The Witch's Orchard is such a strong debut by Archer Sullivan, a ninth generation native of the Appalachian Mountains. As a resident of WNC this book struck some very tender and realistic chords, and I loved the way Sullivan brought together Southern folklore and the private detective genre. The result was a very readable story with suspense, a good twist, and a look at what life is like in many economically depressed small towns. 

Annie Gore joined the military right out of high school to get out of her small town. Now she's back as a civilian and working as a PI when a young man reaches out for help. Ten years ago three little girls went missing in the same summer and one of them was his sister. Annie promises one week of hard work to turn up any answers she can, but she also promises that her work will stir up the small community. 

Interwoven with a folktale of a witch and her delicious apples, we get the oral retelling that different residents heard growing up and their different perceptions of what happened ten years ago. When bad things start happening again, Annie must work her hardest to find answers before more tragedy strikes. 

This is just a solid mystery with well established setting that I would recommend to reader's of the genre. I found Annie's character a bit underdeveloped and this isn't one that I'll remember well, but I had a great time.