Thank you for allowing me to read this book as an ARC!
I absolutely loved this book. As soon as I started, it kept me engaged and interested. The characters in the story and especially the protagonist, were well developed and described. The protagonist was likeable and at times I wanted to 'yell' at her for watching out and not doing certain things that ended up being a great outcome though.
This is the first book that I read by this author. He definitely knows how to keep a captive audience. The story especially is very fitting and relevant for what goes on in the world and is a big problem in many countries (not wanting to give away any spoilers so I won't go into detail here). A big thank you for bringing the spotlight on it so it awakens more awareness!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book despite some disturbing topics. It was definitely a 5 star read for me!
I also just realized that there will be a 2nd book coming out to this, I will most definitely also read that one!

While I was attracted to the premise of the story, I could not connect to Hazel, the FMC. I found her to be annoying and incompetent. Instead of being an intrepid private investigator, Hazel seemed to be constantly fearful and suspicious even of her close friends. Granted she had a horrible attack when she was in college, but to be an independent, self-employed PI, Hazel had to be dauntless.

I don’t begrudge Hazel of having a private life, but given the tight timeframe for her to find answers and being on the cusp of being homeless and broke, her having romantic (yet sexless) interludes seemed out of place. The author also spent an inordinate amount of time mentioning Hazel’s eating and weight.

Maybe I’m being picky, but I felt there were small details that were missing. When the reader is first introduced to Hazel, she is getting dressed in a pencil skirt and blouse. The author even goes into detail as to her makeup. But no info on her footwear. Does Hazel lean into her femininity with her pencil skirt and makeup and wear high heels? Or is she more practical minded and wear flats or sneakers? This seemed a missed opportunity in developing her personality.

There is another scene where the bouncer is going through Hazel’s purse. He removes a Taser and her phone yet somehow misses a switchblade????

Hazel is having dinner with her boyfriend, Andrew. She observes that the lingering doubts that were plaguing her all day are finally subsiding with him being there. Yet, as they leave the restaurant, “I can’t ignore the gnawing unease that lingers….” Which is it?

Given Hazel’s Asian background, I was surprised to read about her walking around her apartment wearing shoes. Wearing shoes in the house is not a typical Asian practice. At least in my experience.

It took me a little while to really get into this book but when I did, wow! I had so many different theories and they were all wrong. That is a sign of a very good book. It kept me guessing and second guessing. I truly did not think the person(s) behind everything was actually going to be them.

🚩🏚🛶 The Orphanage By The Lake by Daniel G. Miller 🛶🏚🚩 [Book 1 of 2: P.I. Hazel Cho]
Genre: Thriller
Length: 320 pages
🚨: sexual assault, sex trafficking/grooming
Original Pub date: Feb. 21, 2024
Re-release: Mar. 18, 2025
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to @NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the e-ARC of this book. The opinions stated here are solely my own.

Synopsis:
P.I. Hazel Cho is a 30 year-old woman, barely scraping by in her private investigation business in New York City. Just weeks from complete debt, a mysterious and wealthy client named Madeline Hemsley comes in with a case that, if solved, would solve all of Hazel's financial problems.

Madeline's young teen goddaughter, Mia, has disappeared from the St. Agnes Girls' Home (Orphanage) and six months later, the police and five other P.I.s have been unable (or unwilling) to find any leads. As Hazel gets deeper into the case and the strange dynamic at St. Agnes, she starts to wonder if forces from within the Orphanage, or possibly some from outside, are behind it all. Will she find Mia even 6 months after her disappearance? And at what cost?

Opinion:
This was a quick read for sure! I suspect some might find Hazel's disorganized and hot-mess behaviors annoying, but I actually found her a very endearing underdog main character. She was intelligent (though impulsive at times) and always determined to help Mia even at her own personal welfare, which made her loyal and selfless. There are definitely a few trigger warnings in this one - it deals with sexual assault and sex trafficking/ grooming. I don't feel like it deterred me from finding the plot interesting, but it is good to know if you haven't read this one. I would definitely be interested in reading Book 2 (The Red Letter) which releases this year.

Hazel Cho a struggling private investigator gets hit with the case that many others have struggled to solve. She’s given a 10 day deadline for an amount that could help change her life. She is setting off to find a missing orphan. I did enjoy this book. Some of the twist and turns were a little predictable, but overall, I was anxious to see if she could solve the case in time or not!
Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

What a fun mystery to read. Although the subject matter was dark, the main character, Hazel, is so well drawn that her feisty demeanor takes this story to the next level. The mystery has many twists and turns and surprises along the way as Hazel is just another PI in a long line of PIs hired to find a missing orphan from a secluded girls' home on Lake George. Who can Hazel trust along the way as everyone seems to be hiding something but she needs the huge reward offered by the missing girl's godmother, Madeline. In addition to the missing girl, themes of bigotry and misogyny layer the story creating depth and deception. Adding in Hazel's soon-to-be police officer roommate and you have a fun duo who I hope to see pair up on other mysteries in the future. I definitely could see a series with Hazel and Kenny as investigative duo.

a private eye is hired to find a missing girl from the orphanage. there are lots of suspects. will keep you guessing.

Intriguing title and cover. Many suspicious characters! I worried about the main character as she discovered and followed very likely dangerous leads. All in all, a good contemporary mystery.

The story is an unsettling tale of sinister secrets, the seedy underworld of secret clubs and missing children. It’s a good basic mystery keeping just enough intrigue to leave you guessing and uncertain about who the true villain really is. More plot development could have really enhanced the book and made it less predictable. The book had potential. Just a warning - the last 20% of the story becomes very dark and has triggers of SA.

Although the main character had the potential to be the story’s standout, she was portrayed in a way that didn’t positively represent women. Her depiction suggested that women are weak, incompetent, and not suited for professional roles. I’d like to believe the author intended to make her relatable to a female audience, but I found myself struggling with the constant body-shaming remarks and her lack of self-confidence yet occasionally cocky attitude.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A struggling PI is hired by a wealthy woman to find her missing goddaughter. It's a strange case made stranger my misinformation. Great ending.

I liked this book, was a fairly fast read for me. A private investigator gets the opportunity to truly get her business off the ground and financially stable when she's offered a big paying job. However, it turns quite dangerous. It does have a twist at the end too.

Thank you to Net Galley and Poisoned Pen Press for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was so well done. The pacing is brilliant and keeps you hooked throughout. I genuinely thought I had the big twist figured out and I was totally wrong. The ending left my jaw on the ground. I will definitely be checking out Daniel's other books. This is an early contender for my book of the year.

I struggled with this book. I really liked the premise in the description but the overall story just didn't live up.
I will start off with the Pros:
The author does a beautiful job with descriptions. Character descriptions, environment descriptions, and scene descriptions. It is done so well that you can picture exactly where you are and who you are with. The twisty mystery elements are also good. While not necessarily surprising, it still provides that 'wow" moment.
Unfortunately now the cons:
The main character is immature and not particularly well developed. The author appears to rely on common stereotypes and tropes to explain bad behavior. Her interactions with other characters feel juvenile. Character conversations feel forced and not realistic in nature.
This is a 2.5 for me - rounded to a 3.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This one wasn't for me. The author writes well, and does a good job at setting a scene, but things felt too chaotic. There were things that happened in the story that never went anywhere, the ending was easy to spot from a mile away, and the characters were not likeable.

I’d been wanting to read this for ages, having seen lots of praise and mentions on list of books based around institutions. Also, seeing it picked up by Poisoned Press Pen is usually a good sign, following in the footsteps of Freida McFadden and William Friend.

Hazel Cho is a private investigator hired to investigate the disappearance of a girl from The Orphanage By The Lake. Private Investigator books seem like a bit of a novelty from a bygone age but I’m all for something different.

Sorry to say but I found this book a book a bit mild and a bit soft. Follow the logical steps, join the dots, uncover something, and then a few twists.

Underwhelmed is the word I’d use to summarise.

Thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press

About the book: "Hazel is 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. As Hazel investigates, she discovers some terrifying secrets".

My review: This book will have you on the edge of your seat, as it slowly unravels the mystery of what happened to Mia. I really enjoyed this story!! I really liked the main character Hazel, the private investigator in the story. This author was really talented at describing characters. So much so that I looked forward to when a new character was introduced! I personally did not guess the twist at the end, it genuinely surprised me! This was the kind of book I couldn't put down, and I had to know what was going to happen next. I found myself reading it with every bit of free time I had. I had never heard of the author Daniel Miller before reading this book, and now I want to check if he has any other books to add to my TBR list! 100% recommend this one!!

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

This book was full of twists and turns and everything was set up perfectly! I will be reading more from this author and can't wait!

This story did keep me hooked until the end. It reminded me a lot of a cozy mystery until the end. I thought the characters were relatable and likes the relationship between Hazel and Kenny. The ending did feel a little rushed though. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc!

Wow, this was so written by a man. The main character made stupid decisions that no person would actually do.

What a ride! This is what a thriller should be! I literally couldn't not put this book down. The suspense was perfect! Daniel Miller has just become an auto buy author for me and The Orphanage by the Lake is now one of my all time favorite thrillers!