The Witch's Orchard
A Novel
by Archer Sullivan
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Pub Date Aug 12 2025 | Archive Date Aug 26 2025
St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books
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Description
A ninth generation Appalachian herself, Archer Sullivan brings the mountains of North Carolina to life in The Witch’s Orchard, a wonderfully atmospheric novel that introduces private investigator Annie Gore.
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.
Advance Praise
Advance Praise for THE WITCH’S ORCHARD:
“Archer Sullivan gives us a new mystery series heroine in The Witch’s Orchard…fast-paced and suspenseful, I found myself staying up late last night to finish it! Annie Gore is a detective I would follow anywhere, probably riding along in her old Datsun. This was a great mystery with a deep sense of creeping dread and atmosphere for days.” –Bill Carl, Bookseller at An Unlikely Story, Plainville, MA (Indie Next Nomination)
“In a wonderful combination of mountain lore and history, false heroes and major new friends, readers see a picture of backwoods Kentucky that is authentic and engaging. It would be wonderful to see more from this author." –firstClue
"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
Available Editions
EDITION | Other Format |
ISBN | 9781250338686 |
PRICE | $28.00 (USD) |
PAGES | 320 |