Lyn Hamilton wrote 11 archaeological mystery novels about a feisty antiques dealer named Lara McClintoch. Lara has a shop in Toronto, Canada and travels the world in search of rare and beautiful objects, finding more than a little murder and mayhem along the way. Each book is set in a different location and calls upon the past in an unusual way.

Books in the series, published by Berkley Prime Crime (New York), have been translated into 11 languages. Lyn was represented by the Bella Pomer Agency in Toronto.

The first book, The Xibalba Murders (set in Mexico - the title refers to the Mayan lords of death) was nominated for an Arthur Ellis Award for best first crime novel in Canada. The eighth, The Magyar Venus, was also nominated for an Ellis award, this time for best crime novel. The Celtic Riddle, set in Ireland, formed the basis for the 2003 "Murder She Wrote" television movie starring Angela Lansbury.

By the time her 10th book was published, Lyn was identified as "one of Canada's most successful crime writers" with "legions of devoted fans" (The Globe and Mail, from the review of The Orkney Scroll).

Lyn maintained a lifelong interest in ancient cultures. She studied cultural and physical anthropology in her student days at the University of Toronto. While working in public relations, she maintained her interest in the ancient world by taking evening courses and travelling to world heritage sites on vacations. She spent six years as Director of the Ontario government's Cultural Programs Branch, which is responsible for licensing of all archaeologyin the province, as well as for museum and heritage conservation support programs.

Lyn was passionate about preservation of cultural heritage for future generations. It is a theme that runs through her books. She did painstaking research on the history of the cultures she wrote about, and she always visited the locations herself, sometimes several times. She loved learning how to cook the food in whatever country she was visiting, and she always brought home to Toronto examples of the art and music.

Lyn didn't start writing a crime novel until she was in her 50s. However, once started, she was prolific, with a new Lara book coming out every year from 1997 until 2007. She died all too soon, at age 65, of cancer.

Lara McClintoch Archaeological Mysteries by Lyn Hamilton

The Chinese Alchemist
The Orkney Scroll
The Moai Murders
The Magyar Venus
The Thai Amulet
The Etruscan Chimera
The African Quest
The Celtic Riddle
The Moche Warrior
The Maltese Goddess
The Xibalba Murders