This was a fast-paced thriller set in a remote town in the Appalachian Mountains where a PI is hired to solve a 10-year cold case involving three missing children. It's an atmospheric story centered around folklore and small-town life, where everyone knows everyone. The book is tense, keeping you hooked as you wonder what will happen next.

My thoughts:
This is a debut novel from author Archer Sullivan. She delivers a very intriguing and mystery filled story with interesting characters. The setting of an Appalachian mountain town was alluring.

What a totally surprising treat I got with reading The Witch’s Orchard!
From the minute I started this book, I was hooked. Literally could not stop reading….until 2:00am when I finished the book🫣
Main character, Annie, is a PI struggling with her own personal life struggles. She is one tough, intelligent and complex person. When she is asked to look into a 10 year old cold case, she is reluctant at first. But, she needs the money.
I loved the folklore aspect about the apple tree and the witch.
Things I need:
More about Annie
More about Leo
And….when is the next book coming out??????????
The Witch’s Orchard was a well-written story that I will definitely recommend to family and friends.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Witch’s Orchard by author Archer Sullivan was like a wonderful sleeper surprise. I didn’t know what to expect when I received the book, but the description was interesting and I expected to enjoy it. However, my experience reading the book went far beyond enjoyment. It was absolutely outstanding.

Private investigator Annie Gore goes to Appalachia to try and solve the ten-year-old disappearance of a young girl. Annie grew up in Appalachia herself so has an idea of how people will respond to her presence, but that doesn’t make her job any easier or less dangerous. People are not forthcoming. It appears there may have been secrets, corners cut or even cover-ups, but she is dogged and determined.

The Witch’s Orchard is complex and complicated but easy to follow, gripping, exciting, dangerous, heart-wrenching. Each and every character is intriguing and many are downright menacing. Annie Gore is interesting and appealing with an air of mystery about her past; definitely a main character I would like to see again.

Author Archer Sullivan is a new-to-me author and I believe this may be her first novel, but not her first published work. She is an excellent writer, moving the plot along at a perfect pace, providing clues to help you keep guessing and delivering a satisfying ending. I received an advance copy of The Witch’s Orchard from St. Martin’s Press Minotaur Books via NetGalley. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it without hesitation. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

The Witch's Orchard is the first book I have read by Archer Sullivan. This compelling if complicated novel is one that kept me reading all afternoon, then picking it up again as soon as I had a spare moment. This authentic portrayal of the people living in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina resonated with me, a North Carolinian. Without belittling or enhancing the life of these mountain people she “gets” these people just as Former Air Force Special Investigator Annie Gore understands them.

The cold case is heartbreaking along with some of Annie’s past. My hope is that she does get her watch out of hock, with means I would sure love another book about this character. Now I will be prepared for some answers to be hard and some answers to be hard to accept but all of them will be life-changing for the characters involved. For a book that you can sink your teeth in with a no-nonsense detective, this is the book for you.

The was something about the description of The Witch's Orchard that caught my attention -- presumably a combination of the decades-old mystery and an exotic, semi-creepy setting. I also love nothing more than reading a debut novel, so I happily requested an ARC of Archer Sullivan's book. The Witch's Orchard was a quintessential atmospheric thriller, truly perfect to kick off the fall!

A debut mystery novel featuring the private investigator, Anne Gore. She has a meeting scheduled in the diner below her office in Louisville, KY, hoping the client will foot the bill for a meal. Eighteen-year-old Max Andrews has driven up from Quartz Creek, North Carolina, to see her. He has saved most of his life to be able to afford to hire an investigator to look into the disappearance of his little sister, Molly, 10 years ago. That summer, three little girls were abducted just weeks apart. In their place, apple head dolls were left. Only one of the girls was ever seen again--the one with severe autism who cannot speak or communicate to tell them who took her or where she was held.

Max offers a cabin for Anne to stay in while she investigates and all the sweets she can eat, provided by his friend Shiloh from her bakery. Anne agrees to give the case a week and drives down that afternoon in her old car she calls Honey.

Of course the case requires a lot of conversations with local people asking them to recall what happened that summer. Many are not all that happy to have things dredged up again and some are darned right hostile and angry. Soon it becomes apparent that Anne's questioning is causing trouble and Max's father asks her to leave. but she is determined to see it through, especially when tragedy strikes.

The first third or so of the plot is a little slow as Anne and her own backstory are introduced and she meets the people of Quartz Creek while digging into how the original investigation went. She listens to their folktales and realizes most everyone knows a different version of the tale of the witch's orchard. Having grown up in the hollers of Kentucky herself, Anne understands the ways of these country people. Her own grandmother made apple head dolls after all.

I found myself puzzling over the who and why--it was very intriguing! The last chapters of the story are action packed and exciting with many surprises in store. I thought this was quite well done for a debut venture and look forward to reading more from this author.

Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc of this new novel. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

Annie Gore is a former Air Force Special Investigator who joined the military straight out of high school to escape her difficult home life. Now, she’s a private investigator with her latest case bringing her to the Appalachian Mountains, in a town not unlike the one she grew up in. Ten years ago, three littler girls went missing. One of the little girls was returned, but the others were never seen again. The brother of one of these girls wants answers and has hired Annie, an outsider, to look into their disappearance. Annie knows it’s likely a fool’s errand, but she needs money in the bank and can’t afford to turn down a case.

THE WITCH’S ORCHARD is a solid debut read, and an excellent book to pick up this fall! It’s set in a small town in the Appalachian Mountains. The setting is atmospheric, tense, and unsettling. It contains witchy folklore that’s very well incorporated into the story’s narrative and enriches the ambience and plot overall.

Annie is our protagonist; she’s a woman from a troubled family who left high school and entered the military, becoming an Air Force Special Investigator and once out of the military, becoming a private investigator. She’s from a small town similar to the one that she’s been called to to investigate a decades old disappearance. Annie is a tenacious woman, taking pride in getting to the bottom of things, no matter the cost. She’s a bit of a lone wolf, but she’s very smart and personable. I loved reading this story through her POV, and I loved seeing her character grow through this investigation.

The plot centers around the the investigation of a cold case surrounding the disappearance of three little girls. Annie’s investigation stirs up things that should have been left in the past, leading to an increasingly tense narrative. I had some suspicions as to what was happening, and ended up being partially correct, though not in the way I had anticipated. The plot is medium-paced with some action, lots of tension and suspense with many unknowns. It’s an intriguing read that held me gripped from start to finish. I’ll be keeping my eye out for Sullivan’s next works!

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Minotaur Books, for the opportunity to read this advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed are my own.

If you don't read a lot of thrillers but would like a bit of a creepy stalk through the mountain forests and look for missing children 10 years after their disappearance, fed history and folklore about Appalachia along the way, then you will want to pick up The Witch's Orchard. If you're a seasoned thriller reader you will probably figure it out quite quickly, but enjoy being proved right.

Alright, let's dive in...

Annie isn't like other girls. You will know that because she wears combat boots, she doesn't do her laundry, she doesn't seem to care for her appearance, drives an old and obscure car, and she's rough and kind of a bit off putting. I had a really hard time getting into this book because the "she's not like other women" details was just a BIT much for the first few chapters of the book. Her obsession with her car also grated on my nerves - we get it. It's an old car and you love it. I know that this book is a lead up to a series of Annie's private investigation life, but it was definitely a bit too much character driven in the beginning. (The amount of page space dedicated to Leo when he genuinely serves no purpose to the plot other than to eventually explain to us about more trauma our extremely traumatised main character has. I honestly did google Archer Sullivan at one point because it felt like a man writing a woman at some points (she's tiny but she can take down a full grown man. She's petite but eats 2 boxes of pizza to herself and never gains a pound blah blah blah)

At about 25% when I was ready to just DNF this book, the plot finally picked up and I got invested in the storyline. It was an easy unravelling if you look for clues and listen to what is said about our "suspects" - the ending was a fun little twist about who the actual culprit turned out to be...

Will I read more about Annie the PI's misadventures? Probably not. However, this a debut for the author and I think they have a lot of potential as a writer and will see a fair bit of commercial success with this series. (Let's be super honest and say there are some absolutely terrible debuts out there that I have read that have been adored by readers - every book has it's audience!)

The Witch’s Orchard by Archer Sullivan ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Atmospheric with a strong sense of place, this one was the perfect story for a cozy fall day.

This mystery unwound slowly, yet I found satisfaction in how it all unfolded. I did find the ending to be a bit rushed compared to the rest of the book. The main character was tough, and I liked that she was a strong female lead. However, I always wanted just a bit more from her; she felt just a bit too one-dimensional. As for the rest of the cast, there were a lot of characters and it was hard to keep track of who was who. They also felt a little too one-dimensional.

The shining star in this book was the setting and folklore that was connected to the place. It was rich with detail, and it took on a life of its own. It reminded me a bit of Adrienne Young’s Spells for Forgetting with small town vibes, detailed setting work, and witchy undertones.

Fans of books with strong senses of place, slowly unraveling mysteries, and emphasis on folklore will enjoy this one.

The Witch’s Orchard

Archer Sullivan

Minotaur Books

08/12/2025



The Witch’s Orchard is steeped in Appalachian folklore and small-town tradition in a way that feels both timeless and dead-on accurate. From whispered variations of the witch legend to small town life revolving around church activities and judging people by their last names, every detail rings true. The setting isn't just a backdrop—it's alive. You can almost taste the homemade desserts on the table, feel the tension of old family reputations, and, yes, crave the pepper chicken from the local Chinese restaurant (my personal favorite). The cultural nuance is rich and specific, making the story deeply immersive and undeniably atmospheric.

This is book one in the Annie Gore series, and I’m already counting down for the next. Annie is the kind of protagonist I love—tough, grounded, smart, and carrying just enough of a complicated past to keep things interesting. She’s not a superhero, but she’s resourceful and real, and her emotional depth adds a layer of authenticity to the investigation. Whether she’s facing small-town politics, buried secrets, or her own ghosts, Annie brings a quiet strength and compassion that’s easy to root for.

The pacing in The Witch’s Orchard is pitch perfect. The tension simmers early, then ramps up into a full-on race to the truth that never lets up. Each chapter propels the story forward with urgency but never sacrifices character or atmosphere. The mystery itself is one that needs to be uncovered in a town that needs answers and Annie Gore is determined to do so. If you like your mysteries with grit, folklore, and heart, this one delivers—and then some.

The Witches Orchard offers a captivating atmosphere and an intriguing mix of mystery and the supernatural. The setting is beautifully described, drawing you into its eerie world. However, the pacing sometimes drags, and a few plot points felt underdeveloped. Still, it’s a solid read for fans of gothic and witchy tales looking for something atmospheric and suspenseful.

The Witch's Orchard follows a special investigator to the Appalachians to research a cold case from 10 years ago. Between the setting and the folklore element, I thought this was the perfect fall read. The pacing, characters, and mystery were all well done, and I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

The narration was very well done, and I felt like the accents were spot on.

I received an ARC and ALC from St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Title: The Witch's Orchard
Author: Archer Sullivan
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: August 12, 2025

I received complimentary eARC and ALCs from Minotaur Books, a division of St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted

T H R E E • W O R D S

Atmospheric • Immersive • Polished

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Former Air Force Special Investigator Annie Gore joined the military right after high school to escape the fraught homelife of her childhood. Now, she’s getting by as a private investigator and her latest case takes her to an Appalachian holler not unlike the one where she grew up.

Ten years ago, three little girls went missing from their tiny mountain town. While one was returned, the others were never seen again. After all this time without answers, the brother of one of the girls wants to hire an outsider, and he wants Annie. While she may not be from his town, she gets mountain towns. Mountain people. Driving back into the hills for a case this old—it might be a fool’s errand. But Annie needs to put money in the bank and she can’t turn down a case. Not even one that dredges up her own painful past.

In the shadow of the Blue Ridge, Annie begins to track the truth, navigating a decade’s worth of secrets, folklore of witches and crows, and a whole town that prefers to forget. But while the case may have been buried, echoes of the past linger. And Annie’s arrival stirs someone into action.

💭 T H O U G H T S

I was instantly drawn to the stunning cover of The Witch's Orchard and my attention was further captured after reading the synopsis. Both aspects made it easy to add this one to my list of most anticipated 2025 releases and I was ecstatic to receive both digital and audio copies from the publisher ahead of publication.

This debut novel took me by complete surprise! From the beginning, I was sucked into the story's atmospheric grip and the mystery kept me hooked throughout. It has the perfect balance of mystery, folklore, and small town secrets, with the tension and pacing being spot on. Annie's character is layered and her relationships are complex. Her connection to the setting gives the story even more meaning. Although, I found myself craving more of her backstory, I am hoping this is just the start of a series and more will be reveled in subsequent books.

The audiobook, narrated by Emily Pike Stewart, delivers an outstanding performance! I don't recall listening to anything read by her before, but I will definitely be seeking out more of her work in the future. She has an incredible ability of portraying emotional depth, which adds an additional layer of eeriness to some of the tenser scenes. She truly brings Annie to life with her performance.

The Witch's Orchard sucked me right in and kept me engaged until the final page. I was truly shocked to find out this was a debut novel, because the writing flowed flawlessly and was polished with great skill. It is the type of atmospheric mystery I love and reminded me of several other books I have read recently. Come year's end, this will definitely be one of my most surprising reads and I look forward to reading more from Archer Sullivan in the future.

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• Shaw Connolly Lives to Tell
• debut novels
• folklore

⚠️ CW: death, death of parent, child death, grief, murder, gun violence, kidnapping, child abuse, domestic abuse, physical abuse, confinement, infertility, mental illness, fire/fire injury, blood, suicide, alcohol

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"It, whatever it is, is a thing that women know of. A thing that we all carry - a decision, a gift, a burden, a chance, a mistake, a choice."

"You’ll never find the truth if you go around trying to catch someone who doesn’t exist."

The Witch's Orchard set in the Appalachian Mountains is a great eerie mystery scattered with folklore and legends. Annie Gore is hired by the young brother of a girl who was kidnapped 10 years ago to investigate who took her, along with two other girls who have since gone missing. The closer she gets to finding the kidnapper, the more the kodnapper does things to keep the past buried!

This is Archer Sullivan's debit novel and I think she will be a very successful author! Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for the chance to read the advanced copy of this book! Be sure ro get your copy on the public release date of August 12th!

Get ready for a great read to kick off your spooky season! Not only was this a good story, it kept my interest all.the way through! I loved the creep factor and the guessing of what could have possibly happened throughout! This could definintely be read in one sitting! Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur books for this ARC OUT August 12th!!

This is the season for my favorite heroes. They are strong women detectives. I find them all to be interesting, and strong. I thoroughly enjoy the well written novels that feature them. ""The Witch's Orchard" is no exception. This is my first read written by Archer Sullivan. I will be looking for more from her. This book, set in Appalachia, is one the author knows well. The heroine, Annie Gore, is a former Air Force Special Investigator. She has taken that skill and made it her profession as a civilian. In this case, she has been drawn to a small mountain town where several young girls went missing ten years ago. The brother of one of the girls hired her to find out what happened. Looming large in their disappearance is a church, applehead dolls, and lots of folklore about the crows that scream loudly in this small town. There is also a special character in the form of an antique sports car. Honey is an adorable addition in the book. Annie has a special friend that keeps a close eye on her from afar and she makes some new friends in this small town. She also makes some enemies as time after time she looks for trouble and finds it. This is a fun read. Fast paced, explosive, well written, and entertaining. Loved it! Thanks to #NetGalley#Archer Sullivan#TheWitch'sOrchard for the opportunity to read this book and give a fair review.

Gripping, action packed, intriguing and twisty with a satisfying ending that answers all your questions. This is all you can ask for from a book, how satisfying.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for my review. As always, all opinions are my own. ☺️

Well, from the synopsis, I was obviously intrigued. I have also seen this book on a few of the “most anticipated” lists, so here we go!

I wasn’t exactly sure what I was expecting but it grabbed my attention in just a few pages. A little over a third of the way into the book, my overall feelings were spooky, disturbing and unexpected. I also found myself asking the question, “why now?”

Two-thirds into the story I was thinking “this book has more switchbacks than the mountain roads the FMC, Annie, is driving”. Annie is carrying her own grief from before. From a similar town that she fled. A grief and town that helped shaped the road she took in life that lead her here. Then there are the different family’s grief from the abductions. There is one in particular she was hired for. Her brother can’t move on, he needs someone’s help to try and find her, find something. And now, there is new grief. A different grief.

She has seen these dolls before. Her granny made them for her. Annie saw them as her friends. She can here her granny behind her, in her dreams? In her memories, peeling the apples like so many others in the Appalachian Mountains, destined for dolls. Only here, in this Appalachian town, not so different from the one she came from, they represent something much more tragic and sinister.

Annie came here expecting to find nothing. What she found, she couldn’t have even begun to imagine. She is a crow 🐦‍⬛, she is a warrior and she will always fight to find the truth, even if asking questions almost gets her killed.

This book is so much more powerful than a few words could express. Do I recommend it? Most definitely. I would like to thank Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and my review is voluntarily given. As always, I wish you happy reading!

“The Witch’s Orchard” by Archer Sullivan is a captivating mystery with folkloric themes set in the North Carolina mountains. This book is perfect for readers who love a good thriller that keeps them on their toes, with a mix of supernatural elements.

What appears like a normal mystery with three missing girls becomes much more sinister with the superstitious townspeople who believe the girls’ disappearance was anything but ordinary. Annie Gore, who was formerly an Air Force Special Investigator, is a P. I and ninth ninth-generation Appalachian who understands all too well the kinds of superstitions and folklore that get passed down in these mountain towns.

Working on this case in a town much like her own dredges up a past she’d love to forget, but unfortunately, she needs the money. As Annie questions the residents, she learns they’d rather put the whole mess behind them than risk upsetting whatever entity is responsible for the girls’ disappearances. Diving into decades of secrets, folklore, and superstitions, Annie is determined to discover the truth of what happened to the girls and bring them home—even if it upsets the balance the townspeople have been trying to avoid tipping.

Annie is fun to follow along with. She’s tough as nails and doesn’t back down from a fight, which happens often with the residents as they’d rather let the past lie than dredge it up again. Even though Annie’s good at reading people, it was impossible to figure out who was responsible for the girls’ disappearances. Everyone believed in the supernatural elements, making it seem impossible for a person with mortal limitations to be involved. This makes for a tense and bumpy read with a twist that’s impossible to see coming.

Reading a story steeped in folklore makes this an easy read to dive into. It adds a layer of spookiness and an underlying sinister tone. Nothing is as it seems; everyone has secrets, and some have more to lose than others. With Annie prying into the past and upsetting a delicate balance that has been in place since the three girls went missing, it’s only a matter of time before something tips the scales.

An excellent and well-written thriller! Fingers crossed for more books to come with Annie. Look for “The Witch’s Orchard” by Archer Sullivan on its expected publication date of August 12th, 2025. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press (Minotaur Books) for providing me with a free e-arc and the opportunity to share my honest opinion in this review.

What a fantastic debut! I tore through this book in two sittings; it completely hooked from the opening chapter. Sullivan wastes no time drawing readers into the story—a choice I always appreciate as a plot-driven reader—but that’s not to say character development takes a backseat. Despite the large cast, each character is distinct and thoughtfully rendered, which made it easy to stay oriented and emotionally invested.

Sullivan’s writing style is right up my alley: immersive, poetic without being overwrought, and filled with lush, haunting imagery. Her descriptions of the Appalachian region are vivid and atmospheric, perfectly matching the eerie tone of the story. The novel is steeped in Appalachian folklore, and its incorporation into the story felt natural, genuine, and ominous enough to keep me turning the pages. The images of applehead dolls I looked up while reading perfectly embody the atmosphere of this book.

Sullivan has completely won me over, and I hope to read more of her work in the future. I could definitely see this becoming a series, following Annie’s investigations throughout the Appalachian region—there’s absolutely no shortage of eerie folklore to draw inspiration from, and Sullivan has already proven she knows exactly how to bring it to life.