This cover is the perfect vibes. Honestly this book was just epic. It was such a vibe and I was invested the whole time!

Unfortunately, The Orphanage by the Lake didn’t work for me. I found the characterisation to be very comical—more caricature than complex—and I struggled to feel any genuine emotional weight in the story. Everything felt overly signposted, with little left to the imagination or surprise. Everything about the plot developments were predictable, and the writing style didn’t draw me in at all nor held my attention.

I really wanted to connect with the story, but it all felt more like a theatrical re-enactment than real life. The emotional beats didn’t land, and the characters felt like cardboard cutouts reciting lines rather than real people navigating heartbreak or hardship.

That said, readers who enjoy straightforward writing and an easy-to-follow plot may appreciate this book more. But if you're looking for nuance, depth, or a touch of grit, this might not be the story for you.

Thank you NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Daniel G. Miller for providing me with this Arc in exchange for my honest review.

The Orphanage by the Lake is a suspenseful and thought-provoking mystery that I genuinely enjoyed and would recommend to fans of the genre. While the story takes a little time to build momentum, once it gets going, it becomes an engaging and emotionally driven read.

Miller does a great job of creating a mysterious atmosphere with a plot that, although somewhat predictable at times, still manages to hold your attention. It’s a clean read overall—there’s minimal gore, with the exception of one brief scene. However, it does address heavy themes such as SA and the abuse of children, so readers should be aware of those content warnings before diving in.

If you’re looking for a mystery that’s gripping without being overly graphic, The Orphanage by the Lake is worth adding to your list.

A fast read with a captivating plot. Maybe not a book that will become a classic but it did what it intended to do, entertain!


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an aARC. All opinions are my own.

Despite I have found this book a little predictable it was a really good read. I devoured it in one day and it had all my attention since the beginning. I love thrillers and this one was full of twists, I loved the story line was well developed.

I really enjoyed this! I feel like it was quite slow to start but once it picked up I was IN. I really liked the main character and I am so interested in reading the sequel and continuing to follow along her journey as a PI.

I loved how the mystery all came together in the end.

This is the first book of The Orphanage by the Lake series and what a great start to a series it is. Loved the storyline, a missing girl from an orphanage with many secrets, a private investigator (Hazel) who is struggling to keep her business afloat. Now it is her time to find out what has happened.

This book is a thrilling read with many twists and turns and introduces Hazel as a person who doesn't give up until she finds the truth. I love teh writing of this book, the characters are great and if this book is any indication then the ones to follow should be exciting as well. I can't wait to read more.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Netgalley ARC

What on Earth happened here? This one has a really solid premise: a PI is hired to investigate the disappearance of a child from a children's home. Solid. I was expecting a compelling mystery and a spooky setting.

Instead, what we get is a completely inept PI who is absolutely insufferable. She spends the whole book talking about how her finances are terrible - even as she shows up late, fails to catch every obvious clue, and never seems to answer her client's calls. All while bragging about how awesome she is. Her roommate is in the police academy, but apparently letting him help her would be beneath her, because reasons. Also, nobody should be drinking that much Red Bull, goodness. This book screamed female main character written by a man. Moreover, the writing itself felt very unpolished and full of cliched plot twists.

A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

PI work is never easy. In this story I enjoyed the characters and the flow of the story. Just enough drama to keep reading. Missing children from an orphanage that has never been solved. Police has an active case but no followup. Hazel has taken on the case of current missing Mia. Possibly a runaway but clues show something more may be hapoening. An enjoyable thriller, mystery.

Dangerous Secrets

Hazel is trying to get her private eye business up and going, but it is going nowhere. She needs something big to get her business started. When Mrs. Helmsley offers her a case to find a missing girl she jumps at it.

Hazel doesn’t know that it will be dangerous and that Mrs. Helmsley is withholding secrets from her that could have helped her solve the case.

There are so many people at St. Agnes school that are suspect, she doesn’t know who to trust and as Mrs. Hemsley only gave her so much time her time is running out to find her granddaughter Mia.

Then she meets the gorgeous Andrew at a party and is smitten. Her roommate Kenny is very jealous of him but Hazel is smitten. It is when she visits the mysterious Dionysus club that things begin to become dangerous.

This was a good detective book filled with suspense, danger and some humor. I loved the character of Hazel and also that of her roommate Kenny.

I enjoyed reading the book.

I received a free copy of the book to read and review. The review is my own.

I appreciate being chosen by Poisoned Pen Press to receive an ARC of this book. PPP is my favorite press and I am eager to read most everything published across genre by them. This book, unfortunately, proved a rare exception to my continual love and appreciation.

I chose to not finish reading this book at about a quarter of the way through, after struggling to find anything compelling or likable about the main character. She felt fictional and lacked the depth of reality that is necessary to make a main character interesting. The supporting characters and settings also had the same transparent, cookie-cutter unreality. I wanted desperately to buy into the intrigue and be swept up in the mystery, but the hook was not there. I read a plot summary before deciding to permanently set aside the book, and it confirmed for me that not finishing was the right choice. I admittedly did not get far enough to judge for myself firsthand, but I feel that it is in poor taste for a male writer to depict a female character with a history of sexual trauma being threatened with rape.

Thank you again for the opportunity to read and review this and other titles, and I look forward eagerly to the opportunity to do so again in future.

This was good but don’t know if I would read it again. It deserves 3/5 stars, thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book to read!

I should have seen it coming. Really, I should have. But somehow Daniel G. Miller managed to keep me guessing, and I found myself right there with Hazel, trying to untangle what happened to Mia.

This is one of those slow-burn thrillers that doesn't rely on shock value or jump scares—it’s all about tension, grief, and the gut-punch of discovering truths you didn’t want to be true. Even once I had a sense of who might be involved, I wasn’t ready for the what. The reality of what happened? It hit hard.

Hazel's perspective is sharp and relatable, and the mystery unfolds with just enough complexity to keep you flipping pages but not so much that you feel lost in the weeds. It’s not flashy, but it’s effective—and emotionally grounded in a way that gives it staying power.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This one snuck up on me in the best (and worst) way.

Absolutely devoured this book and let me just say those characters you don't like by the end of it, the author does a fantastic job of giving them exactly what they deserve. I read this book until 3am in the morning, one of those nights I kept saying just one more chapter. When I found out who was behind everything I have to admit I was shocked. I did not see it coming. I can't wait to read more from this investigator in the Red Letter. If you enjoy a good atmospheric and character development this is for you. It may start slow but doesn't stay that way. I loved the attitude and perseverance of the main character. She is the energy and personality I love fighting for those who are forgotten.

This was a big miss for me. I found the synopsis on NetGalley intriguing and was expecting a suspenseful thriller, but that’s not what this turned out to be.

The main character, Hazel Cho, was awful. At first I thought she was going to be a little quirky, maybe a little scatter-brained and unconventional in her approach. Nope. She was unlikable, unfocused, and unprofessional. She often ran late for meetings or missed them entirely, and when she did finally get to meetings she was hungover or wearing the same clothes she slept in. Odd behavior for someone who needs the money from this case to pay for her living expenses and to keep her business afloat.

It was also exhausting listening to her think about all of her rules for private investigating.

- “One of the first rules of being a private investigator is don’t trust your client”
- “The second you stop learning is the second you stop being a good private investigator”
- “When you’re a private investigator you get a sixth sense for moral rot like something gone bad in your refrigerator”

There are more examples of this throughout the book and it didn’t help make her character any more likable. Stop thinking about these things and show us through your actions and through your efforts to solve the mystery. There was too much telling instead of showing. We’re in Hazel’s head for a lot of the book and most of what we learn we learn because we’re privy to Hazel’s thoughts and she gives us the information.

It was also obvious that Hazel was written by a man. I’m not someone who thinks men can never write women, but in this case it just didn’t work. A lot of her thoughts and actions didn’t feel true to a female character.

We hear a lot about Hazel’s weight and body throughout the book. Early on we learn that ten years ago she had a body that "wouldn’t quit" and since then she’s put on 15 pounds and now worries about collapsing chairs with her weight and busting the seams of dresses. At one point the only dress she has for an event is a skintight dress from when she was younger and skinnier. She describes putting on the dress as stuffing a sausage into a casing, but somehow once the dress is on it still fits and looks good on her because the tightness of the dress somehow smooths out the lumps on her body. Where did she get this miracle dress? Inquiring minds want to know.

While working the case Hazel can’t interact with any men near her age without looking at them as potential love interests. One of these men is so beautiful that all eyes follow him wherever he goes. When they’re together she has to get used to people staring as they walk by because they’re unable to take their eyes off of him. Really?!? Come on! He also gives her such full attention that it’s like having a permanent spotlight shining on her, and when she’s with him she’s the most important person in the world. Mind you, they met THREE DAYS BEFORE THIS and this is all happening while she’s working what is supposedly the most important case of her career.

A lot of this book felt very superficial. Because there was so much telling instead of showing it made it difficult to care about any of the characters or the mystery and potential twists. The book took a bit of a dark turn when the twist was introduced and it felt like the tone of the writing didn’t match the seriousness and the darkness that the investigation revealed. There was also a lot of build up throughout the book only for there to be a quick resolution.

The synopsis of this book grabbed my attention immediately and the cover is great. Ultimately, it just didn’t live up to its promise.

Thanks NetGally and Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced copy.

Thank you, Net Galley, for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. This was my first read by this author and I really enjoyed it! It kept me on the edge of my seat, once the setting was settled. I did feel that there were areas of the book that lagged, but overall enjoyed the story.

This was a quick good read however lacked suspense… the beginning of the book quickly pulls you in and I felt for Hazel. The middle you can clearly tell the author was trying to make us think it was everyone who she spoke to then tried to throw us off.. I think it maybe have been better to dive deeper into a few characters? However the end really picked up and I wanted Kenny and Hazel to fall I love however I love the partnership they are starting

Thank you Daniel G. Miller and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was a fast paced, easy to follow and very well written mystery thriller! It had twists I didn't see coming from the start (which doesn't normally happen) and the characters were very well written. I loved reading about a female PI (not my usual genre or FMC) as well as some of the cultural aspects of her life that affect her self confidence within her job and relationships.

This book was fast paced until the end - the author was always keeping the story moving forward and either wrapping up one twist while simultaneously introducing another to keep us on our toes and guessing where this story would end up - very well done!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance ecopy of this title. Hazel is living in NYC, and trying to get her PI business off the ground when she is visited by a wealthy socialite with a case that she must solve within two weeks in order to get paid. Hazel needs this money, but various PIs have already been unable to solve the case. This story brings Hazel to an all girls school in Lake George, and causes her to infiltrate a world of money, as well as the seamier side of wealth. Will Hazel solve the case and get her payday, or will she become a victim herself?

Hazel Cho is the P.I. I didn’t know I needed—sharp, sarcastic, and totally unbothered by your nonsense. The Orphanage by the Lake is a twisty, moody mystery with just enough grit and glam to keep things deliciously off-kilter. Creepy orphanage? Check. Rich lady with secrets? Double check. Hazel diving headfirst into danger with a smirk and a plan? I was all in. If you like your mysteries with brains, bite, and a badass heroine, don’t sleep on this one.

Thank you Daniel G. Miller, Poisoned Pen Press, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!