4.5 stars! Ten years ago, three children went missing in an isolated town in the Appalachian Mountains. One child was returned but the other two were never found. With the case cold for several years by local police and the FBI, the brother of one of the girls is determined to find answers. He enlists the help of Annie Gore, a former Air Force Special Investigator and current Private Eye. Annie knows that finding the girls is an impossible task but is determined to help this family find answers. As Annie starts to ask questions around town, secrets are revealed, and someone is determined to keep the past buried.
Please tell me this is a start to a series because Annie Gore is the kind of female protagonist we all need!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this digital e-arc.*

The Witch’s Orchard is a quietly powerful debut that blends folklore, mystery, and mood in a way that lingers. Its Appalachian setting and folklore mythos are compelling and chilling—paired with a determined PI who feels like someone you can root for. A bit more depth to some characters or their backstory—and a richer use of the witch legend—would’ve pushed it to five stars, but this is an impressive, addictive introduction to a promising new voice.

Holy hell did this book have me at the edge of my seat. It's creepy, gripping, action-packed and so many twists and turns. The ending had me SHOOK! I was not expecting what happened, and man did it make for a wild ride.

Incredible and thrilling suspense read!

** There is mention of Child A**se and involves the kidnapping of children, so please be aware of this! **

A small mountain town is the setting for this creepy yet riveting debut novel. It centers around PI Annie Gore who is called to find a little girl who has been missing for ten years. Her brother wants closure. She is not the only girl who was missing around that time. There were 3 little ones taken but one returned home after a couple of days. She was autistic, on the spectrum, in my opinion. She couldn't speak but she could draw. When the girls were taken an apple doll was left in their place. There is an old folk lore about the apple orchard and a witch. It is brought up quite a bit in the book and it is interesting how the different characters retell the story. They all have a different take on the lore. The cast of characters is very interesting also. You wonder along with Annie, which one of them may have taken the children. Annie is an interesting character. She has had some drama in her life that she pulled through. She drives an old Datsun that she named Honey. Honey is like her pet. She also talks to a Leo. He is a traveling guy and not a fully developed character. I heard this is going to be a series so maybe he will be developed in the next book. This was worth the read and it kept you guessing.
Thanks to #netgalley, #minotaurbooks and @archer_sullivan for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars. For the crime-mystery genre, this was a fast read and introduces us to Annie Gore, who I would love to read again. In this book, Annie is hired as a private PI to investigate the disappearance of a little girl who went missing ten years ago along with two other little girls, one of which was returned but cannot describe what happened to her. A cast of characters is revealed, including an older woman with witch-like qualities. Everyone in the town knows different versions of a folk tale in which a witch transforms two little girls which keeps a dark and mysterious undertone throughout the book.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

when 3 little girls go missing 10 years ago in a hillbilly town just by the mountains everyone was in shock.... one was returned but nothing was ever found of the two other girls

annie gore is approached by max ..brother one of the missing girls and he hires her to look for his sister....

can annie make head way 10 years after the facts ... all she can do is ask questions and she what rises....

its not a bad storyline... and i would love to know more about annies history as there is a mystery there but this one had me hooked as i wanted to see where it would lead and who the perp was... didnt guess it at all

will be keeping an eye out for more from this author

Traditional format (digital) 📕

Synopsis in a sentence: Private Investigator Annie Gore arrives in the mountains of North Carolina to
solve the mystery of several missing girls and to unravel the story of The Witch’s Orchard.

My thoughts; this book reeled me in and had me turning pages well into the night. A great cast of characters and non stop action. I loved how the story of the Witch’s Orchard played into the plot. I will admit I did someone figure out the “who done it” but it was still well written with lots of diversions along the way.

This was a fantastic atmospheric crime thriller and I hope to see more PI Annie Gore novels in the future. I give this one a 4.5/5.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for a digital ARC of this book. Opinions are my own.

The Witch’s Orchard follows PI Annie to a small Appalachian town in North Carolina, where she’s hired to investigate a decade-old kidnapping. Three girls were abducted, but one was returned. 😲 The brother of one of the missing girls spent years saving to hire Annie, hoping she can uncover the truth, and maybe even find his sister.

As Annie digs into the town’s history, she stirs up old wounds and unearths long buried secrets. Not everyone is happy to see her poking around, and the locals make that clear. The story is steeped in Appalachian folklore, witchy vibes, creepy apple dolls, and enough twists to keep your suspicions shifting. I especially enjoyed the eerie Witch of Quartz Creek legend, which changes subtly depending on who’s telling it.

Overall, I enjoyed this one—it’s the kind of atmospheric mystery perfect for a fall afternoon, curled up with a blanket and a hot cup of coffee. (Personal opinion: the cover doesn’t quite hit for me, if I was browsing a bookstore it is one I would pass up based on the cover alone).

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
The narrator did a great job with the audiobook. It was an enjoyable listen.

Release date 8/12/25

Thank you for the arc!

3.25⭐️
Definitely gets you hooked and didn’t put it down. Enjoyed the way the story read minus having everyone tell their version of the little witch story. Quick easy read but left kinda wanting more.

"The Witch’s Orchard" by Archer Sullivan is an absolute masterpiece in the murder mystery genre. I devoured it in one exhilarating sitting, completely captivated by its intricate plot and magnificent characters.

Sullivan’s storytelling is nothing short of brilliant, weaving a narrative so compelling that every page pulls you deeper into its enigmatic world. The characters are richly developed, each adding depth and intrigue to the story, making you care about their fate as the mystery unfolds.

The plot is excellent—full of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, Sullivan masterfully flipped the script. Trust me, you won’t see the end coming!

If you love a cleverly crafted murder mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat, "The Witch’s Orchard" is an absolute must-read. Five stars without a doubt!

This is a surprising gothic type read with many dark mysteries inclusive to the story. The main character is Annie a PI with a traumatic past. She is hired to re open a cold case of missing girls. It's setting is dark , the subject matter unpleasant but the author writes Annie so well you want her to invest herself into the case to conclusion. A bit of paranormal touch adds mystery. I enjoyed reading this even though it's darker then I prefer.
Thank you for the ARC to the publisher and Net Galley. My opinion is my own.

A solid summer thriller that jumps straight into the action and keeps a fairly steady pace throughout. Occasionally it felt like there were some dragging moments with Annie going in circles over the case, but since this is a short book it really isn't bad, and it managed to keep my interest. I really enjoyed the setting and side characters - despite all the tragedy, Quartz Creek is a place I'd like to live.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a copy of “The Witch’s Orchard”. Yall!!!!!! This is a MUST read for fall. The tension and fear that I experienced during this book is next level. It felt like an episode of SUV in all the best ways. I loved the setting and I could not get enough of the characters. I really liked that you follow the private investigator so it’s a little bit of an unreliable narrator vibe and I really couldn’t see the ending coming AT all. I really liked the supernatural/folklore element sprinkled throughout as well. This book had me captivated from the first chapter and I was desperate to find out the ending.

This slow-moving mystery had a surprising ending. While I found it challenging to connect with the main character, the mystery itself was intriguing.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions are my own.

4.25/5 stars

I really enjoyed this first venture in a new contemporary mystery series introducing the complex character of PI Annie Gore.

Annie is a 30-something former Naval Special Investigator who is scrapping by with little money but with her beloved and reliable best friend, Honey (her vintage car) by her side...what more does a girl need? She has a complicated and tragic background (of which I'm sure we'll learn more of as we go along), but her tenacity and big heart ensures that she'll get the job done.

In this case, she's asked to revisit the abduction of three young girls from a remote Appalachian community ten years before. Being a former mountain girl herself helps with her with understanding and relating to the natives there, however, digging up old and painful memories can be fraught with resentment and danger.

My only caveat here was a bit of an over-the-top feel to the denouement/ending. Otherwise, I fell in love with Annie's character and was especially drawn in by the author's very descriptive and beautiful sense of place as well as the folk stories/legends shared by the local folks. The writing is evocative and easy on the eye, and the plotline creepy and twisty.

I will definitely look forward to future adventures with Annie and Honey. :)

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press / Minotaur Books for providing the free early arc of The Witch's Orchard for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Wow. I had no idea where this was going. At one point I thought I had it figured out... NOPE! I really enjoyed the narration and was completely sucked in! I'm excited for the next book in this series!

5 Stars! Thank you to St.Martin's Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions in this review are my own.

Annie Gore has been hired as a PI to investigate a cold case from 10 years ago in Appalachia. 10 years ago, three little girls went missing, but one of them was returned a few days after being taken, but unable to speak about who had taken her. Now, with so many years gone by, one of the little girl's brothers wants answers and hires Annie to figure out what happened. Will Annie be able to solve the case? Or will small-town politics prevent her from figuring out who committed these horrible crimes?

If I could give this book 10 stars I would. I absolutely loved it. It had all of my favorite things in a thriller - folklore, small town drama, and a strong female lead character. The pacing of this book was perfect, and it kept me guessing until the final few chapters on how this story was going to unfold.

Absolutely fantastic book by Archer Sullivan - I'm hoping Annie Gore becomes a series, I would love to read about more of her PI adventures!

The Witch's Orchard sounds eerie and almost Halloweenish but really it is wives tale of why the crows squawk so loud in the mountains in one spot and everyone has a different story. Annie is a PI from a similar mountain town when the brother of one of the girls who went missing years ago enlists her to help find them. The trail is cold and she makes no promises but does it because of Max who she senses will not be able to move on unless he tries to find them. She comes to town, interviews everyone and "pokes the hornets nest" to see what happens where 2 girls never were found and the 3rd was mysteriously returned but is mute since then. Add in a woman most call a witch who lives alone on the mountain near the crows and does fortune telling, the pastor and his wife who never had kids but all 3 girls have links to that church, and a shady couple who will do most anything for money as the suspects and you've got an exciting and twisty thriller. Max took a backseat once the investigation was in full swing and I would have liked to see his character more involved but I am looking forward to the next Annie Gore PI mystery!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What an excellent debut this one was!! 👏👏👏

I loved the entire atmosphere and setting of the book, and really enjoyed the FMC Annie Gore! Excellent character development! Very twisty too and kept me guessing!! Sounds like this is the start of a potential series, which I am super happy about!! Can’t wait to read more from this author! 🙌

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and Archer Sullivan for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for my honest review!! ❤️

This was a fast paced mystery. I thought I had it all figured out but I was wrong. It definitely was a hard to put down book. I’m looking forward to the possibility of more with Annie