Elizabeth Peters-Barbara Michaels 1927-2013

An Appreciation by Jeanne

Mystery fans are in mourning today after learning of the passing of Barbara Mertz, aka Elizabeth Peters aka Barbara Michaels.  As Peters she had three series: one with librarian/author Jacqueline Kirby, a second with art historian Vicky Bliss, but her most popular series was about the intrepid Victorian archaeologist Amelia Peabody and her husband Emerson as they uncovered Egyptian artifacts.  Mertz had a doctorate in Egyptology herself but finding the job market tight in that field, had turned to writing instead.

Almost from the first book, Crocodile on the Sandbank, Amelia took readers by storm.  Eighteen more books followed, with the most recent being 2010's River in the Sky.  Writer Paul Theroux wrote in the NY Times article that between Indiana Jones and Amelia Peabody, "it's Amelia--in wit and daring-- by a landslide."   Grounded in history and archaeological fact, the thrills, romance,  and tongue in cheek humor delighted readers.  Amelia tells her stories using Victorian style phrasing but her daring and forthrightness take center stage, as does her adoration for her husband, Emerson.

Under the name Barbara Michaels, she wrote standalone gothic style suspense books with a touch of the supernatural.  Ammie Come Home was probably her best known and the only one which had sequels (Shattered Silk and Stitches in Time) but House of Many Shadows was another popular title.

I was introduced to  Elizabeth Peters when I was working on my library degree.  An older student who liked mysteries told me that Peters had three series for all ages: one about young Vicky for me, the Jacqueline Kirby for older folk like her, and Amelia for everybody. I liked all three series, actually, and then discovered that I did know Peters already-- my mother was an avid reader of the Barbara Michaels books, which were the more popular ones at the time.  It wasn't long until Elizabeth Peters' Amelia took over, though, and fans were clamoring for more adventures with the parasol wielding adventuress. In fact, I had someone ask just a week or two ago if there would be any more in that series.

Sadly, unless Dr. Mertz had a work in progress, the answer is apparently "no." CBS news posted an article about her passing here; The Washington Post has an article about her here. Her website has a lively account of her birthday party from last year, which was a grand affair with (of course!) an Egyptian theme here.

We'll miss you, Barbara Mertz, in all of your incarnations.