Elizabeth C. Bunce is an American author renowned for her mystery, fantasy, and ghost stories. She is best known for her Edgar Award-winning Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery series and her novel A Curse Dark as Gold. Her books feature strong female characters and are often inspired by folklore, targeting young adult and pre-teen readers while also appealing to adults.

Her writing style is often described as literary fiction, with works referred to as "mysteries in fantasy dress," "spun with mystery and shot through with romance." Bunce's stories are deeply infused with her research into history, science, culture, and etymology, frequently set in or inspired by historical places and times.

A native Midwesterner, she lives near Kansas City with her husband and their feline companions. Elizabeth studied English and anthropology in college and has always been passionate about literature, folklore, history, and culture. While writing is her primary vocation, she also enjoys cosplay, needlework, historical costuming, and quilting.

Her debut book, A Curse Dark as Gold, won the inaugural William C. Morris Award for a Young Adult Debut in 2009. Her first middle-grade novel, Premeditated Myrtle, won the prestigious Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery from the Mystery Writers of America in 2021.