First time reading this author and loved the book. It kept me reading it and not wanting to put it down. I would recommend to family and friends.

A quick and easy read, easily could be finished in a sitting or two.
I was intrigued from the get-go, and was surprised with how dark it got once you got past the first half of the story.
Hazel drove me crazy sometimes though, as she acted without thinking and would do wreckless things.
But overall I enjoyed it!

Struggled to get into the basic but confusing plot. It didn’t hold my interested to the point I can remember the plot fully.

The characters themselves were chaotic and unorganised. They lacked a structure.

I appreciated the premise of the story, but it felt a bit predictable. That said, I did enjoy the writing style and the brevity. Often, these types of stories overcomplicate things in an attempt to deliver a big twist, but this one kept it short and sweet

3.5* I’ll start with the bad. Initially, I didn’t understand the negative comments about the book ie. “obviously written by a man,” “stereotypical,” and “sexual fetish.” That is, until I hit the 90% mark of the book. And I thought, ‘ah yes, I get it now’.

Moving on to what I enjoyed:
As someone who has lived through and is still living in an extremely, e x t r e m e l y conservative Asian society where everything feels very sheltered and often put off by foreign culture, I can attest that grown women (and men) can sometimes be similar to the half-Asian FMC in this book. Her portrayal feels pretty accurate to me.

Personally, I don’t think Hazel is far off from many people I’ve encountered in my day-to-day life in the Asian society I live in. Was she an immature 30-year-old? Did she act like a naive child? Did she annoyingly and severely lack professionalism and urgency? Was she (and some of the other characters) a massive cliché? Were her priorities completely off? All big yes-es. However, given the lightness of this book, these traits didn’t bother me too much.

I also didn’t think the writing was bad, as some others implied. I found the transitions in the prose to be very fluid and enjoyable to read! While the plot and conclusion might not be groundbreaking and it most definitely won’t win any awards, it was still mindlessly entertaining for me.

This book is definitely on the lighter side of thrillers (even lighter than Freida McFadden); it’s basically Nancy Drew for adults if you’re wondering. Coming off the heels of reading Daisy Haites, which is EXTREMELY emotion-inducing, this book was an absolutely welcoming palate cleanser for me.

***

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC!

This book had me suspecting EVERYBODY! There was not one character I could trust & I was trying to channel my inner Hazel the whole time. This was a fast paced, easy read with a whole lot of mystery & even a sprinkle of romance in it.

What secrets lurk behind the walls of an old orphanage? We find out in Miller's gripping debut thriller—and trust me, you might wish you hadn't.

The story follows Hazel, a Korean-American PI whose struggling business lands its biggest case yet: a missing girl from the ominously named Orphanage by the Lake. What starts as a routine investigation quickly spirals into something far darker. Think you've read every detective story out there? This one's different.

Miller turns readers into amateur sleuths, dropping just enough breadcrumbs to keep us three steps behind Hazel but desperate to catch up. The orphanage itself broods over every page like a malevolent presence, hiding secrets that go deeper than anyone imagined. And Hazel? She's the kind of protagonist who feels real—smart but flawed, determined but sometimes in over her head.

The story isn't perfect. Some middle chapters drag where they should sprint, and a few plot threads feel a bit loose. But when Miller hits his stride—which is often—the pages practically turn themselves. James Patterson called it "irresistible," and for once, the praise fits.

This is the first book in a series (the sequel, The Red Letter, TBR July 2025), and it's clear Miller's just warming up. If you like your mysteries with a side of psychological horror and characters who stick with you long after the last page, this one's for you.

Verdict: A fresh take on the psychological thriller that proves Miller's a name to watch. Despite some pacing hiccups, it's a strong debut that'll keep you up way too late.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Hazel is a young private detective, but isn’t getting great jobs and is having trouble making ends meet. Then, a woman comes in to her office one day and offers her a few thousand dollars to start, then will pay her $100,000 if she can find her missing goddaughter in only eight days. Mia is the girl who went missing from the orphanage she was living at. Outwardly, it appears the orphanage is a great place for these girls, but there seem to be some odd things going on… And the further Hazel digs into things, the more dangerous it becomes.

I really liked this. There were a lot of suspects whom it could have been, so I kept going between them, thinking it might be each of them. Or at least that each might be involved in some way. I really liked Hazel; as scary as this job got, she was tough and determined. This was a Netgalley book to be published this month, and I’m really hoping this might morph into a series, because I’d love to read more and see where this all goes for Hazel.

I loved, loved, loved this book! Starting with Hazel, loved her from page one!!!! She was spunky and quirky. Determined!!!

I loved reading this thriller with the added bonus of watching Hazel navigate through life and overcoming the bad with the good! I couldn't stop reading and was shocked at the ending.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC for my honest review!

#NetGalley #TheOrphanageByTheLake #DanielMiller

Thank you to the publisher and author for this ARC. Unfortunately, this book was a bit slow for me, especially in regard to the first half of the book.
Because the MC didn’t take herself seriously, I wasn’t sure if I should either.
Due to the pacing of this book, it just wasn’t my favorite.

The Orphanage By The Lake
By: Daniel G Miller
3/5 ⭐️

This book follows Hazel, a Private Investigator, on her newest case - solving the disappearance of a teenage orphan at St Agnes. The case is given a deadline of just 8 days to solve, so Hazel will have to act quickly to find Mia.

This book is felt like was a quick and easy read if you’re looking for one. It’s my second book where the main character, a woman, acts naive and extremely lusting throughout the book. I love a good strong female character and was hoping for it in this book especially since her career is a PI, but was let down. She has some good moments, but as a female PI I felt like she wasn’t written as strong as she should’ve been, especially given the tight deadline of his case assignment and the dire need for money she seems to be in.

The book did however have some good twists, some more predictable and some that catch you off guard, but nonetheless you will be sucked into this on the hunt for Mia, this missing orphan. I would still recommend it for a quick read for those looking for one.

Thank you @NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review - #orphanagebythelake

Very twisty and nail-biting with great characters and a very well developed story line. A really good read!

Hazel is running her own PI company that's on the edge of going out of business. When Madeline hires her to investigate her goddaughter's disappearance, Hazel takes on the case. The police aren't very active in the case thinking she's just a runaway and any potential witnesses aren't talking. As Hazel digs deeper, strange things are happening at the children's home called the orphanage by the lake, and the farther she investigates, the more danger she finds.
This story was just ok for me. Hazel is upset at the lack of business but yet acts totally unprofessional so many times. I didn't really like how her character was portrayed the first half of the book. Most of the twists in the story were predictable and the ending seemed a bit rushed.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"A MISSING GIRL. AN ORPHANAGE FILLED WITH SECRETS.

Hazel wants a new life.

She's 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.

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 The Orphanage by the Lake holds terrifying secrets, and even worse...

...so does Madeline.

Fans of Freida McFadden's The Housemaid, Charlie Donlea's The Girl Who Was Taken, and Karin Slaughter's Pretty Girls will love this twisty, suspenseful thill-ride."

I mean, if you have something to hide, perhaps going into a business of uncovering secrets isn't the wisest move...

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of The Orphanage by the Lake by Daniel G. Miller in exchange for my honest review.***

Daniel G. Miller’s The Orphanage by the Lake is an absolutely riveting psychological thriller that had me hooked from the very first page. This book is the perfect blend of mystery, suspense, and eerie atmosphere, pulling you into a world filled with dark secrets, chilling twists, and a protagonist you can’t help but root for.

The story follows Hazel, a struggling private investigator in Manhattan who takes on the case of finding a missing girl named Mia, who vanished from the mysterious Saint Agnes orphanage in Lake George. She is giving a deadline, by Madeline, the not too friendly women who hires her for the job, that she must abide by to get paid. Every chapter builds on the suspense, making it impossible to put down.

And that ending? I did not see it coming. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, the author flipped the story on its head in a way that left me speechless. It’s the kind of twist that makes you want to go back and reread the book just to catch all the hidden clues you missed the first time.
Beyond the incredible storytelling, I have to say that Poisoned Pen Press continues to impress me with their outstanding selection of books. Every title they publish is gripping, smartly written, and impossible to forget—and The Orphanage by the Lake is no exception. Miller’s writing is sharp, immersive, and full of depth, making this one of my favorite thrillers in recent memory.

If you love dark mysteries with jaw-dropping twists and richly developed characters, The Orphanage by the Lake is a must-read. Daniel G. Miller has delivered a masterpiece, and I can’t wait to see what he writes next!

This is a lovely fast paced book that draws the read in from the start. Hazel is a dynamic character that draws the reader in and sweeps them up in the case she is working on. This book is dark, mysterious, and intriguing. Twists and turns will keep the reader engaged right up until the end. This book is perfect for book clubs, or mystery lovers alike.
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

The Orphanage by the Lake by Daniel G. Miller
4⭐️
Genre: Thriller, Dark
Release Date: March 18, 2025
Pre-order available

Hazel Cho is a private investigator hired by socialite Madeline Hemsley to find her missing 12-year-old goddaughter, Mia. Mia was attending an elite all-girls orphanage when she went missing 6 months ago. Hazel Cho has a deadline of two weeks to find Mia. With her business weeks away from going under, she accepts the job that promises a $100,000 paycheck. Hazel runs into a myriad of suspicious and shady people during her investigation. The staff at the orphanage cannot be trusted. The sheriff’s department is anything but helpful. The situation looks hopeless until Hazel accidentally runs into the missing piece.

This book is dark and mysterious and caught my interest right away. There were some sensitive topics, but the incidents didn’t go into specifics, so I feel like most people will be able to handle them. This will be a book that I recommend to readers interested in the mystery genre.

I was looking forward to reading this book, but I was ‘disappointed’ to say it nicely.

The story has definitely potential, but it needs so much more. If you want to write and create a strong FMC, you should know women. The character development felt short. The Main character is dumb and I was for 80% of the book annoyed with her. There is nothing worse than a man is speaking through a female character and it's very obvious. If the main character would be a guy, it would have been a lot better.
The pacing was okayish, but the ‘mystery’ just didn't grab me. I found the story very predictable. The ending…..well….it could have been good as the writer would have taken his time. Now it feels rushed and what was supposed to be the big bang ended up being just a ‘plop’.
Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me.


I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, NetGalley, and Storm Publishing for this copy.

I really really wanted to love this book but honestly I could not get into it. You can 100% tell the author is a man writing about the FMC, it gave me the ick sometimes. The FMC annoyed me with her life choices, relationships and almost everything. I struggled getting through this book and probably would not pick up the second when its released. The 3 stars is because the idea of the plot sounded amazing and there times where I did enjoy the book but then was kinda let down again.

Absolutely fantastic, I couldn't put it down and I didn't want too. This is my first book by this author but I will definitely be looking for more