Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this Arc!!

Found family, lgbtqia+ in the 1950's and a murder mystery! There is not much more that my soul could ask for.

A very popular soap maker dies and her wife wants someone to solve the case, but kinda secretly bc of her and her household's lgbtq status at that time. In other words, just trying not to draw attention. That's where the main character comes in. A disgraced cop who was just fired for being found in a compromised position during a police raid at a gay club.

He meets the lgbtqia family of Lavender house and gets a feel for what a real found family is. That he shouldn't have to hide a part of himself to be accepted and loved. This story touches on homophobia during the 1950's and can be quite triggering but I think it was done in a good way. I also really enjoyed the murder mystery, especially because it kept me on my toes till the end.

Out October 18, 2022!

Content Warnings for homophobia, violence and death

Every once in a while, I find myself in the mood for a good mystery, but more and more often I have a tough time finding one with a premise that intrigues me. It’s too easy for mainstream mystery and thriller series to blend together for me. There have been only a few new authors or series that I’ve added to my go-to list for when that mood strikes but I hope I’ve found another in Lev A.C. Rosen. His upcoming novel Lavender House deftly sets the stage for what will hopefully be an ongoing series exploring the dynamic of a marginalized community, where going to the police isn’t safe – in this case, the LGBTQ community in 1950s San Francisco. When the legal system isn’t an option, what does justice even look like?

Evander “Andy” Mills has been fired by the San Francisco Police Department after he got caught up in a vice raid and his colleagues learned the truth about his sexuality. His landlord has evicted him and with no friends or family to speak of, he doesn’t think he has much to live for – especially with the dangers he faces once word spreads about exactly why he was fired. But before he can decide for sure what to do, Andy is approached by a woman who would like to hire him precisely because of what got him fired. On their way to Lavender House, Pearl explains that the home of the Lamontaine family is a safe-haven of sorts. Though to the outside world they are the socially respectable family running their soap empire, behind the gates they are able to set the façade aside and live their lives as themselves with partners they love. Or they were until the death of Pearl’s wife, Irene, which Pearl is convinced wasn’t an accident. Pushing for a police investigation would threaten everything they’ve built both in terms of their business and their found family. But a former detective who is also like them… that might at least help them get answers.

The mystery at the heart of the novel works well enough, but it is Andy’s journey as he faces a new reality – and new possibilities for what his future could hold – that makes the story so compelling. He must confront the ways he was complicit in the suffering of others as well as the internalized shame he’s been taught to feel. Though Lavender House may seem like a haven at first, he quickly realizes the ways that it could also become a cage. Rosen does a wonderful job of portraying the harsh and often brutal realities of the time period without the novel becoming so mired in the pain that the joy and hope are entirely snuffed out.

Though the resolution of the central murder mystery is conveniently tidy, other elements around the climax set up the promise to be a compelling ongoing series allude more directly to the messy and morally complex nature of what that series’ core premise would be. In a series focused on the cases of those who can’t get justice or recompense through the legal system, how might the results of those investigations play out? Between the thematic potential and the charismatic and compelling established characters – even if many would likely only be in supportive roles or as cameos – I think the most exciting aspect of Lavender House is the promise of what’s to come. I’ll certainly be keeping an eye out for word of more novels in this series.

Lavender House will be available October 18, 2022.

WOW!! This was SO GOOD!! While yes, it IS queer Knives Out, it's also so much more than that. All the characters are unique, fully fleshed out people, and you can tell the author spent a lot of time getting it right. Also, the mystery!!!!! It literally kept me guessing until the very last page. I've seen some comparisons to Last Night at the Telegraph Club (which is also set in 1950's San Francisco Queer scene) and this, but this book absolutely stands alone in my mind. I really hope that this is just a part of a series and we will get to see these characters again, because now I feel attached!!

I finished this book yesterday, but wanted to take a moment to let it sink in before rating or reviewing it. I knew it was at least a 4 star book, but there was a part of me that wondered if I was lowballing that rating with a knee jerk reaction to JUST finishing a book. So I let it sit with me. And it truly is a worthy 5 star read.

This book, framed as a bit of a whodunit, really isn't about the outcome of protagonist Evander Mills' investigation. Yes, the reasoning behind the outcome plays into the overarching plot and the setup of the story is for Evander to figure out whether the matriarch of the family was murdered or simply had a horrible accident befall her, but to me, its simply a plot device. The investigation moves the plot along and allows us access to each of the characters, to delve into their pasts and their presents, their hopes for the future.

That every important character in this book, save one, is (to borrow a phrase from the book) queer has absolutely no bearing on the story, and yet. And yet its also the heart of the story. Because of the time period the book is set (early 50s, not long after WWII) the world was a very different place for anyone who wasn't "normal." And Rosen shines the brightest light possible on this. Each of the characters struggles in his or her own way to reconcile the very open and honest life they are allowed to live within the confines of Lavender House, and the facade they must wear whenever they leave the grounds.

This story is about fear. Its about acceptance. Its about being different but being okay with that. Its about the absolutely cruelty anyone deemed "indecent" could expect to receive. There is one scene in particular that can rip your heart open. As a straight woman, I can sympathize with the pain, I can disagree with the abuse. But anyone reading this who has come out, or is questioning their sexuality or identity, will likely see themselves in at least one of the characters. They will deeply and personally feel the pain of the abuse inflicted upon Evander Mills. But I also think anyone, no matter their orientation, can find something to identify with.

What Rosen does so well in this book is lay out the lifestyle of the characters without embellishment. It is what it is. There is no reason to craft some sort of explanation outside of the fact that it keeps these characters safe, and almost creates a safe haven for people like them. That they have to be so careful is heartbreaking and can feel a little distant because the "deviant" lifestyle of the 1950s is acceptable now. I caveat that by saying I know in a lot of respects NOTHING has changed.

Ultimately this book is about acceptance, accepting who you are no matter what the world says. Its about grief. Its about how hurtful it can be when someone is closed-minded. And its about family. Its about found family. Its about the people you meet along the way that allow you to be yourself, who accept you for who you are, no matter what. That is the ultimate takeaway for me. Surround yourself with people who like and accept you for who you are. Do not change to fit some norm.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of Lavender House ahead of publication.

This book is poetic cinema. It's aesthetic, it's vibes, it's memes. It's found family and self-love. It's true love. It's very bougie in the best way.

My only note was I wish there were some Black people in it. A relatively minor note but one that ranks rather high for me personally. Four stars, easily.

Evander Mills, former police officer, is having his last few drinks in a bar before his plan to jump off a bridge and get it all over with, finds Pearl, a woman who sits next to him, who is offering him a job. He does not know her, but she knows an awful lot about him, including that he was recently let go from the police department for being caught in a gay raid. Since this is happening long ago, the term queer is used instead. Mills had been able to avoid being caught before by knowing where the raids would be taking place, but how does she know that and everything else about him?

He agrees to be hired by Pearl to investigate the murder or accident of Irene, her "wife" since that was not a legal term back then. Pearl's family has a compound for the family business and it is there that Mills learns that those who live there are also queer and that it must be one of them who killed Irene, but which one.

Knives Out is very similar, but add the queer twist and you can probably figure out quite a bit of the book, but it's done well and makes you want to keep reading. It did seem that the ending leaves the door open to future stories which would be welcome.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

4/5
Lavender House provides an altogether intimate and refreshing inquiry into queer existence during the 1950s wrapped up in a thrilling murder mystery. Dizzying and intense above all, Rosen assembles a cloying ambiance for this novel, with an overpowering scent of deception that permeates the stuffy halls of Lavender House and unto the very page. A novel meant to question and unravel.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.


I’m a bit dissapointed due to how slow this story moved.. I had to fight the boredom to keep reading.

One. On the one hand, there’s something refreshing about reading books where being gay isn’t a big deal. On the other, it was, and still is, a big deal and it’s great to read books which recognise that while still letting their LGBT characters just live. Because there’s something still entirely revolutionary about that, especially when it comes to historical fiction. Let me try contextualise this: while a primary aspect of Lavender House is the fact that these characters aren’t straight, that isn’t all they are. Neither are they presented either as all perfect, or all villainous. They are, as is the only thing I really want, entirely human.

Two. This is a very solid mystery. The comparisons to Knives Out are apt to an extent, but I think it’s better plotted than that (at least in this one, the culprit wasn’t so obvious). It’s a book that keeps you guessing and turning pages, waiting to find out what little bit of information you might be dripfed next. Basically, all you’d want from a mystery story.

Three. At the centre of this book is a found family. Not necessarily in the usual sense of the word, admittedly—it’s a lot less tropey and love-filled than you might be used to—but a found family nevertheless. It’s a family that has joined together in order to protect one another (this is a book set in the 50s, let’s not forget) and I think this shows one of the best aspects of the book: how LGBT people in the past lived and survived. I still think it more unusual than not to find historical fiction with tragic gay narratives. This one is not untragic, but it does ensure a happy ending for its characters.

Four. If you’re looking to read more adult historical fiction, but you find that a lot of it a bit too dense with not very much plot, then this is a good starter for the genre. While more properly a historical mystery I’d say, it has a good balance of plot development and character development. The pacing is also good, with the mystery moving forward enough, while giving room for other events (and character development) to happen as well.

Five. I feel like I’ve said a lot about the characters in general, but really my final point here has to be about the main character, Evander Mills. I think the number one thing you need from a book is a compelling protagonist. They don’t have to be sympathetic, or even remotely likeable (although, it must be said, Evander is both of these things), but they have to be compelling. And this book gives you exactly that.

A tense, tightly wound LGBTQ historical mystery. A Knives Out eqsue thriller that to die for. I found the characters a little dry, but the settings and the mystery were compelling.

Lev A.C. Rosen's Lavender House offers an interesting variation on the usual 1950s P.I. novel. Here's the set-up: Evander Mills, a police officer caught in a raid on a gay club, loses his job and his home as a result, and is then hired to investigate the potential murder of Irene Lamontaine, the doyen of a wealthy—and quite nontraditional—family.

Mills' life has required that he never be fully himself. He can't afford for his coworkers to discover h's queer (the term used most often used the book to describe LGBTQI+ identity), so keeps them at a distance. He can't afford to reveal his job to any of the men who frequent the gay bars he occasionally visits (generally checking which are scheduled to be raided, until the error that leads to his life being turned upside down). He can't see beyond his need to protect himself, so doesn't use the knowledge he has (such as which bar will be raided next) to help other queers.

When Mills takes on the job of investigating Lamontaine's death, he meets a constructed family: Lamontaine's widow, Pearl; Lamontaine's son Henry and his partner Cliff; Margo, Henry's "beard-wife," and her partner Elsie, who runs a high end queer bar; and Margo's mother Alice, the only straight person in their household, as everyone working on the estate is also queer. At first Mills—conditioned to never reveal his full self—is profoundly uncomfortable with, but also fascinated by, life on the Lamontaine estate. But he also begins to see that the freedom the family have at home leaves them with little access to the world outside the estate. Henry needs Margo; Cliff can't be seen in public with Henry; nor can Elsie be seen with Margo.

Mills' job is to determine whether Lamontaine's death in a fall from a balcony was accidental or deliberate—and if it was deliberate, who among the family was responsible. This adds another layer of discomfort to Mills' life. These are people around whom he might finally live more honestly as the man he is, but all of them are suspects, so he can feel safe around none of them.

The mystery here works well enough, but the book's real strength is the way it portrays 1950s gay lives, the impossible choices individuals must make to protect themselves, and their resulting financial and social insecurity. I'm very much hoping this novel will prove to be the first in a series. I'd love to be able to watch the development of the different characters as they challenge the limitations in their lives and as they continue to evolve as a family.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

I don’t know how to feel about this book, but also it was utterly compelling and hard to put down. When Andy is caught with his pants down in a gay bar, he feels like his whole life is over - he’s lost his job with the San Francisco police department, lost his housing, and knew the cops who caught him intended to spread his truth so he’d never get a job again. But before he can follow through on ending things, Pearl offers him an opportunity to investigate what she believes to be the murder of her wife. Everyone else in the family believes it was just an accident, Irene just fell, but Pearl is certain it was murder, and now Andy must figure out which person living in their isolated home would do such a thing to the head of the family.

In so many ways this is a story of the complexities of family and how messy interpersonal dynamics can be. Everyone, except Margo’s mother, is queer and finds in the Lavender House a space where they can be open with their affections and their identity, not fearing repercussions when kissing their love. But as freeing as living there is, it also comes with bars and restrictions because the ultimate tenant of the house is that the outside world cannot know so that they remain safe. That means fake marriages and careful stories about who people really are, and sometimes that can be suffocating.

This started rough for me, but at the same time I was curious and intrigued by all the characters. There’s several really great parts where Andy has to come to terms with how his being part of the police force made him a participant in the harm and violence against queer people, even if he wasn’t the one doing the beating or arrests. There’s also themes of chosen family and the communities people build, and how much truth is shared in which communities and how that impacts the community feelings.

I think I did like this book and the mystery was well done, and I definitely recommend it you want historical queer fiction with a murder mystery.

[CannonballRead review will be posted Oct 15, 2022]

This is a really solid murder mystery! I absolutely agree with the comparison to Knives Out. We have a very unique cast of characters who are all very distinctive and there's a subtle charm, and almost humor, to the writing. I really enjoyed reading from Andy's POV and the setting of 1950's San Francisco was very actualized.

I've seen a few promos calling it "suspense" but I don't think it was suspenseful at all. It definitely falls closer to cozy mystery than thriller. There were a few good plot twists, one that made me actually gasp out loud, but it didn't have that pure shock factor that classic thrillers have. I only mention this because I don't want people to go into it expecting something that they are not going to get.

If you're looking for a solid, queer, nearly-cozy mystery, this one is a must!

tw: violent homophobia, slurs

I know this book is pitched as a queer Knives Out, but I wasn’t expecting it to be so similar to the movie. Although I loved the movie so I can’t complain much. My only issue is that if you know the plot of Knives Out then you can also guess a lot of the ending of this one which made it less fun at least for me. I did really like this one though, primarily the fact that it takes place in the 50s - not a popular time period for queer books. The violence got a little overwhelming at times, but if you can handle that I’d highly recommend this book!

While I have read titles from this author before, I was completely blown away by Lavender House. It is unlike anything else that Rosen has written, but that does not mean the fans of his previous work will not like this title. In fact, I think this book will only grow that fan base larger. As a queer, historical, murder mystery, this novel will appeal to many different kinds of readers and I cannot recommend that you pick up this title enough when it is officially published later this year.

Lavender House is a delightful mystery in the tradition of Agatha Christie with an interesting historical backdrop. If you enjoy an old school mystery but wish it didn't include old school bigotry, this book is for you. (Although the bigotry exists in this accurate mid-20th century setting, it doesn't come from the narrator or protagonists, a found family of lesbian and gay business magnates and society folks) I personally am not much of a series reader, but this book comes to a satisfying ending while remaining open to more investigations and I look forward to them!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen.

On Goodreads this is described as a queer Knives Out, which really fits perfect. In fact, I would LOVE to see a film adaptation of this book, and I rarely say that, I'm not a movie fan. But the story itself is so fun, borderline campy and colorful, that I think you could really have fun putting this on screen.

Andy is a disgraced cop who was kicked off the force after being discovered for being gay in the most humiliating of ways. He is sitting in a bar contemplating whether or not it's even worth going on when he is approached with a very intriguing offer to solve a murder.

Lavender House is occupied by a family with Irene at the head, who makes and sells scented soaps. But there is a well kept secret in this family that bonds them together even more. And now that Irene has died under suspicious circumstances, are they all in danger?

Like I said, so charming. And also, can I please be a part of this family? It just sounded so cozy and welcoming, despite some of the prickly personalities, and, you know, murder. But I appreciated the historical aspect as well as reminder of what life was like for LGBTQ people not very long ago.

I received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Some of the hype around this book called it a gay Knives Out which okay maybe but I think is a disservice to the book (as for me that movie was overhyped and dull as dishwater). Let's get some trigger warnings out of the way. This book is ALL about gay pain and there is a brutal on-page gay bashing.

It's 1952 and detective Evander "Andy" Mills was caught in a bathroom stall with his lover in a raid. Outed as queer, his time as a cop is over. Hell, if any of his former coworkers see him again it's likely they'll beat him to death. Andy is contemplating suicide when he's approached by an older woman, Pearl because she believes her wife's death was no accident.

Irene Lamontaine has built a soap empire and was found dead in her 'library.' Pearl explains that she also built an oasis for queer people so everyone who works in the inner circle and lives at the Lavender House are gay including Irene's son who has a public wife (who is a lesbian and her lover is one of the most interesting characters in the story), her son's boyfriend and all the house staff. The only person not gay at the house is the son's wife's controlling mother.

As much as Pearl would like the killer to be someone outside the house, Andy isn't so sure. He wants the home to be a haven for him as well but not everyone is thrilled to see him. Not only does he suspect them, but as a cop he is part of the problem. He might not have bashed anyone but he didn't stop it either (though truthfully it's doubtful he could have done so)

I really liked the characters and while I prefer stories that are not about queer pain (as there are so many of them) it's not like the 1950s are going to offer much that isn't about pain. There is a line in the blurb (and echoed in the book) "When your existence is a crime, everything you do is criminal" and that is so telling and so powerful.

I found the mystery aspect of it to be good and while this is stand alone it is set up that maybe it could continue as a P.I. series (because as it's pointed out, homosexuals aren't likely to ask the police for help). I enjoyed this one very much.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e ARC of this book.
Great whodunit with a queer twist.
Set in the early '50s with gay people treated as a separate outcast breed.
Great character development for the most part with murder mystery that keeps one guessing. The author totally understands queer life.

I love the queer historical twist here! I liked reading noir and detective stories in college, but wished they'd be a little more queer and less sexist. And finally in 2022 my dreams can come true. I'm excited to see more stories like these coming out! Please more.