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A review by catearca
The Orphanage By The Lake by Daniel G. Miller
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Thank you NetGalley and Poison Pen Press for the copy of The Orphanage by the Lake, this review reflects my personal thoughts.
Hazel Cho is a private detective in need of money and clients. She shares an apartment with her flatmate Kenny in Chinatown, one she's not sure she'll be able to afford for much longer. It’s at that moment that a new client approaches her with a new case and a lot of money. And also a very tight deadline. Hazel throws herself into the search of a young girl that has mysteriously disappeared from a Children's Home (a fancy Orphanage if you will). There have been many PIs before her and none of them have managed to crack the case. With her client breathing down her neck and finding herself caring more than she expected for this missing girl we see Hazel navigating a web of lies and deception that takes her in some dangerous directions.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I thought the author's biggest strength were the descriptions. They were to the point but not too obvious in their wording. They felt very vivid and managed to give a great idea of the scene and characters. This really helped flesh out the whole cast of characters and bring them to life. The mystery itself was good, not the highlight of the novel, but it was really well developed and paced. The main character's efforts to solve the case felt authentic to a real PI's (not that I have any real knowledge about what that entails). The solution was not expected and satisfying.
Sure, there were some parts that were not very well explained, or some harder to believe behavior, but overall I thought the writing really helped bring everything together and made it really easy to overlook the parts of the novel that might not make that much sense (which aren't a lot to begin with).
The last thing I want to talk about is the protagonist. I thought Hazel was a really successful main character. She's the relatable girl that is actually relatable because the author is not trying too hard to make her one. She's really competent at her job, and we're shown this in many occasions instead of only being told, which makes it a lot easier to believe. She's also consistent throughout the story, she's likable but not perfect. She's a bit of a mess but also organized and intelligent. All of this makes her likable and an easy to root for.
Overall I think this books walks the line of a classic mystery and a high stakes thriller. I would recommend this to any mystery lover as a really enjoyable read, (considering I finished it in a single train ride) that will keep you glued to the pages for the plot, and also thanks to the writing.
I really hope we'll see more of Hazel Cho in the future because I am already ready for more.
Hazel Cho is a private detective in need of money and clients. She shares an apartment with her flatmate Kenny in Chinatown, one she's not sure she'll be able to afford for much longer. It’s at that moment that a new client approaches her with a new case and a lot of money. And also a very tight deadline. Hazel throws herself into the search of a young girl that has mysteriously disappeared from a Children's Home (a fancy Orphanage if you will). There have been many PIs before her and none of them have managed to crack the case. With her client breathing down her neck and finding herself caring more than she expected for this missing girl we see Hazel navigating a web of lies and deception that takes her in some dangerous directions.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I thought the author's biggest strength were the descriptions. They were to the point but not too obvious in their wording. They felt very vivid and managed to give a great idea of the scene and characters. This really helped flesh out the whole cast of characters and bring them to life. The mystery itself was good, not the highlight of the novel, but it was really well developed and paced. The main character's efforts to solve the case felt authentic to a real PI's (not that I have any real knowledge about what that entails). The solution was not expected and satisfying.
Sure, there were some parts that were not very well explained, or some harder to believe behavior, but overall I thought the writing really helped bring everything together and made it really easy to overlook the parts of the novel that might not make that much sense (which aren't a lot to begin with).
The last thing I want to talk about is the protagonist. I thought Hazel was a really successful main character. She's the relatable girl that is actually relatable because the author is not trying too hard to make her one. She's really competent at her job, and we're shown this in many occasions instead of only being told, which makes it a lot easier to believe. She's also consistent throughout the story, she's likable but not perfect. She's a bit of a mess but also organized and intelligent. All of this makes her likable and an easy to root for.
Overall I think this books walks the line of a classic mystery and a high stakes thriller. I would recommend this to any mystery lover as a really enjoyable read, (considering I finished it in a single train ride) that will keep you glued to the pages for the plot, and also thanks to the writing.
I really hope we'll see more of Hazel Cho in the future because I am already ready for more.