Girls have been disappearing without a trace from a single orphanage in upstate New York for over a decade and no one seems to notice until one private investigator is called…
I was recently given the opportunity to read The Orphanage by the Lake and it didn’t disappoint. Because this blog post is an ARC Review, I’m keeping to the same format as my other ARC Review posts. Below you’ll find basics about the book, a brief summary, my review, why I gave it the rating I did, and if I recommend it. Happy Reading! I want to thank NetGalley and Houndstooth Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
The Book’s Basics
- Genre: Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller
- Length: 300 Pages
- Publication Date: February 26, 2024
- Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars
A Brief Summary
Hazel is a private investigator about to close the doors on her PI business when she gets an unexpected client. Madeline goes to Hazel for help finding her goddaughter who went missing a few months earlier in exchange for $100,000 – the catch is Hazel only has 10 days to solve the mystery and can’t speak with previous investigators. Desperate for money to keep her business afloat, Hazel agrees. As Hazel investigates, it seems everyone has secrets they’re keeping, the police aren’t motivated to solve the case, and truths are revealed. What was thought to be a seemingly routine case ends up being a life or death situation that Hazel might not be ready for.
My Honest Review
This was my first book by Daniel Miller, and I was immediately hooked from the first page. It was different with the female main character being intelligent (I feel that normally they aren’t), and I love seeing how strong she truly was. She doubts herself a lot, but throughout the book, we see her becoming a stronger individual. Miller’s writing was super enjoyable from him providing a very high-level understanding of private investigating for us to making the reader suspicious of every character that we meet. As I read, I went from 1 to 3 to 7 suspects because no one could be trusted. Overall, the story had a really interesting plot with a good plot twist at the end. I loved the dark and moody, feel that was carried throughout the book, and how Miller brought in the classic ‘storming while visiting a creepy location’ setting.
Why This Rating?
I rated The Orphanage By The Lake a 4.5 because around the 60 to 70% mark, I was pretty sure of the mastermind behind everything so for me, it was kind of predictable. However, while pretending to be a private investigator like Hazel, I was writing down names, crossing off suspects, and creating my own hypotheses as I was reading, so I’m sure all of that led to me, figuring it out sooner than others would.
Do I Recommend?
I definitely recommend The Orphanage By The Lake. It was a gripping and easy to read story that had twists and turns along the way to keep the reader intrigued. Before reading, please not the following Trigger Warnings: rape, suicide, child abduction, pedophilia, sex trafficking. This book is not suitable for everyone.
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