I was excited to read this book from the moment I read the description of an outed gay detective in the 50s solving the murder of a secretly queer woman. Like, literally sign me the fuck up! This description is a tall order but I think Lavender House delivers!

The style evokes Raymond Chandler with its pessimistic main character and damsel-in-distress narrative. The mystery itself is actually a bit cut and dry, not as twisty or shocking as I would expect from a modern novel, but it fits with the period feel of the piece overall.

Mostly I love the MC struggling to accept himself and finding a cadre of loving queer folks willing to support him along the way. This book feels a little bit wish-fulfilling, but not to the point that I wasn’t in the story.

The audiobook narrator was enjoyable and I never once got lost in the characters — they were all incredibly clear.

I give it a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 because I really enjoyed it and finished the whole thing in 2 days, which is a seal of approval in its own right.

Rosen has written an intriguing queer murder mystery, one that envelopes all the complexities of being queer and existing in a society that has labelled them deviant.

I appreciate that he weaves in the varying ways that queer individuals decide to exist within society, openly in secret, establishing clubs and places where they can express their identity and desires, yet avoiding any relationship or situation that could out them.

When Evander is expelled from the police force after being found in a gay club, he begins to question how he allowed himself to get caught, beginning to spiral into alcohol. Taking the private investigator position into the death of a prominent woman could lead him to a path that could be a solid future.

But Lavender House is more than just a place for queers to be, there are secrets, ambitions, and jealousy and Andy is at risk of being drawn in and under.

The narrator does a good job of bringing across each of the characters' innate attitudes and characteristics which enhances the reader's experience of the story. There are points where the main character comes across as staid and the story drags.

4.5 stars rounded up

Lavender House is a queer historical murder mystery set in 1950's San Francisco. Evander is a former police detective who recently lost his job after being discovered in a gay club. While trying to orient himself to life after being outed, he's hired as a private detective by Irene to uncover the truth of her wife's death. To investigate, Evander moves into Lavender House- a secret queer oasis this family has created for themselves. Publicly they are the society faces of a soap-making empire, but privately there are fake marriages and lots of secrets.

I really hope this book does well because the ending sets it up for the potential to be a series of mysteries with Evander as a private detective. There's a lot to like here, though be aware there are scenes that are difficult to read. This book is realistic about the homophobia and violence that queer people experienced during this time, even in San Francisco. It is very grounded in time and place, with a good bit of historical information. And one of the central themes of the book is unpacking why quietly living a secret queer life is itself a form of trauma. The murder mystery was interesting and I while did guess the culprit partway through the book, this does a decent job of keeping you guessing. Overall, a really good novel that could the start to a great series! It's cool to see this kind of queer representation in a genre that often lacks it. The audio narration is also excellent. The voice of the main character evokes gritty noir films from the black and white era. I received an audio copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

Lavender House was already an immersive mystery, and Viskas Adam's narration makes it even more so. Each character has a distinct voice, which I find highly important in audiobooks. At no point did the narration do anything to take me out of the story. In fact, there were several times I listened to this audiobook on my commute home from work and found myself sitting in the driveway to finish just one more chapter.

Disgraced investigator Evander (Andy) Mills is trying to lose himself in the bottom of a bottle when he's approached by a wealthy woman, Pearl, in a bar. It turns out she wants to hire him to solve a case - the mysterious death of Irene Lamontaine, the owner and head of a soap empire.

I listened to the audiobook version of this novel, and the narration is absolutely stunning. It would be easy for the narrator to fall into sounding like a parody of the era, but instead, the main character's gruff, gravelly voice and cadence transport you back to the 1950s. Equally impressive was the distinct voicing of all the characters that Andy meets. It felt immersive and like I was listening to a full cast. (As someone who usually has to do other things and up the speed for an audiobook to keep my attention, I found myself sitting and doing nothing for two hours while I fell into the world of the Lamontaines'.)

The story itself is very layered. On the surface, it's a murder mystery, but really, it's a commentary on human nature, queer identity, and class politics. We watch Andy navigate not only his complicity in unjust systems but also his newly revealed identity. We see him struggle with his own internalized biases and the "what ifs" of his life. I loved the subtle way that each character was explored. There was a complexity to all of them, no sterility of "goodness" or outright evil. They were just people caught up in an event and acted in kind based on their personalities. I loved that the book took on topics like this in a way that didn't feel heavy-handed or preachy.

The fun of whodunits is generally figuring out who did it. This is true of this novel, but without giving too much away, it was the motive that truly hooked me. I won't say that you can't see the end coming, but there was an authenticity there that I'm glad the author didn't shy away from. The twists and turns that the story takes kept me dying to know what happens next.

A super enjoyable read, and I hope to read about more mystery-solving escapades of Andy Mills in the future!

This one left me wanting in many ways. I love a good historical book and I adore a good mystery even more. So I thought, this would keep me hooked for the entirety. Nothing could be further from the truth. The character development left me I engaged in the story. The mystery story development was mediocre at best. The focus seemed more on the push of the queer storyline - this took away from the story for me. Every twist and turn on the story had an element within it and it was way overkill for me. My honest review - thanks to NetGalley for the experience.

This is the kind of book that never really feels like the story ends, like a “the end…for now.” It’s the sort of mystery that I was so caught up in that I forgot to really try to guess who did it, although I likely wouldn’t have succeeded either way. LAVENDER HOUSE is queer joy, queer grief, queer discovery, queer rage, queer belonging, all coming together. I was so fascinated by some of the secondary characters and I wish that they had gotten more page time/development (though I wouldn’t complain at a sequel exploring more of them and their relationships!). If you’re wondering whether you should pick this up, take this as a sign that you should. And I would especially recommend the audiobook with some incredible narration by Vikas Adam.

Pitched as Knives Out with a queer historical twist, I was immediately interested in this book and I think that it lives up to that pitch. Although it never quite had me at the edge of my seat or jaw-dropped like Knives Out, it was still an enjoyable read. I wish there had been a little bit more weaving of these two narratives together because I incredibly enjoyed the exploration of being queer in a 1950s historical setting.

Truly the best part of this book though was the exploration of queer identity, especially as Evander navigates being in actual community with other queer people. This isn’t a coming-of-age or coming out story, but it’s about that discovery that comes when you aren’t the only person who knows. There’s something dreamy about the idea of a house where queer people are the norm, and even as this book takes that dream into reality, I can’t help but hope.

Lavender House
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Historical Fiction
Format: Audiobook
Date Published: 10/18/22
Author: Lev AC Rosen
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Narrator: Vikas Adam
GR: 4.08

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

My Thoughts: The story is narrated by Andy, from his POV as he moves through this complicated web. This book was intriguing and it also broke my heart. To know what gay people endured in the early 1950’s just breaks my heart. I am grateful that today’s society is a little more accepting, even though we are not fully there yet. A person should be allowed to be who they are with no strings attached. The narrator was great, you could identify with the characters and felt a part of this cozy mystery. I loved Andy’s character, he did not sugar coat anything, he told you like it was. The characters were well developed with depth, mystery, secretive, and creatively spun. The author’s writing style was complex, multifaceted, intriguing, suspenseful, and brilliant. Rosen does a really good job at identifying each character’s personality in a different light. Rosen tackles discrimination and violence against LGBTQ community, however, I believe he tackles this tough issue with grace. This is not really a thriller with lots of twists, but it does have some brilliant mystery elements to it, it is paced well, and flowed amazingly. If you like Knifes Out, you will love this one with a queer spin and historical element. This releases next Tuesday and I highly recommend picking up! Content warnings of violence and discrimination.

A mystery set in the 1950s, Evander (Andy) Mills has just been kicked off the police force for being a "pervert". (Being homosexual in the 1950s was pretty much law-breaking.) Outed at a club during a police raid, Andy is disgraced and sent packing from the San Fran PD. He is drinking his blues away when widow Pearl arrives to hire Andy as a private investigator. His task is to find out who murdered Irene Lamontaine, matriarch of a soap empire. Her home, Lavender House, is a haven for the LGBTQ family that lives there and Andy wants to stay forever. However, someone there DID commit murder so how safe is it really?
Honestly, although this story was fun and interesting, it was pretty easy to figure who murdered Irene. Luckily, Andy seems to start his own PI business by the end of the book so maybe he'll get some tougher cases to figure out?

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this mp3 of this title.*

This book had me at its comparison to Knives Out! And the humor/mystery/dysfunctional family aspect did not disappoint. The characters were each unique and quirky. I laughed out loud multiple times during the book, which didn't take anything away from the mystery. My biggest problem with the story was how most LGBTQ+ character was portrayed. The book was set in a time period when that community would have faced extreme ostracization and abuse, which, for me, I think the author should have portrayed the majority of the characters in a less 21st century "anything goes" attitude. The mystery was fun and the resolution made sense. I enjoyed the narrator, too. I would recommend it to anyone who is not too put off by overt sexuality of which there is plenty.

A 1950's queer murder mystery? And the cover is gorgeous? It didn't take any more convincing for me to check this out. Queer historical fiction has really been shining lately and I had high hopes. Perhaps too high.

First things first, I loved the setting! Lavender House, a secluded haven for queer family and friends of the Lamontaine soap empire. The face of the company, Irene, has recently been found deceased. Her partner hires Andy, a gay cop who was just fired and outed. I wanted to like him more than I did but..I have a hard time with a cop protagonist, period. Obviously, it was part of the plot and I did like that he became this queer vigilante type. Love that. I still couldn't quite get invested in him, unfortunately.

I loved the overall feel and vibe of this book but I kept finding myself zoned out. It often felt slow and boring. The end wasn't too surprising but because the atmosphere was on the cozier side, I didn't fault it too much for that. I wish I liked this more because there was a lot of potential and I really wanted to enjoy it. I needed character development and a more driven plot. It didn't work for me but I'm sure lots of other people could easily enjoy this and have, according to other reviews. Also, I did listen to this as an audiobook. I wasn't a huge fan of the narrator and may have had a better opinion had I read physically. A big thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

I read a physical galley of this and wanted to see how the narrator portrayed this gothic, haunting story and holy cow, I was totally into the narration. The narrator has a great way of giving off that spooky, haunting atmosphere without sounding like they were giving a performance.

Rep: gay mc, Mexican lesbian sc, lesbian sc, gay scs, Jewish bi sc

This features a murder mystery, but it’s not a thriller. It’s more of a cozy mystery. It’s slower and focuses on learning about the characters and their personalities. That being said, it’s not a light fluffy read either. It has lots of homophobia and violence as well. It’s just not super action packed with intense thrills. It was a good mix, but on the slower side.

I enjoyed the mystery and getting to know all the characters and trying to piece everything together. I had a feeling I knew who the killer was before getting proof though. It just kind of felt like the obvious person. Although there were a few added twists not really related to the murder mystery. There was a side plot mystery as well that I didn’t expect.

I liked that the Lavender house was a safe space for these queer people to be. Obviously its terrible they are forced into hiding their identities by society, and its far from ideal, but its their little sanctuary. They’re just trying their best to survive and be somewhat happy in the homophobic world they live in. It really goes to show how much found families mean to us queer people.

I really felt for Andy and the other character’s struggles. It must have been so tough for them living through that time and hiding themselves every day. I just wanted them all to be happy and not deal with all the homophobia. Andy especially. He was in such a bad place mentally. Working on this case gave him something to do. And even just meeting other queer people was really good for him. You could see he wanted to fully embrace them and their new friendship, but he also needed to stay focused on finding the murderer, never being able to fully trust any of them.

As it’s set in the 50s where homophobia is very big, there’s lots slurs and violence towards the characters. Please check out trigger warnings before picking up this book.

The narrator did a good job. The cover is really pretty!

Overall, a pretty good cozy mystery. It has its time period homophobia, but we also see the characters being happy and experiencing some queer joy.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an audio ARC of this book

Described as ‘Knives Out’ with a queer historical twist, Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen caught my interest from the very beginning, and honestly held it the whole way through. This book follows Andy, a recently fired police officer after he was caught in a raid on a gay bar, being hired as a personal investigator into the death of Irene. With a cast of (mostly) queer characteres, this was an interesting view into the lengths that people had to go to in order to be their true selves in a time when this was not acceptable, wrapped up in a fun murder mystery.

As someone who tends to avoid historical fiction, this was a really quick read for me, and one I would happily suggest to others. Each character interested me, and made me want to know more about their lives both before the death of Irene as well as how they move on once the truth has come out.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio for the review copy of Lavender House from Lev AC Rosen. This audiobook is amazingly atmospheric and wonderfully narrated with droll noir style by Vikas Adam. I also had the chance to read this book earlier this year as an ebook and I have to say that the narration really made this book stronger for me as the book was a bit slow for me.
This book works because of the secondary characters and the celebration and examination of queer lives. This meant for me that the mystery was kind of a slow burn background for these characters to interact and for me to ponder queer lives and identities. This worked for me but for someone looking for a cozy noir mystery this might not work.
Recommended for listeners who don't mind a character focused noir story.

I loved the premise of this book but unfortunately, the narrator made it a slog to get through. It was extremely slow paced and really did not pick up in speed and interest until the last quarter or so of the book. The comparison to the movie Knives Out fell a little flat for me, there was very little of that dark humor in this one.

I absolutely loved this one! The narration by Vikas Adam was awesome and had all the noir vibes.. Despite having a lot of involved parties, the book was easy to follow and quite entertaining (and at times infuriating and a reminder if how far we've come). Thank you so much MacMillan Audio for this ALC.

Suspenseful, thrilling and intriguing, LAVENDER HOUSE is your next new queer historical fiction and mystery obsession.

3.5 stars. I enjoyed this audiobook and found it to be an engrossing read. I have loved other books with narrated by Vikas Adam, and thought he was a great choice here. I found the cast of characters interesting and loved the noir vibe.

I wouldn't describe this as a cozy mystery, there's a good deal of dark and gritty elements, but there were also plenty of hopeful and more lighthearted portions. I tend to be pretty particular about audiobooks, and often DNF if they are too unsettling/depressing/full of dread, but this only had one point where it was actively hard for me to keep listening. The darker parts of the story are in keeping with the time period in which the story is set, but I'd definitely advise checking CWs.

I'd say this is more of a character study of all these various people and their relationships, rather than the sort of mystery with clues you can follow along with as you read. But I was invested in the characters and eager to find out where the story led. I quite enjoyed this and would recommend it to anyone looking for queer noir with an interesting cast of characters. And I especially recommend the audiobook, the narrator did a great job of bringing the cast to life and I thought the story was really well suited to narration.

DNF at 60%.

This pacing of this book is just far too slow for me. I think the author does a really fantastic job of digging in to the history behind marriage of convenience/protection when it comes to queer individuals and how unsafe society was during the time this story takes place. A lot of time is spent on the inner monologue of Andy, the detective who was fired after being caught in a raid at a gay bar, and he is DRY.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.