Mary Diana Norman (née Narracott; 25 August 1933 – 27 January 2011) was a British author and journalist. She is best known for her historical crime fiction.

Life and work

Norman was born in London. She was moved to Devon by her family to escape the Blitz. Her father was a journalist, and she followed this profession until moving to the countryside to "bring up two daughters, study medieval history, and write". She also published historical mystery novels under the pen name Ariana Franklin, featuring the fictional medieval pathologist Adelia Aguilar. Diana Norman was married to the film critic Barry Norman and they had two daughters, Samantha and Emma. She died on 27 January 2011, aged 77. Her life and marriage are the subject of memoirs published by Barry Norman in 2013 (See You in the Morning).

Novels

Writing as Diana Norman

Writing as Ariana Franklin

Non-fiction