Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

At the bottom of the review I include a list of thoughts I had during the reading process.

Review:
This is a fresh blend of the mythic and thriller genres. Through blending a strong female PI with Appalachian legends and a small town with many secrets, Sullivan presents a compelling twist on what you’d expect from a traditional thriller.

I know there are a lot of novels with strong female leads but this was still felt compelling to me. Gore reads as nuanced and smart. She has blind spots and isn’t a “perfect cop” who always does the right thing. I thought allowing her to be a real human was a smart move that will allow for this series to continue to build.

As for its take on the thriller genre: it’s hard to do anything original now-a-days but there are several twists in this that did genuinely surprise me even if they weren’t necessarily “new” twists. I’ve read a lot of thrillers tho to be fair. If I had to complain about anything it would be that maybe the ending was too quick, but a lot of thrillers are doing the 30 page big ending/wrap up thing right now so.

My favorite thing though, was the use of folklore. Having a mythic witch at the center of this allowed for the tension and the build up to the ending to really shine. That was the freshest part of this book. Rather than a straight forward cop thriller, we have witches and apple dolls and legends that won’t leave anyone alone. Sullivan’s background probably really helped with this and I think it’s a strength that can help contribute to her growing career.

All in all, I was deeply invested in this read. I at some point blamed every single character in this town. I didn’t trust anyone but our narrator.

Stats:
Read time:
Stars: 5
(I think this could lose some stars for some of the background stuff BUT I think a lot of that was because this is the first in a series of books all featuring Annie Gore so imma let that slide).


Reading thoughts:
I like how quickly we get to the action of the story. Not a lot of exposition or waiting around.

Narrator is gruff but there is some funny dry humor I appreciate which keeps it from getting one note.

The car stuff is a bit much so it better come back as important haha.

Of course she’s tiny lmao

I was wondering if we’d get backstory

Romance?????????

LITERALLY WHAT??????
Oh my gosh I was deadass not prepared.

Using the word “kin” unironically is an ick

Ok another ick. Why is everyone constantly drinking straight milk? Is that a southern thing? A North Carolina thing?

I have a bad feeling in my heart about this good cop pls be wrong heart

More witch lady action would be good I think

There’s like a small problematic stuff every once in a while and it’s kind of hard to tell if it’s meant to be problematic as a character moment or if it’s just the author?

I am actually genuinely invested in this. The kinda twist on a thriller with a folk tale is fun and creepy.

Oh my literal hell. NOT HER 😭😭😭

The only thing that is hard for me about reading this so far is having to do it on a screen. It’s a little harder to keep track of all the characters and there are definitely a lot of characters. But I will also say reading on a screen like this goes a lot faster? Is that normal?

At about page 216 I google the author. I keep telling myself to do this before I start reading a book but anyways. She seems rad. And that made me feel good about reading her book. Is that dumb? Probably BUT you go Archer Sullivan!

Way too early to be talking marriage kid.

Okay autism representation!!!!!!

I literally think everyone in this book is the bad guy. Howwwww is this person staying hidden???

Ah. Wealth.

This was a page turner. This was not a fantasy and it did not have any magical realism, as I had hoped, but it was still a very entertaining read. It is a small town mystery about 3 missing girls. A who done it, type of tail. The witch story is more of just a background tale that the small community consider a local myth.
It was fairly predictable to me, but I still wanted to finish. Well written and I will read more by this author..

*This book was received as an Advanced Reader's Copy from NetGalley.

This was a really compelling read for me. In fact, I read it in one night because I really wanted to understand the mystery. Eerie, moderately paced, set in the hollers of Appalachia, it was really atmospheric.

Annie Gore is a PI. When she is hired to do an investigation in a decade old kidnapping, she know she can't turn it down. She needs the money, and the kid seems like he could really use some help finding his sister. But her arrival spurs into motion several events in the small town and the people are not as forthcoming. Everyone has a story about a witch in the area too, a witch that steals young girls and while sensible, Annie can't help but wonder if there's an element of truth to the story.

While at times I could find the characters a little too overdone, I thought that the general attitudes and expressions were very reminiscent of Appalachia. While I can't claim heritage there myself, I spent some time living and visiting nearby and the small rural setting is definitely a vibe. Really, the setting is what carries this book. As mentioned before its haunting, in a good way. And it's easy to get invested in the mystery.

Definitely worth a read if you're a mystery fan.

Review by M. Reynard 2025

In The Witch's Orchard, Archer Sullivan masterfully weaves an eerie, atmospheric mystery rooted in Appalachian folklore, delivering a thriller that lingers like the whisper of a ghost through the mountains.

Private investigator Annie Gore has spent her life running-from the pain of her childhood, from the dark memories of the past, and from the secrets that refuse to stay buried. But when a desperate young man hires her to investigate a decade-old case of missing girls, Annie is forced to return to a world she thought she'd left behind. A world of tight-lipped mountain folk, whispered superstitions, and the ever-present legend of the Witch of Quartz Creek.

Sullivan's storytelling is hauntingly immersive, painting the Blue Ridge Mountains with vivid, melancholic beauty. The folklore isn't just background color-it's woven into the very bones of the story, shaping both the people and the mysteries they try to forget. The myth of the Witch of Quartz Creek morphs with every retelling, a chilling reflection of the town's hidden fears and Annie's own unresolved past.

Annie is a protagonist who feels real-worn down but sharp, haunted but unyielding. Her struggles are palpable, her emotional wounds as raw as the case she's chasing. As she digs deeper into the truth, the line between folklore and reality begins to blur, and the past creeps closer than she ever anticipated.

The Witch's Orchard is a must-read for fans of atmospheric mysteries, slow-burning suspense, and folklore-infused thrillers. It's a story that seeps into your bones, leaving you breathless as Annie Gore unearths the ghosts of a town that would rather let them sleep.

Verdict: A gripping, beautifully written mystery that perfectly balances folklore and suspense. Sullivan is a storyteller to watch.

I really enjoyed this read. I loved all of the variations of the same folk tale weaved into the storyline. This one really hit the spot!

I enjoyed this story. It was fast-paced and interesting. I do think there were some lose ends like the scarecrow/person in black. I want to know more about that!