The Witch's Orchard by Archer Sullivan
Missing Persons and Muted Folklore
Today has been the day of reading books I planned to read this summer (I am very behind, considering it is November!). But I’m enjoying the page-turning and discovering new authors, and this particular book by a first-time-for-me author proved to be an interesting, solid three-star read.
Ten years ago, three little girls vanished from a tight-lipped Appalachian town. Desperate for answers, Max hires private investigator Annie to look into his sister’s disappearance. Annie quickly discovers that extracting information from this insular community will be far harder than anticipated.
The author absolutely nailed the procedural aspect. As Annie investigates and questions everyone connected to the families, the pacing and focus keep the reader engaged. There were several effective red herrings woven throughout the narrative, and enough well-placed clues to keep me guessing until the end.
However, the book seriously lacked atmosphere for me. With the intriguing local folklore—including the mystery of the Applehead dolls and the Witch of Quartz Creek—this should have been a genuinely creepy read, but the execution fell flat. The attempt to interweave the procedural investigation with the rich Appalachian folklore felt disjointed and lacked cohesion. I struggled to see the relevancy of including the folklore at all, but perhaps I missed the intended connection.
Additionally, I felt like I might be missing a prequel. Annie’s backstory was touched upon but left too many blanks unfilled. While this could be a sign we’ll see her again in a future novel, it made the character feel incomplete here.
If you enjoy missing-person mysteries with a pinch of folklore, this is definitely a book to check out. It would make for a good fall or spooky season read. Despite the three-star rating—due to my admittedly high standards and picky nature when it comes to thrillers—the writing itself was solid, and I would still be interested in reading more from this author in the future.
