The first instalment in a new psychological crime thriller duology from Daniel G. Miller offers a twisty, suspenseful thrill ride for fans of Freida McFadden, Charlie Donlea and Karin Slaughter.

‘Irresistible.’ – James Patterson

***

A missing girl. An orphanage filled with secrets.

A lie worth killing for.

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 realises 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 suspenseful, haunting mystery that introduces a bold new heroine in the world of crime fiction.

Tropes:
Psychological
Mystery Thriller
Suspense Thriller
Missing Person
Private Investigator
Character-Driven

Keep an eye out for book two, The Red Letter, arriving in July 2025!

Daniel G. Miller is the USA Today bestselling author of The Orphanage by the Lake and The Tree of Knowledge thriller series. When he’s not writing, he enjoys sipping sunset cocktails with his wife, watching NBA basketball, and singing off-key to his newborn son, not necessarily in that order. He currently lives in Delray Beach, Florida. He loves hearing from readers, so feel free to drop him an email anytime.