4/5
Lavender House provides an altogether intimate and refreshing inquiry into queer existence during the 1950s wrapped up in a thrilling murder mystery. Dizzying and intense above all, Rosen assembles a cloying ambiance for this novel, with an overpowering scent of deception that permeates the stuffy halls of Lavender House and unto the very page. A novel meant to question and unravel.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.


I’m a bit dissapointed due to how slow this story moved.. I had to fight the boredom to keep reading.

One. On the one hand, there’s something refreshing about reading books where being gay isn’t a big deal. On the other, it was, and still is, a big deal and it’s great to read books which recognise that while still letting their LGBT characters just live. Because there’s something still entirely revolutionary about that, especially when it comes to historical fiction. Let me try contextualise this: while a primary aspect of Lavender House is the fact that these characters aren’t straight, that isn’t all they are. Neither are they presented either as all perfect, or all villainous. They are, as is the only thing I really want, entirely human.

Two. This is a very solid mystery. The comparisons to Knives Out are apt to an extent, but I think it’s better plotted than that (at least in this one, the culprit wasn’t so obvious). It’s a book that keeps you guessing and turning pages, waiting to find out what little bit of information you might be dripfed next. Basically, all you’d want from a mystery story.

Three. At the centre of this book is a found family. Not necessarily in the usual sense of the word, admittedly—it’s a lot less tropey and love-filled than you might be used to—but a found family nevertheless. It’s a family that has joined together in order to protect one another (this is a book set in the 50s, let’s not forget) and I think this shows one of the best aspects of the book: how LGBT people in the past lived and survived. I still think it more unusual than not to find historical fiction with tragic gay narratives. This one is not untragic, but it does ensure a happy ending for its characters.

Four. If you’re looking to read more adult historical fiction, but you find that a lot of it a bit too dense with not very much plot, then this is a good starter for the genre. While more properly a historical mystery I’d say, it has a good balance of plot development and character development. The pacing is also good, with the mystery moving forward enough, while giving room for other events (and character development) to happen as well.

Five. I feel like I’ve said a lot about the characters in general, but really my final point here has to be about the main character, Evander Mills. I think the number one thing you need from a book is a compelling protagonist. They don’t have to be sympathetic, or even remotely likeable (although, it must be said, Evander is both of these things), but they have to be compelling. And this book gives you exactly that.

A tense, tightly wound LGBTQ historical mystery. A Knives Out eqsue thriller that to die for. I found the characters a little dry, but the settings and the mystery were compelling.

Lev A.C. Rosen's Lavender House offers an interesting variation on the usual 1950s P.I. novel. Here's the set-up: Evander Mills, a police officer caught in a raid on a gay club, loses his job and his home as a result, and is then hired to investigate the potential murder of Irene Lamontaine, the doyen of a wealthy—and quite nontraditional—family.

Mills' life has required that he never be fully himself. He can't afford for his coworkers to discover h's queer (the term used most often used the book to describe LGBTQI+ identity), so keeps them at a distance. He can't afford to reveal his job to any of the men who frequent the gay bars he occasionally visits (generally checking which are scheduled to be raided, until the error that leads to his life being turned upside down). He can't see beyond his need to protect himself, so doesn't use the knowledge he has (such as which bar will be raided next) to help other queers.

When Mills takes on the job of investigating Lamontaine's death, he meets a constructed family: Lamontaine's widow, Pearl; Lamontaine's son Henry and his partner Cliff; Margo, Henry's "beard-wife," and her partner Elsie, who runs a high end queer bar; and Margo's mother Alice, the only straight person in their household, as everyone working on the estate is also queer. At first Mills—conditioned to never reveal his full self—is profoundly uncomfortable with, but also fascinated by, life on the Lamontaine estate. But he also begins to see that the freedom the family have at home leaves them with little access to the world outside the estate. Henry needs Margo; Cliff can't be seen in public with Henry; nor can Elsie be seen with Margo.

Mills' job is to determine whether Lamontaine's death in a fall from a balcony was accidental or deliberate—and if it was deliberate, who among the family was responsible. This adds another layer of discomfort to Mills' life. These are people around whom he might finally live more honestly as the man he is, but all of them are suspects, so he can feel safe around none of them.

The mystery here works well enough, but the book's real strength is the way it portrays 1950s gay lives, the impossible choices individuals must make to protect themselves, and their resulting financial and social insecurity. I'm very much hoping this novel will prove to be the first in a series. I'd love to be able to watch the development of the different characters as they challenge the limitations in their lives and as they continue to evolve as a family.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

I don’t know how to feel about this book, but also it was utterly compelling and hard to put down. When Andy is caught with his pants down in a gay bar, he feels like his whole life is over - he’s lost his job with the San Francisco police department, lost his housing, and knew the cops who caught him intended to spread his truth so he’d never get a job again. But before he can follow through on ending things, Pearl offers him an opportunity to investigate what she believes to be the murder of her wife. Everyone else in the family believes it was just an accident, Irene just fell, but Pearl is certain it was murder, and now Andy must figure out which person living in their isolated home would do such a thing to the head of the family.

In so many ways this is a story of the complexities of family and how messy interpersonal dynamics can be. Everyone, except Margo’s mother, is queer and finds in the Lavender House a space where they can be open with their affections and their identity, not fearing repercussions when kissing their love. But as freeing as living there is, it also comes with bars and restrictions because the ultimate tenant of the house is that the outside world cannot know so that they remain safe. That means fake marriages and careful stories about who people really are, and sometimes that can be suffocating.

This started rough for me, but at the same time I was curious and intrigued by all the characters. There’s several really great parts where Andy has to come to terms with how his being part of the police force made him a participant in the harm and violence against queer people, even if he wasn’t the one doing the beating or arrests. There’s also themes of chosen family and the communities people build, and how much truth is shared in which communities and how that impacts the community feelings.

I think I did like this book and the mystery was well done, and I definitely recommend it you want historical queer fiction with a murder mystery.

[CannonballRead review will be posted Oct 15, 2022]

This is a really solid murder mystery! I absolutely agree with the comparison to Knives Out. We have a very unique cast of characters who are all very distinctive and there's a subtle charm, and almost humor, to the writing. I really enjoyed reading from Andy's POV and the setting of 1950's San Francisco was very actualized.

I've seen a few promos calling it "suspense" but I don't think it was suspenseful at all. It definitely falls closer to cozy mystery than thriller. There were a few good plot twists, one that made me actually gasp out loud, but it didn't have that pure shock factor that classic thrillers have. I only mention this because I don't want people to go into it expecting something that they are not going to get.

If you're looking for a solid, queer, nearly-cozy mystery, this one is a must!

tw: violent homophobia, slurs

I know this book is pitched as a queer Knives Out, but I wasn’t expecting it to be so similar to the movie. Although I loved the movie so I can’t complain much. My only issue is that if you know the plot of Knives Out then you can also guess a lot of the ending of this one which made it less fun at least for me. I did really like this one though, primarily the fact that it takes place in the 50s - not a popular time period for queer books. The violence got a little overwhelming at times, but if you can handle that I’d highly recommend this book!

While I have read titles from this author before, I was completely blown away by Lavender House. It is unlike anything else that Rosen has written, but that does not mean the fans of his previous work will not like this title. In fact, I think this book will only grow that fan base larger. As a queer, historical, murder mystery, this novel will appeal to many different kinds of readers and I cannot recommend that you pick up this title enough when it is officially published later this year.

Lavender House is a delightful mystery in the tradition of Agatha Christie with an interesting historical backdrop. If you enjoy an old school mystery but wish it didn't include old school bigotry, this book is for you. (Although the bigotry exists in this accurate mid-20th century setting, it doesn't come from the narrator or protagonists, a found family of lesbian and gay business magnates and society folks) I personally am not much of a series reader, but this book comes to a satisfying ending while remaining open to more investigations and I look forward to them!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen.

On Goodreads this is described as a queer Knives Out, which really fits perfect. In fact, I would LOVE to see a film adaptation of this book, and I rarely say that, I'm not a movie fan. But the story itself is so fun, borderline campy and colorful, that I think you could really have fun putting this on screen.

Andy is a disgraced cop who was kicked off the force after being discovered for being gay in the most humiliating of ways. He is sitting in a bar contemplating whether or not it's even worth going on when he is approached with a very intriguing offer to solve a murder.

Lavender House is occupied by a family with Irene at the head, who makes and sells scented soaps. But there is a well kept secret in this family that bonds them together even more. And now that Irene has died under suspicious circumstances, are they all in danger?

Like I said, so charming. And also, can I please be a part of this family? It just sounded so cozy and welcoming, despite some of the prickly personalities, and, you know, murder. But I appreciated the historical aspect as well as reminder of what life was like for LGBTQ people not very long ago.

I received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Some of the hype around this book called it a gay Knives Out which okay maybe but I think is a disservice to the book (as for me that movie was overhyped and dull as dishwater). Let's get some trigger warnings out of the way. This book is ALL about gay pain and there is a brutal on-page gay bashing.

It's 1952 and detective Evander "Andy" Mills was caught in a bathroom stall with his lover in a raid. Outed as queer, his time as a cop is over. Hell, if any of his former coworkers see him again it's likely they'll beat him to death. Andy is contemplating suicide when he's approached by an older woman, Pearl because she believes her wife's death was no accident.

Irene Lamontaine has built a soap empire and was found dead in her 'library.' Pearl explains that she also built an oasis for queer people so everyone who works in the inner circle and lives at the Lavender House are gay including Irene's son who has a public wife (who is a lesbian and her lover is one of the most interesting characters in the story), her son's boyfriend and all the house staff. The only person not gay at the house is the son's wife's controlling mother.

As much as Pearl would like the killer to be someone outside the house, Andy isn't so sure. He wants the home to be a haven for him as well but not everyone is thrilled to see him. Not only does he suspect them, but as a cop he is part of the problem. He might not have bashed anyone but he didn't stop it either (though truthfully it's doubtful he could have done so)

I really liked the characters and while I prefer stories that are not about queer pain (as there are so many of them) it's not like the 1950s are going to offer much that isn't about pain. There is a line in the blurb (and echoed in the book) "When your existence is a crime, everything you do is criminal" and that is so telling and so powerful.

I found the mystery aspect of it to be good and while this is stand alone it is set up that maybe it could continue as a P.I. series (because as it's pointed out, homosexuals aren't likely to ask the police for help). I enjoyed this one very much.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e ARC of this book.
Great whodunit with a queer twist.
Set in the early '50s with gay people treated as a separate outcast breed.
Great character development for the most part with murder mystery that keeps one guessing. The author totally understands queer life.

I love the queer historical twist here! I liked reading noir and detective stories in college, but wished they'd be a little more queer and less sexist. And finally in 2022 my dreams can come true. I'm excited to see more stories like these coming out! Please more.

A cozy queer mystery. Not the biggest fan, of this one, and I am in the minority here. but the characters were over the top and that added fun to this slow story.
Thank to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to review.

I’m a huge fan of Lev A C Rosen’s YA novel, CAMP. I actually re-read it for the third time earlier this month. His first adult book, LAVENDER HOUSE, is a completely different vibe and genre and, I’ll admit, I wasn’t sure about it at first. It took me a couple of chapters to get used to the new style – a historical setting, a noir-style mystery, and a darker look at queer themes – but it was absolutely worth sticking with.
LAVENDER HOUSE is essentially a detective story, a murder mystery that should appeal to fans of Poirot or Knives Out – an outsider investigator slots into a tight family unit in a glamorous, out-of-the-way location and finds that almost everyone has secrets and potential motives for the crime.
LAVENDER HOUSE does it very well. Did Irene fall? Was she pushed? And if so, who did it? The complex-extended family, the staff, or a business rival? I enjoyed Andy’s snooping, the cast of characters that made up his suspects, and making my own guesses. The reveal perhaps wasn’t a huge twist, but I enjoyed the journey we took to get there. It’s not a big, flashy, action-packed thriller, but the characters make up for the leisurely pace.
LAVENDER HOUSE paints a vivid picture of queer history, and presents complex dilemma to the reader – is the queer-normal family Irene and Pearl have created (or as close to as then can in the 1950s) a utopia or a prison? I enjoyed the way the various personalities, identities and queer relationships were presented (WLW-MLM solidarity!) especially as everyone had their own viewpoint informed by their experiences and the era. The time period is immersive and permeates the story throughout. There’s lots of lovely little details, and phrases that really draws you into the time-setting.
The ending is open-ended enough to either be a standalone novel or the beginning of a series. If Rosen does write more from Andy, I’d definitely read it, but I don’t feel there’s anything that felt unresolved.

POV: Your name is Evander 'Andy' Mills. It's San Francisco in the 1950's, you're a disgraced former police officer who was thrown out of the police force for being caught at a gay club in the midst of a raid with your pants down, and later a woman named Pearl approaches you just as you contemplate ending your life with a proposition to find the person who murdered her wife Irene weeks ago.

An eventful few weeks for poor Andy Mills.

Andy of course accepts the job and is quickly thrown back into his old persona of being a cop. He soon finds out that this job is different as he is introduced to the inhabitants of Lavender House which is almost exclusively all queer - something that a newly outed Andy finds hard to deal with at first. Pearl's wife Irene was the owner of a very successful soap company, and her and their family lived openly and free in their estate away from the prying eyes of the world who would be very quick to persecute and judge them based on the way they live.

This book has been marketed as being the 'queer version of knives out' and it has those vibes, but this story didn't rely on twist endings or plots that your typical murder mystery has. It was very simple in its execution and if you paid attention you probably figured out the mystery pretty early on as I did - this did not detract from my enjoyment of the book however. Sometimes a simple plot with an interesting cast of characters and good writing can make all the difference and this book definitely had it. Andy and the inhabitants of Lavender House were written so brilliantly and developed so well in the short time you get with them that I couldn't help but want more of them after I finished the last page. I would not be sad if the author decided to make a series of books in the future with Andy solving more crimes that the police force won't take and becoming a detective for queer people who are often ignored. I'm not a huge mystery fan, but if you have a queer protagonist solving crimes and helping queer people....I'm in.

(Just a note: This book does have some content in regards to being LGBT in the 1950s which was a time that was not especially kind to queer people at that time. There are scenes of intense violence, explicit homophobia, and suicidal thoughts. Be aware if these things are difficult for you to read.)

Lavender House could be summed up simply as a murder mystery, and it very much is, but it is also a story of queer love and found family within a safe space in a time that is very much not safe. Its about finding out who you are when you don't have to hide yourself away, and how to act around others who are like you and won't judge you for simply being you. It's about realizing the institutions you once idolized are not always looking out for people's best interests and would punish those they deem to be wrong based on society's opinion. It's about learning and moving on and bettering yourself and being better for others. It's about Love. It's about queer love and learning to love yourself for being queer.

It's a murder mystery, yes, but it's also more.

Special Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of Lavender House in exchange for my honest review!

LAVENDER HOUSE was a book that I had all intentions of savoring with a slow read. I failed in that goal quite spectacularly-- I read this book in about a day and a half because I simply could not put it down. I gorged myself on its stunning cover and all the deliciously-written pages that follow. Rosen has crafted a new noir hero in Andy that plays with some interesting tropes even as it rejects others; where classic noir usually stops at a queer-coded villain or two, here we have a well-rounded, complex and dynamic all-queer cast. This compelling mystery set at the height of the Lavender Scare will grip you until its final pages.

Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen was a riveting mystery.
A character driven story. Set in the 1950s.
A beautiful historical queer mystery that has a twisty fascinating plot.
Rosen's writing was phenomenal and had me intrigued throughout it all.
I was hooked once I started. Very compelling and amazingly written.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Forge Books,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Thank you, Forge Books, for allowing me to read Lavender House early!

Lev AC Rosen writes beautifully as already attested by his previous work, but Lavender House finds itself on a completely different plane of exquisite storytelling and craft. I devoured this book like a hungry wolf would its prey.