Brimstone Hollow by Archer Sullivan
Author: Archer Sullivan
Series: An Annie Gore Novel (Book #2)
On Sale Date: August 11, 2026
ISBN 13: 9781250338716
ISBN 10: 1250338719
Format: Hardcover
Price: $28.00
Genre: Mystery/ Private Investigator Mysteries / Small Town & Rural Fiction / Women Sleuths
Following her powerful debut in The Witch’s Orchard, private investigator Annie Gore returns in Brimstone Hollow, bringing readers back to the mountains that author Archer Sullivan, a ninth-generation Appalachian, knows so well.
There isn’t much that happens in the Appalachian Mountains that Private Investigator Annie Gore hasn’t seen. Before she was an Air Force Special Investigator, she was born and raised in those rolling hills, and lately Annie’s cases have called her away from her Louisville office and closer to the small towns of her youth than she ever anticipated. But when her newest client asks if she’s ever been to a snake-handling church, Annie knows she’s about to enter unknown territory.
Katie May has been estranged from her father—one of Appalachia’s last infamous snake handling preachers—for twenty years. But when Katie finds out he’s been fatally bitten, and a funeral was held within twenty-four hours, she questions whether someone deliberately rushed the process. Despite Annie’s doubts, she takes the case. After all, when she looks at Katie, she sees a version of herself: a girl who needs to understand her father in order to understand herself.
As she navigates the hidden hollers and dangerous secrets of this insular Eastern Kentucky town, Annie works fast, hoping to find the truth in record time for her client—and before too many memories from her own childhood surface. But it soon becomes apparent that someone wants Annie’s investigation to stop—by any means necessary.
My Review of Brimstone Hollow
I did not read The Witch’s Orchard, the first Annie Gore book, however, having read Brimstone Hollow, it’s now on my list! Having said that, I loved Brimstone Hollow and feel that it can be totally read as a standalone. I wouldn’t really classify it as a thriller; it’s more of a suspenseful PI/police procedural murder mystery. After leaving the Air Force, Annie is now a private investigator, and her latest case takes her into the Appalachia Mountains to investigate the death of a snake-handling preacher.
There is a lot to love about this book, but what I loved most were the characters. Annie is a very complex character who had a less than ideal childhood growing up in Appalachia. I enjoyed the flashbacks to her childhood because it helped understand who she is now. Tina, Leo, Dishman, Thelma, Will, Gavin, Hollis, and all of the side characters really drove the story and made it so enjoyable.
Then there’s Ezra King, the dynamic much-loved snake-handling preacher whose death Annie is there to investigate. Reading about Ezra through the accounts of the other characters just gave me the creeps! He was handsome, charming, charismatic, and had a voice that everyone seemingly loved since they all mentioned it. In other words, he was able to pull the wool over their eyes and manipulate his flock with little effort.
I really could go on and on about how much I loved this story. It’s something you’ve got to experience for yourself! I highly recommend it!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
Praise for The Witch’s Orchard:
A USA TODAY BESTSELLER
“A formidable heroine.” –South Florida Sun-Sentinel
“The narrative is linear, relatable and revealing… And the ending, just—wow!” –BookPage ★(starred review)
“An auspicious debut.” –Dayton Daily News
“An exceptional triumph of style and structure.” –BookTrib
“Riveting.” –Kate Alice Marshall
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