Brimstone Hollow
An Annie Gore Novel #2
By: Archer Sullivan
Narrator: Emily Pike Stewart
ISBN: 9781250338716
Publisher: St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books
Publication Date: 08/11/1026
Format: Hardcover
My Rating: 4.5 Stars (ARC)
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 joined the Air Force, 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 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.
Praise
"Atmospheric . . . With shrewd twists and a convincing attunement to the rhythms of rural life, [Brimstone Hollow] proves the series deserves a long life. Fans of Greg Iles’s regional mysteries will love it.”
–Publishers Weekly
My Review
Authentic Appalachian Grit. A snake-handling preacher, an insular mountain town, and a PI who refuses to back down. Meet your next book obsession.
Intro
Dive into the foggy, mysterious hills of Eastern Kentucky with Brimstone Hollow, the highly anticipated second installment in the Annie Gore series by Archer Sullivan. I was a massive fan of her Shamus Award-finalist debut, The Witch's Orchard, so I had incredibly high expectations for Annie's next case. Trust me when I say Sullivan does not disappoint!
The Hook
Imagine your estranged father dies from a venomous snakebite, but before you can even process the news, his secretive church community buries him within 24 hours with absolutely no autopsy performed. Would you believe it was an accident, or would you suspect murder?
Elevator Pitch
When a young mother named Katie May suspects her father—an infamous, snake-handling mountain preacher—was deliberately murdered, she hires private investigator Annie Gore. To unearth the truth, Annie must infiltrate a deeply isolated Appalachian town where the locals protect their dark secrets just as fiercely as they hold their faith.
Setting
An insular, atmospheric, and fiercely protective small town nestled deep within the hidden hollers of the Appalachian Mountains in Eastern Kentucky.
Vibe
Eerie, suspenseful, and deeply immersive. It gives heavy Southern Gothic energy mixed with a gritty, classic detective procedural.
Genre
Mystery / Suspense / Crime Fiction / Southern Gothic
Themes
~The Burden of Family Legacies: Healing from a painful childhood and understanding your parents to understand yourself.
~Faith vs. Deception: The thin line between devout belief and using religious isolation to conceal crimes.
~Insular Communities: How outsiders are treated when they try to shake up long-held town secrets.
Standout Characters
Annie Gore: A fierce, plucky private investigator and former Air Force special investigator. She is stubborn like a dog with a bone and possesses a brilliant mind for puzzle-solving.
Katie May: Annie’s vulnerable yet determined client who hasn't seen her preacher father in twenty years but demands justice for his sudden end.
The Townspeople: A colorful, fiercely loyal, and highly skeptical flock of churchgoers who view Annie as an immediate threat.
Author Writing Standout
As a ninth-generation Appalachian, author Archer Sullivan writes about these mountains with unmatched authenticity. Her storytelling is incredibly smooth, weaving authentic local folklore, regional history, and vivid descriptions of the landscape without ever slowing down the breakneck pace of the investigation.
Takeaway
Secrets have a shelf life, and no matter how deep you bury a body or a memory, the truth will eventually force its way to the surface.
Title Significance
"Brimstone" instantly invokes images of fiery biblical judgment, mirroring the intense, old-world religious fervor of Ezra King’s snake-handling church. A "Hollow" (or holler) represents a physically hidden, low-lying geographic depression, perfectly symbolizing the deeply buried, suffocating secrets the community tries to hide from the outside world.
Metaphor
The investigation is like stepping into a pit of vipers—every single truth Annie uncovers causes another hidden threat to coil and strike back at her.
Why You Should Read
You should read this book if you are a fan of smart, complex female detectives who don't need a badge to get answers. It is perfect for readers who love fast-paced mysteries where the setting itself feels like a living, breathing character.
My Thoughts
As a veteran reviewer with over a decade of book blogging experience, I am always a bit anxious when diving into a sequel to a debut I loved. Happily, Brimstone Hollow completely avoids the sophomore slump! Having read and thoroughly enjoyed The Witch's Orchard, I found it deeply rewarding to see how masterfully Sullivan builds upon Annie Gore's character development.
While the first book masterfully captured the folklore-heavy atmosphere of North Carolina, this book shifts into a darker, gritty Southern Gothic landscape of Eastern Kentucky snake-handling churches. Annie remains an exceptional protagonist—independent, sharp-witted, and beautifully complex. What makes this sequel truly shine is how her new case forces her to confront more of her own painful childhood memories, tying back brilliantly to the personal stakes established in book one. Sullivan’s plotting is tight, the regional atmosphere is thick, and the pacing never lets up.
Verdict ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (4.5 / 5 Stars) A stellar, highly atmospheric continuation of a brilliant new PI series! If you thoroughly enjoyed The Witch's Orchard, Brimstone Hollow is a fantastic next step for Annie Gore that cements Archer Sullivan as a must-read voice in modern crime fiction.
Recs or Read-Alikes
~The Witch's Orchard by Archer Sullivan (Book #1 in the series—a must-add to your TBR).
~Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate (for fans of deeply atmospheric, Southern-fried secrets).
~The Woods by Harlan Coben (for readers who crave relentless pacing and multi-layered small-town conspiracies).
Read My Review
Special thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for providing an advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Pub Date: Aug 11, 2026
Aug 2026 Must-Read Books
About the Author
ARCHER SULLIVAN is a ninth-generation Appalachian. She's moved thirty-seven times and has lived everywhere from Monticello, Kentucky to Manhattan, New York, and from Black Mountain, North Carolina to Beverly Hills, California. Her work has appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Tough, Shotgun Honey, Reckon Review, Rock and a Hard Place, and The Best Mystery Stories of the Year 2024. WEBSITE
