The Orphanage by the Lake

The author has appeared on the USA Today bestseller lists and has received favorable reviews for his novels.
This book begins a series featuring a private detective, Hazel, who lives in Manhattan’s Chinatown and is of Korean descent. A client comes to her office asking her to investigate the disappearance of a goddaughter who lived in an orphanage on the outskirts of the city. During the investigation, the detective falls in love (she starts a relationship), finds her life at risk, and faces various kinds of tension. The client’s parents claim to be Catholic, but are rather extremists. Although the book as a whole could be described as gentle in its writing, prioritizing the perspective of a 30-year-old Korean woman, the novel concludes with a scene that strongly denounces pedophiles.
