St. Benet's Books in Order
Part ofSusan Howatch Books in OrderDiscover the St. Benet's trilogy by Susan Howatch, with the books in order, plot summaries, series background on Nicholas Darrow's London healing ministry and tips on where to start.
Last updated: January 13, 2026
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases (at no extra cost to you).
Publication Order
3 books
The Heartbreaker
by Susan Howatch
2003
Gavin Blake sells sex to London's richest men and thinks he controls the game. Drawn into the orbit of St. Benet's and fundraiser Carta Graham, he discovers his world is run by people who would rather see him dead than let him walk away.
The High Flyer
by Susan Howatch
1999
City lawyer Carter Graham seems to have everything, from a lucrative career to a carefully chosen marriage. When uncanny events with an occult edge begin to shred her ordered world, she turns to St. Benet's and Nicholas Darrow, confronting the lies her success rests on.
The Wonder Worker
by Susan Howatch
1997
When fragile Alice Fletcher stumbles into St. Benet's in London, she is captivated by Nicholas Darrow and his thriving healing ministry. As she joins the team, dazzling spiritual gifts, obsession and disturbed lives collide, raising hard questions about power, integrity and grace.
Series background & context
St. Benet's picks up threads from the Starbridge novels and moves them into late twentieth century London. Instead of a cathedral close between the wars, the trilogy looks at a city parish with a high profile healing ministry set among offices, banks and law firms.
At the centre is Nicholas Darrow, once the troubled young ordinand of Mystical Paths and now rector of St. Benet's. In The Wonder Worker he runs a busy centre for prayer, counselling and spiritual healing. When Alice Fletcher, lonely and close to breakdown, wanders into the church and ends up working in the kitchen, her fierce loyalty to Nick collides with his unresolved past, his failing marriage and the dark side of charismatic gifts.
The High Flyer shifts the spotlight to Carter Graham, a driven City lawyer who believes she has crafted the perfect life. A glamorous career, a made to measure husband and a sleek flat should add up to happiness. Instead, unnerving experiences with an occult flavour begin to pull her life apart. As she crosses paths with St. Benet's and Nick, she has to decide what she is willing to sacrifice in order to be truthful.
In The Heartbreaker, the story widens into London at the height of the 1990s financial boom. Gavin Blake makes a living as a high end male escort, selling sex to powerful men and telling himself he is in control. When his world collides with Carter, Nick and the St. Benet's team, he is pulled into a bruising fight with the criminal network that owns him and forced to face what redemption might cost.
Across the trilogy, St. Benet's is as much a character as any of the people who worship there. The books look at prayer and deliverance ministry, the line between mental illness and possession, and the ways churches can either damage or heal those who come seeking help. Many familiar faces from Starbridge reappear in older age, but readers new to Howatch can still start here without feeling lost.
This page lays out the St. Benet's books in order and explains how they link back to Starbridge, so you can decide whether to begin with The Wonder Worker or read the earlier sequence first.
Edited by
Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.
Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.
Comments
Did we miss something? Have feedback?
Help us improve this page by sharing your thoughts