Well written and suspense filled. Each of the characters stories kept you guessing what could possibly be going on the who was involved with the missing children. Even as the story unfolds it keeps you second guessing yourself. Enjoyed every minute of the story and the twist and turns.

I loved Annie and AJ plus a couple more of the book’s characters but unfortunately the weak ending spoilt what was a decent read. Far too much of a full reveal rather than Annie unraveling the drama.

When Annie Gore, former Air Force and current private investigator, is hired by the brother of a little girl who went missing 10 years ago, she is drawn into the secrets of a small mountain town. Only, someone doesn't want her digging into the past, and things start happening when she pokes the hornets nest.

This was a compelling, atmospheric mystery that kept me wondering. The FMC was very likeable. It was a lot of interviewing people, which can get a bit stagnant and repetitive, which it felt like it was heading that way, then something bigger would happen to break up the interviewing. I will say that I was a little disappointed with the ending, and wanted more eerie and creepy vibes. Sometimes I would get confused about who was who that was being talked about. I would definitely keep reading more Annie Gore books!

I rated it 3.75/5 rounded up to 4 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-arc!

The Witch’s Orchard was a great mystery. I loved trying to figure out who took Jessica, Olivia and Molly and why. I was wrong many times! The reveal was surprising to me but it all came together perfectly.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I went into this book blind and I’m glad I did! I didn’t know what to expect and I loved every minute of it. Annie Gore is a private investigator and she gets called to a case in the Appalachian Mountains to solve an old case with two missing girls.
I enjoyed the folklore and legends of the mountains. This was a fast read with so much going on and loving every minute of it. I can’t wait to read more by Archer Sullivan. Many thanks to the author, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
#TheWitchsOrchard #ArcherSullivan #NetGalley #BookLove #Bookstagram #NewBook #ILoveBooks

Rounded to 4.5 stars.

This book showed up on my radar and I couldn’t wait to start it. I don’t know much about Appalachia other than how deep the roots go, involving folklore and herbal medicine for these rural communities. My sister moved to Appalachia, and when I finally get there to visit, I want to get a feel for the vibes in small town Appalachia, and this book delivered.

Annie was a fascinating character, full of contradictions. She is as tough as she had to be to get through her Air Force service, but she can also be kind and gentle when approaching people who are going through something; she grew up in a rural holler but signed up for the military as soon as she could. While she has seen combat, she’s also developed a found family that she can rely on no matter what, unlike her biological family. She’s just an easy character to like, even as we peel back the layers of armor she has surrounded herself in. I especially loved her attachment to her 'classic car' that she refers to by name.

It’s clear that Annie spent a lot of time with her own grandmother, and learned a lot of the mountain ways, making her the ideal PI to work on this cold case. Like many rural communities, especially those that have long family roots in the area and have experienced judgment or discrimination, they aren’t exactly open to outsiders. Sullivan has created the perfect character to kick off what I’m hoping is a new series.

Barely scraping by, she accepts this job, with the man who hired her being made aware the fact that the case has been cold for ten years and she’s an outsider who is going to be poking bruises and ruffling feathers, so the odds of solving the case are slim. Even so, he’s insistent that he wants her to find out what happened to his little sister ten years ago, when she disappeared along with another two girls, one of whom was returned shortly after.

The setting has such a big impact on the story itself, as this small mountain town feels forbidding, intriguing, and the only possible place that this story could take place. From the crows that sound like they’re screaming, the closed off nature of basically everyone in town, to the apple head dolls that were left at the scene of each abduction, to everyone’s own unique rendition of the local folktale about The Witch of Quartz Creek, this entire book just radiated Appalachian vibes that felt very human and realistic. It’s nothing less than I’d expect from a ninth-generation Appalachian, sort of like a love letter to all of it, even the darker aspects, which also show up in this story. Speaking of apple head dolls, I don't know what they are, and I honestly wrote a note to myself to never ever look them up, because I have a feeling I won't be able to sleep after that.

Once Annie starts to investigate, it is clear that someone doesn’t want her snooping around, and her being there forces someone into action that they might not have. I loved that she wasn’t scared to ask about the folklore specific to this part of North Carolina, but was also gentle enough to communicate with a non-verbal autistic girl that so many others just view as ‘soft’ or ‘a bit slow’ when she clearly isn’t. While Annie originally ran as far as she could get, coming back to a mountain holler so much like the one she grew up in kicks up some memories that she’s been running from all this time.

Overall, this was my favorite kind of book to read. Engaging right from the start, the perfect amount of creepiness, with a fast-paced plot that’s hard not to get sucked into. Impossible, if you’re like me. The fact that the mystery revolves around the cold case disappearances of two girls for the last decade only made it more fascinating to watch Annie methodically investigate her way through secrets the town would rather keep buried. I’m already planning when to start working through Sullivan’s backlist while I hope there is a sequel in the works.

This story had me hooked!
I loved this small town mountain mystery, steeped in folklore and for some folks stuck in the past. Annie has arrived to stir up all those old memories, looking to see if any lead her to clues about a cold case of a missing girl.
Some of the locals were very friendly and willing to help, while others would rather she pack up and leave things alone, but Annie is determined to do what she promised, and she isn't leaving until that's done.

I love how the folklore was interwoven throughout the story, and I loved watching Annie investigate. There were plenty of suspects, twists, and turns, and I did not see the ending coming at all.

I do hope this ends up being a series. I would love to see Annie investigate more mysteries.

🍎ARC Review🍎

The Witch's Orchard is a very well-written book to the point that I started it one day and finished it the next evening. The writing of Archer Sullivan is hypnotic when telling this story that interweaves magical folklore and complicated small-town secrets. I sincerely recommend it if you're looking for something engaging, that will have you gripping the page as you realize you NEED to know more.

Thanks to @netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review

In The Witch’s Orchard, private investigator Annie Gore, from Louisville, Kentucky receives a visitor, Max Andrews, from Quartz Creek, North Carolina with a very specific job offer. His sister, Molly, was one of three young girls taken one summer from his town. No leads were ever found though one girl was returned. In each child’s place was left an applehead doll. Annie is from the hills of Appalachia herself. Got out after high school and never returned. Joined the Air Force and learned new skills from serving as a Special Investigator. Now she’s being asked to return to the type of town she used to live in to help this 18 year old kid make a final attempt to discover what happened to his sister. She can’t refuse. Her knowledge of the people, the lore, and the towns of the area will be an asset.

The story is compelling, the characters are well written and individuals, each with their own story. Annie is very real, struggling with her own demons while trying to do her best work for others. The descriptions of the hills and hollers, nature’s beauty accompanied by her wrath, are also well done. After I finished reading The Witch’s Orchard, I found I was reminded a bit of Chris Offutt’s Mick Hardin novels, a series I have enjoyed. The setting is similar and Mick, like Annie, is ex-military. But I find their characters quite different and Sullivan writes a different novel, less a procedural, more allowed to delve into ideas off the beaten path as P.I.s do wander at will.

I very much hope this is the first of many stories of Annie Gore.

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an early review copy of this book.

"Every apple has a little poison in it."

No, this is not the cozy tale of some cottagecore witches who run a farm stand selling bushels of Red Delicious and hand-pressed cider. Instead, it's a taut mystery set in the mountains of Appalachia.

PI Annie Gore is hired to solve the cold case of a little girl who went missing ten years earlier. Three girls were actually abducted; one was returned to her parents a short while later, though she refuses to speak of what happened.

Annie is definitely expecting the worst:
"This is a sad job. Nobody shows a PI a picture of a kid because everything is going just great."
But, the truth, when it is discovered, is far more disturbing than she could have ever predicted.

This reminded me quite a bit of Chris Offutt's Mick Hardin series, and indeed, Sullivan's character seems destined for more investigations. Annie Gore is certainly worthy of further exploits, though I kind of hope she spends a little less time talking to her car in the future.

"The Witch's Orchard" by Archer Sullivan is a twisty whodunnit that kept me guessing until the big reveal. It is a very strong debut and exceeded my expectations. Though I consider the book to be perfect for thriller lovers and mainstream readership, the writing is definitely above-average for a book of this genre. The author's words created an atmosphere of suspense and I felt claustrophobic reading about the small town surrounded by the mountains. Coming from a small town in Appalachia myself, I could identify with many of the characters, including Annie, the hard-hitting private detective who found herself drawn into the mysteries of the town and the lives of the people who lived there. It's a place where secrets don't stay buried and the past always comes back to haunt you, no matter how much you try to forget it. I enjoyed the touches of local folklore as well.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this unputdownable read. I hope this isn't the last we readers hear from Annie Gore!

Ten years ago, three girls went missing and an apple doll was left in their place. One was returned, but two were never seen again. Max’s sister, Molly, was one of the girls taken and her abduction has haunted him and his family for years. He hires Annie Gore, a private investigator and former Air Force Special Investigator, to find his sister. Annie knows there’s a slim chance she’ll find anything ten years later but can’t refuse Max or the money she’ll earn.

Being from a similar area gives Annie a unique advantage in dealing with the locals in this small Appalachian Mountain town. Annie was determined to get to the truth and had to wade through old gossip and local folklore of a creepy mountain witch. In the process she ruffles feathers and stirs up action that surprises all!

The Witch’s Orchard was a captivating, atmospheric mystery with a spooky vibe! I really liked Annie! She was tough and smart but also had empathy for the people marked by these events. Bits and pieces of her own past are revealed throughout the story and my heart went out to her! There was a romantic element. I was happy with the direction that seemed to be going in the end.

I alternately read and listened to an audio copy narrated by Emily Pike Stewart. I thought her performance was excellent and enjoyed her subtle Southern accent. She did well with all voices, male and female and a wide range of ages!

The Witch’s Orchard by Archer Sullivan delivers a standalone mystery thriller with a touch of folklore set in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. This gripping tale pulled me in when Former Air Force special investigator Annie Gore is hired to investigate a cold, missing person’s case.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I began The Witch’s Orchard, but I was curious based on the blurb and love a good private investigator case. Combine that with the setting and mention of secrets, folklore of witches and crows, and I was all in.

We first meet Annie as she is waiting for a client, one she desperately needs. Her fridge is empty, and her bills are unpaid. In walks Max, a young man in his 20s, who wants her to look into a cold case. Ten years ago, his sister along with two other girls went missing in his small Appalachian Mountain town. In each of the cases, an apple doll was left in the child’s place, and only one girl was returned. Despite needing the funds, she at first refuses, but Max’s offer of a cabin complete with a laundry machine has her agreeing to look for one week. She warns him she might find nothing and will probably piss townfolk off. The tale that unfolds is gripping, atmospheric and full of twists.

I liked Annie from the start, and it’s obvious she is carrying some baggage. She is still in contact with her commander and, in fact, he repeatedly asked her to join his security team. I loved her classic car and the conversations she had with it. Annie knows the mountains, but the story of the apple witch and crows was new to me.

The mystery wrapped in superstition and the way the tale unfolded created a creepy vibe. Annie is a good detective, from her questioning to hunches. Despite the folklore, the case felt genuine, as did the townsfolk, even the aggressive police officer who wants Annie’s head. We learn bits and pieces of Annie’s past, and I am hoping we see more cases with her.

Red herrings and twists kept me guessing as the tension built, and a body was discovered. There is a romantic element, but it’s served on the side and helps to release some of the tension. Is the witch on the mountain responsible for those young girls? Are they dead or help captive? You’ll need to grab The Witch’s Orchard and discover for yourself!

I look forward to trying more from this author. If you are looking for an atmospheric mystery this fall, I highly recommend adding The Witch’s Orchard to your reading list!

Nothing I love more than folklore mixed into my mysteries. The setting of the Appalachian mountains, small town with secrets will always hook me without fail, ESPECIALLY when there’s some witchy folklore.

This was just so good - so atmospheric and creepy. Loved the setting, the mystery, the eerie vibes. Didn’t LOVE the twist - you truly have to suspend a ton of disbelief but I enjoyed the rest of the book so much that it didn’t ruin it.

Can I say, with love, how much I wanted to scream to shut the hell up about the car? Oh my god. It was getting on my nerves so bad and kept taking me out of being fully immersed in the story. I’m sure it won’t bother others but it was driving me batshit insane.

This was such a good debut and I can’t wait to read what Archer puts out next, especially if she keeps with the creepy mountain folklore stories.

4.5 ✨

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

Real Rating: 3.75* of five

I about blew a gasket when applehead dolls and a Datsun 260Z appeared in the first fifteen pages. I was sure as sure can be that here was a five-star read.

But then. Let me explain.

I love stories about Appalachia that do't dump on the people like certain political scumbags did. I love strong and capable women investigators who don't have any truck with men telling 'em no, and bonus points to one with male friends not lovers. I love women who write books with accurate car names, and include their woman protagonists in this. All present and accounted for.

Then we play the mother card. We see crimes against little girls. Not, I stress, sexual ones, or this would've been Pearl-Ruled. The wrap-up was, as I feared, mother-related. I am not a Cult of Mother believer, my own mother was awful. Reading the resolution to this story was horrifying on multiple levels. I'm glad the Cult of Mother does not come out of the story unscathed, but it's extremely unpleasant to read another crimes-against-girl story no matter the resolution. I'd be frothingly furious if the girls in question had been treated as so many in crime fiction are.

Mystery and thriller writers need not to use girls-in-jeopardy as a plot engagement device. It is a cultural message that is toxic both to girls (who are, in adolescence, beginning to consume adult-oriented mystery series where their culturally pervasive role is victimhood) and to men, offering implicit targets in the existence of women as prey in entertainment every-damn-where.

So I love the book's execution, its solid plot-bones kept me reading, and the first-time author has an excellent touch with her side characters. I want this to be a series...I'll read Brimstone Hollow in 2026, if y'all want me to...I'm not able to overlook, however, the serious-to-me issue of using crimes against girls for entertainment value.

That is insupportable.

I really enjoy most books set in Appalachia. This was no exception. Annie is a former military  investigator that has been hired by a young fellow whose sister has been missing for about 10 years,  apple head dolls were found in her place. There is a story told by locals about local witch that has a magical appple orchard. Filled with folklore and some great twists this fast paced mystery is sure to please.

A Gripping, atmospheric, tense and mysterious tale full of legends and folklore with The Witch of Quartz Creek being front and center. This was a wonderful debut novel! I loved the writing, the vivid descriptions, the pacing with the ever so intriguing mysterious plot! I hope to read more of her books in the future! Huge, thank you to NetGalley for this advanced readers copy!

Thank you to Minotaur for my complimentary eARC of The Witch’s Orchard. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this quick paced thriller. I absolutely devoured it. It pulls you in from the first page.
Sneak peaks into Annie’s past life add that much more mystery to the case of the missing girls.
Did I figure it out? Absolutely not. It was a fantastic reveal.

Sadly no “witches” like I was hoping but witch adjacent. The story of the witch and her daughters plays an important role in this story. I enjoyed all the different variations.

Solid mystery thriller set in the Appalachian mountains. Perfect for the upcoming fall reading season.

The Witch's Orchard by Archer Sullivan is an atmospheric debut!
I knew this was going to be one of those that was going to be ridiculously amazing!
A haunting and mysterious debut.
That’s so well written, suspenseful, atmospheric with authentic characters, exceptional setting with an outstanding twist.

Thank You NetGalley and Minotaur Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7825199989

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-witchs-orchard-archer-sullivan/1146167827

When a private investigator is hired to try to solve the cases of missing girls deep in the Appalachians, nothing prepares her for what she discovers along the way. But, trying to decipher between old lies and folklore makes these cases difficult.