This was a fabulous debut mystery about an ex-military turned private investigator hired to solve the cold case disappearances of three girls that vanished without a trace – the only clue linking them together is an applehead doll left at the scene of each disappearance. (Side note, I didn’t know what an applehead doll was, so I did some googling and yup, the name says it all and yup, the pictures I saw were a tad creepy.)

I love a story where the setting becomes a character in itself – and the town of Quartz Creek, in the shadows of the Appalachians, is a misty wooded character full of secrets and lore. Annie, the main character, was smart and flawed (just how I like it) and the story had a wonderful steady pace with pockets of action that kept me hooked. I was sad that this is a debut because that means there is no backlist to explore. Looking forward to what the author puts out next! Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this book!

While the main driver of a mystery is supposed to be, you know, the mystery, I've found it's often just as important that the person leading the investigation is someone you don't mind hanging around for a bit. The genre is rich with prickly sorts and antiheroes, but it's that aspect of personability that really makes the difference in my book. Archer Sullivan's The Witch's Orchard certainly fits that bill.

Annie Gore, private investigator, is living the kind of no-rules life that would have been unthinkable—or just a daydream—when she was an Air Force investigator. Being her own boss does, however, come with a somewhat less-regular paycheck than the service offered, which is why she takes a job in small-town Appalachia that both she and her client are pretty sure is futile. Ten years ago, three young girls disappeared from the tiny town, and only one came back. Annie's client is Matt, the older brother of the last girl who vanished, and, at eighteen with a dead mother and a father who can't stand to stay long in the house that used to be home to the happy family of four, needs some kind of closure before he can start his life. Annie knows she can't promise that, but she can promise to stay for a week and stir up old wounds.

That's exactly what she does, retracing the original investigation and striking out on her own. Some people are more willing to talk than they were a decade ago, but the reverse is more often true. Still, there are some friendly faces. Matt's friend Shiloh and her young daughter keep Annie's belly full of baked goods, while AJ, a deputy, is a whole lot more welcoming than his boss. Little by little, Annie finds her own foothold in this new investigation. Perhaps too much of a foothold, as the metaphorical hornets whose nests she's stirred up start flying her way.

Annie is a delight of a modern-day PI, with all the crustiness and baggage of any private dick in the genre, though Sullivan manages to make her feel more human than trope. No private investigator is complete without a sidekick, real or inanimate, and Annie's Honey, a classic Datsun that guzzles oil like some cars guzzle gas, fills that role nicely. Annie's scars, inside and out, are less character definition than woven throughout. Her conversations with Leo, a former colleague and current friend, take place both in the muddled present and the contextual past. And while much of the plot centers around women and girls, and children and the rearing thereof, her personal feelings about reproduction are less an overriding theme of thinking and more a stray consideration in a quiet moment late in the story, especially since that's not true of all the characters without children.

In much the same way as Annie's rural Appalachian upbringing allows her to navigate the town's complex social structure more successfully than previous out-of-town investigators, Sullivan draws these characters without judgement or malice, even when it would be easy or thematic to do so. From a witness's immaculate house on the hill to the run-down home of one of the victims to the cottage of a witchy suspect, Annie makes observations—and while she has her own critical thoughts, they're rarely along class lines. And she gives the proper respect to the seemingly endless iterations of the local folk tale, understanding that the "true" in "true story" can mean many things.

For the reader, Sullivan lets us discover the mystery and our investigator detail by detail, showing her hand just enough to make us feel clever at guessing a few plot points while keeping the bulk of the story under wraps until the end. Altogether, I tore through "The Witch's Orchard" and was sad to see it, and Annie, go. With a little luck, Annie and Honey will be back for more.

This book hit all the checkmarks for a mystery/thriller that lovers of this genre will find to be a great read! I give an actual 4.5 rating. The main character, Annie Gore, is an ex-military private investigator. She has been asked to help find a young girl, who was taken ten years ago from the small town of Quartz Creek, the first of three. The cast of characters introduced into the story all play an important part in solving they mystery - some minor and some major. As Annie attempts to put all the pieces together, she revisits the old police records to see what could possibly have been missed and shakes things up in the town by her re-investigation and questioning. Tales of witchcraft, small-town relationships, and secrets held close are slowly uncovered as Annie puts herself in danger to help her new friends solve the mysteries of the town. A very good debut book for the author, and the hopes that Ms Annie Gore, PI will have more stories to tell!! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #NetGalley #TheWitchsOrchard

I love when a book exceeds my expectations.

I definitely enjoyed this one and would highly recommend!

This is a completely engrossing thriller about a detective hired to unravel the mystery of what happened to three little girls who disappeared years ago. The author does a great job of invoking a sense of place clearly because she is so familiar with the Appalachian setting she is writing about. The characters are interesting. The mystery is engaging. The repeated retellings of the witch legend in slightly different versions throughout the story really ramps up the tension and intrigue. The story is full of enough unique twists and turns to keep it exciting. All in all, it is a very satisfying read.

While I reading this synopsis for this book, I became enthralled with both the Appalachian Mountain setting and the mention of witches and mountain lore. It made an easy choice for me to pick this book up and read it and I’m glad I did. It’s quick moving and I love how the mountain people are portrayed along with all of the rest of the story. Just when you think you have it figured out? If you find out you’re wrong. You’ll be guessing until the end. This is a pretty darn good read.

WOW! I started and finished this in 2 days, if I hadn't of needed to sleep I could have done it in one.

This story sucked me in right from the start and I didn't want to stop. I loved Annie, her dogged determination to stir up a hornet's nest was fabulous. I kept thinking, it's this one, or that one and was pretty sure who it was by the 75% mark, but didn't imagine that it happened the way it did.

Really enjoyed this author's writing style and I will definitely look for more books from them.

I would like to thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.25 stars)

Archer Sullivan’s The Witch’s Orchard is exactly the kind of atmospheric mystery that wraps itself around you like a fog rolling through the Blue Ridge. With its blend of small-town drama, Appalachian folklore, and a PI protagonist who knows the mountains better than she’d like to admit, this one had me hooked before I even realized it.

Former Air Force Special Investigator Annie Gore is no stranger to secrets—her own or anyone else’s. Hired to dig into a decade-old disappearance in a mountain holler, she finds herself up against a whole community that’s more interested in burying the past than unearthing it. Between whispered stories of witches and crows, tangled family grudges, and a case that refuses to stay cold, Annie quickly learns that some truths are as dangerous as the lies that hide them.

This is a slow-burn mystery in the best way—each chapter peels back another layer, revealing juicy small-town drama, decades-old resentments, and twists I didn’t see coming. I especially loved how Sullivan wove in the folklore; it didn’t just decorate the story, it breathed life into it, making the setting feel like a living, watchful presence. And the fact that the author is a ninth-generation Appalachian herself shows—every description of the land felt rooted, authentic, and alive.

If you love mysteries where the atmosphere is as rich as the plot, the characters are layered with just the right amount of grit, and the twists keep you second-guessing, this one is worth wandering into the holler for.

A compelling mystery with intriguing characters. It kept me guessing. I was drawn in from the beginning. This one was worth losing sleep, I couldn't put it down. I loved the ending but I immediately wanted more. I wasn't ready to say goodbye to Annie.

Debut novel in what I hope is the first in a series featuring PI Annie Gore, a retired Air Force vet, who was a very interesting main character. She takes on a sympathetic case of missing girls in a small Appalachian town, similar to the one she grew up in and escaped from as soon as she could join the Air Force. Annie asking questions ten years after the disappearance opens old wounds in the town and exposes everyone, including Annie, to new dangers. Fast paced, engaging, and atmospheric.

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

Annie Gore knows Appalachia and that is why she is the perfect private investigator to find what happened to three girls who were kidnapped 10 years before. One was returned a few days later but is non-verbal and cannot help with the investigation. While trying to find out where the girls are and whether they are still alive (doubtful) - Annie uncovers the secrets and lore of the small town and angers some, putting Annie, and a new little girl, in danger.

I saw a few good reviews for this one and decided it sounded interesting - but other than that I went in totally blind. I really enjoy these types of mystery/thrillers, a strong female investigator, a cold case, and a little inherited mysticism in the background. I read this quickly and didn’t fully predict the ending - it’s an atmospheric thriller that definitely kept my interest. The narrator was great for this one but I did end up reading more than listening. I’m assuming this is the first of a series for Annie Gore and I will read the next one just as quickly!

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the ARC to review

The Witch’s Orchard follows Annie, a private investigator hired by an eighteen year old boy to look into the cold case disappearance of his sister in a remote Appalachian town.
I read the synopsis before picking up this ARC, so I had a vague idea of the premise—but in all honesty, this story was so much more engaging than I thought it would be. While it is a fairly slow burn in terms of the mystery, the way the plot unfolds kept me invested so that nothing ever really felt stagnant or like it was filler padding out the narrative. Even the red herrings doled out had a connection to the conclusion. Like murky, colour-smeared puzzle pieces coming together to form a larger picture, you aren’t able to see how things are connected until you know the answer. In that regard, I really liked how The Witch’s Orchard revealed information. It allowed me to theorize and suspect characters, which is honestly my favourite part of any mystery novel, but the ending also didn’t feel like it came out of nowhere.
Truthfully, this reminded me a lot of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson in terms of its style and complexity, which is a large compliment coming from me, as that happens to be one of my favourite books. I would wholly recommend The Witch’s Orchard if you love a good mystery novel that’s heavy on the investigation aspect, and uses it as a means of character development as opposed to having the investigation run parallel to the character arcs or other plot elements with little to no integration between them. That level of cohesion is difficult to manage, and Sullivan does it impeccably in this novel.

Former Air Force investigator turned PI, Annie Gore is hired by a young man to find his sister who was kidnapped 10 years ago. To solve the case she will need to look into all 3 little girls that were kidnapped with only a doll left behind in their place. Annie must sort through the town gossip and myths to find out the truth.

This was a solid mystery and debut. I was expecting it to be a bit creepier especially with a shut down toy factory, strange dolls, and witchy rumors. I liked the main character and how she interacted with the side characters as an unknown PI in a small town. I found the folklore and the different versions of the same legend very interesting. I was pretty bummed that there was no supernatural element to the story though. The ending wasn’t what I was expecting but still good if a little sad.

Overall I enjoyed The Witch’s Orchard. 3.5/5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the E-Arc in exchange for my honest review.

Three little girls were abducted, creepy apple head dolls left in their places. Ten years later, the crimes haven't been solved and PI Annie Gore is hired by a member of one girl's family to investigate. I liked Annie and the way she viewed her world. I also liked the complex web of relationships the author developed between the townspeople. What threw me were the dolls. It's repeated over and over that they're strictly an Appalachian thing...but my great-grandma was making them here in the Pacific Northwest. I'm probably overthinking that.

The Witch's Orchard by Archer Sullivan is a captivating blend of a missing person thriller and a murder mystery. The story is set in a small Appalachian town where investigator Annie Gore is brought in to solve a decade-old case involving three missing girls. The case is cold, and Annie is tasked with not only finding out what happened but also locating the two girls who are still missing. As Annie delves into the investigation, readers also get a look into her past, training, and personal struggles.

This was a well-paced and believable story, complete with plenty of red herrings and unexpected twists. However, the conclusion felt a bit rushed, with the final reveal being delivered through exposition. It felt like the author didn't intend for the reader to have a fair chance at solving the mystery alongside Annie. While Annie and her sidekick AJ were likable characters, Annie's extensive personal backstory, including her past traumas, current illness, and constant injuries, sometimes pulled me out of the main narrative. This might have been a deliberate choice to set up a potential series, but it occasionally overshadowed the central mystery. The recurring theme of the witch and her magical orchard, which gives the book its title, adds a distinct flavor to the story. While I appreciated the unique folklore element, it ultimately felt a bit disconnected from the primary plot.

Overall, it's a solid mystery with a clear and tidy resolution. I'd recommend it to readers who enjoy character-driven thrillers with a hint of local folklore.

“A mother’s grief is everlasting.”

This was an atmospheric cold case murder mystery with some witchy vibes and Appalachian spiritual themes that sucked me right in. I loved it! The creep factor was high in those woods and I felt utterly transported. Although the story was tragic the character development was great and I loved Annie so much.

As an aside I immediately googled “Apple head doll” 🙋🏼‍♀️ when I started this book. 10/10 DO NOT recommend. Yikes 😬. Creepy.

Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the complimentary ARC.

I really enjoyed this book. The pacing was great and even had some surprises that moved it along a little quicker than I expected. I liked the hints of backstory without feeling like we were bogged down in the past. The characters were great and had the perfect amount of "wait, is it them? No, it can't be. But..." and I wasn't quite sure who was involved until the end, which I love!

I'm really hoping this is a beginning of a series because I'd really like to read more about Annie and Leo, Tina, and Honey. The author's writing style is really engaging and I read this book much too fast!

I absolutely loved this book. There was an air of spookiness to it the author has given by the local mountain tale of the witch and the orchard and the Appalachian location. The tight knit small town really helped with the mystery of it all. You think you know who did it, but it’s easy to second guess yourself. There was a twist at the end. I really thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Archer Sullivan brings the mountains of North Carolina to life in The Witch’s Orchard, an atmospheric and twisty debut introducing private investigator Annie Gore. Former Air Force Special Investigator Annie has traded military life for PI work, and her latest case drags her deep into an Appalachian holler much like the one she grew up in. Ten years ago, three little girls vanished—one came back, the others never did—and the brother of one of the missing hires Annie to finally dig up the truth. But as she chases old leads and navigates small-town suspicion, she finds herself tangled in local legends, buried secrets, and whispers of the supernatural.

I loved this story! It’s engaging, richly atmospheric, and full of Appalachian texture. I was instantly drawn in (knew this book was right up my alley by page 10) and stayed riveted until the final page. While I had my suspicions, there was plenty to keep me guessing until the very end. The “witch” element woven through the folklore was a fantastic touch, with The Witch of Quartz Creek front and center. I loved how each character had their own version of the legend, twisting and changing the tale until it felt like the town itself was haunted by its own history.

This was a fantastic debut! I have no complaints and the story was beautiful to read and Emily Pike Stewart did an amazing job of narrating the story. Is this the start of a series? I sure hope so because I am absolutely ready for more Annie Gore.

The Witch's Orchard comes out August 12, 2025. Huge thank you to Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for my copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof.books.
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THE WITCH’S ORCHARD by Archer Sullivan is an engrossing and atmospheric story set high in the mountains of North Carolina. Annie Gore is a former Air Force Special Investigator trying to make a living as a private investigator. Her latest case takes her to a tiny holler in Appalachia that is similar to one where she herself spent a troubled childhood. Ten years prior, three little girls went missing from their mountain town. One was returned physically unharmed, but the others have never been seen again. Max, the brother of one of the missing girls, hires Annie to find out what happened to his little sister. Although taking the case is likely to dredge up Annie’s own painful past, she agrees to help. Annie soon finds that not everyone in this secluded holler wants the past unearthed. Full of folklore and ancient legends, the story reveals long-buried secrets and a creepy mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat. I really enjoyed this beautifully-written and highly-compelling debut novel and highly recommend it. I look forward to reading more from Archer Sullivan and hope that Annie Gore will appear again in future novels. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.