Ariana Franklin is the pen name of British author Diana Norman, who is known for her historical fiction novels. Born in 1933, Norman began her career as a journalist and was the youngest reporter on Fleet Street. After getting married to film critic Barry Norman, she found that her journalism career was not compatible with his work, which led her to become a mother in the English countryside while continuing to write whenever and wherever she could.
Under the pseudonym Ariana Franklin, Norman has written several successful series, including the Mistress of the Art of Death and Makepeace Hedley series. Her novels have received critical acclaim and have been published in multiple countries. Despite her success as a novelist, Norman continued to value her journalistic background, believing that it helped her to bring a unique perspective to her historical fiction.
In addition to her work as a novelist, Norman has also written several critically acclaimed biographies and historical novels under her real name. She lived in Hertfordshire, England, with her husband, the film critic Barry Norman, until her passing in 2011. Her publisher has continued to release her novels posthumously, and her work remains popular among fans of historical fiction.
It is worth noting that the Death Maze (UK) is published as The Serpent's Tale in the US, Relics of the Dead (UK) is published as Grave Goods in the US, and The Assassin's Prayer (UK) is published as A Murderous Procession in the US. This is due to the publisher's decision to give different titles for the US market.