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 Macmillan Audio for this digital audio e-arc.*

While this novel definitely wasn't what I expected, it was still a fun, engaging story. I loved the MC, Anne Gore. She was both a total badass and someone you could imagine having a drink with. I feel like the scene was well-set, and I enjoyed the story's small-town backdrop. While I found this book and narrator to be a great listen, I didn't love the book's ending. Though I think many other readers will love it! All-in-all, a good story!

Great characterization, interesting setting, and then -- like so many other mysteries -- it just jumped the shark several times.


Review copy provided by publisher.

Thank you for the audio ARC. PI Annie is hired to find Molly after she disappeared 10 years ago.
I felt like the story of the witch was disjointed from the story. It was just thrown in there. The book overall was slow and was difficult to hold my attention.

4.25 stars
Atmospheric. Gripping. Tense. Twisty. Folkloric. Exactly what I was looking for in a small-town secrets mystery with supernatural flair. This debut novel about a PI investigating the disappearance of 3 young girls lures you in with rural Appalachian intrigue, spooky folklore, likable and engaging characters, solid pacing. As a 9th gen Appalachian, Archer Sullivan portrays the rural town, wary locals, superstition and folklore with striking authenticity. Protagonist Annie Gore is complex, well-developed and compelling, driving heart and emotional connection through the storyline. Minor characters standout and well-written twists are woven effortlessly into the narrative.
A must read for anyone looking for a folkloric mystery with eerie supernatural undercurrents set in the heart of Appalachia.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC of The Witch’s Orchard by Archer Sullivan. This review is my honest opinion.

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

I absolutely loved this debut novel by @archer_sullivan and can not wait to read future books from them🖤

I highly recommend checking out this audiobook, especially if you love:
🖤 Appalachian folklore
🖤 A fantastic narrator who correctly pronounces Appalachian
🖤 Spooky, gothic vibes
🖤 Twists, surprises, & atmospheric writing
🖤 Small, rural town setting

I really hope Archer Sullivan's debut mystery proves to be the start of another Holly Gibney-esque series. I really loved the atmosphere and the plot here. Each and every member of the town that Annie Gore spoke with jumped off the page and felt authentic.

Definitely check this one out if you love sinking into a compelling mystery and taking in everything like a fly on the wall.

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

I was completely immersed in Archer Sullivan’s world of witches and crows and lost girls set upon the backdrop of the Western North Carolina mountains. This new novel is a missing persons mystery with a sprinkling of fantastical legend and a protagonist who is easy to root for.

Ten years ago 3 young girls went missing with different outcomes but a single connection - an apple head doll was left at the scene of each abduction. Private Investigator Annie Gore is hired by the brother of one of the girls. Annie’s history as an Airforce special investigator and her roots in the Appalachia Valley lead her to believe that reopening old wounds in a small town will be complicated and possibly deadly.

Each generation seems to have a different version of the local lore, blurring the lines between fact and myth but there seems to be a direct link between the folktale and the crimes. Her old car named Honey and a local sweet baker/bakery lighten the load of an ominous topic. Narrator Emily Pike Stewart weaves the tale with rich but not overdone accents, truly enriching the story.

Combining the elements I loved about the books The Chestnut Man, Weyward and
Every Moment Since, this was a winner for me!

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the early copy in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | The Witches Orchard by Archer Sullivan

As a Northeast Tennessee native, I really appreciated the authentic portrayal of mountain towns, which was so familiar and vivid! Sullivan’s poetic writing style made this almost feel like a musical journey through the misty mountains of North Carolina, perfectly setting the mood for a gripping investigation.

I loved the protagonist: smart, resilient, and complex. Someone I’m excited to follow throughout the series. Usually, I’m the reader who figures out the ending early, but this one kept me on my toes with intense, mysterious twists and turns that had me guessing until the last page.

A solid four-star read for anyone who enjoys atmospheric mysteries with deep characters and beautiful settings. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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!

"The Witch's Orchard" is a thriller with a backyard feel. In a small town in the Appalachian Mountains, Annie a Private Investigator, is hired to come investigate a 10 year old mystery of 3 missing girls, she never thought the mystery maybe wasn't done yet when one of the girls suddenly appears dead. In a small town where everyone knows everyone and everyone is a suspect. I had many suspects throughout the story but in the end, it was one I never even thought of. I was left wondering until the end.

The narrator does a great job of making you feel like you are there and have a connection to all of the characters. Growing up in a small, mountain town, I could almost place someone I knew as each character. I found the story to be very relatable.

Thank you Netgalley, Archer Sullivan and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to receive a copy of "The Witch's Orchard" and review it. This review is my own thoughts and opinion.

4.5 / 5 stars

Annie Gore is a private investigator scraping by, often pawning her watch to cover bills, and driving an antique Datsun named Honey. When Max - the determined older brother of one of three girls who vanished from the Appalachian town of Quartz Creek a decade ago - hires her to reopen the cold case, Annie heads back into the holler she both understands and escaped.

Not everyone in Quartz Creek welcomes her. The town holds tight to its secrets - from the no-good father of one missing girl, to the pastor with suspicious ties, to the enigmatic “witch” rumored to live in the woods. Each disappearance was marked by the eerie leaving of a poppet, a handmade apple-head doll, at the scene.

Annie has her work cut out for her as she navigates a community that doesn’t want to be disturbed - and confronts her own painful past along the way.

If Archer Sullivan writes more books with Annie Gore at the center, I’m already in line. A tough but deeply human private investigator, Annie is a woman shaped by her past - a childhood in an Appalachian holler, a military career built on escaping it, and now a case that forces her to confront everything she left behind.

What I loved most about The Witch’s Orchard is its sense of place. Sullivan brings the Blue Ridge mountains to life with a quiet, eerie intimacy - small-town secrets, tangled family loyalties, and folklore that feels half-whispered in the dark. When the tale of the witch’s orchard does finally arrive (past the halfway mark), it becomes a haunting throughline. The way the story shifts depending on who tells it mirrors the whole novel’s focus on subjectivity - on choices made with love, fear, or guilt, and the way those choices ripple outward.

The mystery itself is layered and unpredictable. I’m still not sure how I feel about the ending - but it was executed with confidence and care. Annie isn’t an overpowered genius; she makes mistakes, takes hits (literal and emotional), and keeps going because she believes she owes these girls, and this town, the truth.

And can we talk about the audiobook for a second? Emily Pike Stewart delivers one of the best performances I’ve heard this year - right up there with Therese Plummer in Penitence. Her narration has this perfect Southern lilt, but what really stood out to me was the acting. It’s not just reading - it’s inhabiting. She brings Annie to life, as well as the complicated, wounded, often-untrustworthy residents of Quartz Creek. If you’re an audiobook listener, this one is absolutely worth your time.

I'd recommend this one for readers who enjoy hard-boiled yet soft-hearted PIs, cold cases in small towns, and Appalachian Gothic vibes.

I would first like to thank Netgalley & Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of this book.

This was a fun read but, for me it sort of falls off at the end. I loveeeeeeeee the back drop & Appalachian Mountain. I've always been so interested in all Appalachian lore. And this definitely scratched that itch. I also found the first 3/4 of the book extremely addicting in general! I just personally wish the end was a little different. But that boils down to being just a useless opinion of mine. Overall this is a solid read

This is my review which as of today can be found on the following platforms:
Goodreads
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Bookmory
StoryGraph
Fable

The characters were interesting, and I could see them developing over a series of books. Good, solid story.

This is a mystery that includes an interesting folklore story.
It centers on the disappearance of three little girls ten years ago, a magical orchard and the secrets within it. The characters are well-developed with an intriguing plot.
The narration was outstanding and enhanced the overall experience for me.
Thank you to the publisher/author for the opportunity to listen to this complimentary advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ALC. This is definitely one I enjoyed and would recommend to others. I loved the atmospheric nature of it and thought it flowed nicely.

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.

Super predictable, felt like I had read this story 10 times before. Underwhelming, plus the scattered info about the main character was not relevant and could have benefited from being edited down.

Just finished THE WITCH’S ORCHARD by Archer Sullivan and really enjoyed it! It’s a slow-burning mystery with a haunting Appalachian setting that pulls you right in. Annie Gore is a tough, smart private investigator with a complicated past. The case she takes on involves missing girls in a tight-lipped mountain town, full of secrets, folklore, and quiet tension.

The story has a slightly spooky vibe but stays grounded in realism. Emily Pike Stewart narrates the audiobook and does a great job capturing the tone and voices.

I’d call it a blend of mystery and atmospheric suspense with just a whisper of gothic. A strong debut and I’ll be watching for more from this author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions are entirely my own.