4.5 stars rounded up

I am really loving this series! If you want noir detective vibes with a gay lead you should really check out these mysteries. The Bell in the Fog is book 2, following gay PI and former cop Andy Mills on a new case involving blackmail. Set in 1952 San Francisco, Andy is still coming to terms with his complicity in police harm to his own community and trying to make amends. Now someone from his past has hired him to find out who is behind blackmail photos that would threaten the military career of the client if his queerness were to be outed. But things are much messier than they first seem...

This is a great mystery with characters I love offering a look at the complexities of what it meant to be a queer person during this time. Definitely recommend! The audio narration is excellent as well and gives that gravelly detective voice you want for the time period. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

The Bell in the Fog is a terrific mystery as well as a moving portrait of gay life in the 1950s. It’s a page-turner with heart — highly recommended! I hope there will be much more to come in this series.

This is the second book in the Andy Mills mystery series which follows a gay private detective in the early 1950s. The mystery can be read stand alone and the personal relationships can be seen developing on page, but I do recommend reading Lavender House.

Andy is still struggling in his new business and fitting into his community though he is clearly much happier than he was as a cop in hiding. I really enjoyed the developing friendship with Lee who assists him both in his business and personal relationship developments. His budding romantic relationship with bartender Gene is a slow moving delight that takes a backseat to Andy’s developing business and community relations.

The mystery revolves around some skeletons from Andy’s past prompting him to revisit his days in the Navy. His former flame who mysteriously disappeared from his life is now being blackmailed, which leads Andy on a mission to return blackmail photos to quite a few members of the community, making them both grateful and suspicious of his motives as well as running afoul of a man in a powerful position. One aspect of the mystery was a little too obvious to me, but I enjoyed watching Andy follow the clues to fruition and winced with sympathy over the consequences.

Recommended for the nuances of following a gay PI navigating 1950s San Francisco.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forge Books for a copy provided for an honest review.

After successfully pursuing his first case as an unintentional private investigator, disgraced former Sam Francisco Homicide inspector Evander "Andy" Mills now has an office and apartment provided by a club owner who was involved in his earlier case. But clients are few, and most cases involve tracking spouses or boyfriends. Andy, whose police job was terminated when his sexual orientation was revealed, primarily wants to help people. When a case comes up involving a wartime lover, he thinks this might be the opportunity he's wanted. But the case involves much more than simple blackmail excursion, and he will face a terrifying murderous psychopath.

This Series is so well-grounded in the culture of early 1950's San Francisco, and in the wider mindset of American government and military. I really felt I was experiencing life in that sometimes very ugly era.

The second book in the Andy Mills series, a solid mystery, and a glimpse into queer culture in the 1950s and the trauma and camaraderie of that era. After being outed and losing his job with the police force, PI Evander "Andy" Mills offers his services to the LGBTQ+ community of San Francisco. His former lover, James, a closeted naval officer, is being blackmailed with photos of himself with another man. For Andy, the case is bittersweet as James more or less ghosted him, giving him no explanation for the end of their relationship. A gritty noir mystery that is more than meets the eye.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for this e-arc.*

I loved this even more than Lavender House! This is by no means a cozy mystery, and yet I couldn't help but feel very cozy as Andy settles into his new life working at Ruby's, deepens his friendships with Elsie, Lee, and Gene, and finally starts finding his place in the queer community. It's the relationships that really got to me and had me smiling fondly, even as Andy gets on with the grim work of tracking down a blackmailer, uncovering murders and lies, and confronting a new and dangerous threat. I liked learning more about Andy's past, which gets into his time in the navy. I've never thought much about the queer experience during World War II, and now I definitely want to dive into some of the resources listed in the afterword! There's never a dull moment in this book, whether Andy is having drinks at a club, interviewing suspects and informants, flirting, getting in a fight, or traversing San Francisco on the hunt for leads. Highly recommend!

The Bell in the Fog, the second book in the Andy Mills series, is a terrific follow up to Lavender House, one of my favorite reads of 2022. I don't know if there are plans for more books in this series, but I sure hope so- I'm so not ready to say goodbye!

Lev A.C. Rosen has crafted this story is such a way that it's able to stand on its own. But I don't know why you wouldn't want to read Lavender House, if not first, at least after you finish The Bell in the Fog!

Andy's starting to make a new life and a new path for himself, when his past comes back to haunt him. He finds himself deep in the midst of murder and blackmail, with everything, and everyone, he cares about on the line. I really enjoyed the twists and turns this story took, and I was kept guessing until the very end.

I like the peek this series is giving into the queer community of the 1950s. It's really sad that things haven't fully progressed in this world from how it was back then. But I loved that they were able to find joy and community, and had safe (relatively) places where they could go to just be themselves. In a way it gives this series a kind of cozy mystery feel, which I love.

The first book in the series, Lavender House, was one of my top books of 2022, and I was so excited to see it was getting a sequel. This book delivered on everything I wanted from the next installment in this series, delivering a satisfying story set in a fascinating and very under-represented area of historical fiction.

Even better than the first. With The Bell in the Fog, Lev AC Rosen's queer historical noir mystery series has cemented its place in my heart. Both books have been full of wholly human, deliciously flawed characters with detective Andy Mills at the messy, moving heart of it all. This sequel expands on the tight knit community of Lavender House, proving that worldbuilding doesn't just apply to high fantasy - 1950s San Francisco and its queer community, absolutely lush with smoke and fog and the grit of historical detail, shines as the background for a mystery plot that clips along at a fine pace, with a satisfying (and emotional) resolution. I genuinely loved this story with my whole heart, and I hope Rosen writes several more in the series!

Thanks to Forge Books for the advance review copy!

I hadn’t read the first book yet, when I got a copy of the second. I’ve had it on my shelf since it was published last year. So I read the first one and immediately started the second. I love the noir vibe especially in San Francisco. Foggy wet weather and murder. I also loved the main character. I’m sure these would be fine as stand alone but I’m glad I read the first one for a complete back story.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest opinion..4⭐️

A new case for the queer private investigator, except his client is his ex and he'll be facing a whole slew of messy history, dangers, and feelings, especially since he's falling for the cute bartender too. Its 1952 in San Francisco and ex-cop turned private investigator Evander "Andy" Mills is on the case. Ever since opening up his own investigation office, he's still trying to fit in, no one trust him because he's an ex cop despite him being gay, but he's trying. When an old flame shows up, his ex from the navy, wanting to hire Andy to help him get back some illicit photos that could destroy his career, Andy is on the case. Yet this case has a lot of it's own troubles and dangers as Andy gets pulled in further and further into his old history with his ex and the fact that someone is killing for the blackmail photos that happen to be more than just his ex's. Can Andy crack the case before it's too late and finally protect the home and people he's begun to think of as his own family, and maybe also finally ask out the cute bartender Gene that he's been crushing on, that is, if he can work out his complicated feelings for his ex. This was such a fun historical murder mystery, it's a great continuation of the first book, and I absolutely can't wait to see if there is going to be a third book (I would love for this to be a continuing series), it would be so cool to see all the characters again and see them grow, especially getting to see Andy grow more into himself and his journey as a P.I!

*Thanks Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group, Forge Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

You don’t need to read Lavender House to enjoy gay detective Evander “Andy” Mills latest caper. Lev AC Rosen’s newest novel, The Bell in the Fog, can stand on its’ own. The past can come back to haunt you! Andy revisits his Navy past with pals, James and Helen. Andy’s queer community includes his new “Girl Friday” Lee, who’s a she with lipstick on and a he when wearing a suit, hopeful boyfriend and bartender Gene and boss Elsie, owner of The Ruby. A simple blackmail case turns deadly for Andy, who must solve this new mystery before The Ruby goes up in smoke. Thanks to Lev AC Rosen, Forge Books/Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

“The Bell in the Fog” by Lev AC Rosen, the second book set around Detective Andy Mills, is a beautifully immersive noir mystery, one of the best I’ve read. Just like the first, Lev AC Rosen sets the wonderful noir atmosphere immediately, centering you quickly in the time period of San Francisco 1952 and also brings into the focus the struggles that Andy Mills is having now that the queer community knows he’s an ex-cop. 

The author also brings into play Andy’s past, like a ghost haunting him. The connections and clues, the hints that are given along the way, the red herrings, are dazzling, a mystery that is riveting and immersive. The relationships and characters are complex and compelling especially as Andy’s confronts his past and what that will mean to his future. 

This novel is all about secrets just like the previous but in this one, Andy is no longer hiding, slowly learning to embrace his identity and what that means. This story ends up being deeply personal but impactful. The ending packs a punch and ends with found family. 

If you love historical mysteries, with gay characters struggling with their past, this novel is perfect for you. If you haven’t read the first book, I recommend it but it is not required. The beginning introduces you to what you need to know to enjoy the novel. The characters, especially Andy, are compelling. I love the exploration of queer identity that these mysteries revolve around and this is the perfect immersive noir mystery for me.

This was an amazing continuation of the journey Evander Mills began in Lavender House, more noir than country house murder. It’s very nearly everything I could want in a queer hardboiled detective novel and I cannot wait to read more. Future books are definitely going on my auto-buy list.

An improvement on the first book in every way. The pace is quicker, the dialogue snappier, the setting more noir and intriguing. The ending felt rushed, but the journey there was highly entertaining.

When I read Lev AC Rosen’s Lavender House last year, I was hopeful the ending was meant to suggest that it would be followed by additional books. The premise was simply too promising to be a one-and-done situation. Luckily, that optimism was rewarded and the upcoming The Bell in the Fog has settled the Andy Mills series on firm ground and I look forward to many more installments in the years to come. Grappling with questions of identity, justice, and reconciling the past with building a meaningful future, The Bell in the Fog continues to build out a diverse and engaging cast of characters who help Andy as he works to establish his new place in the world.

It’s been a few months since Elsie laid out her plan for Andy to take over some of the space above her club for his new private detective agency. So far, he’s only managed to land a handful of clients and the cases have mostly been about tailing romantic partners to learn if they’ve been cheating – cases that don’t exactly engender trust in the community given he already has a strike against him as a former cop. But then an unexpected client shows up with a case where Andy might actually earn decent money. Of course, the client, James is someone from Andy’s past – an ex from his days in serving in the Navy, their relationship having ended when James disappeared without a word leaving Andy petrified that one or both of them had been outed. Except that wasn’t why James disappeared but now he’s being blackmailed with a significant promotion hanging in the balance. Can Andy track down the photos and protect James’ reputation? Will they rekindle their relationship or has too much happened? As Andy searches for the photos, he learns more about the community he’s hovered on the edges of for so long and is finally ready to join in a meaningful and productive way.

While Lavender House did a great job of establishing Andy’s character and set up the larger premise for the series, The Bell in the Fog does a wonderful job of expanding the world for the reader. Balancing a handful of characters carried over from the first book and introducing a few new characters, Andy’s core support network is in place for future books. Even the characters less likely to recur go a long way to texture the series’ larger world in addition to fleshing out more of Andy’s character through the glimpses they offer of his past. The cases that set the pacing for the books are pretty straight forward so it’s the limitations on the investigative process and what the resolutions look like that make them interesting. Of course, even that wouldn’t matter if the characters involved didn’t leap off the page and make you care as a reader.

It was a relief to see that his past as a cop continues to have repercussions beyond Andy’s sense of guilt and it’s the supporting characters that give those repercussions meaningful weight. The layer of internal conflict works beautifully as insights about his past reveal the trail of how and why he became a cop in the first place and it’s the characters from his past mingling with those in his present that help draw the line tracking his personal growth. Delving into his past helps Andy to navigate where he’ll try to draw the line moving forward and what injustices he’ll have to let go to keep his community safe from police interference and abuse. I’m intrigued to see where Rosen takes these characters as Andy continues to settle into his role in the community and what types of cases could be in store (I found this case more compelling than the one at the heart of Lavender House, though elements of this one’s resolution didn’t land with as much weight as they could have – I hope the case element of the novels continues to get stronger as the series progresses).

The Bell in the Fog will be available October 10, 2023.

I loved this SO. MUCH. Andy is one of my favorite protagonists ever. Gene, Lee, Elsie and the rest of the side characters are all just amazing. I need ~at least~ 15 more books in this series!

Thank you NetGalley, Forge Books, and Lev AC Rosen for the advanced copy of The Bell in the Fog in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up.

This is one of those rare instances where I actually liked the second book of a series better than the first! Don't get me wrong, I loved Lavender House, but something about this one really sucked me in. Andy Mills is quickly becoming one of my favorite protagonists.

As with the first book, there is some homophobic language that may be upsetting to some readers, so please know that going in!

I did not see the ending coming, but I loved how everything wrapped up. I hope we get to see more of Andy and his found family in the future!

The Bell in the Fog will be on US bookshelves October 10th!

When I heard there was going to be a sequel to Lavender House, I knew I had to get my hands on it. Plus I love that Rosen writes such complex, messy queer characters who aren’t necessarily good people, but their queerness isn’t why they’re not good people.

I really love Andy, his community, and the ways he’s growing since leaving the police force and finding family. This story especially shows him making so many connections and finding what happiness means for him as an out queer man when being gay is criminal, but being in the closet and invisible isn’t really an option anymore. Lee, Elise, and Gene are all such great friends for Andy, and his varied interpersonal relationships are always such a good part of the story.

As to the mystery, I think it was well done. I did figure out one element fairly early on, but other elements were a shock! Seeing the pieces all come together and trying to figure out what justice can look like when the cops aren’t on your side was another great element to the story.

All around this was such an engrossing story, and I cannot wait to see what’s next for Andy now that the community is beginning to accept him and trust him. I love the blending of historical fiction with mystery and the way none of these characters are perfect people, but trying their best to thrive when being themselves can be so dangerous.

"The Bell in the Fog, a dazzling historical mystery by Lev A.C. Rosen, asks - once you have finally found a family, how far would you go to prove yourself to them?

San Francisco, 1952. Detective Evander "Andy" Mills has started a new life for himself as a private detective - but his business hasn't exactly taken off. It turns out that word spreads fast when you have a bad reputation, and no one in the queer community trusts him enough to ask an ex-cop for help.

When James, an old flame from the war who had mysteriously disappeared, arrives in his offices above the Ruby, Andy wants to kick him out. But the job seems to be a simple case of blackmail, and Andy's debts are piling up. He agrees to investigate, despite everything it stirs up.

The case will take him back to the shadowy, closeted world of the Navy, and then out into the gay bars of the city, where the past rises up to meet him, like the swell of the ocean under a warship. Missing people, violent strangers, and scandalous photos that could destroy lives are a whirlpool around him, and Andy better make sense of it all before someone pulls him under for good."

San Francisco fog and a PI, my perfect night in.