia Peabody sails for Egypt, collects a disgraced young companion and clashes with irritable archaeologist Radcliffe Emerson as a mummy apparently stalks their desert camp and a very human conspiracy threatens lives and treasure.

Legend in Green Velvet

by Elizabeth Peters

1976

Young archaeology student Susan joins a dig in the Scottish Highlands, but a dying stranger’s cryptic message and a subsequent murder send her fleeing across misty glens with unconventional laird Jamie Erskine as smugglers and killers close in.

Devil May Care

by Elizabeth Peters

1977

House‑sitting for her eccentric aunt in a historic Virginia town sounds cozy to Ellie, until eerie manifestations, simmering feuds among founding families and increasingly malicious pranks suggest that someone wants her driven out or dead.

Street of the Five Moons

by Elizabeth Peters

1978

When a dead man’s suit yields a brilliantly forged Charlemagne pendant, Vicky Bliss follows the trail to Rome’s antique quarter, where elegant palaces, dubious nobility and a master thief known as Sir John Smythe pull her into art crime and danger.

Temples, Tombs & Hieroglyphs

by Elizabeth Peters

1978

This lively history surveys ancient Egypt from its earliest settlements through Cleopatra, blending clear explanations of dynasties, religion and daily life with anecdotes about archaeologists, excavations and the monuments that later shaped Elizabeth Peters’s fiction.

Summer of the Dragon

by Elizabeth Peters

1979

Fledgling anthropologist D.J. Abbott takes a summer job at an Arizona ranch run by a billionaire collector of wild theories, then finds herself sorting through cults, buried “dragons” and desert kidnappers when her employer suddenly disappears.

The Love Talker

by Elizabeth Peters

1980

Returning to her cherished childhood refuge in rural Maryland, Laurie expects peace at Idlewood, but eerie piping in the woods, old tales of a seductive spirit and escalating incidents around her frail aunt hint that someone is using legend to mask lethal intent.

The Curse of the Pharaohs

by Elizabeth Peters

1981

Settled in Kent with their young son, Amelia and Emerson are coaxed back to Luxor to finish a tomb excavation clouded by talk of a curse, where missing archaeologists, nervous workmen and suspicious deaths point to a flesh‑and‑blood killer.

The Copenhagen Connection

by Elizabeth Peters

1982

On sabbatical in Denmark, American scholar Elizabeth Jones meets her idol, Nobel laureate Margaret Rosenberg, and becomes her assistant, only to be swept into a quirky kidnapping case that leads from Copenhagen’s streets to remote countryside hideouts.

Silhouette in Scarlet

by Elizabeth Peters

1983

A single red rose, a ticket to Stockholm and a Latin message lure Vicky Bliss into another of Sir John Smythe’s schemes, landing her on a Swedish island where rival treasure hunters, a fifth‑century chalice and shifting loyalties leave her literally digging for survival.

Die for Love

by Elizabeth Peters

1984

Craving excitement, librarian Jacqueline Kirby heads to a flamboyant romance‑writers’ convention in New York, where the sudden death of a gossip columnist and a nervous bestselling author convince her that jealousy and secrets are turning fantasy into murder.

The Mummy Case

by Elizabeth Peters

1985

Banished to a desolate site at Mazghuna instead of glamorous pyramids, Amelia, Emerson and precocious Ramses stumble onto a murdered antiquities dealer, a missing mummy case and a ruthless smuggling ring that turns a dull season into a deadly investigation.

Lion in the Valley

by Elizabeth Peters

1986

While excavating at Dahshur with eight‑year‑old Ramses in tow, the Emersons become entangled with a smooth master criminal, a troubled young Englishwoman and a series of abductions that pull Amelia from the pyramid trenches into Cairo’s darker corners.

Trojan Gold

by Elizabeth Peters

1987

A cryptic photograph hinting at the lost gold of Troy draws Vicky Bliss and her boss Schmidt to a snowy Bavarian village, where old colleagues, Cold War shadows and the unexpected return of Sir John Smythe entangle them in avalanches, ambushes and buried loot.

The Deeds of the Disturber

by Elizabeth Peters

1988

Back in smoggy London for the summer, Amelia juggles difficult nieces and nephews with a supposed mummy’s curse at the British Museum, uncovering masquerades, blackmail and murder behind the figure of a prowling ancient priest.

Naked Once More

by Elizabeth Peters

1989

Jacqueline Kirby wins the contest to write a sequel to a vanished author’s blockbuster novel and moves to the writer’s Appalachian hometown, where anonymous threats, staged accidents and old resentments suggest that finishing the book means exposing a long‑hidden crime.

The Last Camel Died at Noon

by Elizabeth Peters

1991

Hired to trace a long‑vanished explorer, the Emersons push deep into the Sudan desert until their last camel dies and a hidden oasis civilization emerges, plunging them into dynastic feuds, captivity and the fate of a remarkable girl named Nefret.

The Snake, the Crocodile and the Dog

by Elizabeth Peters

1992

Leaving Ramses and Nefret in England, Amelia and Emerson return alone to Egypt, where a vicious attack steals Emerson’s memory and a shadowy enemy uses tomb robberies and seductive allies in an effort to separate the couple for good.

Night Train to Memphis

by Elizabeth Peters

1994

Vicky Bliss boards a luxury Nile cruise as an undercover expert tasked with stopping a Cairo Museum heist, but the presence of her charmingly untrustworthy lover Sir John Smythe, his new “bride” and layers of double‑crosses turn the voyage into a chaotic, romantic chase.

The Hippopotamus Pool

by Elizabeth Peters

1996

A mysterious visitor tempts Emerson with rumors of a forgotten queen’s tomb, sending the family to a new site where forged papyri, rival excavators and a gifted young artist draw them into another struggle over who will control Egypt’s buried past.

More Malice Domestic

by Elizabeth Peters & Mary Higgins Clark

1997

Mary Higgins Clark and Elizabeth Peters present seven original mystery stories as a tribute to Agatha Christie. The collection ranges across crime settings and styles and includes Charlotte and Aaron Elkins’s Agatha Award-winning “Nice Gorilla.”

Seeing a Large Cat

by Elizabeth Peters

1997

In 1903 the Emersons return to the Valley of the Kings, where the discovery of a modern corpse wrapped as a mummy, a dubious spiritualist and Ramses’s own secret maneuvers complicate Amelia’s efforts to expose a killer.

The Ape Who Guards the Balance

by Elizabeth Peters

1998

From a hijacked suffrage march in London to a dangerous season on the Nile, Amelia finds an old enemy orchestrating thefts and abductions, forcing the Emerson clan to face personal losses as they fight to keep priceless antiquities out of criminal hands.

The Falcon at the Portal

by Elizabeth Peters

1999

As Egypt edges toward political upheaval, forged antiquities sold under David’s name pull the Emersons into a tangle of smuggling, scandal and nationalist intrigue where reputations, marriages and lives are all at risk.

He Shall Thunder in the Sky

by Elizabeth Peters

2000

With World War I raging, Cairo swarms with spies and saboteurs, and Ramses’s covert work collides with the Emersons’ Giza excavation, drawing Amelia into a perilous effort to protect the Suez Canal and everyone she loves.

Lord of the Silent

by Elizabeth Peters

2001

During the 1915–1916 season, newly married Ramses and Nefret hope for a peaceful honeymoon on their dahabeah, but looted tombs, vengeful enemies and shadowy intelligence assignments keep the Emerson family squarely in danger’s path.

The Golden One

by Elizabeth Peters

2002

As the Great War grinds on, the Emersons are dispatched to a remote cliff site and then toward the front near Gaza, where Ramses’s undercover mission, missing artifacts and divided loyalties entwine archaeology with espionage and murder.

Amelia Peabody's Egypt

by Elizabeth Peters

2003

A richly illustrated companion to the Amelia Peabody novels, this compendium gathers essays, photographs, maps and in‑character pieces that explore real Egyptian history, Victorian travel and the backstories of the Emerson family and their associates.

Children of the Storm

by Elizabeth Peters

2003

In the uneasy peace after the war, three generations of Emersons gather in Egypt, only to confront kidnappings, stolen treasure and lingering wartime grudges that turn a crowded family season into one of their most personal investigations.

Guardian of the Horizon

by Elizabeth Peters

2004

A desperate messenger from the Lost Oasis pulls the Emersons back to the hidden kingdom they once helped save, where King Tarek’s rule is threatened and old alliances, rival claimants and forbidden love could destroy the desert sanctuary.

The Serpent on the Crown

by Elizabeth Peters

2005

In 1922 a terrified widow thrusts a golden statue she blames for her husband’s death into Amelia’s keeping, drawing the Emersons into murder, imposture and clues that hint the figure may have come from a royal tomb still undiscovered.

Tomb of the Golden Bird

by Elizabeth Peters

2006

As Howard Carter closes in on Tutankhamun’s tomb, the Emersons dig nearby, fending off political plots, nationalist conspirators and their own professional envy while a long‑running intelligence game collides with the find of the century.

The Laughter of Dead Kings

by Elizabeth Peters

2008

When King Tutankhamun’s mummy vanishes from its tomb and Sir John is the prime suspect, Vicky Bliss, Professor Schmidt and friends race across modern Egypt to recover the body, clear John’s name and untangle a plot that links politics, antiquities and family.

A River in the Sky

by Elizabeth Peters

2010

In 1910, a controversial expedition to Palestine pulls Amelia and Emerson away from Egypt, and when Ramses disappears amid whispers of German intrigue, the family must juggle a modest dig, sectarian tensions and a race to bring him home alive.

The Painted Queen

by Elizabeth Peters

2014

Arriving in Cairo for the 1912 season, Amelia survives an intruder who dies at her feet with a knife in his back and a card marked Judas, then follows a trail to Amarna, the Nefertiti bust and a vendetta waged by monocled assassins.

The Locked Tomb Mystery: And Other Stories

by Elizabeth Peters

2018

This collection brings together four short mysteries, including an Amelia Peabody and Emerson case, ranging from a writer drawn into an actual murder to a sealed tomb puzzle, an eerie country house and a playful Sherlock Holmes tribute.

Where to start with Elizabeth Peters

If you want to meet Amelia in order: Crocodile on the SandbankThe Curse of the PharaohsThe Mummy Case.
If you prefer globe-trotting art capers: Borrower of the NightStreet of the Five MoonsSilhouette in ScarletNight Train to Memphis.
If you like bookish, tongue-in-cheek mysteries: The Seventh SinnerThe Murders of Richard IIIDie for LoveNaked Once More.
If you enjoy standalone romantic suspense: The Jackal's HeadLegend in Green VelvetSummer of the DragonThe Love Talker.
If you want more history of ancient Egypt: Temples, Tombs & HieroglyphsAmelia Peabody's Egypt.

Amelia Peabody books in order

Explore this series
  1. Book cover for "Crocodile on the Sandbank"

    Crocodile on the Sandbank

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1975Amelia Peabody, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "The Curse of the Pharaohs"

    The Curse of the Pharaohs

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1981Amelia Peabody, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "The Mummy Case"

    The Mummy Case

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1985Amelia Peabody, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "Lion in the Valley"

    Lion in the Valley

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1986Amelia Peabody, Book 4
  5. Book cover for "The Deeds of the Disturber"

    The Deeds of the Disturber

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1988Amelia Peabody, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "The Last Camel Died at Noon"

    The Last Camel Died at Noon

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1991Amelia Peabody, Book 6
  7. Book cover for "The Snake, the Crocodile and the Dog"

    The Snake, the Crocodile and the Dog

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1992Amelia Peabody, Book 7
  8. Book cover for "The Hippopotamus Pool"

    The Hippopotamus Pool

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1996Amelia Peabody, Book 8
  9. Book cover for "Seeing a Large Cat"

    Seeing a Large Cat

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1997Amelia Peabody, Book 9
  10. Book cover for "The Ape Who Guards the Balance"

    The Ape Who Guards the Balance

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1998Amelia Peabody, Book 10
  11. Book cover for "The Falcon at the Portal"

    The Falcon at the Portal

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1999Amelia Peabody, Book 13
  12. Book cover for "He Shall Thunder in the Sky"

    He Shall Thunder in the Sky

    by Elizabeth Peters

    2000Amelia Peabody, Book 15
  13. Book cover for "Lord of the Silent"

    Lord of the Silent

    by Elizabeth Peters

    2001Amelia Peabody, Book 16
  14. Book cover for "The Golden One"

    The Golden One

    by Elizabeth Peters

    2002Amelia Peabody, Book 17
  15. Book cover for "Children of the Storm"

    Children of the Storm

    by Elizabeth Peters

    2003Amelia Peabody, Book 18
  16. Book cover for "Guardian of the Horizon"

    Guardian of the Horizon

    by Elizabeth Peters

    2004Amelia Peabody, Book 11
  17. Book cover for "The Serpent on the Crown"

    The Serpent on the Crown

    by Elizabeth Peters

    2005Amelia Peabody, Book 19
  18. Book cover for "Tomb of the Golden Bird"

    Tomb of the Golden Bird

    by Elizabeth Peters

    2006Amelia Peabody, Book 20
  19. Book cover for "A River in the Sky"

    A River in the Sky

    by Elizabeth Peters

    2010Amelia Peabody, Book 12
  20. Book cover for "The Painted Queen"

    The Painted Queen

    by Elizabeth Peters

    2014Amelia Peabody, Book 14

Amelia Peabody books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "Crocodile on the Sandbank"

    Crocodile on the Sandbank

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1975Amelia Peabody, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "The Curse of the Pharaohs"

    The Curse of the Pharaohs

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1981Amelia Peabody, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "The Mummy Case"

    The Mummy Case

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1985Amelia Peabody, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "Lion in the Valley"

    Lion in the Valley

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1986Amelia Peabody, Book 4
  5. Book cover for "The Deeds of the Disturber"

    The Deeds of the Disturber

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1988Amelia Peabody, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "The Last Camel Died at Noon"

    The Last Camel Died at Noon

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1991Amelia Peabody, Book 6
  7. Book cover for "The Snake, the Crocodile and the Dog"

    The Snake, the Crocodile and the Dog

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1992Amelia Peabody, Book 7
  8. Book cover for "The Hippopotamus Pool"

    The Hippopotamus Pool

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1996Amelia Peabody, Book 8
  9. Book cover for "Seeing a Large Cat"

    Seeing a Large Cat

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1997Amelia Peabody, Book 9
  10. Book cover for "The Ape Who Guards the Balance"

    The Ape Who Guards the Balance

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1998Amelia Peabody, Book 10
  11. Book cover for "Guardian of the Horizon"

    Guardian of the Horizon

    by Elizabeth Peters

    2004Amelia Peabody, Book 11
  12. Book cover for "A River in the Sky"

    A River in the Sky

    by Elizabeth Peters

    2010Amelia Peabody, Book 12
  13. Book cover for "The Falcon at the Portal"

    The Falcon at the Portal

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1999Amelia Peabody, Book 13
  14. Book cover for "The Painted Queen"

    The Painted Queen

    by Elizabeth Peters

    2014Amelia Peabody, Book 14
  15. Book cover for "He Shall Thunder in the Sky"

    He Shall Thunder in the Sky

    by Elizabeth Peters

    2000Amelia Peabody, Book 15
  16. Book cover for "Lord of the Silent"

    Lord of the Silent

    by Elizabeth Peters

    2001Amelia Peabody, Book 16
  17. Book cover for "The Golden One"

    The Golden One

    by Elizabeth Peters

    2002Amelia Peabody, Book 17
  18. Book cover for "Children of the Storm"

    Children of the Storm

    by Elizabeth Peters

    2003Amelia Peabody, Book 18
  19. Book cover for "The Serpent on the Crown"

    The Serpent on the Crown

    by Elizabeth Peters

    2005Amelia Peabody, Book 19
  20. Book cover for "Tomb of the Golden Bird"

    Tomb of the Golden Bird

    by Elizabeth Peters

    2006Amelia Peabody, Book 20

Jacqueline Kirby books in order

Explore this series
  1. Book cover for "The Seventh Sinner"

    The Seventh Sinner

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1972Jacqueline Kirby, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "The Murders of Richard III"

    The Murders of Richard III

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1974Jacqueline Kirby, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "Die for Love"

    Die for Love

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1984Jacqueline Kirby, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "Naked Once More"

    Naked Once More

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1989Jacqueline Kirby, Book 4

Jacqueline Kirby books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "The Seventh Sinner"

    The Seventh Sinner

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1972Jacqueline Kirby, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "The Murders of Richard III"

    The Murders of Richard III

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1974Jacqueline Kirby, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "Die for Love"

    Die for Love

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1984Jacqueline Kirby, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "Naked Once More"

    Naked Once More

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1989Jacqueline Kirby, Book 4

Vicky Bliss books in order

Explore this series
  1. Book cover for "The Camelot Caper"

    The Camelot Caper

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1969Vicky Bliss, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Borrower of the Night"

    Borrower of the Night

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1973Vicky Bliss, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "Street of the Five Moons"

    Street of the Five Moons

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1978Vicky Bliss, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "Silhouette in Scarlet"

    Silhouette in Scarlet

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1983Vicky Bliss, Book 4
  5. Book cover for "Trojan Gold"

    Trojan Gold

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1987Vicky Bliss, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "Night Train to Memphis"

    Night Train to Memphis

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1994Vicky Bliss, Book 6
  7. Book cover for "The Laughter of Dead Kings"

    The Laughter of Dead Kings

    by Elizabeth Peters

    2008Vicky Bliss, Book 7

Vicky Bliss books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "The Camelot Caper"

    The Camelot Caper

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1969Vicky Bliss, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Borrower of the Night"

    Borrower of the Night

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1973Vicky Bliss, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "Street of the Five Moons"

    Street of the Five Moons

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1978Vicky Bliss, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "Silhouette in Scarlet"

    Silhouette in Scarlet

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1983Vicky Bliss, Book 4
  5. Book cover for "Trojan Gold"

    Trojan Gold

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1987Vicky Bliss, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "Night Train to Memphis"

    Night Train to Memphis

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1994Vicky Bliss, Book 6
  7. Book cover for "The Laughter of Dead Kings"

    The Laughter of Dead Kings

    by Elizabeth Peters

    2008Vicky Bliss, Book 7

Elizabeth Peters collections, short stories, and related book types

Short Story Collections

  1. Book cover for "The Locked Tomb Mystery: And Other Stories"

    The Locked Tomb Mystery: And Other Stories

    by Elizabeth Peters

    2018

Non-Fiction

  1. Book cover for "Temples, Tombs & Hieroglyphs"

    Temples, Tombs & Hieroglyphs

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1978
  2. Book cover for "Amelia Peabody's Egypt"

    Amelia Peabody's Egypt

    by Elizabeth Peters

    2003

Standalone Elizabeth Peters books

  1. Book cover for "The Jackal's Head"

    The Jackal's Head

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1968
  2. Book cover for "The Dead Sea Cipher"

    The Dead Sea Cipher

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1970
  3. Book cover for "The Night of Four Hundred Rabbits"

    The Night of Four Hundred Rabbits

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1971
  4. Book cover for "Legend in Green Velvet"

    Legend in Green Velvet

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1976
  5. Book cover for "Devil May Care"

    Devil May Care

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1977
  6. Book cover for "Summer of the Dragon"

    Summer of the Dragon

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1979
  7. Book cover for "The Love Talker"

    The Love Talker

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1980
  8. Book cover for "The Copenhagen Connection"

    The Copenhagen Connection

    by Elizabeth Peters

    1982
  9. Book cover for "More Malice Domestic"

    More Malice Domestic

    by Elizabeth Peters & Mary Higgins Clark

    1997

Author bio

Elizabeth Peters was the pen name of Barbara Mertz, an American writer and trained Egyptologist whose mysteries have introduced generations of readers to ancient Egypt, art history and a parade of sharp, funny heroines.

She was born Barbara Louise Gross in Canton, Illinois, in 1927 and grew up in a small Midwestern town where books were an early obsession. A scholarship took her to the University of Chicago, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in 1947, a master’s in 1950 and, at just twenty‑three, a PhD in Egyptology in 1952. She loved the ancient world enough to imagine a conventional academic career, even when the postwar job market for women in archaeology was tiny.

Instead of a university post, she married engineer Richard Mertz, raised two children and began to write. Her first published books were non‑fiction, especially Temples, Tombs & Hieroglyphs and Red Land, Black Land, clear, witty introductions to ancient Egyptian history and daily life. Those books never went out of print and set the tone for the rest of her career, mixing solid research with an easy, conversational voice.

Fiction came next. Under the name Barbara Michaels she wrote modern gothic and supernatural suspense, full of haunted houses, hints of the uncanny and women finding their backbone under pressure. When she turned to historical and contemporary mysteries, she wanted a different signature, so she borrowed her children’s names, Peter and Elizabeth, and became Elizabeth Peters.

As Peters she created her best‑known series, the Amelia Peabody novels. Beginning with Crocodile on the Sandbank in 1975, these books follow a forthright Victorian suffragist who inherits a fortune, falls in love with Egypt and marries irascible archaeologist Radcliffe Emerson. The stories track the Emerson family’s excavation seasons from the 1880s through the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, blending family comedy, romance, espionage and whodunits against carefully drawn Egyptian settings.

She did not stay in one fictional world. The Vicky Bliss books follow a tall, brainy American art historian working in Munich, whose expertise keeps colliding with forgery rings, missing masterpieces and the schemes of charming rogue John Smythe. The Jacqueline Kirby novels center on a Nebraska librarian turned accidental sleuth and later bestselling novelist, stalking killers through Roman ruins, English country houses and the sometimes absurd world of genre publishing.

Over five decades Mertz wrote more than seventy novels plus several works of non‑fiction. Her mysteries won and were nominated for major genre awards, including an Agatha Award for Naked Once More and an Agatha for Amelia Peabody’s Egypt: A Compendium. She received lifetime achievement and Grand Master honors from groups such as Mystery Writers of America, Bouchercon and Malice Domestic, where a prize was eventually named after Amelia Peabody herself.

Away from the page she stayed close to both archaeology and the mystery community. She supported Egyptological organizations, served on editorial boards and helped found Malice Domestic, a convention celebrating traditional mysteries, as a way to spotlight writers she felt were being overlooked. She also endowed a scholarship at Hood College to support women crime writers.

For many years Mertz lived in a historic farmhouse near Frederick, Maryland, filling it with books, cats, visiting family and an ever‑growing correspondence from readers. She kept writing into her eighties; when she died in 2013, she left a final Amelia Peabody manuscript that friend and fellow author Joan Hess completed as The Painted Queen.

Readers still come to her work for the same reasons that first made it popular, the mix of brisk storytelling, grounded historical detail and characters who feel like old friends. Her Egypt, whether ancient or turn‑of‑the‑century, remains a place people happily revisit.

Edited by

Richard Reis

Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.

Anurag Ramdasan

Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.

Comments

Did we miss something? Have feedback?

Help us improve this page by sharing your thoughts

We only use your email to notify you about replies.

All comments are moderated.

Discover and track your reading on the go

Track your reading, manage wishlists, and get notified when new books are added.