I really enjoyed this! I feel like it was quite slow to start but once it picked up I was IN. I really liked the main character and I am so interested in reading the sequel and continuing to follow along her journey as a PI.

I loved how the mystery all came together in the end.

This is the first book of The Orphanage by the Lake series and what a great start to a series it is. Loved the storyline, a missing girl from an orphanage with many secrets, a private investigator (Hazel) who is struggling to keep her business afloat. Now it is her time to find out what has happened.

This book is a thrilling read with many twists and turns and introduces Hazel as a person who doesn't give up until she finds the truth. I love teh writing of this book, the characters are great and if this book is any indication then the ones to follow should be exciting as well. I can't wait to read more.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Netgalley ARC

What on Earth happened here? This one has a really solid premise: a PI is hired to investigate the disappearance of a child from a children's home. Solid. I was expecting a compelling mystery and a spooky setting.

Instead, what we get is a completely inept PI who is absolutely insufferable. She spends the whole book talking about how her finances are terrible - even as she shows up late, fails to catch every obvious clue, and never seems to answer her client's calls. All while bragging about how awesome she is. Her roommate is in the police academy, but apparently letting him help her would be beneath her, because reasons. Also, nobody should be drinking that much Red Bull, goodness. This book screamed female main character written by a man. Moreover, the writing itself felt very unpolished and full of cliched plot twists.

A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

PI work is never easy. In this story I enjoyed the characters and the flow of the story. Just enough drama to keep reading. Missing children from an orphanage that has never been solved. Police has an active case but no followup. Hazel has taken on the case of current missing Mia. Possibly a runaway but clues show something more may be hapoening. An enjoyable thriller, mystery.

Dangerous Secrets

Hazel is trying to get her private eye business up and going, but it is going nowhere. She needs something big to get her business started. When Mrs. Helmsley offers her a case to find a missing girl she jumps at it.

Hazel doesn’t know that it will be dangerous and that Mrs. Helmsley is withholding secrets from her that could have helped her solve the case.

There are so many people at St. Agnes school that are suspect, she doesn’t know who to trust and as Mrs. Hemsley only gave her so much time her time is running out to find her granddaughter Mia.

Then she meets the gorgeous Andrew at a party and is smitten. Her roommate Kenny is very jealous of him but Hazel is smitten. It is when she visits the mysterious Dionysus club that things begin to become dangerous.

This was a good detective book filled with suspense, danger and some humor. I loved the character of Hazel and also that of her roommate Kenny.

I enjoyed reading the book.

I received a free copy of the book to read and review. The review is my own.

I appreciate being chosen by Poisoned Pen Press to receive an ARC of this book. PPP is my favorite press and I am eager to read most everything published across genre by them. This book, unfortunately, proved a rare exception to my continual love and appreciation.

I chose to not finish reading this book at about a quarter of the way through, after struggling to find anything compelling or likable about the main character. She felt fictional and lacked the depth of reality that is necessary to make a main character interesting. The supporting characters and settings also had the same transparent, cookie-cutter unreality. I wanted desperately to buy into the intrigue and be swept up in the mystery, but the hook was not there. I read a plot summary before deciding to permanently set aside the book, and it confirmed for me that not finishing was the right choice. I admittedly did not get far enough to judge for myself firsthand, but I feel that it is in poor taste for a male writer to depict a female character with a history of sexual trauma being threatened with rape.

Thank you again for the opportunity to read and review this and other titles, and I look forward eagerly to the opportunity to do so again in future.

This was good but don’t know if I would read it again. It deserves 3/5 stars, thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book to read!

I should have seen it coming. Really, I should have. But somehow Daniel G. Miller managed to keep me guessing, and I found myself right there with Hazel, trying to untangle what happened to Mia.

This is one of those slow-burn thrillers that doesn't rely on shock value or jump scares—it’s all about tension, grief, and the gut-punch of discovering truths you didn’t want to be true. Even once I had a sense of who might be involved, I wasn’t ready for the what. The reality of what happened? It hit hard.

Hazel's perspective is sharp and relatable, and the mystery unfolds with just enough complexity to keep you flipping pages but not so much that you feel lost in the weeds. It’s not flashy, but it’s effective—and emotionally grounded in a way that gives it staying power.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This one snuck up on me in the best (and worst) way.

Absolutely devoured this book and let me just say those characters you don't like by the end of it, the author does a fantastic job of giving them exactly what they deserve. I read this book until 3am in the morning, one of those nights I kept saying just one more chapter. When I found out who was behind everything I have to admit I was shocked. I did not see it coming. I can't wait to read more from this investigator in the Red Letter. If you enjoy a good atmospheric and character development this is for you. It may start slow but doesn't stay that way. I loved the attitude and perseverance of the main character. She is the energy and personality I love fighting for those who are forgotten.

This was a big miss for me. I found the synopsis on NetGalley intriguing and was expecting a suspenseful thriller, but that’s not what this turned out to be.

The main character, Hazel Cho, was awful. At first I thought she was going to be a little quirky, maybe a little scatter-brained and unconventional in her approach. Nope. She was unlikable, unfocused, and unprofessional. She often ran late for meetings or missed them entirely, and when she did finally get to meetings she was hungover or wearing the same clothes she slept in. Odd behavior for someone who needs the money from this case to pay for her living expenses and to keep her business afloat.

It was also exhausting listening to her think about all of her rules for private investigating.

- “One of the first rules of being a private investigator is don’t trust your client”
- “The second you stop learning is the second you stop being a good private investigator”
- “When you’re a private investigator you get a sixth sense for moral rot like something gone bad in your refrigerator”

There are more examples of this throughout the book and it didn’t help make her character any more likable. Stop thinking about these things and show us through your actions and through your efforts to solve the mystery. There was too much telling instead of showing. We’re in Hazel’s head for a lot of the book and most of what we learn we learn because we’re privy to Hazel’s thoughts and she gives us the information.

It was also obvious that Hazel was written by a man. I’m not someone who thinks men can never write women, but in this case it just didn’t work. A lot of her thoughts and actions didn’t feel true to a female character.

We hear a lot about Hazel’s weight and body throughout the book. Early on we learn that ten years ago she had a body that "wouldn’t quit" and since then she’s put on 15 pounds and now worries about collapsing chairs with her weight and busting the seams of dresses. At one point the only dress she has for an event is a skintight dress from when she was younger and skinnier. She describes putting on the dress as stuffing a sausage into a casing, but somehow once the dress is on it still fits and looks good on her because the tightness of the dress somehow smooths out the lumps on her body. Where did she get this miracle dress? Inquiring minds want to know.

While working the case Hazel can’t interact with any men near her age without looking at them as potential love interests. One of these men is so beautiful that all eyes follow him wherever he goes. When they’re together she has to get used to people staring as they walk by because they’re unable to take their eyes off of him. Really?!? Come on! He also gives her such full attention that it’s like having a permanent spotlight shining on her, and when she’s with him she’s the most important person in the world. Mind you, they met THREE DAYS BEFORE THIS and this is all happening while she’s working what is supposedly the most important case of her career.

A lot of this book felt very superficial. Because there was so much telling instead of showing it made it difficult to care about any of the characters or the mystery and potential twists. The book took a bit of a dark turn when the twist was introduced and it felt like the tone of the writing didn’t match the seriousness and the darkness that the investigation revealed. There was also a lot of build up throughout the book only for there to be a quick resolution.

The synopsis of this book grabbed my attention immediately and the cover is great. Ultimately, it just didn’t live up to its promise.

Thanks NetGally and Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced copy.

Thank you, Net Galley, for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. This was my first read by this author and I really enjoyed it! It kept me on the edge of my seat, once the setting was settled. I did feel that there were areas of the book that lagged, but overall enjoyed the story.

This was a quick good read however lacked suspense… the beginning of the book quickly pulls you in and I felt for Hazel. The middle you can clearly tell the author was trying to make us think it was everyone who she spoke to then tried to throw us off.. I think it maybe have been better to dive deeper into a few characters? However the end really picked up and I wanted Kenny and Hazel to fall I love however I love the partnership they are starting

Thank you Daniel G. Miller and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was a fast paced, easy to follow and very well written mystery thriller! It had twists I didn't see coming from the start (which doesn't normally happen) and the characters were very well written. I loved reading about a female PI (not my usual genre or FMC) as well as some of the cultural aspects of her life that affect her self confidence within her job and relationships.

This book was fast paced until the end - the author was always keeping the story moving forward and either wrapping up one twist while simultaneously introducing another to keep us on our toes and guessing where this story would end up - very well done!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance ecopy of this title. Hazel is living in NYC, and trying to get her PI business off the ground when she is visited by a wealthy socialite with a case that she must solve within two weeks in order to get paid. Hazel needs this money, but various PIs have already been unable to solve the case. This story brings Hazel to an all girls school in Lake George, and causes her to infiltrate a world of money, as well as the seamier side of wealth. Will Hazel solve the case and get her payday, or will she become a victim herself?

Hazel Cho is the P.I. I didn’t know I needed—sharp, sarcastic, and totally unbothered by your nonsense. The Orphanage by the Lake is a twisty, moody mystery with just enough grit and glam to keep things deliciously off-kilter. Creepy orphanage? Check. Rich lady with secrets? Double check. Hazel diving headfirst into danger with a smirk and a plan? I was all in. If you like your mysteries with brains, bite, and a badass heroine, don’t sleep on this one.

Thank you Daniel G. Miller, Poisoned Pen Press, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

The Orphanage by the Lake was a quick read, though often predictable. To me, the title felt misleading after getting the final twist and seeing how the book actually ended. I was both interested and entertained while reading especially from the teaser, but the plot moved slowly and was improbable at times. The last section of this book turned dark very quickly and became highly sinister. Be prepared for some serious trigger warnings, without giving too much away.

Hazel is struggling to make ends meet as a private investigator when Madeline Hemsley approaches her with an offer she cannot refuse. She seeks out Hazel in hopes of finding her goddaughter, Mia, a young girl who has gone missing from an Orphanage in Lake George. New York. Mia's disappearance has stumped everyone else, and with a reward for $100,000 dollars and a tight deadline, Hazel is determined to locate the child. But as Hazel dives deeper and deeper into the case, she realizes young girls have been going missing from the orphanage at an alarming rate over the past 50 years.

I will definitely read book 2, since I'm now invested, but will go into it expecting less suspense and more entertainment.

What I did enjoy about this book, was the impending deadline that allowed a more fast paced storyline with page turning events. However, the characters, stifled in character description, still lacked depth that would otherwise have made them believable and easy to connect with.


Thank you NetGalley and Daniel G. Miller for providing me with a digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

The plot moves clumsily, with many holes (ie, Why is Hazel hired? Why does she have lunch with the director of the orphanage as if they are instant friends? Why does she elicit confessions where many others have ostensibly failed?). The reader gets no sense of Hazel's unique intuition or intelligence or even work ethic. Instead, we are treated to a running litany of self-doubt, poor choices, and hangovers. And yet she solves the mystery, handily? This could use some additional developmental editing, especially since Hazel is charming and her character could develop over additional novels.

Hazel Cho is a Korean female private investigator whose career isn't going very well. Then Madeline Hemsley, a rich socialite, walks in and wants to hire Hazel to find her missing god-daughter. But the thing is, Mia has been missing for months, and the police aren't getting anywhere, and Hazel is the latest in a long line of private investigators that Madeline has hired. There's a caveat to Madeline's payment though...Hazel only has one week to find Mia or she won't receive the full payment promised to her, and she desperately needs the money.

This was a well-paced mystery with multiple suspects, lots of secrets, and plenty of twists. With two possible love interests for Hazel, there's an interesting romance subplot. With an uptight headmaster who doesn't want to talk to Hazel, a head mistress who is too familiar with Hazel, a creepy choir teacher, and an oddly friendly security person, suspects at the orphanage abound. But with them not talking, Hazel is running out of time to figure out what happened to Mia, and she'll have to find another way to get the information she needs.

All in all, this is a great start to the series. If you enjoy a boarding school (or orphanage) mystery, a female investigator willing to get her hands dirty, and a surprising twist, then this is definitely for you! A great crime fiction novel with slight romance, you won't want to miss this one!

Thank you to @PoisonedPenPress and @NetGalley for a digital copy for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.

Quand le mystère se perd en route.

Il y avait de quoi se laisser tenter par The Orphanage by the Lake : un résumé accrocheur, une ambiance un peu sombre et un début qui laissait espérer un vrai bon moment de lecture. Mais, très vite, le charme est brisé. L’intrigue, plutôt prometteuse, tombe rapidement dans une facilité déconcertante et on voit venir les retournements à des kilomètres. Les personnages manquent cruellement de consistance, enfermés dans des stéréotypes qui rendent le tout assez plat. L’enquête, censée porter l’histoire, passe au second plan, presque inexistante, ce qui laisse un vide dans le récit. Les thèmes abordés auraient mérité plus de subtilité, plus de profondeur.

Une lecture frustrante, à cause d’un potentiel mal exploité. C'est dommage.

Merci à Netgalley, à l'auteur et aux éditeurs pour cette lecture.