Review: Brimstone Hollow by Archer Sullivan

 

Brimstone Hollow (Annie Gore #2) by Archer Sullivan

Publication Date: August 11th 2026 by Minotaur Books & Macmillan Audio

Pages: 304

Audio Book Length: 9hrs 43min

Narrator: Emily Pike Stewart

Source: Publishers

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

When snake-handling preacher Ezra King is found dead from snake bites and then buried less than twenty-four hours later, his estranged daughter Katie becomes suspicious. She hires Annie to investigate. On the surface, it looks like a tragic accident involving dangerous animals, but Annie agrees to take a closer look. Being local and familiar with small-town Appalachian culture, she’s able to ask questions and gain trust in ways an outsider never could.

 

Ezra left behind a troubled past, found religion, and used his charismatic personality to become the preacher at Mount Zion. His tent revivals featured snakes. Yikes!

 

As Annie starts digging for answers, word quickly spreads around town. What seemed like a straightforward case soon turns suspicious, especially after Annie narrowly survives an attempt on her life.

 

Brimstone Hollow is the second book in the Annie Gore series. While this could be read as a standalone, each mystery is wrapped up, I’d still recommend starting with the first book to better understand Annie’s background and how she became a PI.

 

I enjoyed watching Annie quickly gain acceptance in Mount Zion by treating the locals with genuine respect. Several residents proved helpful, and the descriptions of food at the little hole-in-the-wall diner Annie discovered had my mouth watering. The story had plenty of twists, action, and layers. I appreciated Annie’s determination to get to the truth. I’m already looking forward to her next case!

 

I alternated between the audiobook and eBook and recommend either format. Emily Pike Stewart, who also narrated the previous installment, did another wonderful job. Her subtle Southern accent suited the story perfectly, and I enjoyed that she sang portions of the hymns featured in the book. Her performance definitely enhanced my enjoyment.

4 Stars

Book Description:

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 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.