Saturday Review: “From peaks to Pirates: Mysteries of North Carolina” a review by Benjamin Bradley of Carol Ann Collins The Seafarer’s Secret (2024) and Archer Sullivan’s The Witch’s Orchard (2025), in NCLR Online Spring 2026.
Diving into Archer Sullivan’s debut novel, Benjamin Bradley describes his journey with The Witch’s Orchard as “haunting and heartfelt.” A story crafted by a ninth generation Appalachian, Archer Sullivan creates “a literary mystery that captures the soul of Appalachian while delivering a genuinely compelling whodunnit.”
Carol Ann Collins The Seafarer’s Secret, a National Indies Excellence Awards Finalist, combines history with classic mystery adventure and thrill. After years of drafts and edits Collins delivers a story with “clever twists and revelations that keep readers turning the pages.”
“In both The Witch’s Orchard and The Seafarer’s Secret, history reaches into the present, intertwining with contemporary crimes.” Collins’ and Sullivan’s NC roots bleed into their stories and allow for the prospering of two unique tales of mystery and character growth. “Whether whispered folklore passed down through generations or tales rooted in local history, these stories hold power, and perhaps more than anything, they hold intrigue.”
Read Bradley’s review here. Get The Seafarer’s Secret or The Witch’s Orchard from Bookshop.org.
