I struggled with this book. I really liked the premise in the description but the overall story just didn't live up.
I will start off with the Pros:
The author does a beautiful job with descriptions. Character descriptions, environment descriptions, and scene descriptions. It is done so well that you can picture exactly where you are and who you are with. The twisty mystery elements are also good. While not necessarily surprising, it still provides that 'wow" moment.
Unfortunately now the cons:
The main character is immature and not particularly well developed. The author appears to rely on common stereotypes and tropes to explain bad behavior. Her interactions with other characters feel juvenile. Character conversations feel forced and not realistic in nature.
This is a 2.5 for me - rounded to a 3.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This one wasn't for me. The author writes well, and does a good job at setting a scene, but things felt too chaotic. There were things that happened in the story that never went anywhere, the ending was easy to spot from a mile away, and the characters were not likeable.

I’d been wanting to read this for ages, having seen lots of praise and mentions on list of books based around institutions. Also, seeing it picked up by Poisoned Press Pen is usually a good sign, following in the footsteps of Freida McFadden and William Friend.

Hazel Cho is a private investigator hired to investigate the disappearance of a girl from The Orphanage By The Lake. Private Investigator books seem like a bit of a novelty from a bygone age but I’m all for something different.

Sorry to say but I found this book a book a bit mild and a bit soft. Follow the logical steps, join the dots, uncover something, and then a few twists.

Underwhelmed is the word I’d use to summarise.

Thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press

About the book: "Hazel is thirty years old, single, and her private investigation business is months away from folding. Her luck takes a turn when Madeline Hemsley, a mysterious socialite, pays Hazel a visit with an offer too enticing to resist. An orphan girl has disappeared from a children’s home—The Orphanage By The Lake, as the locals call it—and Madeline wants Hazel to find her. As Hazel investigates, she discovers some terrifying secrets".

My review: This book will have you on the edge of your seat, as it slowly unravels the mystery of what happened to Mia. I really enjoyed this story!! I really liked the main character Hazel, the private investigator in the story. This author was really talented at describing characters. So much so that I looked forward to when a new character was introduced! I personally did not guess the twist at the end, it genuinely surprised me! This was the kind of book I couldn't put down, and I had to know what was going to happen next. I found myself reading it with every bit of free time I had. I had never heard of the author Daniel Miller before reading this book, and now I want to check if he has any other books to add to my TBR list! 100% recommend this one!!

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

This book was full of twists and turns and everything was set up perfectly! I will be reading more from this author and can't wait!

This story did keep me hooked until the end. It reminded me a lot of a cozy mystery until the end. I thought the characters were relatable and likes the relationship between Hazel and Kenny. The ending did feel a little rushed though. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc!

Wow, this was so written by a man. The main character made stupid decisions that no person would actually do.

What a ride! This is what a thriller should be! I literally couldn't not put this book down. The suspense was perfect! Daniel Miller has just become an auto buy author for me and The Orphanage by the Lake is now one of my all time favorite thrillers!

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC. A little predictable, good concept, Thought there was going to be a little more spookiness to it with the orphanage. OK read, nothing spectacular.

Private investigator Hazel is searching for a missing girl, a case that leads her to a secluded orphanage by the lake. As she delves into the girl’s disappearance, she uncovers a complex web of secrets hidden within the orphanage’s walls. Every clue she finds brings her closer to the truth, but also deeper into a mystery that no one seems eager to have solved.

I personally enjoyed this book! The mystery kept me engaged, and I loved following Hazel as she unraveled each clue, slowly piecing together the truth. While some sections moved at a more measured pace, the story’s steady unraveling of secrets kept me invested from start to finish. I know opinions on this one are mixed, but I personally found it compelling and engaging.

Female private detective on a case to find a missing girl. Not a lot of suspense and the mystery did not get fully developed. This book is a set up for the potential next book in the series. This was an ok read.

This was not at all what I expected and I’m not sure that’s a good thing. It was fine but not necessarily remarkable.

I want to thank NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF. Absolutely not. The writing was insufferable and the main character fr irritated the hell out of me. Tbh I was bored. Nothing was exciting.

This really was not one of my favorite books. I should rate as a 2.5 than a 2. I downloaded thinking it was going to be a great read but was disappointed. The main character was very annoying to me but not in an intentional way that made the story better. The title really didn't fit the book. The characters had no depth. No suspense was ever built from chapter to chapter. Plus I have LITERALLY NEVER seen a more obvious villain EVER in reading a mystery book. It was clearly no surprise who was behind everything. Also not the best closing line on a book. IMO, I don’t recommend this book.

So many great thrillers coming up. One to watch for is the Orphanage by the Lake by Daniel G. Miller. It was great.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC and opportunity to review this book.

I really enjoyed this one minus a few hiccups. The lead female fell short in the suspense and thrill category but it was nice to see a female playing a private investigator role.

It wasn’t overly suspenseful but had enough to keep you wanting to turn the page and find out how it ended. I suspected who the villain was before it was revealed but the author did a great job tying everything together.

Overall 4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I haven’t read anything by this author before but I was intrigued by the title of the book and the description. The main character, a private investigator, is a bit of an airhead but she seems to do her job well enough to keep up with the bills. She is approached by an obviously well off woman in search of her goddaughter who has gone missing from a girls orphanage in upstate New York. She is given a deadline and told if she finds the girl by then she’ll be paid an exorbitant amount of money but if she fails she’ll not receive any compensation at all. The story follows through all the investigating she does and the conclusions she makes. There are lots of possibilities and the author kept me guessing about what was actually happening. If you like a good mystery you’ll probably like this book. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was one of my most anticipated reads, but the execution just didn't do it for me. It's a fast paced and easy read, but it was very slow and the twist just didn't work for me.

The Orphanage by the Lake is a suspenseful page turner. It kept me guessing the outcome from the start. I really like the main characters of Hazel and Kenny. I am looking forward to reading book number two in the series

The cover and the title held hopes of an atmospheric and gothic tale which this was not. However, I embraced it for what it was, which was a light hearted detective novel for the first three quarters. I found it interesting enough to keep reading but not compelling. I was then thrown to discover that the final quarter of the book led to dark and gritty content, which would be a suitable part of the plot if the rest of the book had been of this nature. This was a mixed bag which didn't work for me but would probably be enjoyed by some readers.