Member Review

Queer Private Investigator Evander “Andy” Mills is slowly building a more authentic life for himself in San Francisco when a missing persons case takes him back to his hometown of LA. He'll have to navigate a secretive queer rights organization, a motorcycle gang, and, most worrying of all, his mother, to solve this case.

It's an interesting case, but what makes this book fascinating are the characters. A queer PI in the 50s is bound to run into some uncomfortable situations, and part of it is heartbreaking, particularly because it deals with a lot of relationships and sacrifices made to conform to what loved ones and society expect. Rosen created a wide variety of personalities that give Andy and the reader a chance to explore the many ways people can choose to live their lives. That the story still manages to convey a sense of hope and togetherness is perhaps my favorite part about it.

I was worried about entering the world in book 4, but Rosen does a really good job of setting up the background and history so that you never feel lost and Andy's situation is perfectly understood. I appreciated the way we get the pertinent information in a way that feels natural without being an exposition dump. Props as well for dropping little hints of big things that happened in the past to get me interested in reading those books to get the full scoop.

Delighted thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the engaging read!