The Witch’s Orchard

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Synopsis

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.

Synopsis source: StoryGraph

Review

Genre(s): Mystery/Thriller, Fiction
HB&W Rating: 4 stars
View on StoryGraph | Goodreads
Buy on Barnes & Noble, Amazon
Releases August 12, 2025

I love a good atmospheric Appalachian setting and The Witch’s Orchard delivers on it. Mystery, myths, and mysticism, what more could you ask for?

I really liked Annie as a character. Former military, private detective, tough, she’s like a female Reacher. Some of her dialogue came off a little flat at times, but I still really like her. It feels like this may be the start of a series featuring Annie, and I hope it is. There definitely feels like there’s more to her story.

The mystery kept me guessing. Just when I thought I knew who it was, there’d be another breadcrumb dropped and I’d change to someone else. Some of the events that took place felt a little OTT for the scope of a week in this small town, but I was able to suspend reality enough to enjoy this procedural.

Triggers: kidnapping, alluded to SA

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an eARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

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