Heap Earth Upon It

Chloe Michelle Howarth, author of the bestselling novel Sunburn, offers a new take on sapphic obsession, for fans of All Our Wives Under the Sea, Mrs. S, Biography of X, and Organ Meats. With additional, exclusive content inside.

"A slow-burn rural Gothic perfect for chilly autumn nights." -- Daily Mail

In this follow up to the award winning Sunburn, a claustrophobic tale of obsession, family, and identity...

In January, 1965, the growing town of Ballycrea has four new residents.

The O'Leary siblings arrive in their new village under suspicious circumstances. Desperate to make a new start and leave their troubled life behind, the O'Learys offer few, contradicting details about their past.

As they slowly settle in to town, the siblings are taken under the wing of Betty and Bill Nevan, a wealthy couple in their forties who have always wanted children. However, as one O'Leary sister grows close to Betty, lines are crossed and their intense relationship becomes difficult to define. All the while, the O'Leary's buried secrets keep bubbling up, threatening to ruin their new future.

Gothic, lush, and suspenseful, Chloe Michelle Howarth spins a tangled web that leaves you wondering who to trust until the very last page.

Chloe Michelle Howarth is best known for Sunburn (2025, Melville House) and is an Irish writer who grew up in the West Cork countryside. The landscapes, culture, and people of rural Ireland have served as an inspiration for her writing. She first became interested in literature as a teenager, and in 2015, she moved to Dublin to study English, Media, and Cultural Studies in IADT Dun Laoghaire. Chloe currently lives in Brighton.