The Witch's Orchard

A Novel

De: Archer Sullivan

Narrado por: Emily Pike Stewart

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.

A Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books

©2025 Archer Sullivan (P)2025 Macmillan Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

"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

Good emotion

Great emotion and not just simply reading the story out loud. Terrible country accent though lol.

It takes a lot for me to give a storyline five stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I read a lot of psychological thrillers and honestly, out of all the books I’ve read this year this is definitely top 3 worthy. Nice work Archer Sullivan 🖤🤘

Enjoyable

This was a very enjoyable book that kept my attention throughout. I didn’t find the ending to be all that surprising, but that didn’t lower my opinion of the book. The character development and folklore were excellent. Looking forward to the rest is the series!

Love this story

This is exactly my kind of story! I loved the characters and the perfect blend of good, suspicious, and morally gray suspects. The main character, Annie Gore, is a private investigator and former Air Force Special Investigator with a dark past that slowly unfolds as the story progresses. She’s hired by a young man named Max to look into the disappearance of three girls who vanished ten years earlier.

The mystery is full of twists and turns, and the final reveal completely caught me off guard. I was on pins and needles through most of the book! Sullivan does an excellent job keeping the tension high and the reader guessing until the very end.

The narrator, Emily Pike Stewart, is new to me, but she did an excellent job bringing the story and characters to life. Her pacing and emotion fit the tone of the mystery perfectly.

I truly hope Archer Sullivan plans to turn this into a series—I’d love to see more of Annie Gore and watch her character continue to evolve.

Basically a season of True Detective in book form.

Oof. This was riveting, I blew through it because it hooked me immediately. Like a season of True Detective, it was character-driven and twisty.

Our protagonist is Annie, an ex-military private investigator who grew up in Appalachia and has a heartfelt empathy for mountain towns and the people who inhabit them. She's hired by the brother of a young girl who went missing ten from such a town a decade earlier.

I loved Annie's character, her inner dialogue, and her arc in this story. I loved the way the author painted a small, Appalachian town and addressed the stereotypes and poverty that are often attributed to them. I loved the "who dunnit" aspect, with the twists and turns.

The end felt a little rushed, but that would be my main and only complaint. I still enjoyed getting to the end.

It's a crime thriller with missing children and autopsy photos are discussed, but there are no graphic details and no crimes against children of a sexual nature (I personally always stear away from these details so I like to point them out for other readers).

[audio book review, excellent performance]

Best read ever!

From the very beginning, I was intrigued. This book was amazing, 10 stars! Plot twists were excellent, characters were well written. I cannot say enough good things about this book, truly.

Great find!

The writer created a comforting yet mysterious setting. Annie is an interesting mc and I look forward to more of her story. Narration is excellent!

A fantastic story, beautifully told!

I know an amazing new character when I hear one. I first started reading Ms. Marple, Spenser, and Philip Marlowe when I was a teenager. Since then, I’ve read hundreds of books by dozens of noir authors. Annie Gore, welcome to the party! The story is great, and the narration is simply stunning. Emily Pike Stewart clearly took the time not to simply replicate the generic southern accents heard all over film, TV, and other audiobooks. Instead, she actually took the care to learn the dialect of where the characters were from, most notably Appalachian North Carolina. I am frankly astounded by the skill she displays, and her deep emotional connection with the work shines through in every scene. HIGHLY RECOMMEND

The originality of the story

Beautifully written, captivating book-far exceeded my expectations. Loved the Appalachian setting. The narrator was excellent.

Found a new series to look forward to

This was an excellent novel. Not what I was expecting, but in the best way. The audio performance was wonderful, and the story kept me guessing until the bitter end.