Harrowfield

by Stephanie Ellis

Harrowfield is a tiny village in the Marches, that wild strip of borderland between England and Wales. On the edge of this village lies another field, the Harrow Field, the one from which the settlement takes its name. At its entrance stands the Mother Stone, guarding her Children, the two smaller monoliths at the top of the field. This is the ancient site of the Harrowing.

When Derwenna Parry’s brother goes missing whilst surveying farmland, she and his daughters head to the village to track him down. Midsummer approaches and, even though they find him unharmed, they become caught up in strange events which lead them to the Harrowing. An ancient act of penance … or sacrificial revenge?

Genres: Horror

295 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2025

About the author

Stephanie Ellis writes dark speculative prose and poetry and has been published in a variety of magazines and anthologies. Her longer work includes the novels, The Five Turns of the Wheel, Reborn and The Woodcutter, and the novellas, Paused and Bottled. Her new post-apocalytpic/sci-fi/horror novel, The Barricade is due out this year!

She is a Rhysling and Elgin nominated poet, co-authoring the poetry collection, Foundlings, with Cindy O'Quinn, Lilith Rising with Shane Douglas Keene and solo work Metallurgy.

She can be found at https://stephanieellis.org

Reviews

[Catherine McCarthy]

I REALLY enjoyed this! It was the perfect read for this time of year, the end of summer, with autumn knocking at the door. The time of year when our thoughts and yearnings turn cozy fireside. In fact, I'd go as far as to say it's my favourite Steph Ellis read to date.
I've always enjoyed the British TV crime drama series Midsomer Murders, and Harrowfield felt as if I'd been dropped into that world, with the added bonus of folklore. That said, it's clear from the outset that the story is set in modern times, it's just that the mood of the book felt more homey than our modern world. I also loved the fact that it has a middle aged female protagonist and strongly believe that age range is underrepresented in fiction.
Loved the folklore rituals, loved the overall atmosphere, especially during the rituals which were easy to visualize.
If you enjoy cozy horror/dark folklore, pagan goddesses and rural settings you really should pick up a copy. I promise you'll enjoy it.

[Stephanie]

Not quite sure why goodreads put me as reading this when I wrote it! I certainly didn't put it on my shelf. Never mind - I enjoyed it! :)

[Valerie Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harrowfield has the cloistered, nearly claustrophobic atmosphere essential to folk horror. The residents, on the surface, seem cautiously friendly to Derwenna (Deri) and her brother when they first arrive. But Deri is chosen to participate in their rituals, for reasons that are never quite clear. Did she have an ancestor that came from that area?

Along with mysterious and vaguely threatening events, Deri's relationship with her manipulative brother is key to the story. His latest "get rich quick" scheme has landed them, along with his two adult daughters, in Harrowfield. It's up to Deri to decide whether and when to trust him as she learns more about the village and what its residents want from her.

Deri is a very relatable character, so the story kept my interest as I found out about Harrowfield at the same time as she did. The pacing is good and the ending satisfying. Highly recommend!