This was a solid follow up to The Orphanage by the Lake! I love Hazel and Kenny and was very glad to hang out with them again.
I figured out who the killer was pretty early on, but still really enjoyed reading all the twists and turns!
I hope there are more books to follow!

thank you @netgalley for this ARC.
Part of The Orphanage by the Lake
Pub Date Jul 22 2025

A DEAD BODY. A MYSTERIOUS RED LETTER.

Hazel has everything she wants.

Business is booming at her boutique private investigation firm. She's dating the man of her dreams. Even her perpetually skeptical mother seems impressed. Then the NYPD finds a beloved neighborhood priest dead along with a mysterious red letter.

Hazel investigates the murder as a favor to an old friend and discovers that the priest wasn't the only recent murder victim to receive a red letter...and one victim has ties to a psychopath from a past life that Hazel thought she had buried. One by one, the red letters continue to appear, and with every letter, another killing, each more mysterious than the last.

As Hazel closes in on the killer, the killer closes in on her, and Hazel begins to question everything she thought she knew about herself and the people around her. Even worse, Hazel discovers that the only way to find the truth is to open one more...


The first book was gripping gripping, suspenseful journey but I didn't like the detective however this book is another case of her and this time I liked it. It's a part of Hazel series but also you can read this as standalone. I liked the suspense elements and the letter theme, very gripping with twist and turns in every chapter.

I got an ARC of this book because I loved the first one! This one was so good! On the end of my seat the whole time! I did guess the killer a little over half way through but that definitely didn’t take away from the story!!

This second book in the series is one that I enjoyed even more than the first. The bleak tone matches the sense of dread that seeps over Hazel as she gets drawn into a new case involving a serial killer. The stakes are higher than before too, with someone following her from the moment she begins investigating. Despite the tension, I enjoyed how her humour still shone through in the narration. Two things I struggle to find in thrillers are a main character who is actually smart, and a reveal that I didn’t see coming. I’m glad that on top of everything else this book did well, it also had both of those. Looking forward to reading more books in this series.

This is the second book in the series. I loved the first one. This one continues where the first left off. Hazel is on to her next case after a priest dies. She's asked to find the killer.. She discovers it's the work of a serial killer. She could be the next victim. This is the second book I've read by Daniel G Miller, and he definitely knows how to write thrillers. This one has some light romance, but it's not the focus of the book.

I was hopeful that some of what I didn’t like from the first book would improve but unfortunately I’m left with the same dissatisfactions. Definitely seems like it will be a fun series for some, but not for me.

Goodness me, this was such a good book. Highly entertaining. Would definitely recommend to others, that's for sure!

Ok, WOW! This murder mystery was quite the ride! I thought I had the culprit figured out more than once—but I was wrong every time. No spoilers here, but… woaaaah! The twists kept me guessing until the very end.

Even though I hadn’t read the first book in the series, I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to follow the story. I never felt lost or confused, which is a huge win. In fact, this book was so good, I now have to go back and read the first one!

Beyond the thrilling mystery, the emotional depth of the characters really stood out. Their complexity and growth added so much to the story and made it more than just a standard whodunit.

Highly recommend—whether you’re new to the series or already a fan!

This was a unique read. I did read the first book in the series and this one filed right in line. It was an twist and turn book that kept me engaged the entire time. I did enjoy how the characters were each described too. I felt like I knew the characters and I felt the emotions. I cant wait for the next book in this series!

In *Red Letter*, Hazel, a private investigator, is drawn into a chilling murder case when a beloved priest is found dead alongside a mysterious red letter. As more murders unfold, each linked to the cryptic letters, Hazel must confront a terrifying past and a relentless killer who may be closer to her than she ever imagined.

Private eye Hazel is asked to join a defense attorney to help find evidence acquitting her young client. The murder he is charged with soon becomes multiple murders, all involving first the receipt of a red letter with a biblical quote and drawings done in animal blood. The murderer is never seen and leaves no clues at the scene.
It is common in a murder mystery or other thriller novel for the reader to suspend belief in order to go with the flow of the story. In The Red Letter, author Daniel G. Miller pushes that beyond what I was able to suspend. The criminal gets too many passes on reality for me to believe that these crimes could have happened multiple times with no one the wiser as to the culprit.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was the first book I have ready by Daniel Miller. I can assure you, it will not be the last.

The characters of this book draw me in. Hazel is private investigator that you can't help but adore. She is cunning, intelligent, and she draws you in as the reader. While some may find her rude, I find it as realistic to what the author was trying to portray the personality of this character. The plot is about priest receiving a "red letter" that is actually poisoned and written in blood and Hazel is tasked with trying to solve the murder. The plot in my opinion was well thought out and had some twists and turns in it that I like to see with any good thriller book that I am reading.

Overall, I gave this book 4 stars because I actually ended up predicting the ending. However, I highly recommend this book. Especially to those reader who may be newer to the thriller genre.

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc in exchange for my honest review.

When Hazel Cho is asked to investigate the murder of a beloved neighborhood priest, her life is soon consumed by a mysterious murdererthat leaves a red letter for his victims before their deaths. All is not as it seems as Hazel is pulled into this case as her dreamy boyfriend runs for office and her newly revamped office for her private investigation firm gets off the ground.
A novel that takes you in from the first page, The Red Letter is a winner.

Firstly thank you for sending me this arc.

I loved the first book in this series so was really looking forward to this one. Sadly it didn’t live up to my expectations. Honestly I’m not sure why but there was just something missing from this for me. I wasn’t gripped by the plot & I found the ending to be quite predictable. I did like the anonymous chapters though, I felt they added a really part to the story.

I think this was personally not for me, but one I could recommend to others. It felt like there wasn’t much action until the last 30% of the book, which is what I look for in a thriller. The plot twist definitely caught me off guard, though! I think I didn’t particularly vibe with this one, but it was definitely well-written and entertaining!

Murder, Mystery, and a Message from Above: Miller's Latest Thriller Delivers

Daniel G. Miller's The Red Letter opens with a corpse and a crimson envelope - and doesn't let up from there. This second book in his Orphanage by the Lake series grabs you by the throat and drags you through a maze of religious intrigue, buried secrets, and enough plot twists to give you whiplash.

Miller knows how to pull his readers through a story. The pages practically turn themselves as he unspools this tale of death and divine intervention. His prose is lean and mean, without an ounce of fat. Each scene ratchets up the tension until you're sitting on the edge of your seat, promising yourself "just one more chapter" at 2 AM.

The religious elements could have felt heavy-handed, but Miller weaves them naturally into the fabric of the mystery. They add depth without preaching, though some readers might find the spiritual undertones a bit much. The story works perfectly well as a standalone thriller, but series fans will catch extra layers of meaning and character development from the first book.

What really sets The Red Letter apart is how it balances its breakneck plot with genuine human drama. Sure, there's a mysterious letter that might or might not be heaven-sent, but it's the earthly relationships and raw emotions that'll keep you invested. Miller has crafted something special here - a thriller that makes you think while it keeps you up at night.

Rating: 4/5 stars

For fans of: Dean Koontz, William Peter Blatty, and stories where faith meets fear.

Comparable Titles
• All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers
• The Housemaid Is Watching by Freida McFadden
• And There He Kept Her by Joshua Moehling

This was my first book by Daniel J. Miller and I will be looking further into his catalog. I enjoyed this book. I consider myself a thriller girlie and The Red Letter definitely delivered.

3.5⭐️
This was a quick crime thriller I quite enjoyed. I thought this story line was unique and I liked the characters in the story whether they were the good or bad guy. I didn’t read the orphanage by the lake but I did not find that took away anything from this book.

Hazel a PI investigates a murder as a favor to an old friend and discovers that the victim, a priest who received a red letter wasn't the only recent murder victim to receive a red letter. One by one, the red letters continue to appear, and with every letter, another killing, each more mysterious than the last.
As Hazel closes in on the killer, the killer closes in on her, and Hazel begins to question everything she thought she knew about herself and the people around her.

WOW! What an amazing book! I loved that I was kept on my toes the entire time. The suspense was great and the characters were great as well! If you read the first book, I highly recommend continuing with this one!

I was immediately pulled in. Even though it’s the second in a series (and I haven’t read the first), I had no trouble following and now I’m definitely going back to read book one.

Fast, tense, and thought-provoking. Highly recommend if you like political thrillers with a dystopian twist.