The Orphanage by the Lake: A Twisty Psychological Crime Thriller

Name: The Orphanage by the Lake: A Twisty Psychological Crime Thriller
Rating: 6.91 (216 reviews)
ISBN: 9781737646396

By Daniel G. Miller

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A MISSING GIRL

AN ORPHANAGE FILLED WITH SECRETS

Order the new psychological crime thriller from bestselling author Daniel G. Miller

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.

Read what everyone's saying about The Orphanage By The Lake:

My heart is still pounding...What just happened? I'm an adult, how did a book shake me to my core...I tell ya, this one is good, real good. --Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Devoured in twenty-four hours, it's the best book I've read in a long, long time." --Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"This one blew me away! My heart is still in my throat as I finish it; it's a creepy, wild ride...It's dark and edgy but oh so good! Can't wait for Miller's next novel! --Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Heartbreaking and haunting, I won't forget about Hazel or Mia anytime soon. Highly recommend this one! --Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Published May 9, 2024

377 pages

Average rating: 6.91

216 RATINGS

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ValerieRuiz

Apr 20, 2026

8/10 stars

This book had been sitting on my shelf for ages, gathering dust and forgotten, but now it had its time to shine baby! I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would! Basically, down-on-her-luck Hazel gets offered a LOT of money to solve a case within 5 days—I think it was 5 days? Sorry, book amnesia 🥴 Regardless, I loved Hazel. She was definitely a main character to root for and I loved how she wouldn't take no for an answer. I also thought I guessed the twist, and while I was 90% right, I was still shocked by the full truth. This is a great read for someone who likes "race against time" scenarios and PI investigations. Also, I’m already planning to dive into The Red Letter, the second book in this duology, in May! Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Favorite Quote: "One of the first rules of being a private investigator is don’t trust your client. Half of what they tell you is a lie, and the other half is half-true.” Trigger Warnings: child abuse, child neglect, missing children, kidnapping, death of a child, violence, murder, emotional trauma, institutional abuse, psychological distress Follow me on Instagram for more book reviews: https://instagram.com/plottwistsandpurpose?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Join my thriller based bookclub on Fable! https://fable.co/valerie-845011235983

DaizyGrl

Nov 24, 2024

8/10 stars

Great story, sad events, and memorable characters. I liked how the author wrote from the first person, fully creating a world I could see if I closed my eyes. Hazel is a great character.

lexismith

Apr 09, 2026

2/10 stars

i honestly don’t really know what to say. i thought i was going to DNF this book until about 70% through. it was very slow starting and the main character Hazel couldn’t get her life together at all. after reading the same storyline for 20 different chapters it started picking up and leading somewhere. the ending did shock me some, but it didn’t completely catch me off guard. i feel like the whole time people were basically solving this case for her if she would’ve just opened her eyes to the clues.

Docta Greene

Oct 26, 2025

7/10 stars

Not bad! Interesting enough to read in a few days. The main character, Hazel, is a bit immature but determined, I’ll give get that. Overall, not bad and sheds light on an all too prominent issue in society.

paigevandendam

Aug 03, 2025

7/10 stars

It took a while to get into it but by the middle of it I was hooked.