Book Review for THE WITCH’S ORCHARD by Archer Sullivan

 

THE WITCH’S ORCHARD by Archer Sullivan

Published:  August 12, 2025 by Minotaur Books

Genre:  Mystery Thriller, Paranormal

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.

My Thoughts:   I truly devoured this book.   I read it in less than 24 hours and am still thinking about it.   I had the need to know how the book was going to end.  I was invested in the story and the characters. 

Annie comes to town to find a young man’s sister.   There is little chance of finding her but he needs answers, he deserves answers.  I love how Annie never gave up, never stopped following the clues, and was not willing to stop when things got tough. 

Thank you Minotaur Books for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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Praise for THE WITCH’S ORCHARD:

"A riveting mystery, weaving together the darkest secrets of a small community with a beguiling thread of folklore and local legend. Sullivan has crafted a compelling and complex heroine in Annie Gore, whose wits, compassion, and grit are the beating heart of this tense and layered thriller—I couldn’t put it down." –Kate Alice Marshall, author of What Lies in the Woods and A Killing Cold

“Meet Annie Gore–tough, funny, stubborn, nosy, flippant, and highly efficient at her job: solving a mystery in a scruffy patch of Appalachia. This is a dandy tale, with crackling dialogue and unforgettable characters, all served up at a breakneck pace and dusted with the dark, gritty poetry of the hills.” –Julia Keller, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the Bell Elkins mysteries

“An enthralling trip through the twisting byways of small-town Appalachia, where everyone knows everyone—or do they? P.I. Annie Gore is a delight–tough, cynical, and determined to find the truth behind the tantalizing story of the witch's orchard—a story that changes with each teller. I read this in one satisfying gulp.” –Vicki Lane, author of the Elizabeth Goodweather Appalachian Mysteries