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Susan Howatch is a British author that writes Historical, Romance, Suspense, and Horror novels. Howatch was born in 1940. A native of Leatherhead, Surrey, she attended Sutton High School.
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Order of Starbridge Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glittering Images | 1987 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Glamorous Powers | 1988 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Ultimate Prizes | 1989 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Scandalous Risks | 1990 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | Mystical Paths | 1992 | Description / Buy | |
| 6 | Absolute Truths | 1995 | Description / Buy |
Order of St. Benet's Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Wonder Worker / A Question of Integrity | 1997 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | The High Flyer | 1999 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | The Heartbreaker | 2003 | Description / Buy |
Order of Van Zale Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Rich Are Different | 1977 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Sins of the Fathers | 1980 | Description / Buy |
Order of Susan Howatch Standalone Novels
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Dark Shore | 1965 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Waiting Sands | 1966 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Call in the Night | 1967 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | The Devil on Lammas Night | 1970 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | Penmarric | 1971 | Description / Buy | |
| 6 | April's Grave | 1973 | Description / Buy | |
| 7 | Cashelmara | 1974 | Description / Buy | |
| 8 | The Shrouded Walls | 1974 | Description / Buy | |
| 9 | The Wheel of Fortune | 1984 | Description / Buy |
Susan Howatch Anthologies
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | In Conversation | 2001 | Description / Buy |
The author surprises some of her fans when she tells them that her childhood was happy. Her words are unexpected because she was an only child. Additionally, WWII claimed her father’s life.
After attaining her Law degree from King’s College, she left England for New York City, where she worked as a secretary. By the time she started writing gothic novels, the author was married to Joseph Howatch.
Joseph died in 2011. However, by that point, the couple had been separated for decades. The author did not stay in the US.
She went back to the UK, making a home in Salisbury, where Salisbury cathedral caught her eye. Her proximity to the church eventually ignited Howatch’s Christian faith.
She started searching the Bible for answers. Her journey led to the Starbridge series. The author did not necessarily dream of writing and publishing during her childhood.
Her goal was to make as much money as possible. She had her sights set on a successful life. And by the time she reached her early 40s, the author had everything she could ever want.
And yet, for reasons she couldn’t explain, she was miserable. After spending a significant portion of her life serving her needs, Howatch realized that she needed something new, something different. This paved the way for her conversion.
She credits God for reaching out and making himself known to her at the appropriate time. God had never interested Howatch. Religion was not part of her childhood. She assumed he was out there somewhere, but he did not matter to her.
Once her interest in Christianity was sparked, she started seeking him earnestly. Howatch tries to attend church daily, although that isn’t always possible. Worshipping with other Christians is a challenge for her.
She needs silence and isolation to approach God. The author is critical of people that dismiss Christianity. From what she has seen, the religious movement has survived for two thousand years. For that reason, everyone should make an effort to understand it before making conclusions.
The author’s conversion significantly impacted her life because she started to wonder what God required of her. This question drove her to learn as much as she could about his will.
During this period, she wrote ‘Glittering Images.’ Initially, she shelved it because it felt very self-indulgent. But then her agent asked to look at it.
Howatch was somewhat trepidatious as she revealed her desire to explore stories with Christian themes. She did not expect her career to spiral in a whole new direction.
Susan Howatch Movies Into Books
‘Penmarric’ became a TV series of the same name.
Best Susan Howatch Books
The Starbridge series is one of the author’s most popular works. She thinks the final books are better than the first three because she had no idea where she was going when the series started. Howatch’s best books include:
Cashelmara: For Edward de Sails, love was not in the cards. The lonely widower had a complicated family life, and he had no interest in broaching the subject of his dead wife or family home with anyone.
But Marguerite was different. The young American had a way of putting him at ease. He found that he could share his innermost secrets with her. As such, he did not hesitate to take her back home to Ireland.
For her part, Marguerite was ready to play her role as his wife. However, married life was somewhat different from what she had envisioned. Edward’s family was far more troubled than she had realized, and Cashelmara, his English home, was about to become the curse three generations cannot escape.
Glittering Images: Doctor Charles Ashworth has a mission. The Archbishop of Canterbury wants the reverend to investigate a sensitive matter at the home of the Bishop of Starbridge.
Initially, the reverend’s mission is hampered when he suffers a breakdown of a spiritual and mental nature. But Fr Jonathan Darrow is more than happy to help him recover.
Jonathan will also walk with Ashworth as he attempts to identify the source of his problems. What follows is a tale that explores loyalty, morality, and passion.
When Does The Next Susan Howatch book come out?
Susan Howatch doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is Ultimate Prizes and was released on March, 2nd 2011. It is the newest book in the Starbridge Series.