Judith M. Riley, acclaimed author of historical novels, dies

Judith Merkle Riley, the author of internationally bestselling historical novels, has died. She was 68.

Riley died of ovarian cancer Sept. 12 at her home in Claremont, Calif., said her daughter, Elizabeth Riley.

Riley wrote six historical novels that were published between 1989 and 1999.

"A Vision of Light," "In Pursuit of the Green Lion" and "The Water Devil" formed a trilogy set in 14th-century England. "The Oracle Glass" was set in 17th-century Paris, "The Serpent Garden" in 16th-century England and France. Her final novel, "The Master of All Desires," was set in 16th-century France.

Riley's "wonderfully entertaining historical novels are marked by her deep understanding of life and the human condition," Jean Naggar, Riley's longtime literary agent, said in an e-mail.

Riley, who was born Jan. 14, 1942, in Brunswick, Maine, received her bachelor's degree in political science from University of California, Berkeley in 1962.

In 1964, she was one of the first women to receive a master's degree in Soviet regional studies from Harvard University and then put in a stint working as an intelligence analyst for the Navy. - Los Angeles Times