The Orphanage by the Lake

The Orphanage By The Lake #1

by Daniel G. Miller

A MISSING GIRL

AN ORPHANAGE FULL OF 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.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Book Club, Fiction, Suspense, Crime

300 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 26, 2024

About the author

Daniel G. Miller is a bestselling thriller and adventure novelist. When he's not writing, he enjoys contemplating the "what-ifs" of the world, traveling and celebrating with his wife, and sitting on the couch like an ogre watching NBA basketball. He currently lives in Boca Raton with his wife, Lexi.

Reviews

[Julie Carson · Rating 2 out of 5]

clearly written by a man

[Mackenzie Cox · Rating 1 out of 5]

The best part of this book was finishing it. My mind is blown that it’s a 4+ star on Good Reads, and now I can never trust anyone again 🫠 So much of this book I disliked…. The main character was absolutely insufferable — her personality and behavior screamed ~ chaotic ~ , and her lack of professionalism in her job was appalling. She constantly lamented her lack of work and dire financial situation while simultaneously being late to appointments, missing phone calls from her current client, and showing up to appts in yesterday’s clothes (multiple times). I can see why she struggled to stay afloat. Her cocky attitude and self-proclaimed expertise wasn’t justified by her weak experience. And her obsession with sugar-free Red Bull just irritated me 🙄

The entire book felt very juvenile with basic prose, too many cliche phrases and situations, and lack of character development. The plot was not interesting enough to continue, but as someone who refuses to DNF, I kept trudging on. The ending felt jarringly out of place and incredibly rushed. While I don’t want to spoil anything, I feel like the ending needs more attention and care, but instead was hastily wrapped up and discarded.

[Jade (has lost the plot) · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book had me thinking i was about to read a gritty, mind bending psychological thriller but instead i got an immature PI stumbling through red bull fueled trauma, questionable detective work and men with the emotional maturity of expired deli meat.

hazel, our main character is allegedly a private investigator but she makes more mistakes than I do when I'm trying to parallel park. she is hired to investigate a missing girl that disappeared from an orphanage. from there, she basically asks really stupid questions until everyone wants to throw hands on sight.

the entire plot hinges on hazel thinking “hmm something’s not right” and then doing absolutely nothing with that information until the next plot point bitch slaps her into action.

as for the twist? babes, i saw it coming from a mile away. if you’re gonna call it a “twist" make sure it doesn’t trip over its own foreshadowing.

read if you like mild chaos, terrible dialogue, and female protagonists who are one menty b away from quitting and going home to watch true crime instead of solving it.

Also, lots of people in this story have questionable teeth.

[Cat Monardes · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’ve read clothing tags with more suspense.

[L.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an intriguing mystery at the Saint Agnes Orphanage, full of secrets, bad cops, and an unraveling of innocent people for over 25 years. 50 orphan girls have gone missing from this castle-like estate under the scrutiny of Dr Thomas Mackenzie. Madeline, a wealthy socialite with an arrogant persona has a lot of pain behind her tough attitude that she does not want anyone to know. She, as well as her family, have a financial interest in the orphanage... her Goddaughter, Mia, is a resident there and has gone missing...MIA. She is a beautiful girl and can sing as softly as an angel. Her choir director Goolsby took her under his wing with promises she will be a star one day.
Madeline has hired numerous private investigators to find out what happened to Mia, but to no avail, except the obvious.
Hazel Cho went to law school with her parents pleading for her success as a lawyer. When she experienced a traumatizing nightmare. Her knight in shining armor was a private investigator, not a lawyer. This encouraged her to follow in his footsteps to help others, much to her parents' dismay.
Madeline approaches Hazel with an astounding $100,000 offer, as well as a Tesla, to help find Mia. She accepts, but the catch has a one week deadline.
The orphanage houses children that have no other family or have been abused and pulled from their homes. Their only hope is Saint Agnes. When she investigates the place, the people inside appear to have something to hide, as well as the disappearance of 50 girls.
Hazel meets the suave, wealthy and handsome Andrew Dupont, which helps her with the case or leads her into a dark web of lies and society. Kenny, her roommate, stalker and best friend, besides crushing on her, is an incredible addition to her case, helping behind the scenes.
All the characters play a huge role in the substance of the book and soon it becomes a questionable battle who Hazel can trust and work with. An outstanding book and an impressive talent of words from the author. The ending has a surprising twist with a horrifying glimpse into today's society. About halfway through the book, I thought I could see where it was going, but it did not deter me from enjoying it nonstop. The eye-catching cover had me begging for this one and I was not disappointed.
Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this incredible ARC in exchange for my review!

[Heathers_readss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in one sitting, I could not put it down and I just wanted to keep going until I could see what happened at the end! I love books like this that hook you and keep you addicted and interested to the point where you can’t stop reading!

The orphanage by the lake follows Hazel Cho, a private investigator living in NYC who needs a big win and a stack load of cash to keep business afloat.

Enter Madeline who wants to hire her services to find her god daughter who went missing from an orphanage six months ago. Although it’s still an active police investigation, no new leads have come up in a long time and it’s clear they aren’t invested in finding answers.

I really enjoyed reading the behind the scenes investigative work, following the threads until new leads come up, interviewing people who don’t want to talk and what their motives may be for potentially helping to cover something more sinister up.

This book is action packed full of crooked cops, car chases, illegal pop up clubs, kidnapping rings and more! I was a big fan of Hazels room mate Kenny and all the sweet things he did for her.

This is my first Daniel Miller book and definitely won’t be my last! I would even love to hear more about Hazel and her next adventure in the PI world!

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Houndstooth books for the ARC!

[Lyla · Rating 1 out of 5]

I actually felt my brain start on fire trying to read this book. Where to even start. Ignoring the CRAZY Korean FMC representation written by a white man, there were body shaming/eating disordered comments every other minute. It got to the point where this was actually difficult to read. The main character was written as incredibly foolish and irresponsible. Additionally, I thought for the dark topics this book has, the execution was short-sighted and thoughtless. The violent scenes felt incredibly tone deaf, specifically at the end. Pure willpower kept me from DNF-ing this book

[Heather Harlow · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️
There is potential, but this just wasn’t for me. The storyline was there, but the FMC was dumb, her roommate was annoying, and it felt predictable. So much of what happened here was unbelievable and weren’t situations I could emotionally connect with.

Hazel is a struggling PI in Manhattan. Through reading her inner dialogue and conversations and experiencing her choices in involvement with potential suspects in her case, it’s no wonder she is struggling.
She did minimal research into Madeline before taking the case to find Mia, her missing goddaughter from St Agnes School for Orphans. Even an entry level PI should have been able to discover that Madeline was actually Mia’s mother. And Madeline paying her $100k AND giving her a Tesla?
Kenny, the roommate, is in the police academy. So why is Hazel so hesitant to accept his help on this case, even once it turns dangerous for her?
Sonia automatically directs her to who to investigate at the school, but why did she just take Sonia’s word and never look into the woman? That seems like poor PI work.
And Andrew, who she met at a gala where she was present to investigate potential suspects. She goes home with him and jumps into a relationship without investigating his connection?

I love a good psychological thriller, but I need emotional connection with the characters and case as well as a believable storyline. I felt like this had potential in the beginning, but the deeper I got, the less interested I became.

[Lindsay L · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars.

A gothic mystery following the investigation of a local missing girl.

Gothic, dark, foreboding atmosphere
Small town with deeply buried secrets
Remote lakeside orphanage
Down-on-luck main character
Unreliable secondary characters

This book included all of these intriguing elements that I love in small town mysteries. The smooth writing and eerie atmosphere grabbed me immediately. I had Riley Sager and Ruth Ware vibes at the start. I felt an investment in the main characters private investigation business and personal life. Her desperation for work and vulnerability in life itself had me rooting for her. The beginning of this novel was very strong for me as the mystery was introduced and the characters shared their roles. The first half of the book I would rate a strong 4+ stars.

Around the halfway point, there is an element of romance introduced which wasn’t believable or enjoyable for me. It completely took away from the plot. Once this was introduced, the main character then put her main focus on this romance and I found it cringey and cheesy. Additionally, although the plot had elements of implausibility from the start (police conveniently giving away case details), after the halfway point, this became much more far fetched (and it lost all of its Riley Sager and Ruth Ware vibes). The main character was on a strict timeline to solve the missing person case, yet still had time for dinner dates and sleepovers? High speed car chases in the rain outrunning police officers? Too many details didn’t seem realistic causing me to lose my connection and investment. The writing still held my attention, but the plot lost its appeal.

Overall, this had some strong points but wasn’t a winner for me. The plot was entertaining but implausible. The gothic tones kept me curious and intrigued but not fully invested.

This book will always hold a special spot in my heart as I bought it at the start of our family trip to Florida last month and I read it poolside and beachin’ all week long. It was an easy, mindless read that was easy to get lost in and so it worked out well overall for that reason.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written story of a young female private investigator handling her first big case - to discover the whereabouts of a young orphan. The ending was a bit anticipated, but maybe the author, Daniel G. Miller, and I just think alike. Recommended.

[Sarah L · Rating 2 out of 5]

Makes woman look stupid.

The orphanage by the river I feel had some great potential. Unfortunately it fell short. The main character was wishy washy and to be honest she was not a good representation of any woman. She was not a strong character .
It seemed to me that Hazel (main character) was juvenile. It was almost like a split between Nancy Drew and sweet valley high. Which I loved as a child, but they were kids.
This books makes a working woman look weak. No Private investigator who has 7 days to find someone is going on dates and even flirting... never mind going into great detail about food... Not everyone is put together and that is fine, but this book makes woman look like they don't have a priority.

[Carolina⁷.° · Rating 1 out of 5]

this is why i don’t read books written by men. seriously, it was TERRIBLE. when i finally realized the author was a man everything made sense. only a male could write ”my eyes run past the bevy of white-haired men and artificially enhanced women” OR “the tightness of the dress smooths out the lumps on my body” and think: yep, this is it.

the main character is the epitome of what a man THINKS a woman does and thinks about. it makes women look stupid. no private investigator in such a short deadline to find a missing teen is going to waste time on silly little dates. worse yet, silly little dates with a man she just met and that is clearly a suspect. no surprise her PI business was failing. she’s unprofessional as f#ck.

i also HATE SO F#CKING MUCH that a book written by a man used attempted SA as a plot device 🤮🤮🤮 i know men can be SA victims too, but the author purposely chose to write it from the pov of a woman. it was a very odd choice.

last but not least, the forced modern references. there was olivia rodrigo, the inheritance games, and even an “i wonder how often he thinks about the Roman Empire.”

also, who the hell calls kdramas korean soap operas? i mean, yes, that’s what they are but that’s what you tell your chronically offline grandma when she asks you what are you watching. definitely not what a korean main character would call it. yep, guys, the fmc is korean. i know what you’re thinking: a white male author writing from the pov of an asian woman....

[Jessica Webber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end and had me suspicious of everyone. The main character Hazel is strong and unrelenting. Her own past experiences drive her motivation to help others which only makes her that much stronger. The storyline moves quickly and highly entertaining, making this a quick read.

There were multiple twists throughout, some that I saw coming, and several that still took my by surprise. I was left with some lingering questions at the end of the book, which I don’t love. But I still really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it!

Thank you NetGalley and Houndstooth Books for the opportunity to read and review this book!

[Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an extremely fast read for me because the prose itself is relatively simple (diction and structure probably don't even rank a 9th grade reading level), so you can just fly through. The story, while not terribly unique, is extremely suspenseful, and you won't want to put it down regardless. I generally enjoyed the protagonist's development, and I was surprised but not disappointed by the ending. There's nothing profoundly life changing about this novel--but if you simply want a reliable thriller that is easy to invest in and easy to read--basically if you are simply reading to be entertained--it gets the job done most definitely. I need books like this every so often to sort of cleanse my reading pallet after particularly intense literature or highly experimental writing that takes a few chapters to get used to. They are also perfect while traveling or whenever you want to read but are finding it hard to concentrate. So I love books like this for that need.

[Kelsey Heffernan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really did not like this book. Maybe this was more of a 2.5 than 2 but still. I downloaded this randomly on my iPad kindle to read between classes and I seem to have chosen wrong. The main charactor was kind of annoying but not in like an intentional way that made the story better. The title was misleading. 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. Like right when they were introduced ur like ok so they are CLEARLY the one behind everything. Also don’t even get me started on the cheesiest, dumbest closing line on a book ever. Anyways I don’t recommend this book I have no clue how it has a 4.17 rating on Goodreads.

[Jayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meet my new favorite struggling, plucky, witty, and endearing fictional private investigator.

Her name is Hazel Chu and she is searching for a missing girl.....

This twisty, fast-paced thriller was intricately plotted, well-written, and fun.

Yes, I guessed the ending, but I still enjoyed the journey.

I listened to the audiobook, expertly narrated by Michelle H. Lee.

Michelle H. Lee's narration was outstanding.

This is my first book by talented author Daniel G. Miller, and I look forward to reading Book #2 of this compelling new series.

All the stars!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[The Honest Book Reviewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's nothing inherently bad about this book, but it turned out to be a little predictable. I can see the attempt at adding twists here and there, but you could unfortunately see them coming. It didn't make this not enjoyable, but when you're reading a thriller, you at least want some twists to be a surprise.

I did like the main character, Hazel. She's gutsy and determined, stubborn and even more stubborn. But I found a few things odd. There are times when she thinks somebody needs more investigation, but that's immediately forgotten and then it's surprising when something comes to light about that same person. That happened a few times. For a PI character, she takes people at their word a lot rather than investigate. And lastly, her roommate is studying to be in law enforcement. Why wouldn't she accept his offer of help with the investigation? Maybe the latter plays into her stubborn streak, but it still felt a little odd.

This is one of those times when the concept it great but it needed a bit of TLC in editing maybe. I felt it didn't go deeply enough into the characters to be a psychological thriller, as was promised on the cover. I thought the writing was good, and the characters come through clearly (characters are probably the strongest part of this book). I thought the dialogue was mostly well done and suited the characters. I even liked we had doubt injected into the book about some characters. But with a little editing, that doubt could have been made stronger by potentially making the twists less predictable.

The cover is amazing. The concept is great. The structure of the story is well done. The characters are well written, and the main character is engaging. A lot to like about his book. For me the predictability was the biggest letdown.

Thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for providing a copy of this book for an honest review. All comments are my own.

[Amber | TheFireKissed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could give this 6 stars because my god I didn't see any of this shit coming!! I will say I will never ever trust a nice man named Andrew ever again 😂 there's been a handful of books I read this year that have an evil man with that name. This book is so sickening in a good way - the truth of what happened to the girls breaks my heart because this type of shit happens all the time. I have fallen in love with Hazel Cho and can't wait for the next book to come out!

[Riley · Rating 1 out of 5]

The only thing I could think about this whole book was a woman would never say that. It’s a comically stereotypical “woman written by a man” book and twist was predictable from the start.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read that dove into some sensitive subjects, such as black & brown girls disappearances being treated differently than other races. When Madeline storms into Private Investigator Hazel’s office, and all but demand that she searches for her missing goddaughter Mia, Hazel feels compelled to help. What she didn’t expect was a dangerous investigation into an orphanage that has a history of girls disappearing, a police department that seems to care less, and secrets that ran deep!

As the story evolves, Hazel finds herself deep into a world of police corruption, and much more that makes her question if she will even make it out alive! Very good narration in the audiobook! Recommended read, but check trigger warnings if you have difficulty reading about crimes against children. I am pleased to see that book 2 will be out on 7/22, I am hoping to see more of Hazel. Book 2 is definitely in my near future

[hollyreadit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wheweeee this book took a dark turn. I was in such a reading slump, and this book cover grabbed my attention on kindle unlimited, so why not? It HOOKED ME.

I absolutely love our MC and her roommate. Hazel had it rough, but she never gave up and I’m so happy this is a series cause I need to read more about her and Kenny! Be prepared though, the last like 30% of this book is dark dark.

[Hannah | The Teacher’s TBR 📚✨ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I may step on some toes with this one.

But, there are just some topics men should not be writing about. Let’s say it again.
There are SOME topics that men should NOT be writing about. Period.

I was intrigued for 90% of this book, but as soon as it took the direction it did, I was completely and utterly disgusted. This book dropped from a high 3-star, right down to a 1-star.

This will simmer with me for a few days.

That being said, I do appreciate Houndstooth Books for sending me this e-ARC. This book is just not the one for me.

[DAISY READS HORROR · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! It had the NYC Fall 🍁 vibes. It had mystery and suspense! There were some eerie parts to the story too. The cover is gorgeous!!! The ending was surprising! I loved Kenny the roommate and his cooking too! 😊

Thanks Marcyreads for recommending this one! It’s rhetorical perfect Fall read! Highly recommend this!

[Kim ~ It’s All About the Thrill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well helloo you gorgeous thriller!! 😍 Guys… @poisonedpenpress has quickly become one of my very favorite publishers. 🫶They have introduced me to so many fantastic new to me authors this year. I have been meaning to read The Orphanage By The Lake forever! So when @poisonedpenpress sent me this gorgeous gifted copy of The Red Letter… well I knew it was time to grab a copy. I am SO glad I did!! 👏👏

The Red Letter is out 7/22/25!!🥳🥳

You know how you click with a book right from the start and you just know it’s going to be good?? Yep that’s what happened as soon as I met Hazel. She was a hot mess getting ready for work… running late.. chugging RedBull… hey whatever it takes girl. 😂👏 I felt a bit seen.🤷‍♀️

When a wealthy socialite makes Hazel an offer she can’t refuse… things got very interesting.😉

Gothic vibes? A creepy atmospheric orphanage.. surrounded by dark and twisted secrets?? Yes please… sign this girl up!! 🙋‍♀️

This took an even darker turn than I had imagined. Shocking.. 😳.. Horrific… yet I was all in! 😱

I can’t wait to start The Red Letter!! In fact I am diving in this week.

[dani · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book just didn’t deliver. i was intrigued by the plot teaser, but quickly found myself kinda bored with the whole story. it basically slogged along and even the more interesting scenes were underwhelming, leaving you with a pretty mid “thriller”.

the main character was just there. you can tell its a woman written by a man.. some of the things she said or did seemed like a mildly stereotypical representation of what a man THINKS that a woman is thinking about or doing. and on another note, how the fuck does hazel have leisure time while literally under a deadline to find a missing girl? like ma’am this is not the time to be getting drunk, sleeping over at a man’s house, eating crappy breakfasts cooked by said man and giggling bc he’s sO dReaMy even tho he doesn’t work and is a trust fund baby and hey IS ALSO SUS? but i digress.

i guessed pretty early who the culprit would be, so the only twist was small and even that was kinda noticeable. i mean this pErfeCt guy andrew just falls out of the sky and he's just wayyyy too good to be true and sus as hell so like.. was def not surprised when he was there. sonia was a bit more surprising but idk, i personally found her sus most of the time too. again way too good to be true so yeah. no real shock or omg moments here

and the writing style.. no, just no. from LITERALLY the first 10 pages i was not enjoying the way it was written. it seemed very stiff and generic, like something that anyone could've typed up in a few minutes. it was very slow paced at points, so i found myself disinterested. and to top it off, the
"current" references feel SO forced, like the author is trying to seem hip and with it. did we need the reference to mia being the BIGGEST olivia rodrigo fan? nope. did we need the literal "how often does he think abt the roman empire” reference? absofuckinlutely not. i was kinda cringing often tbh, so that’s another thumbs down.

to conclude, i was pretty disappointed (lol). overall 2/5, would not recommend.

[Abbie Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who in the world let a white man write from the POV of an Asian woman? 🙄 It made me extremely uncomfortable the entire time. Three stars for an intriguing, though predictable, mystery.

Thank you, Poisoned Pen Press & NetGalley, for the ARC.

Content warning ⚠️ SA, trafficking of minors, mentions of suicide

[Shaely Rose · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m sure this book has potential but I could not bring myself to finish it. And after reading reviews from people with similar experiences who have finished it, I’m happy I didn’t. I’m biased and am not a fan of first person books. The way the FMC is written was very cringey. She is supposed to be a “strong minded” FMC but the writing is childish. The writing is the epitome of a FMC written by a man. The slang was horrible. There’s also the added stereotype of a woman in her career field. A line from Chapter 1, “I want to run, but if you want to be a female private investigator, you don’t have that luxury.” Really? Come on dude. Also the added (TW) eating disorder on top of the fact that she’s Korean. All in all, I think this book is better for someone who’s just getting into reading or getting into thriller/mystery. Would not recommend for my seasoned thriller/mystery enthusiasts.

[Trinity Y · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fast paced easy read…. But the “twist” (not for me😒) honestly ruined it

[Rachel the Page-Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hazel is a private investigator - a struggling private investigator living in a rundown apartment with her roommate Kenny, who is training to become a member of the NYPD. Hazel is wondering how she will keep paying her rent when one day, Madeline Hemsley walks into her office (at just the right time, too!)

Madeline’s goddaughter, Mia, went missing from St. Agnes, a place for homeless children, six months prior, and the police have not been very helpful. Madeline has hired several private investigators, but none of them have been able to find out what happened to Mia. She’s offering Hazel $100,000 to find Mia - but she has only ten days to do it. How can Hazel do more than the other PIs could in such a short time? She doesn’t know, but she really needs the money, so she accepts the case.

From day one, she soon sees why no other investigator has been able to find Mia - it seems virtually impossible. The police are still calling it an active investigation, so they won’t release any information, and the staff at St. Agnes aren’t willing to talk much about the situation, as it reflects poorly on them. They only know nobody entered or exited the property the night Mia went missing. The only way she could have escaped was by the lake, but the temperature was too cold for anyone to have tried to swim in it.

Hazel is stumped, but for ten days she works diligently at trying to find any clue, anything new that could change the course of the investigation. She eventually finds out a lot more than she bargained for, and that makes this mystery/thriller quite suspenseful as her deadline approaches and the danger around her ratchets up. I thought this was really good, and a change of pace from similar formulaic stories. The second book in this series will be out in 2025, and I’m looking forward to it! 4.5 stars.

(Thank you to Houndstooth Books, Daniel G. Miller and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars!

Despite the fact that its very clear that our main character Hazel is written by a man, I enjoyed this book. Its a very dark read. I guessed one of the bad guys but I don't think that's a flex because that person was a walking red flag the moment we meet them.

As I said before this book is dark. The subject matter and there was just this heavy darkness hanging over the whole story. I'm interested in the second book in the series because I like Hazel even if she is clearly written by a man.

I liked it!