Heap Earth Upon It: A gothic story of sibling rivalry and sapphic obsession from the author of Sunburn

A creeping story of sapphic obsession with Gothic undertones and a delicious mid-century feel, from the author of the Polari Prize-shortlisted Sunburn.

January 1965. The orphaned O'Leary siblings - Tom, Jack, Anna and Peggy - arrive in the village of Ballycrea, tight-lipped about their troubled past and desperate for a fresh start.

After being met with suspicion from most of the locals, the family are thrilled when they're taken under the wing of their well-respected neighbours, Bill and Betty Nevan, who offer them work, companionship and an opportunity to fit in.

But for one of the O'Learys, this new friendship sparks an intense attachment that makes the dynamic dangerous for all. It's difficult to bury secrets, but almost impossible to bury feelings...

Crackling with suspense, Heap Earth Upon It revisits the rural Ireland of Howarth's critically acclaimed debut and delves into claustrophobic relationships and tangled identities, leaving you wondering who to trust until the very last page. It combines the emotional intensity and slow-burn sapphic obsession of Julia Armfield's Our Wives Under the Sea and K. Patrick's Mrs S. with the unsettling gothic undertones of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca and Shirley Jackson's fiction.

'A tense and claustrophobic novel with gothic atmosphere which seeps into your bones like fog... A brutal exploration of the corrosive impact of shame and secrecy. Howarth knows her sapphic yearning!' RACHEL DAWSON, author of Neon Roses

'Dark, passionate and poised. A remarkable story of the way rural Ireland haunts and is haunted. Intense and thrilling' SOULA EMMANUEL, author of Wild Geese

'I lost myself in Howarth's strange and startling second novel. It's a deeply affecting tapestry of gothic landscapes and virtuosic, character driven prose. As it haunted me, Heap Earth Upon It will haunt you too' LUCY ROSE, author of The Lamb

'A masterclass in suspense… I could not put this down. The characters are brilliantly realised and I really admire Howarth as a writer for doing something completely different to Sunburn... A compulsive mystery that’s threaded together so expertly, with language that sings from the page' @READSBYROSS

** READERS LOVE SUNBURN **

‘Achingly beautiful, almost lyrical… This was both sweet and heartbreaking – I couldn’t put it down’ 5-star Reader Review

‘An addictive, honey-dipped queer love story’ 5-star Reader Review

‘Ever since I read this, I simply CANNOT stop thinking about it’ 5-star Reader Review

‘Completely heart-wrenching, devastating, all-consuming… Spectacular’ 5-star Reader Review

© 2025 Verve Books (E-bog): 9780857309068

Release date

E-bog: 9. oktober 2025