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  • B0CN6313RB
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Daniel Miller
Author
The Orphanage By The Lake: A Captivating Psychological Crime Thriller With A Twist
A MISSING GIRL AN ORPHANAGE FILLED WITH 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.
Reviews
Struggling New York PI Hazel Cho lands a big case: demanding client Madeline Hemsley offers a huge fee to Hazel if she can find her young goddaughter, who recently disappeared from an upstate orphanage. But Hazel quickly finds she won't earn her fee easily. Not only is her new client secretive, but she's given Hazel a short deadline. Hazel jumps into the case, which includes the quirky orphanage staff and a strangely reticent local police department. Meanwhile, she fights her own uncertainties, as she copes with her traditional Korean family—and a case that soon becomes very twisty.

Miller (author of The Tree of Knowledge series) has created a delightful new PI with Hazel, who is smart and savvy—and yet human and emotional in a refreshing change from the usual hardboiled shamus. She has a weakness for handsome men and even though she's brave, she almost falls apart trying to buy a new dress. It's fascinating to watch Hazel gradually figure out that one missing girl may be the tip of the iceberg in a ghastly conspiracy. In fact, readers should be warned that the crimes are horrific, going at times almost over the top. Hazel may be sweet, but the story edges toward the gothic.

Still, as the plot unfolds, it will be hard for readers who are open to that darkness to put down the book, as Miller is an expert in ratcheting up the tension and deftly scattering red herrings. He's also given Hazel an equally interesting cast of supporting characters, such as her ditzy but loyal roommate Kenny. Perfectly well-limned is Hazel's increasingly difficult client Madeline: although she starts as a stock character, Hazel shrewdly digs deep, and when she finds the truth about her client, it's heartbreaking. Miller ties together all the loose ends, leaving readers hoping to meet Hazel in a future adventure, so they can cheer her on to another success.

Takeaway: Chilling, deftly plotted mystery series kickoff.

Comparable Titles: Helen Fields, Sam Holland.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-

Formats
Kindle Edition Digital Ebook Purchas Details
  • B0CN6313RB
  • pages
  • $
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