~2.5 stars rounded up.

The cover is amazing. The title is amazing. A murder mystery with an all queer cast set in the 1950's is amazing. But I leave this novel feeling quite indifferent. This is a combination of social commentary and murder mystery but it lacks in both regards. A murder mystery with this cast would have been incredibly fun, but this derailed so many times. The audio is especially slow (I had to listen at over 2.5X speed at all times and it still felt extremely long). Switching to the Kindle version didn't make much difference because I couldn't keep my focus.

I never had any connection to these characters and I felt like I needed more. I wanted that big "GASP" moment at the big reveal(s), but the major moments just fall on y0ur lap.

That being said, it's not bad. It's not phenomenal. Based on the other reviews, I must be an outlier!

I received an e-ARC from NetGalley (in 2022) in exchange for an honest review.

I love the idea of a character abandoning everything they know in order to be a part of a new group. Unfortunately this was too slow and focused on a detective gathering clues for far too long without exploring the house itself. Besides a couple moments of violence, this was a found family, cozy mystery, and not the "Knives Out" wacky time I was lead to expect. The characters were not distinct and I really wanted it to get a little weird and unique. The dialogue and inner monologue did not feel indicative of the time period, however there were plenty of anecdotes given that attempted to give us the 1950's setting. Appreciated much of the commentary on society and acceptance, but the plot wasn't there.

It's 1952 in San Francisco Andy Mills has recently been fired for being caught in a compromising position in a gay bar. Andy Mills has been hired to investigate a murder of Irene Lamontaine. Andy finds a safe place for queer people at the estate.

Queer Historical fiction meets cozy mystery -ish. I was expecting more about the term Lavender. I'm glad things are a tad better than 1952 for the LGBTQia. That queer people can live in the open as long as we vote to protect our freedoms. I enjoyed this book and it was an interesting read.

Lev AC Rosen is one of my favourite authors and I had high expectations from this book. Happy to say that this one lived up to it. Rosen somehow managed to mix murder mystery with a journey of self discovery and acceptance and finding one’s family outside blood relations. I loved the character development of Evander and I am so happy to know that this would be a series. Looking forward to the sequel!!

Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen can't decide if it wants to be a mystery or a social commentary. Unfortunately, it does not work successfully on either level.

Thanks to NETGalley for the arc.

I loved this book and we have been stocking and selling it! LC Rosen is one of my favourite LGBT Authors (apologies for this review being so late!), we also stock their YA books :)

Lavender House is a fresh addition to the mystery genre. Lev AC Rosen has created a queer historical mystery set in San Francisco during the 1950s. The dark atmosphere and detailed characters contribute to a complex plot.

Andy Mills is hired to investigate the murder of the head of a famous soap family living at Lavender House. The widow knows Andy won’t look too closely at the living arrangements since he was fired from the police force when discovered at a raid on a gay bar. Now he finds out that everyone in the house has something to hide and plenty of secrets.

A well researched glimpse into the queer community of San Francisco during the 50s. It is apparent that the author has thoroughly researched the background providing authentic details. The nuanced characters and richly detailed setting create an ideal noir atmosphere for this mystery.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for access to the advanced copy in return for my honest review.

Queer historical noir, a twisted, complex, suspenseful mystery, with lots of finely-delineated characters, some of whom are endearing, featuring a naif, likable, recently terminated San Francisco Homicide inspector who happens to be Queer. Set in 1952 San Francisco, this is a character-propelled novel which also lays bare one of Society's ugliest aspects, which has historically been swept under a rug: the prevailing Anti-Queer conviction, which ruled authority as well as culture. Like the 18th century British Navy regulations against homosexuality, with pumishments ranging from flogging to execution, mid-century anti-Queer sentiment allowed, even insisted, on employment termination, arrest, public shaming, physical coercion and beatings, or worse.

A queer Knives Out is the perfect description of this story. This book was a little slow to start, but I quickly became not only invested in the murder mystery but also in the characters in the house and their dynamics. The writing style was a little quiet, which made the story seem less thriller-ey and more slow burn mystery with a focus on the characters. The soap empire element was also a unique and fun component of the story. I enjoyed the 1950s setting and what it looked like in terms of the discrimination and reality of the lives queer people had to live.
I highly recommend this to mystery lovers.

Thank you, MacMillan-TOR/Forge books publishers, and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I want to preference this by saying I thoroughly enjoyed Camp (4-stars, 4.5 if Goodreads ever decides to do half-stars), and was so excited for the adult novel behind this gorgeous cover.

However, this novel didn't work for me. I bought a physical copy in anticipation of loving it but no format of reading improved my enjoyment of this novel. After months of attempting to complete this novel, I decided it was time to shelve it under DNFs, nearly halfway through the novel.

Had I completed it, it would likely be no higher than a 3-star. I appreciated the exposition and all the queer representation, but the plotline felt more cozy mystery rather than Knives Out suspense. For being a thriller, the characters nor was the mystery truly hooking me and keeping me locked in with each chapter. Some of the commentary was falling flat rather than adding to the setting and thriller aesthetic.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me free access to the digital advanced copy of this book.

I’ve read several of Rosen’s YA novels, so I was excited about the opportunity to read his foray into historical mysteries.

This is a delightfully twisty story hearkening back to the pulp detective era. The Lamontaine family hires Andy because he’s the only one who won’t look too closely at their living arrangements. But as Andy begins unwinding the tangled relationships of the household, more and more secrets come to light. Nobody is telling the truth and everyone has something to hide.

This is a fascinating glimpse into the queer communities of 1950s San Francisco. It’s clear that Rosen put a lot of work into researching authentic details, and it shows. The characters are well-developed and nuanced with unique personalities and foibles. The mystery is satisfying—I often can see twists coming, but the identity of the perpetrator managed to elude me until the big reveal.

I would absolutely recommend Lavender House, and I’m looking forward to reading the sequel when it comes out later this year.

I received a digital ARC of this book from Forge/NetGalley.

A queer fifties mystery? Oh my god yes forever. We so rarely get to see ourselves in these beautiful, dark, atmospheric stories, so this felt like a real treasure.

This mystery was pretty perfect. The storytelling and world building are beautiful. Each element of the plot unfolds so well and the characters make the story more complex. The main character, Andy, leads us on a true investigation of the crime but also of his own queer identity and the time period. The setting is lush and mysterious, as any good mystery novel should be. It did take awhile to get into because the crime wasn’t all that interesting. But I appreciated the different characters and Andy’s attempt to understand each of them, despite the awkward position he found himself to be in.

This was a surprise hit with me. It's a 1950s era whodunit murder mystery with the added bonus of most of its characters being queer. We meet Andy Mills, a now ex-cop, just after the worst day of his life, having been found in a bathroom during a raid of a gay bar. Before he can do anything stupid, he is hired by a widow to investigate the murder of her wife. And thus begins the world-building of the Lavender House, a queer reprieve from the dangers of the police and anti-gay sentiment. The murder storyline is weak and the pacing is slow at times, but as a cozy mystery it still works. The ending sets up a future series in this world with these characters and I for one am all in!

3.5 stars

A traditional murder mystery set in 1950s California. While the ‘lavender scare’ of the McCarthy years is never mentioned by name, the juxtaposition of cities full of queer folks discovering each other and the brutal treatment they received from police and straight society is right at the forefront of this explicitly and celebratory queer novel.

The mystery mostly occurs at one fantastic setting, the titular Lavender House: a country mansion owned by a family soap-making empire and, secretly, a queer family utopia. But for all the freedoms the house provides for its inhabitants it can also serve as a prison, chaining the family together not just with bonds of love but of secrets and necessity. I love a good country house setting for a murder mystery and I think that this one is especially effective because the inhabitants are all in on a secret (their queer family) together, isolated by their lifestyle even more than their mansion gates. The family themselves are also a great cast of characters, each finding their own niche and role within the family structure and each with more going on under the surface than first appears.

I wish that the actual mystery had included one or two more twists and turns, or used the layout of the house a little more effectively, and the ending was a little rushed. But our lead character, Andy Mills, is a reliable (if slightly ordinary) investigator to follow, keenly observant and good at probing the suspects, and he keeps the narrative flowing at a very readable pace. There is a satisfying plot with enough good writing to make the reader feel immersed in the historical setting, which—along with the family relationships of the suspects—is the real charm of this particular mystery.

Content Warnings: Historical homophobia, police brutality, alcohol abuse, suicidal ideation

“People are always trying to claim you, without ever listening to who you are. They want you to be something else, to be the role they have for you in the family. But really, we’re all better off just making our own.”

LAVENDER HOUSE is like “Knives Out” but (almost) everyone is gay. Set in the Bay Area in the 1950s, it’s an atmospheric murder mystery about a secretly queer family that owns a soap company. When their matriarch dies mysteriously, a recently fired cop is brought into their mansion to suss out what happened and who is at fault. The plot was fairly straightforward - a few intriguing twists, some delicious suspense - but what really shone for me was the queer history Rosen illuminates, the messy & beautiful found family at the core of this story, and seeing through the main character’s eyes the far-reaching effects of being made to hide your true self and the healing that comes when you finally feel at home. Thanks to Forge Books and Macmillan Audio for the review copies! This novel is out 10/18.

Content warnings: murder, homophobia, family rejection, religious bigotry, child abuse, beatings/hate crimes, police brutality, survival sex work, suicide

[ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review]

Hey, this book? Absolutely amazing. A historical murder mystery in a ~lavender house~ called Lavender House? Perfection.

Andy Mills, a gay cop fired from the force for being caught during a raid on a gay bar, is hired by the widow of Irene Lamontaine to find out how the head of the famous soap family was killed. Mystery, thrills, and a little bit of romance ensue.

What I loved most about this book was the historical lens of it and how Rosen draws specific parallels to our world today. Yes, things have changed and progressed for queer people, but wow have things always been bad. Much like the people of this family, you don’t want to believe any of them could be guilty of murder, or murdering one of their own.

I wanted to reread this as soon as I finished it and I’m counting down the days until the sequel. Give me Andy Mills solving gay crimes forever.

5 stars

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback. This was a thoroughly charming queer take on noir, can't wait to read the next one.

Had to DNF at 20%... just didn't keep my attention. I tried to go back to it a few times over the past few months but I just wasn't into it. The premise and cover are great though!