Order of Norah Lofts Books
Norah Lofts was one of the top-selling British authors of the 20th century. She focused on the historical fiction genre and wrote more than fifty works in her career. She is best known as the author of The Suffolk Trilogy, The House Trilogy, and books like The Concubine and The Lost Queen.
Lofts was born in Shidham, Norfolk and grew up in Bury St. Edmunds. She went on to attend school at Guildhall Feoffment Girls School and the County Grammar School for Girls. She would go on to earn her teaching diploma. In addition to her work as an author, she stood as a Town Councillor for Bury St Edmunds from 1957 to 1962.
Publication Order of Gad's Hall Books
| Gad's Hall | (1977) |    |
| The Haunting of Gad's Hall / Haunted House | (1978) | |
Publication Order of House Books
| The Town House | (1959) | |
| The House at Old Vine | (1961) | |
| The House at Sunset | (1962) | |
Publication Order of Sir Godfrey Tallboys Books
| Knight's Acre | (1975) | |
| The Homecoming | (1975) | |
| The Lonely Furrow | (1976) | |
Publication Order of Standalone Novels
| Here Was a Man | (1936) | |
| White Hell of Pity | (1937) | |
| Out of This Nettle | (1938) | |
| Requiem for Idols | (1938) | |
| Blossom Like the Rose | (1939) | |
| Hester Roon | (1940) | |
| Bride of Moat House / Dead March in Three Keys / No Question of Murder | (1940) | |
| Scent of Cloves | (1940) | |
| Winter Harvest | (1941) | |
| The Road to Revelation / Winter Harvest | (1941) | |
| The Brittle Glass | (1942) | |
| Michael and All Angels / The Golden Fleece | (1943) | |
| Jassy | (1944) | |
| Lady Living Alone | (1945) | |
| To See a Fine Lady | (1946) | |
| Silver Nutmeg | (1947) | |
| A Calf for Venus / Letty | (1949) | |
| Esther | (1950) | |
| The Lute Player | (1951) | |
| Bless This House | (1954) | |
| Eleanor the Queen / Queen in Waiting | (1955) | |
| Afternoon ofan Autocrat / The Devil in Clevely / The Deadly Gift | (1956) | |
| Heaven in Your Hand | (1958) | |
| The Witches / The Little Wax Doll / The Devil's Own | (1960) | |
| The Concubine | (1963) | |
| How Far to Bethlehem? | (1964) | |
| Madselin | (1968) | |
| The Lost Queen / The Lost Ones | (1968) | |
| The King's Pleasure | (1969) | |
| Lovers All Untrue | (1970) | |
| Her Own Special Island / Uneasy Paradise | (1971) | |
| A Rose for Virtue | (1971) | |
| The Maude Reed Tale / Story of Maude Reed | (1971) | |
| Rupert Hatton's Story / Rupert Hatton's Tales | (1972) | |
| Charlotte / Out of the Dark | (1972) | |
| Nethergate | (1973) | |
| Crown of Aloes | (1974) | |
| Checkmate | (1975) | |
| The Fall of Midas | (1975) | |
| Walk Into My Parlour | (1975) | |
| Copsi Castle | (1978) | |
| The Day of the Butterfly | (1979) | |
| A Wayside Tavern | (1980) | |
| The Old Priory | (1981) | |
| The Claw | (1981) | |
| Pargeters | (1984) | |
Publication Order of Collections
| I Met a Gypsy | (1935) | |
| Saving Face and Other Stories | (1984) | |
Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books
| Hauntings: Is There Anybody There? | (1974) | |
| Eternal France | (1974) | |
| Domestic Life in England | (1976) | |
| Queens of England / Queens of Britain | (1977) | |
| Emma Hamilton | (1978) | |
| Anne Boleyn | (1979) | |
If You Like Norah Lofts Books, You’ll Love…
In Gad’s Hall, the Spender family is asked by a kindly man to help protect his ancient, beautifully kept house. It is a godsend for the family and soon Gad’s Hall comes alive again. However, there is more to the house than it seems and there are supernatural forces at work. Forces that make a sensible woman be overtaken by irrational feelings she can’t control because of the unspeakable secret kept by the women who had lived at Gad’s Hall more than a century ago.
Lofts was also the author of Knight’s Acre. The story follows Sir Godfrey Tallboys, a knight-errant, who is in need of a house for his pretty young wife, Lady Sybilla. She wants a home where she can raise their children as opposed to relying on the charity of their relatives. Godfrey decides to build a house with the last of his money before heading off to Spain for a chance at a fortune. However, that plan backfires when he turns up dead and Sybilla is left to fend for herself and the children.
Norah Lofts was a great writer. I am particularly enthused about the “House” books series. To read the stories of the people who lived in a specific house through decades. Very unusual, and highly recommended. I have enjoyed many of her other books as well.