I loved this! The historical setting - 1950s San Francisco - is fascinating and accessible, though I did look up some terms and references to get a more complete understanding. The characters are engaging and I love the queer, chosen family that they've built at Lavender House. Each of the characters' stories shed light on different aspects of the queer experience during that time - being closeted, facing harassment and violence, living double lives - while also showing glimpses of queer joy and community. Andy, an outsider to the household and the queer community, learns from the family even as he sifts through their secrets in order to solve Irene's murder. His growth during the novel is both heartbreaking and beautiful as he gets a second shot at life and seeks to make amends for past mistakes. As for the mystery, I was guessing up until the end! No spoilers, but I was very satisfied with how the mystery was resolved. Overall, a riveting read with great characters, plot, and intrigue.

This book was a truly unique take on historic crime. Set in 1950's San Francisco, we see a murder mystery through the eyes of Andy, a former SF police officer dismissed because he is gay. He is recruited by the widow of a soap magnate and Andy investigates their LGBT found family at secluded estate, the "Lavender House." My favorite aspects of the book are the partners and exploration into this time period of how people got by when they identified as gay because none of the characters could be "out" in public.

5⭐️

Andy Mills has just been kicked off the San Francisco Police Force after he was caught in a raid at a gay bar. His world turns upside down, and he contemplates ending his life while drowning his sorrows in a bar. A stranger approaches him, and asks for his help to solve a murder. When Andy accompanies the woman to her car and home, she reveals that her wife, Irene Lamontaine of the famous soap company, has been murdered and she wants Andy to help catch her killer.

When they arrive at the estate, Lavender House seems like a queer paradise where Pearl, her son Henry, his boyfriend Cliff, and Henry’s “wife” Margot and her girlfriend Elsie can be themselves freely. Even the staff are queer and live in the safe oasis of Lavender House. The only straight person living in Lavender House is Margot’s mother, Alice. Their found family is so full of love that Andy struggles to believe that one of them could have killed a member of the family, and all but Pearl are convinced that Irene’s death was accidental. But as Andy digs deeper into the mystery, everyone becomes a suspect and he must find the murderer living in Lavender House.

This book is like a gay version of Knives Out and it is <i> so fun </i>! I really really loved it, and the author does a great job of making the reader guess at who the killer really is.

<b> “Sometimes,” I say, “family thinks love is about possession, about making you fill a role for them. About . . . ownership more than love.”</b>

I enjoyed this enough, but what I’m really excited about is the possibility of more in a series. I love this kind of detective fiction and I think this character has a lot of potential to evolve into something really wonderful.

So I felt that the mystery aspect of this was a little on the weak side. I wasn't particualry invested in it but I really loved seeing the 1950s SF queer community. That was really done well and I hope we get more from Andy

Lavender House
Lev AC Rosen

I came across this book because a Goodreads friend enjoyed it and not only was I looking for a good mystery but I also have been neglecting the entire Historical Fiction Genre, so I picked this one up.

The book, Lavender House is a Historial Fiction Mystery set in 1952, about Lavender House and Evander "Andy" Mills. Andy is a weary ex-police officer out to find his place in the world.

One day Andy is approached by Pearl to look into the death of her partner Irene. Pearl lives at the LAVENDER HOUSE, where Andy will be in part investigating the mystery.

This book is as much about the mystery of Irene's death as it is about what goes on beyond the doors of the Lavender House.

There is a lot in this book about hiding. Hiding who you are and hiding secrets and guarding other people's secrets. There is an element of the discovery of truth to everyone and everything. Everyone has secrets even inanimate objects have secrets. I appreciated that mostly but there was not enough left unsaid.

It was a little overdone.

However, I liked the rhythm and carriage of the story. It followed the natural trajectory of a mystery. I liked the use of the time period and setting as an influence on the characters.

Thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Forge Books, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for the advanced copies.

LAVENDER HOUSE...⭐️⭐️⭐️

Perfect mystery with excellent pacing throughout. I'm a huge fan of historical fiction, and this one you could tell was thoroughly researched and steeped in lgbtq history (without going overboard - just enough to feel fresh and 'there'.) Love the main character. There's a lot of triggering content, but that's to be expected given the context.

It's more thoughtful than shocking and twisty, which really appeals to me in mystery. The why is always more important than the whodunit and the characterizations in this book make it well worth the read.

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All I noticed in the blurb I saw was that this was a queer Knives Out. I somehow missed the historical part. I loved Knives Out but I wasn’t prepared for the amount of period appropriate homophobic content in this one.

This book is authentic to its time period. It doesn’t gloss over homophobia whatsoever. We witness one brutal gay bashing (literal gay bashing) and two other characters reference their own beatings. This is a world of bribes and secrecy from society such that even the happy characters can never be fully happy. Be prepared for the realistic depiction as you go into it.

The family Lamontaine consists of Irene and her partner Pearl. They have a son Henry. I can’t remember whose biological son he is. He has a partner named Cliff. He’s legally married to a woman named Margo who has her own partner Elsie, who is bisexual and runs a queer bar. Margo’s straight mother Alice begrudgingly lives with them. They have a butleresque character who is also gay, as well as another sapphic couple who run the kitchen and garden. They all get to be themselves inside the Lamontaine house but never outside of it. Irene was found dead in the perfume library. The family and coroner rule it a fall, all with the exception of Pearl who suspects foul play. She found out about the recently outed cop and figured he could be their private investigator without risk of outing them all. The characters feel like a lot but are actually easy to keep track of.

I appreciate that there was a bisexual character. I wished that there was more diversity. There was one Filipino bar tender and a rival soap company run by a Jewish family. With all the rampant homophobia being depicted, I was honestly shocked that racism didn’t come up. It would certainly have been period appropriate to, for example, even allude to issues like redlining or racist responses to the Korean War. If one was completely unaware of history coming into this book, one could have left it thinking the only issue of tolerance and acceptance in the 1950s was sexuality. (For a queer book that does explore racism in San Francisco in the 1950s, check out Malinda Lo’s Last Night at the Telegraph Club).

Please also note that there is a scene where some rabbits are killed. I don’t think this is a spoiler as it’s alluded to on the cover. I wouldn’t have asked for the book at all on NetGalley if I’d been able to see the full cover as it’s rendered now, because I have a personal love for rabbits so that was distressing to me. One of the characters is depicted as having a drinking problem that they are told to snap out of. This is never followed up on in a way that implies the drinking problem is fine now. This isn’t how a drinking problem works. I found this to be a flawed and misleading depiction of alcoholism that was used as a plot device.

The mystery itself was kind of ho-hum. I suspected who did it from the get-go and was proven correct. The solution seemed….more than a bit obvious to me, honestly. If you’re curious, take a guess in the comments, and I’ll respond with if you’re right. Ultimately though for me I wanted this book to swing more fully into one direction or the other. Either to go full period piece and get into all the nitty gritty or move it into the present and just make it fun.

Overall, if a simply mystery set in the 1950s with a mostly queer cast facing an intolerant society appeals to you, then you should give this one a go.

GoodReads:
A 1952 noir-esque mystery — but everyone from the detective to the murder victim to most of the suspects themselves are part of the queer community.

All I noticed in the blurb I saw was that this was a queer Knives Out. I somehow missed the historical part. I loved Knives Out but I wasn’t prepared for the amount of period appropriate homophobic content in this one. With all the rampant homophobia being depicted, I was honestly shocked that racism didn’t come up. It would certainly have been period appropriate to, for example, even allude to issues like redlining or racist responses to the Korean War. If one was completely unaware of history coming into this book, one could have left it thinking the only issue of tolerance and acceptance in the 1950s was sexuality. Ultimately, I wanted this book to either go full period piece getting into all the nitty gritty or move it into the present and just make it fun.

Check out my full review.

*I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*

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A 1952 noir-esque mystery — but everyone from the detective to the murder victim to most of the suspects themselves are part of the queer community. (Swipe for a read-a-like suggestion!)

All I noticed in the blurb I saw was that this was a queer Knives Out. I somehow missed the historical part. I loved Knives Out but I wasn’t prepared for the amount of period appropriate homophobic content in this one. With all the rampant homophobia being depicted, I was honestly shocked that racism didn’t come up. It would certainly have been period appropriate to, for example, even allude to issues like redlining or racist responses to the Korean War. If one was completely unaware of history coming into this book, one could have left it thinking the only issue of tolerance and acceptance in the 1950s was sexuality. Ultimately, I wanted this book to either go full period piece getting into all the nitty gritty or move it into the present and just make it fun.

*Thank you to NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.*

#bookalicious #booksinthewild #avidreader #whatimreading #bookrecs #queerbookstagram #readalikes

This was a delightful read. Andy is a disgraced former SFPD officer who gets caught in a gay bar during a raid (this is set in the 1950s, so very with the time period). Struggling to find work, he is approached by a woman named Pearl who wants him to investigate the death of her wife, Irene Lamontaine, the soap magnate. Andy accepts and we learn more about the occupants of the seldom-visited Lavender House, a safe-haven for Queer folks that is also a found-family of sorts. But with the house seldom getting visitors, it means the killer of Irene must be someone inside the house. This book was like a historical, Queer version of Knives Out and it was absolutely delightful. My only critique is that the author sometimes struggled with pacing, but as this is a debut, I would definitely read the next book out by Lev A.C. Rosen

I loved the way queerness (and how 1950s society viewed queerness) never stopped being relevant. Every single moment with our almost entirely queer cast is suffused with that balance of performance and authenticity. The mystery was solid and well-developed.

So why only 3 stars? It was fine. Enjoyable. But the writing itself didn’t feel special. There were really only 2 interesting characters in the whole cast (and neither was our MC). I think it could have been so much more than it was if we’d gotten a bit more time with all of the characters.

Also the audiobook narrator (who I usually like) felt like he was trying too hard to make his voice deep and extra “conventionally masculine” which made him sound very stiff. When he was doing the voices of the other characters, it was fine, but the base narration was wooden.

"Queer Knives Out" is the perfect description of this book! I would classify it as a cozy mystery for the mystery itself, with some much deeper and darker plots surrounding sexuality and acceptance. I really hope that this is the start of a series because I loved Andy and would love to follow his journey!

The Lavender House finally gave me what I was so desperately craving for: A queer Noir detective story with all Inlive about this genre: Witty word play, flamboyant characters, jealousy, smokefilled bars, flirtation, extremely cute bartenders and of course a murder mystery within a rich but seclusive family.
The setting and the language amke it easy tomfully dissolve into the book and have a great time suffering with our beloved (brand new) detective and his very first case.
I really hope this simply marks the start of a whole series.

Evander “Andy” Mills, recently fired from the San Francisco police department after being caught in a gay bar during one of the SFPD’s routine raids, is disgraced and disillusioned with his life. An offer from the widow of Irene Lamontaine, head of the Lamontaine soap empire and resident of the secluded Lavender House, pulls him from his dark spiral. Irene’s widow believes her wife was murdered, and as a detective who can understand the secrets of those who reside at Lavender House, he’s the perfect candidate for the job.

This mystery novel was entertaining, tense, and ultimately affirming. In addition to the twists and turns of the plot (which, admittedly, was pretty easy for me to figure out but no less enjoyable for it), a delightful cast of queer characters and a richly imagined historical setting make Lavender House a compelling read.

The biggest draw for me in this novel was the messy queer found family. Much like all types of families, there’s no shortage of drama and secrets, and getting to know each resident of Lavender House—and to see Andy’s journey as he comes to terms with the idea that acceptance is possible—is as much of a delight as all the sleuthing.

Fans of “Knives Out” or “The Inheritance Games” who want dark secrets and puzzles with a queer cast and fans of gumshoe mystery with a strong historical presence should put Lavender House on their TBR for sure.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forge Books for an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc!

content warnings: violence, period-typical homophobia including slurs, police brutality

unfortunately this one fell a little bit flat for me, though not sure if that is the book's fault or just what my taste in reading looks like these days. i have pretty thoroughly decided i am not a murder mystery kind of girl.

one thing i did love was the 'queer utopia' that lavender house presented, and how the characters existed within this, despite the time period they lived in. i did think that there was maybe a bit too much telling and not enough showing of the historical aspect of this book. i unfortunately did not click much with the characters and carried on reading really only to find out if i could guess the mystery (i did). the violence was at times a little overwhelming, though i think that it actually added to the ideal that these queer men and women had found for themselves in lavender house.

if you liked knives out, you will definitely enjoy this queer version of it (though you will probably guess the ending!)

A solid murder mystery with lots of twists. I didn't predict the ending which is always a tell for a good story. It's difficult to stand out from others in the genre but this one does. The characters, time period, and soap industry were fun to read about. Some parts of the book felt a little slow but not enough to bore me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars.

Spoilers ahead. I will not reveal anything big - most of the review vaguely alludes to plot, structure, and characters.

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I'm not normally a fan of historical fiction, but the characters in Lavender House kept me hooked. I loved the nuance involved when dealing with the characters' queerness, and the historical aspects of their persecution. I didn't guess the twist, so that is a HUGE plus for me. I wouldn't necessarily compare this to Knives Out - it's got more of a Christie vibe to me - and I consider that a very good thing. I loved the characters, but the story itself dragged at points, which is why it's getting a 4 from me. If you're hesitant to try out Historical fiction and are a mystery fan, I'd say this is a good entry point. Overall, it's a good story with excellent characters, and some buttoning-up of the pacing would make it even better.

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Again, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The cover of this book is beautiful and led me to expect this was a YA fantasy. It is decidedly not a fantasy, but a film noir murder mystery. This isn't a genre a generally pick up, but by the time I realized it, I was too far in and had to get to the conclusion.

The main character, Andy Mills, is hired by an eccentric, wealthy, self-made family to solve the suspected murder of one of the member of their family. Having just been kicked off of the detective squad for being gay, Andy is in need of employment and a path to self-acceptance. He finds both at the Lamontaine estate.

Every time I thought I knew who the murderer was, another suspect was thrown into the mix. I am admittedly not good at solving these ahead of time, but I wasn't sure of the murderer until about 90% in.

This was a fun, fast-paced read for anyone who likes Agatha Christie/Mickey Spillane with a lgbtq+ twist.

This was a fabulous read! I apologize for the late review, somehow I missed sending this one in. I really enjoyed the characters the most in this story and their personalities, what drives them, their motivations, etc. I can't speak on the comparison to "Knives out" as I've never seen it, but regardless this was a fantastic mystery and one I thoroughly enjoyed.

I read along with the audiobook for Lavender House. I really enjoyed the queer element to this murder mystery, I wish it was seen more in this type of genre. The writing was fast-paced and fun to read.

Knives Out meets queer 1950s. Andy has just been fired from the police after being caught in a compromising position at a gay bar. It’s the 1950s and even in California, being gay is looked down on. Wondering what to do with his life, he is approached by the family of a recently deceased soap maker. At Lavender House, almost everyone there is queer. As he investigates, it becomes clear someone at the house is the culprit.

I enjoyed this one! I feel like the wrap up was a bit brief/rushed but I enjoyed the premise and execution! It also seems like there’s a potential for more mysteries, which I’d definitely read!