✨BOOK REVIEW ✨

THE WITCH’S ORCHARD
by Archer Sullivan

Tense, gripping, atmospheric, mysterious, secretive…

“Do you know the story of the Quartz Creek witch?”

🍎 The Witch’s Orchard takes place in the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina. Ten years ago, three young girls vanished, one which was returned, and two were never found.

🩶 Annie Gore, former Air Force Special Investigator now Private Investigator is hired by the brother of one of the missing girls to try and find out what no one else could solve.

“This is going to be like poking an old hornets nest to see if there are any angry hornets still buzzing inside.”

⛰️Annie is familiar with the ways and old traditions of the people deep in the mountains. She sets out to find the truth of what happened in Quartz Creek, turning things upside down, unearthing anything and everything that has been deeply buried all of this time. Annie is committed to these families and these missing girls. She will do whatever it takes to get the answers to afford the families the peace they so desperately deserve.

“Cases like this, with kids involved, they make people edgy, uncomfortable, it dredges up stuff they don’t like.”

What a debut novel by Archer Sullivan! The author perfectly created an atmospheric read based on folklore, family secrets, and questionable characters. The rich descriptions of the mountainous setting throughout the novel were so visual, so powerful, I felt as though I was alongside Annie as the story moved from page to page. I absolutely loved Annie’s loyalty, empathy, and sensitive nature. She faced extreme challenges but her resilience never faltered. I instantly felt a closeness with Annie.

Take a trip to the Appalachian Mountains and discover the deep rooted secrets of Quartz Creek and the folklore that swirls around in the air. You won’t be disappointed.

Thank you to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for providing me the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book is out for publication on August 12, 2025.

#thewitchsorchard #archersullivan
#netgalley #mysterious #atmosphericread

This book had me hooked from the beginning. It’s gripping, suspenseful, and atmospheric in all the best ways.

Annie Gore grew up in a small Appalachian town and, after years in the Air Force, became a private investigator. She’s hired by Max, a man from another isolated mountain town in North Carolina, to help solve a cold case involving three missing little girls—one of them his sister. Annie warns him that she might not be able to find anything, that all she might do is stir up trouble asking folks about a decades-old tragedy. Max wants her help anyway.

When Annie arrives, the townspeople are suspicious of her digging around. But she’s sharp, determined, and not easily scared off. As she unearths old rumors, family secrets, grudges, and eerie witch’s tales, the story takes on a haunting, supernatural edge that gives it real bite.

I love any story that weaves in Appalachian folklore, and The Witch’s Orchard does it right. This is a fantastic debut from Archer Sullivan, and I can’t wait to read more from them.

Eerie and haunting, The Witch's Orchard will leave you guessing until the end. Deep in the heart of the Appalachian mountains, three girls have been taken in a small town. One of the little girls was returned, but was never quite right. Ten years after the kidnappings, Max, the brother of one of the missing girls, hires private investigator (and former air force special investigator) Annie Gore to find out what happened to the two girls who have been missing for 10 years. The small town is both welcoming, and closed off to outsiders. Annie is familiar with how small Appalachian towns work- she's from a different town, but the similar type of mountain town where the folklore is entwined with reality. Annie tries to parse out the truth in it all, and figure out who can be trustworthy in a town where someone must know what happened.

The Witch's Orchard is tense and atmospheric. It had me fully submerged into the heart of Appalachia, rooting for and weary of everyone. This was an impeccable read for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for advance copy in exchange for my opinions.

2.5 🌟 rounded up

The Witch's Orchard was atmospheric but ultimately fell short for me, unfortunately. I enjoyed the small-town vibes and descriptions of the various characters. But, overall, it felt like the whole story was just Annie having conversations with different people. It became repetitive and boring. I also didn't understand why the FMC treated her car like it was another character. It was weird, and I don't care about cars, so I was very tired of hearing about it. I would probably give the author another shot with a book that doesn't feature a PI.

Emily Pike Stewart did the narration for the audiobook. She did a great job with the various accents of the folks in the town and was easy to understand.

Recommended for fans of PI novels.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

This story wasn’t particularly profound or exceptionally unique, but it provided an enjoyable listening experience while I was working.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review. Emily Pike Stewart does a fantastic job narrating this story.

Private investigator Annie Gore is ex-military and a native Appalachia girl who is hired to look into the the disappearance of Max's sister 10 years earlier. In fact a total of 3 girls went missing with one being returned. The cases are very cold with the FBI having looked into all 3 with no results. Annie navigates Appalachia secrets and legends as she tries to find out what happened 10 years earlier.

This is a fast paced, well written story that really surprised me! I did not expect to like this one as much as I really did! The story is full of myths and legends of witches and secrecy. Go into this one as blind as you can. This is by far one of my favorite reads this month! Highly recommend!!

From the get-go this story piqued my interest. I like creepy stories with a supernatural vibe to it. Throw in a returning vet, with a troubled background, trying to make a living, who finds herself in some dying, Appalachian, holler with a tragic past surrounding three missing girls (one returned) and those seriously creepy applehead dolls found where the girls disappeared and I’m hooked.

The book summary introduces the primary storyline of Annie, a former Air Force Investigator and currently a PI, being hired by Max, who is the brother to Molly, a young girl who disappeared 10yrs. Max wants Annie to find Molly. Annie lets Max know that she may not find anything after this long, but Max doesn’t care; he just needs to find out what happened to Molly because he can’t move on until he at least tries to find her. There is also a secondary storyline of something in Annie’s past that has one of her Air Force friends, AJ, calling her everyday just to see if she’s doing ok.

From the get-go, Annie is ruffling feathers all over town, asking people questions about the two missing girls, as well as the one that was returned shortly after taken. She starts digging up old rumors and grudges and attracting a lot of the wrong attention. It’s not long before she becomes a target of someone who doesn’t want her to dig up old history. Then there’s the Quartz Creek legend about an old witch and her apple trees who stole the daughters of a poor woman, and like a lot of old legends, Annie gets a different version of the legend from every person she asks about it. Then Annie meets Susan, an old woman who lives up in the hills, who is rumored to be a witch.

Most of the story revolves around Annie finding out what happened to the girls and who knows anything about it because she is certain that some of the people she has spoken with have secrets that they are hiding and that they know more about the disappearances than they are saying. It’s deep into the second half that the town’s secrets begin to surface, leaving Annie fighting for her life in an intense and scary ending.

The character development for most of the characters was well done. I wish there was more on AJ. The pacing was steady to fast and the storyline interesting; I like stories that are steeped in history and folklore; they add depth and appeal to a storyline. The writing was also well done. I flipped back and forth between the ebook and audiobook on a lazy Sunday for a perfect time to spend on a really good story. I’m looking at an overall rating of 4.2 that I will be rounding down to a 4star review. I want to thank NetGalley and St Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #StMartinsPress #MacmillanAudio #WitchesOrchard

The witch’s orchard, is a great tale of Appalachian life. Ten years ago three little girls were taken. One was brought back But Annie has came to investigate for one of the lost girl’s brother. Who in this small holler took the girls and what happened to them

Not bad, but dragged a bit for me, and was a bit repetitive. I did love the setting and the characters. Narrator did a good job with the accents, and I would read another book by this author, with this narrator.

Annie Gore escaped a small Appalachian town by joining the military and becoming an elite investigator, now turned PI. When a young man comes to her to beg that she investigate the disappearance of his sister ten years prior, Annie recognizes this mountain town, not because she has been there, but because all mountain towns share some of the same traits. Ten years ago, a little girl disappeared, a month later, another was taken and quickly returned, before a third girl was taken. Investigating a case that is ten years cold has its challenges, but threading throughout all accounts is the tale of the Witch and her two daughters. How is this related to the case? Or is it?

Disclaimer: I am not particularly fond of mysteries or thrillers. I typically find them to be formulaic and obvious. This was not. I had my suspicions, as all readers will, but I was constantly guessing.

The writing is atmospheric and lyrical without being flowery. The vibe made me want to curl up in a bay window and read with a mug of tea while it rains outside.

The narration is top tier. The Appalachian accents were so well done. I grew up in the mountains of North Carolina, and it sounded like home, while still giving each character a unique and distinct voice. Some musical and sound elements at the very beginning and end added to the atmosphere and vibe.

Several people in my book club love thrillers, and I may suggest (and vote) for this because I would love to read it with a group and discuss it!

Thank you to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

Highly recommend! Set in the present in an Appalachian town where a decades old mystery is revisited. Finding the truth doesn’t always solve everything.

“Every apple has a little poison in it.” - Annie’s Granny ~~The Witch’s Orchard~~

Mystery/Thriller isn’t my normal genre but I found the synopsis, setting, and cover of The Witch’s Orchard to be very intriguing.

We begin with a down-on-her-luck private investigator, Annie Gore, who chooses to take a ten-year cold case in an Appalachia North Carolina town.

She is hired by an eighteen-year-old boy, Max Andrews, who was eight when his younger sister, Molly, was abducted from their home.

Molly was the third child abducted after an incredibly hot summer in Court’s Creek. She was abducted after the second child, a mute autistic child named Olivia was returned. The abductor’s calling card was always an apple-head doll.

Annie, hesitant to take the case because of her Appalachian roots and tumultuous upbringing, agrees to take the case out of pity for Max who feels guilt over his sister’s abduction and who has spent his life saving money to hire a PI to look into his sister’s disappearance.

And, despite knowing that cases such as these can stir up a great deal of emotions, she really needs the money the job will provide.

She travels immediately that night to the town in her trusty vintage Datsun sports car, Honey, and begins interviews with many of the town’s folk the next day.

I don’t want to get too spoilery but, yes, her appearance in town asking questions does stir up a lot of trouble. However, during a little over a week’s time, she establishes bonds with some of those most closely affected by the abductions and has a romantic liaison with the town’s deputy, AJ.

The town has a legend of “The Witch Woman” and I found it fascinating that everyone Annie interviews has a slightly different version of the story. But it fits in with the overall running theme of Motherhood that perpetuates throughout this story and the title of the book.

Annie, of course, solves the case and it’s exactly who I always suspected but I really enjoyed how this intricate tapestry of a story just beautifully blossoms into an unforgettable healing journey for Annie and those most affected by the children’s abductions.

The story, during the epilogue, comes full circle (I will always love a full circle story!) and has a very satisfying ending.

For a debut author, I’m just so impressed with this story. The writing follows a logical timeline providing flashbacks of Annie’s life at pivotal moments. These lead to a deeper understanding of how her traumas have shaped her into the person we get to know throughout the story. She’s unapologetically herself and I love her bravery and dogged determination to get to the truth no matter the cost.

The characters are authentic, the story compelling, the autumnal Appalachian setting atmospheric, and the revelations are perfectly paced.

I was, however, disappointed by the “closed door” relationship between Annie and AJ. Sullivan sets up the chemistry so nicely only to have the culmination be such a letdown for this romance reader. But, that might be the case with this genre and I’m expecting too much.

Anyway, this is a perfect story to read in autumn. It’s spooky but not scary and I feel that those who love “cold case” mysteries will enjoy this well-written, atmospheric tale.

I don’t know if this will become a series featuring Annie, I certainly hope so, but “The Witch’s Orchard” is an excellent standalone and I highly recommend it and the excellent audiobook narrated perfectly by Emily Pike Stewart.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for my Advanced Listening Copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

4.5🌟-0🌶️-5🎧

This story follows the journey of Private Investigator Annie Gore as she tries to find answers to a 10 year old missing person case.

Set in a small Appalachian town that’s shrouded in secrets and folklore made this wonderfully atmospheric. Backed by a solid mystery with a good balance of characters and plot, this suspenseful story was exactly what I wanted in a mystery right now. It was also made better by the excellent narration that matched the vibes of the book perfectly,

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the alc!

🎧 I really enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator, Emily Pike Stewart, did an amazing job with all the characters, bringing them to life in a new way.

Annie ends up in a small Appalachian town after being convinced to look into a cold case from 10 years ago. Missing girls, one returned but unable to communicate what happened.

A town with a history of witchy tales that seem to be coming to life.

This was such a fun and engaging story.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillian Audio for this ALC.

Just wanted to finish this one to get answers. Loved the setting, enjoyed getting to know most of characters, a non-traditional villain, and a bad ass MC.

An absolutely captivating debut that plunges readers into a chilling mystery woven with rich Appalachian folklore.

We follow Annie Gore, a former Air Force Special Investigator turned private eye, as she reluctantly returns to her roots to tackle a decade-old cold case: the disappearance of three young girls. Her journey is gripping, and Annie herself is a wonderfully complex and resilient protagonist—easy to root for as she navigates a town steeped in secrets and overshadowed in local legend.

The evolving tales of the witch add layers of mystery and a creepy undercurrent to the already intriguing cold case. The story is well-paced and the plot is well-crafted, keeping you guessing until the very end. The audiobook narration is exceptionally well done, seamless, and truly enhances the overall immersive experience of the story.

Audio Narration 🎧 5 stars

10 years following a cold case, a young man reaches out to a private investigator named Annie.
Annie explains that this case will likely result in nothing and reluctantly takes the gig. Little does Annie know that her involvement with the case will resurface the past.

My thoughts:
I think the concept of the book was great and for a debut novel, the author did a fantastic job and I look forward to reading more from her.
Although, the first half of this book I was extremely invested but somehow in the middle it kind of fell off for me. The momentum of the book didn't create as much suspense as I felt the book was leading up to, overall 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

This story had me hooked right from the start. The narrator, Emily Pike Stewart, really brought this story to life.

Annie Gore has been given a case to find out the truth behind the disappearances of three young girls. While she is searching for the truth, Annie reflects on her own life growing up in a town quite similar to the one she is currently working in. With so many secrets within the community, the amount of distrust among the people, and the constant lies and deceit... the conclusion is quite surprising.

Archer Sullivan writes an engaging and emotional story. Emily Pike Stewart brings the story to a whole new level. A wonderful story.

#NetGalley #TheWitchsOrchard

In The Witch's Orchard presents a mystery set in Appalachia, not far from where I spent about a decade of my life. Four little girls have been taken from one small town; an applehead doll was left behind each time. One girl was returned, presumably because she does not speak and has other development growth issues. The brother of one of those girls hires former Air Force Special Investigator Annie Gore to find out what has happened to his sister. The mystery is not hard for the reader to crack, although the motivations are more complicated. Sullivan paints a vivid picture of the town and its characters and the story come to life with Emily Pike Stewart's expert narration. There is just enough suspense and enough folklore - not fantasy - to hold the reader's/listener's interest. I will be looking for more titles from Archer Sullivan as I'm sure other readers will too.

If there's one thing I love, it's a mystery series following one detective. Mix that with the location this is set - close to where I live - and this is essentially made for me! I loved the plot and chracters equally and was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Can't wait to read more!