What an interesting mystery/thriller! I was hooked immediately! Annie is a PI who gets asked to work a 10-year-old cold case about two missing girls in a small mountain town. As she works the case, we also learn bits and pieces about Annie's past. Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery/thriller! Oh, and the pacing of the story was perfect, in my opinion!

Absolutely amazing, a true page-turner! A suspenseful story centered around the disappearance of two young girls. The brother of one of them hires a private detective—who is also an Air Force veteran—to help him find his sister. It’s incredible!

I loved the main character, a brave and determined woman. The story is incredibly well written. This book deserves more than five stars. It captivated me from the very first chapter!

Great pacing and very moody, atmospheric. You are drawn in right away into the mystery and suspense. I really liked the characters.

LOVED this book!!! I hadn't heard of the author Archer Sullivan and was given the opportunity to read the book from NetGalley. The book has former military Annie Gore heading to the Appalachian Mountains to help find her newest clients sister. Annie is from a rural area of the Blue Ridge and had joined the military to leave that world behind. The sister she is hired to find has been missing for over a decade but her client is the missing women's brother and he needs answers. Annie has little hope for the case but needs the money and decides to give it a go. She is back in a small town where people don't want strangers especially ones digging up the past. I truly loved this book and it was one where I fell in love with the characters. I truly hope that Annie Gore becomes a series.

Excellent new series starter, can’t wait for more character development in the one. A lot happened that could have been framed better to move the story along but a solid start.

What a book! A marvelous debut I look forward to reading More of Annie's adventures.
This book grabbed me by the 2nd page. I couldn't tell you why but once I started reading it was very hard to stop.
Little girls went missing years ago and that case was never solved. Annie is hired by Max to find his sister who has been missing for 10 years. She needs the money so she takes the case one way or the other she will get Max some answers . Eventually Annie will.get her watch back
I hit the jackpot when I downloaded this galley from Netgalley! It's a book.not to be missed !

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of The Witches Orchards by Archer Sullivan, published by St Martin's Press

Wow what a great story, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. I was hooked from the start. The storyline was original and the characters were compelling, the relationship among the characters was great.I didn't want to put the book down. The story twisted and turned and every time I thought Annie had solved the case, we were led in another direction
I would absolutely read more books by this author! Loved it. I was surprised this was the first novel by Archer Sullivan, definitely has a gift of writing and capturing her audience.

The premise of the story sounded so good and I really thought I'd love it. However, the writing style just didn't jive with me. At time it felt very disjointed and abrupt. The plot twists were extremely predictable and overall I was just a little underwhelmed.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This novel by debut author Archer Sullivan weaves Appalachian folk lure into a modern day mystery. Annie Gore is a Private Investigator hired to find Max’s sister that went missing 10 years ago. The characters are well developed and the story is very intriguing. Each character has a different interpretation of the same folk tale that is part of the fabric of the small North Carolina town. I will recommend this to anyone interested in reading a good mystery. This ARC was provided by St Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a well-done thriller. The main character definitely gave off Clarice Starling vibes, and I was so here for it. Overall, it was a quick read and a really enjoyable time.

Absolutely loved this book! Very well written and fleshed out. I had a hard time putting this down as i needed to know who took tge girls and how they got away with it for so many years...twist that i did not see coming.I will be waiting for more from this author. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this book I have recommended to my family and friends.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The character of PI Annie Gore captivated me, and I would be thrilled to see her featured in a series. The narrative felt incredibly authentic and engaging. In this story, Annie travels to rural North Carolina to investigate the mysterious disappearance of three young girls a decade prior. While one of the girls has returned, the fate of the other two remains unknown. Annie's inquiries evoke a wide range of emotions and set off a chain of events filled with unexpected twists. I found myself unable to put the book down, eager to discover whether Annie would uncover the truth about the girls. This is undoubtedly a five-star read and belongs on your must-read list!

I would like to extend my gratitude to Net Galley and the publisher for providing the ARC for this review. This reflects my genuine opinion.

I loved this book and I really hope the author has a series in mind with this FMC! Annie Gore is a PI hired to find her client's little sister who disappeared a decade ago. A cold case in a small town where everyone knows everyone- but where did the kidnapped children go? This book had me guessing right until the end, every time I thought I had the ending figured out, something happened to keep me guessing. I'll be looking for more books from Archer Sullivan about Annie Gore, PI!

I really enjoyed the Witch's Orchard once it going, and then wasn't able to put it down. The characters were likable, the story moved quickly and although some of it was a bit unrealistic, it was not enough to derail from the overall plot. Would recommend!

I am so happy I was given an ARC of this book


Three little girls get kidnapped weeks apart from one each other but only one little girl came home. When 10 years has passed and one of the brothers hired a PI he learns things he was not prepared for.

This book hooks you from the moment you start reading it. I absolutely loved everything about it and I am so glad to have been given the opportunity to read this. It is right up the alley of the type of books I gravitate towards.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for this eARC. I really enjoyed this thriller, which stars another grizzled lady detective. This time, we follow Annie Gore as she attempts to solve a cold case that suddenly becomes hot again once she starts poking around a quiet Appalachian town. I found myself repeatedly wanting to go back to this narrative, even though the folkloric elements weren't my favorite. If I could sum up this text in one word, it would be atmospheric. This is a great one to read with apple cider in the dark. Still, the ending was a bit of a let-down for me.

This small town mystery set against the backdrop of the Appalachian Mountains had me hooked from the first page with this debut from Archer Sullivan. PI Annie Gore takes on the 10-year-old case of two missing little girls in the small town of Blue Ridge. Atmospheric with flawed yet engaging characters, this fast-paced read twists Appalachia lore and small town suspense. The twist at the end fell a bit flat for me, hence the four-star rating vs. five. Nonetheless, still a fantastic read.

Thank you St. Martin's Press, NetGalley and Minotaur Books for sending me this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Available August 12, 2025.

The Witch’s Orchard is a twisty story set in the heart of Appalachia and tells of Annie, a veteran who loves her car, Honey, and after leaving the military becomes a PI- using her skill to do what police can’t.

When Annie shows up, three girls have gone missing- one returned shortly after, and now they’ve been gone for 10 years. Annie begins looking and as she dredges up a decade long investigation, things get muddy, and one of the missing girls turns up dead.

The story is beautifully written, and over and over you see the different re-telling of the “Witch of Quartz Creek.” As the narrator changes, so does the story, and you can see how experiences, trauma, wealth, and life in general change the point of view, the villain, the desperation, and outcome, showing that each character relates to the story in their own way. This was one of my favorite details throughout, and left me wondering how I would tell it if it had been passed down to me.

The characters have depth, the story is intriguing, and I enjoyed the way it played out. I was able to guess what happened pretty early on, but it was satisfying and well written. The book ended well, exactly as you would have wanted it to. Overall, 4.5 stars. Great read

This was an ARC read from NetGalley and the author. Thank you!!

Wow! I loved this book so dang much! It was so good and honestly, I can see this playing out as a Netflix series! At no time during this read did I feel like anything was a stretch. It kept me guessing and when I thought for sure who the bad guy was, I was so, so wrong!

Three little girls get kidnapped weeks apart from one another. One little girl came home. 10 years later, the brother of one of those girls saved up money to hire and PI to look into his sisters disappearance. He was not prepared for what was going to unravel.

SO SO good! Publication is August 2025 so put this on your watch list! You won't regret it!!!

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

Private investigator Annie Gore has pawned her watch [again] to pay her bills. So she agrees to meet a prospective client, Max Andrews. But she’s dismayed to discover that he wants her to look into the disappearance of his sister, Molly, some ten years earlier.

Annie tries to dissuade Max, but he is determined; Annie agrees to come to Quartz Creek, North Carolina for a week and see what she can learn about the missing girl. After so much time has passed, she doubts she will find anything of any importance.

But there are secrets in Quartz Creek . . . townspeople who do not to be reminded of the past, even if it means finding the truth about what happened to the girls who were taken.

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Believable characters, a strong sense of place, and a captivating mystery all work together to pull readers into the telling of the tale from the outset. Filled with tension, plot twists and turns, and long-held secrets, the unfolding narrative keeps readers guessing. The folklore surrounding the witch and the crows added a unique twist to the story.

Readers who enjoy intriguing mysteries will find much to appreciate in this unputdownable tale.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books and NetGalley
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