Hazel Cho, a PI who could use a cash infusion, agrees to look for Mia, who has gone missing from the, well orphanage by the lake. That orphanage is a creepy place with deep secrets. It's a good,. albeit familiar, set up and I had high hopes. Regrettably, the execution didn't work for me. As some others have noted, Hazel spends a lot of time worrying about her romantic life and seems clueless at times. And I agree, the fact that she's written by a man is clear. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. I know others will enjoy this.

“She extends her hand and I shake it, feeling like I’ve just done a deal with the devil herself.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5/5)

Hazel Cho wants a new life. She’s thirty years old, single, and her private investigation business is on the brink of crashing.

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 named Mia 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 Mia is Madeline’s goddaughter.

At first glance, it appears to be a standard runaway case, but as Hazel plunges into the investigation, she finds signs of something more: unexplained blood stains, cryptic symbols, sinister figures shadowing her every move. The more she digs, the more she realizes that something sinister is going on, and she may also be in danger. She begins working with a local cop, the headmaster, other orphanage personnel, and even a socialite, but can she trust them?

The book was told by Hazel’s POV in chronological order. I haven’t read a book like that in awhile so it was a nice change of pace. The investigation into finding Mia is one dead end after another and while all the characters had the set up to be the culprit, there were less red herrings and more pointless dead ends that for me felt kinda meh.

I will say that the truth of the crime itself was well hidden and I failed to 100% correctly guess what was going to be revealed in the climax. I had worked some bits and pieces out but the mechanics of it had alluded me.

It was definitely darker than I expected but still kept me on my toes. I didn’t really connect with any characters either which is why the book was just okay for me. I never felt shocked or had any jaw dropping moments.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was just WOW! I was sucked into the plot immediately and I was obsessed with it until the last moment. It was thrilling and shocking, I never knew what was coming next and I loved it! It was such a great read, I can’t wait for the sequel. (There HAS to be a sequel.) Great story from a very promising author!

This was a compelling read centred around the disappearance of Mia, a young girl living at an orphanage. The story follows PI, Hazel, as she attempts to uncover the truth behind Mia’s disappearance. With many twists and turns, the book keeps you hooked and you can’t help reading on.
Looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

This book had a lot of potential, but ultimately felt like a familiar story that we've seen before. While it was a quick read with some suspenseful moments, I found it to be fairly predictable. The writing style came across as somewhat juvenile, almost as though it could have been classified as YA—except for the darker themes introduced toward the end. Overall, it was an enjoyable enough read, but it didn’t quite live up to its full potential. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this copy.

3.5 stars for me on this one …. This story follows a struggling private investigator Hazel Cho, who is hired by Madeline Hemsley to find her missing goddaughter, 12-year-old Mia Thomas. Mia disappeared 3 months ago from St. Agnes Home for Girls. The police believe Mia ran away, other investigators have been no help, and Hazel has just two weeks to uncover the truth. The mystery itself is gripping. As Hazel delves deeper into Mia's disappearance, the stakes rise, and the tension builds. There’s an atmospheric quality to the setting, with the “orphanage by the lake” holding more secrets than anyone realizes. The author does a wonderful job weaving in twists and red herrings, keeping the reader guessing until the very end.

I found myself frustrated by some of Hazel’s decisions. There were moments when she took unnecessary risks or acted impulsively, which detracted from the plot. These missteps were part of her character, at times they felt like they took away from the overall tension of the mystery. While Hazel’s decisions can be annoying, they don’t take away from the overall enjoyment of the book. Mystery fans who like flawed detectives will enjoy this book.

I enjoyed this book, it is an excellent read! I did not take me long to read, it is a definite page turner! If you love a good thriller this is the book for you!

This book had so many twists and turns that I did not see coming. It was my first really good thriller/mystery book of the year. I can't say enough good things about this book!

The premise was great and I was so excited for this book, but I was unfortunately very let down. It was obvious that the book was written by a man who is not fully aware/didn't consult someone on how most women act. Our main character, Hazel was typecast as a stereotyplical old timer not intelligent woman with an unhealthy obsession with sugar free. Also, no investigator acts like she did in this book. It was very frustrating and showed, maybe, a lack of research or research being done in the wrong places.

I started The Orphanage By The Lake with high hopes, because I love a good private eye mystery case! Hazel Cho, 30 year old private investigator from Manhattan, is hired by a mysterious WASPy woman from upstate whose goddaughter has gone missing from an all girls orphanage. Hazel has 8 days to do what 6 private detectives before her failed to do and find the missing Mia.

Yeah, so I got about half a page into this book and immediately hated the writing style. I should have known better, but I decided to power through! Sometimes books that aren't to my usual taste still end up being great, ya know?

...Not this one. It became painfully clear within a chapter or two that there is absolutely no way a grown woman wrote this. I looked, expecting this was a teen's writing, and instead found another perfectly good explanation: a middle aged man is the author. Don't get me wrong, I fully don't think that automatically is a bad thing! Writing outside of your own perspective is great... if it's done in a way that isn't painfully clear that it was written by someone with absolutely zero concept of the point of view of the person they write.

Everything Hazel does in this story is the antithesis of what an adult woman would do. She has no survival instincts at all. She's supposed to be a private detective, but she doesn't even have the natural fear of men that any woman over the age of like 20 has, nonetheless one that's intimately aware how dangerous bad men can be to a woman. She has a tazer that she never has her hands on except when it's not needed, she constantly follows strange men into solitary situations where nobody would know if something happened to her, and she isn't suspicious of any women even though she as a detective should know damn well that there's almost always a woman involved in trafficking little girls.

Every single detail ended up being predictable. I don't try to guess the endings, I hate guessing the endings, but this one telegraphed every single 'twist' along the way. The only reason I'm giving this a 2* instead of 1* is because it wasn't absolutely terrible. I think that a teen girl would probably really like this. It's not marketed to teens, but I think it would work well. This is not disparaging teen girls' reading habits, this is speaking as a former teen girl who knows I would have totally been fine with this book when I was about 14.

I was instantly drawn to the main character, Hazel Cho. She’s smart and fierce, insecure and vulnerable all at once. I enjoyed slowly learning more about this 30 year old Korean American PI living in a ramshackle NYC apartment in Chinatown with her childhood friend who cooks her mouthwatering Korean comfort food when he’s not gaming.
The character development was well done, as were the descriptions of various locations, from the austere orphanage in a stunning location and Hazel’s own office that’s seen better days, to the haunts of the cities wealthy. Hazel’s need for cash forces her to take on a case from a wealthy socialite she neither likes nor trusts, but it’s her heart that keeps her searching for the woman’s missing godchild when others have failed.
The plot has interesting twists that kept me hooked, and the end has left me looking forward to the next book in the series.
Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advance copy, I enjoyed it. It hit a sweet spot between the grittier police procedurals I often read and cozy mysteries for me.

I absolutely LOVED this book. Gave me the chills with some spooky vibes. Could not put it down. MUST READ.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC of The Orphanage by the Lake by Daniel G. Miller. This book was a brilliant concept and had so much potential, but unfortunately, it was very slow and lackluster and fell short for me. The main character, Hazel, was very dense and seemed overly fixated on her dating life and personal image rather than her struggling PI business, and I found myself rolling my eyes when she complained about not having enough time to solve the case, yet there was no sense of urgency. I had a hard time trying to get fully immersed in the book because Hazel was not a character I could get emotionally attached to and her character seemed like a representation of an ignorant early 20s woman venturing out into the working world instead of being a fully functional, competent, or mature 30 year old with her own PI business. I found the ending to be predictable, as I suspected the "bad guy" as soon as they were introduced. Overall, the storyline had potential and the concept was interesting, but the writing and development of the story could have used a bit of help.

Hazel is an incredible character, so much depth. An offer too good to be true? Edge of your seat suspense. What is really happening at the orphanage? Very well paced, lots of build up and great delivery.  Cant wait for book 2.

NEW ARC READ!!!
COMING TO YOU 18TH MARCH 2025!!!


Book : The Orphanage By The Lake
Author : Daniel G. Miller
Genre : Psychological Crime Thriller

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨


This is the story of Hazel Cho, an Asian American private investigator struggling to make ends meet who was hired by a high class socialite woman one day named Madeline to look for a girl, Mia a talented orphan who went missing from the orphanage.

Unfortunately this girl has been missing for 6 months now which makes things abit more complicating to unravel. As Hazel is investigating the case, she realizes that there’s alot of dishonesty and doubts that comes her way with the people she is interrogating. To the point she starts not trusting her own closest friend.

I enjoyed this book most definitely but I did feel like it was sort of predictable. It was a fun read for sure just as I would still recommend it as I would recommend any of Freida McFadden’s books. I did love the writing very much as it draws you in from the start!

Thank you @netgalley and @poisonedpenpress and the author for letting me read this fun psychological thriller and allowing me to give my honest feedback on this ARC.


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3.5 Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC of The Orphanage by the Lake by Daniel G. Miller. This novel offers an intriguing premise of missing orphans set against the backdrop of a mysterious boarding school, but ultimately, it left me wanting more. One of the book's primary shortcomings for me was the predictability of the main villain. Their role was from the start, which detracted from the suspense and intrigue that a thriller should ideally maintain. I was trying to convince myself that there was NO WAY they was the top dog because it was literally spelled out from the start. A more complex and unexpected villain could have added an exciting layer to the plot and maybe would have detracted from the glaring truth that this book was centered around a woman, but was clearly written by a man. I didn't hate this book but I thought it has so much more potential.

Great book!!!! I certainly did not expect that ending. Thanks for keeping me guessing until the very last page. Will definitely recommend!

I really appreciated the atmosphere in this novel along with the well developed characters and the twists, even though I had a strong suspicion about them. I particularly enjoyed the main character and her tenacity. Recommend for fans of Freida McFadden and John Marrs.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the eARC!!

This book follows Hazel, a private investigator, as she takes on her latest case: the mysterious disappearance of a teenage orphan named Mia at St. Agnes. With just eight days to crack the case, Hazel must work swiftly to uncover the truth.

The narrative flows easily, making it a quick read for those in search of one. However, this is the second book I've encountered where the female protagonist comes across as naive and overly focused on romance. I appreciate a compelling female character, especially one in a position as challenging as a private investigator, but I found Hazel's portrayal somewhat disappointing. Despite a few strong moments, I expected her character to embody more resilience, given the urgent timeline and her evident financial struggles.

On the bright side, the story includes several intriguing twists—some predictable and others truly surprising. You'll likely find yourself engrossed in the search for Mia, the missing orphan. Overall, I would still recommend it for anyone looking for a fast-paced read.

I appreciated the thought but it seemed predictable. Too over complicated for a story. But I liked the writing.

Thank you Publisher and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and isn't influenced by anyone else