Marston Trilogy books in order

Q: "How many books are in the Marston Trilogy series?"

"There are three books in the Marston Trilogy series, published between 1994 and 1996."

Q: "What is the first book in the Marston Trilogy series?"

"The first book in the Marston Trilogy series is Salt of the Earth, published in 1994."

Q: "What is the Marston Trilogy about?"

"The Marston Trilogy follows the people of Marston, a fictional northern English town, through decades of change. Starting with Salt of the Earth in 1994, the books trace families as they deal with work, love, loss, and the slow transformation of their community. Spencer draws on her deep knowledge of northern England to make the setting feel lived-in and real."

Reading order

#	Title	Published	Author	Buy on Amazon
1	Salt of the Earth	1994	Sally Spencer	Buy
2	Up Our Street	1995	Sally Spencer	Buy
3	Those Golden Days	1996	Sally Spencer	Buy

The Marston Trilogy was Sally Spencer’s first published series, beginning with Salt of the Earth in 1994. Set in a fictional northern English town, these three books are family sagas rather than crime fiction. They follow the residents of Marston through the upheavals of the early to mid-twentieth century, covering the kinds of struggles and small triumphs that define working-class life in the industrial north.

Spencer clearly knows this world well, and the Marston books read as a foundation for the regional detail she would later bring to her crime series. The characters are rooted in a specific place and time, shaped by the mills, the pubs, and the expectations of their neighbors. Readers who enjoy Spencer’s sense of place in the Woodend novels will find the same quality here, applied to a broader family story rather than a police investigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Marston Trilogy series?

There are three books in the Marston Trilogy series, published between 1994 and 1996.

What is the first book in the Marston Trilogy series?

The first book in the Marston Trilogy series is Salt of the Earth, published in 1994.

What is the Marston Trilogy about?

The Marston Trilogy follows the people of Marston, a fictional northern English town, through decades of change. Starting with Salt of the Earth in 1994, the books trace families as they deal with work, love, loss, and the slow transformation of their community. Spencer draws on her deep knowledge of northern England to make the setting feel lived-in and real.

Reading order#

Frequently Asked Questions

Reading order