Honestly, I didn't really enjoy this. I didn't find the mystery particularly intriguing, and none of the characters felt developed or well-rounded, which meant that the red herrings before the final reveal weren't that interesting to me. I also didn't love the way that policing and police brutality were explored, especially in the beginning, and it threw the whole book off for me.

I was interested in reading this book because of the cover, the title and it being tagged a LGBTQIA+ book. I went into reading it without knowing it's a murder mystery. The book moves very quickly and kept me engaged the whole time. That being said there are a few plot holes that bother me. I think the ending was also rushed, it could have used a few more pages.

When I read a Lev AC Rosen book I know I’m getting a queer ensemble cast of characters, and I really appreciate that!

San Francisco wasn’t our San Francisco in 1952. Then, gays and lesbians knew their choice was the closet or catastrophe. Evander “Andy” Mills knows firsthand: Fired as a San Francisco police inspector two days ago after being caught en flagrante delicto, he’s saved from his planned suicide when he’s hired to privately investigate a murder. The victim is the lesbian matriarch of the Lamontaine soap empire — closeted, of course.

Irene Lamontaine lived behind iron gates and her family’s money with her wife Pearl Velez. But that wasn’t enough to keep Irene alive. Now it’s up to Andy to discover who infiltrated Lavender House and killed Irene — or whether it was Irene’s own family, which Pearl doesn’t want to believe. Author Lev A.C. Rosen’s meticulously researched glimpse into the precarious life of gay and lesbian people before Stonewall shores up a cleverly plotted murder mystery. Rosen ends the novel with the promise of a series featuring Andy Mills, and I can’t wait for the sequel.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Forge Books in exchange for an honest review.

It’s 1952, and the heir of the Lamontaine Soap Empire has died under suspicious circumstances, and it is up to fired police officer Evander Milles to find the murderer. The only problem is that the suspect could be any of the numerous residents of the Lamontaine Estate. The residents are very good at keeping secrets; you see, it is an estate that has become a safe haven for gay individuals who have been persecuted in a society unaccepting of who they are…something Evander know all too well.
I found this novel a light read with an interesting plot that, at times, seemed a bit plodding. I found the author a bit too taken with explaining the actions and motivations of individuals rather than letting the readers come to these conclusions themselves. All in all, a quick whodunnit for those who love mysteries.

Irene Lamontaine of the Lamontaine soap empire is dead. Her scents were always her secrets. But behind the gated home lies more secrets. Irene's widow, Pearl, hired Andy. He accepts the offer and comes to Lavender House. He finds it to be an accepting place and learns that most of the inhabitants are gay as well.

As he begins his investigation, he learns that people seldom enter the home so the killer must be one of the occupants. But who would want to harm, Irene? What could the motive be? Lavender House does not disappoint. This is a layered whodunit taking places in a unique living arrangement. The book is full of secrets and has a few twists.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw this book was described as “Knives Out with a queer historical twist”, I jumped on it. Knives Out? Outstanding movie. Make it gay? Yes, please!

While the vibe was less humorous than Knives Out (a lack of Daniel Craig will do that), the parallels were there. The mystery itself was a good one, with some small twists here and there, but nothing too mind blowing. And the ending sets things up nicely for potential sequels, if the author wishes to return to these characters, which I certainly would not mind, as I grew to love them all.

One note of warning though, for some readers: if (unfortunately historically accurate) homophobia is one of your triggers, please proceed with caution.

This book is fantastic. The setting is accurate and compelling. The characters were of the time and so well drawn. Plus the book had a fantastic plot and ending. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a great read.

There was a lot I liked about this and a lot that I wasn’t a fan of.

I really loved the queer representation and the queer relationships that were portrayed. A real strength of the book is the portrayal of the high stakes of being gay in the 1950s and the difficult choices people had to make to protect themselves. It added a layer of depth to the mystery that wouldn’t exist without it. I liked watching Andy grow and realize that he can be his true self. There were also a few twists that I really liked!

However, comparing this book to “Knives Out” is completely wrong. This book is much more of a “cozy mystery”. There’s more focus on the characters of Lavender House and Andy’s growth than there is on the mystery! And that’s great! But Lavender House lacks the specific high stakes, wit, charm, and eccentric detective that define “Knives Out”. The characters are not truly full of secrets and slander - they are just people who struggle to relate to one another. I went into this expecting it so much more, so it fell a bit flat for me.

Overall, I think this is a decent cozy mystery with a lot of good queer representation.


Thank you to NetGalley and Forge Books for an ARC of this book!

I requested a digital copy in order to sample the prose on my phone (since I don't have a eReader) before requesting a physical copy for review. My review will be based on the physical ARC I read (if I qualify)

What a wild ride! I was not expecting this to be quite as much of a who-done-it but was swept off my feet by the glamorous intrigue contrasting the trauma of living queer. Nancy Drew doesn’t hold a candle to Andy as he struggles to survive after being outed as gay and thrown off the police force. Then comes along Pearl- a widow who hosts a safe haven for people like him. Suddenly, he must come to terms with claiming his own identity and the pain people like him live with while also solving the mysterious death of Pearl’s late wife.


I loved the character development and twists and turns, the future set up for Andy was well done, but the book did not flow as well as it could have.

I look forward to seeing how this series progresses.

Set in 1950s San Francisco, “Lavender House” is a thrillingly queer murder mystery. Andy Mills, recently fired from the San Francisco police after being arrested in a gay bar, is hired by a woman to investigate the suspicious murder of her wife. At the titular Lavender House, Andy meets the suspects - the victim's family - all of whom have something to hide. This is a thoroughly enjoyable whodunnit with gorgeous writing and fantastic characters. This could easily be the first volume in a series - and I really hope it is - as readers will want to revisit these characters over and over again.

TW: Period-typical homophobia and slurs, on-screen gay bashing, violent death, suicidal ideation.

Lavender House is described as a queer Knives Out, and I can see the comparison -- a complicated family history thrown into disarray by a murder. It's also got more than a little noir as well, being set in 1952. Evander "Andy" Mills was a cop right up until he got found in a gay bar with another man during one of the raids, his little system of finding out where the police were going to hit gone awry. The life he's known over, he's got nothing ahead of him -- until the secretary of a soap company hires him to investigate the owner's death. Except that she's not the owner's secretary: she was, secretly, her wife, and her entire household has been staffed with fellow queer people in the hopes of making a safe space just for them. Andy has to find out who did it -- someone inside the household? Someone outside? -- while wrestling with his own complicated feelings of being in a queer community instead of outside it. One that probably has a murderer in it.

It's a really great murder mystery, frankly. It kept the whodunnit up in the air just long enough, sending multiple possible motives your way, but still giving you enough clues to figure it out yourselves. The characters are interesting and appealing, and you find yourself rooting for most of them. I found it a very exciting read.

I also especially appreciated Rosen's refusal to ignore the fact that there's no such thing as a good cop in a bad system; Andy might have meant well, and he might have genuinely become a cop to help people, but he turned a blind eye to the bad cops to keep the heat off himself. This isn't ignored, or excused, but it is something that the narration allows to be understood.

Really good read. A bit of a heavy one -- as you can imagine! -- but beautifully-written, well-explored, and thrilling.

A queer Knives Out set in the 1950s? SIGN ME UP. The story follows Evander Mills, a investigator who was recently fired from the force when it was uncovered that he was gay. One day while he is at a bar he is offered a job from the mysterious Pearl, the widow to the recently deceased matriarch Irene Lamontaine, head of the famous Lamontaine soap empire. Pearl wants Evander “Andy” to investigate Irene’s death and figure out whether it was a natural cause like some believe or if there was foul play involved as Pearl believes. Pearl specifically wants to hire Andy because she knows his secret... and he would be the perfect person to investigate Lavender House... home to a family of queer individuals who have all been living in freedom and safety from the world outside. Andy is getting to chance to experience the lavish wealth that Lavender house has to offer as well as the complicated family dynamics, secrets, and the fact that one of these individuals might be a killer. Despite how polished and clean they all seem.... something is definitely going on and it’ll be up to Andy to figure it out before its too late. This was a fantastic mystery read, I loved the way you get to see Andy navigate this difficult time and see him come more into himself and find freedom in his queerness. I also enjoyed the family dynamic in Lavender house, all the characters were fun to get to know, especially Elsie and Margo. The way the book ends makes me hope that there might be a full series set in this world kind of like Knives Out. It truly was a fun read and I definitely would recommend it for mystery lovers!

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Forge Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

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.