Evander Mills, private detective, is now a fixture in the community that centers around the Ruby. He's practically living with his boyfriend. His career is going well. In spite of all that, Andy still spends a lot of time with his regrets, particularly about his failure to protect other queer people when he worked as a cop. Nothing he does, as far as he's concerned, can make up for those mistakes.

Now he has a new case, searching for three missing people. His search takes him to Los Angeles, and returning to the city where he grew up raises a lot of ghosts. Andy loves his mother, but he hasn't seen her in years. Now he's haunting familiar neighborhoods, eating waffles in his childhood kitchen, and wondering if he dares show his mother the truth of who he is. Unfortunately, there are a lot of dark things happening in LA, and Andy is inevitably caught in the middle.

Like the three previous books in the series, this effortlessly combines a well-researched historical setting, a complex mystery, social commentary, and emotional growth. Andy is a remarkable character, and seeing him rise above his fears to do what he knows is right is really moving. This is a solid entry in his story, and hopefully one of many more to come.

This is a very powerful book centering on the emergence of the gay rights movement in the 1950’s.

I found it both informative and disturbing, but am glad that I saw the book through to its conclusion.

I read a previous novel by the same author and admired its strong, well-conceived characters. This book also shared those strengths; I really could visualize each of the characters and was drawn into the complex search for three missing people. This was not an “ entertaining” book for me, but it told a story I benefitted from learning.

Mirage City is another fantastic entry in the excellent Evander “Andy” Mills noir detective series. It can easily be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend the first three books if you want to dig into Andy’s character development, from lonely closeted cop to out gay private eye with a found family (as “out” as one could be in the 1950s, anyway).

This series has always painted a vivid and atmospheric picture of 1950s San Francisco, especially the queer culture, and this latest book has expanded that view to include Los Angeles. I loved how much thought and care was put into the historical details, about both the places and the people.

I hesitate to mention many plot details, especially for a mystery—I love going into these novels mostly blind—but you can get a fuller picture by reading the summary if you want. I will say that the story gets very personal for Andy, the characters and organizations are inspired by history, and the missing persons case leads Andy to uncover a very real and horrific injustice that still exists in certain forms to this day. I loved Mirage City, and I can’t say enough good things about the whole series in general.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books for inviting me to read this

I was invited by the publisher to review this book. This is book four in a series, and while I have not read any of the previous installments, I felt the author did a good job of making the reader understand what had transpired in previous books. The book is about PI Andy Mills investigating missing people belonging to a queer rights group. The investigation takes him to San Francisco and LA where his mother is, and where he does not necessarily want to be. Andy gets wrapped up in all sorts of people and situations including motorcycle gangs, psych wards, and the drug underworld.

There is a lot of really good atmosphere in this book; though it is set in a city, the author captures the seedy underworld of various aspects of the urban life, and that transpired throughout the whole book. There was a lot to unpack in this book, and one answer led Andy to another question - I had fun with the deep dive and layers.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars. This was my first foray into Lev AC Rosen's writing and his Evander Mills series, and I absolutely loved it! Mirage City follows Andy, a private detective in 1950s San Francisco who was kicked off the police force for being gay. He is asked to investigate a series of missing persons who were part of a gay rights activist society. The investigation takes him to LA - and back to his mother's house - and is full of twists, heart, and references to real-life gay rights activists and organizations. This was such a well-done mystery with interesting historical tidbits and a beautiful representation of the diversity within the gay community.

I'm officially, absolutely obsessed with Lev AC Rosen's Evander Mills historical mystery series.
I found the book highly imaginative with interesting multi-layered characters.
The mystery, the growth of the main character, the evolving relationships with the supporting characters and the romance—it’s all top notch
An outstanding queer, historical fiction, noir mystery that is just as captivating as Lavender House!

“Mirage City” is the fourth installment in the Evander “Andy” Mills series by author Lev AC Rosen. Andy is a gay detective in 1950’s San Francisco. Formerly a policeman in the city, he was fired from this position after being caught in a gay bar during a raid. Now he devotes his efforts to helping people in the queer world, sometimes by acting as matchmaker, pairing up couples and creating heterosexual-looking relationships just so people can live their true lives without threat of losing their jobs or homes, sometimes taking on cases involving blackmail and other events his clients do not wish to bring to an investigator outside their circle.
In his fourth outing, Andy is hired by a leader in the Mattachine Society to find three members who seem to have disappeared. Making things more difficult is the fact that no one withing the society uses their real name, in order to protect the safety of all. Attending a meeting, he feels those in attendance are not his people, and do not give him the comfort he feels at Lavender House and in Ruby, the gay bar above which his office resides and where his boyfriend Gene serves as bartender.
His investigation leads him to Los Angeles, a biker gang that two of the missing members may have hooked up with, and the knowledge that his is in the city where his mother resides for the first time in years (she does not know about his sexuality). He struggles with the idea of reaching out to her, but eventually does, but still not sharing his biggest secret. When he is able to tour the clinic where she works, his feelings become even more divided when he realizes it plays a part in his investigation.
The guilt Andy feels for having been a cop for so many years, and having done nothing to help his people, is a driving force in each of his cases. When he realizes that one of the bikers is a policeman (who actually sends warnings when bars are going to be raided) he really begins to wonder what he could have done differently. This angst really fuels his drive and mission, and makes these novels that much more engrossing.
I have enjoyed all of Evander Mills series because the author creates an amazing sense of what it must have been like to live as a gay person in this time. His characters are always fully formed, no matter the length of their part, and each of his books has read like a movie in my head. The supporting characters at the Ruby, including Gene, Andy’s protector and boyfriend; Lee, a drag performer who insists on being addressed as “she” when in costume; and Elsie, the bar owner and supporter of his investigative missions, are all characters I love returning to. I cannot wait for number five!

Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

Former cop thrown off the force for being gay in the 1950’s had become a private investigator. He finds himself out of his comfort zone as he takes a case in L.A. where he will meet interesting characters along the way. It is a far cry from his usual San Francisco beat. The case involves the potential disappearance of two gay activists and the organization that wants to know what happened to them. It takes on the seedy side of gay motorcycle gangs and the world that most people are not aware of. Things are not always what it seems.

It's a secret society!!! Love this trope - wish there were more books with it! Anyways, Andy needs to find 3 milling members. which means digging throug allllll their secrets. and as a bonus, it's like the main part of the story but it does a great job of showing how tough it was to be gay in 1950's LA. Great book!

What a whirlwind of (good) emotions that I have about this book. First I'd like to point out that the series itself is beautiful and if you haven't read the others I HIGHLY suggest that you do so! Good, queer, historical fiction seems to be hard to come by these days but Rosen does not disappoint. I was hooked in the first few pages and it only took me a few days to finish. We see lots of good character development, good pacing, and beautiful writing here. And Andy is such a good character to follow! Thank you NetGalley for the eARC access.

Thank you Minotaur Books and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. So happy to be back in Evander Mills world! And this one has Andy traveling to Hollywood!! As Andy’s birthday approaches it’ll be the first one with his new family and Gene and they all want to celebrate. Andy’s not one for a party so he’s not too keen. So when a case walks in, one that has to do with the secretive Mattachine Society, a secrecy network of queer people working to get rights for the community (or the ones they deem worthy). The only problem is the client believes that the case of missing people begins in Los Angeles. Andy’s mom lives there and he didn’t think he would ever return. But when the case links him to a mysterious biker gang, one of just gay men, who are based out of LA, he’ll have no choice but to follow. As he gets deeper into the case he’ll also discover a psychiatric unit that has some secrets as well. And when missing people lead to death and homophobia, will Andy be in more danger than ever before? And his mom may just be closer to it all than he could have ever imagined. Can he find the missing people without going missing himself? As always one of the most exciting aspects to an Andy Mills story is the rich history of the queer community! Lev AC Rosen always does such an incredible job of mixing real history with his noir mysteries that add a level of excitement and intrigue! An incredible journey full of thrill that I couldn’t put down! Plus Andy and Gene are so damn cute! If you have checked this series out I highly recommend them all!!

4.5 stars -- best one yet!

I love this series and I was thrilled to receive an ARC of the fourth installment. Andy is back on another case: hired to find three missing members of a local gay organization, which sends him back home to Los Angeles to investigate.

For the first time in seven years, Andy is back in his childhood home with his mother -- forcing him to lie repeatedly about his life back in San Fran. But when his investigation leads right to the front door of the clinic she works at, his personal and professional lives are about to collide in a way he's not prepared for.

Equal parts cozy mystery + important history -- this is not a series to be missed!

Mirage City, the fourth book in the Evander Mills series, follows our MMC as he journeys from San Francisco to his hometown of Los Angeles on a case to find three missing people.

When Andy is enlisted by a local hidden LGBT group to find three missing members he finds himself mixed up a crime involving drug deals, biker clubs and a mysterious clinic with ties a little too close to home.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this book which I am giving 4⭐️.

I have read each one of these books as soon as they have published and enjoyed each one, but think this one may be my favorite. Not only was this a quick read but I really enjoyed the increasing sense of dread I felt through most of the book. While it was easy to guess what was happening and what the actual mystery was it was handled in a way that I knew what to expect but was worried for Andy the entire time.

I would recommend this book and the entire series to anyone who enjoys California, film noir, LGBT leads and anyone who loves a good found family story. I look forward to posting about this book on my social media (TikTok and YouTube) closer to the release date.

Mirage City is a fantastic queer noir mystery. The latest installment in the Lev AC Rosen’s Evander “Andy” Mills series has plenty of plot twists in an intriguing mystery, all while emphasizing the perils of being queer in the 1950s.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Andy has settled in as the queer PI who makes his home above The Ruby nightclub, with his bartender boyfriend Gene working just downstairs. His friends are even throwing him a birthday party. But when a woman hires him to find three people who’ve recently gone missing from their secretive queer rights meetings, the clues take Andy away from San Francisco and back home to Los Angeles. There he finds queer rights activists, a gay biker gang, and his mother too. Can he solve the case, and make it back in time—and in one piece—for his party?

I love how Andy’s journey home to Los Angeles helps him realize just how much his found family in San Francisco means to him. It was fun meeting new characters, but some of my favorite parts are when Andy calls home to Gene, Elsie, and Lee. As much as he used to hide his true self, these people have become *his* people.

I’d say this particular mystery is a little darker than the earlier series installments. But that may be because it’s terrifying to think that some of the same perils exist today for the queer community. Most of the topics are time period specific, but I wish they didn’t feel so relevant.

Mirage City is another terrific installment in the Andy Mills series. If you are a fan of noir mystery, with a queer found family at its heart, Lev AC Rosen’s entire series is a must read.

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

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

In Mirage City, Lev A.C. Rosen returns to the smoky, neon-lit world of Evander “Andy” Mills with a noir that doesn’t just echo the past—it interrogates it. This fourth installment in the series is a masterclass in genre subversion, where the shadows of 1950s America are peeled back to reveal not just crime, but the cost of survival for those forced to live in the margins.

Andy Mills, once a disgraced cop and now a private detective navigating the queer underworld of mid-century New York, is no longer just solving crimes—he’s solving himself. Mirage City finds him at a crossroads, both professionally and emotionally. The case at the heart of the novel—a missing person who may not want to be found—mirrors Andy’s own struggle with visibility, identity, and the illusion of safety.

Rosen’s prose is as crisp as ever, but here it takes on a dreamlike quality, as if the city itself is slipping between realities. The titular “Mirage City” isn’t just a place—it’s a metaphor for the double lives queer people were forced to lead, the façades they built, and the truths they buried. The mystery unfolds like smoke curling from a cigarette: slow, seductive, and laced with danger.

What sets this installment apart is its emotional resonance. Andy’s relationships—with his lover, his community, and even his enemies—are more layered than ever. Rosen doesn’t just write queer characters; he writes queer histories, embedding each interaction with the weight of secrecy and the ache of longing. There’s a tenderness beneath the grit, a vulnerability that makes Andy’s hardboiled exterior feel like armor rather than essence.

Supporting characters, especially those from the drag and underground bar scenes, are rendered with empathy and complexity. They aren’t just colorful sidekicks—they’re survivors, each with their own mirage (and dignity) to maintain.

The plot is tightly wound, with Rosen playing fair but clever with the clues. Yet the real mystery isn’t just who did what—it’s why people disappear, and what it means to be truly seen. The resolution is satisfying, but it leaves a lingering melancholy, as if justice in this world is always partial, always compromised.

Mirage City is not just a continuation of Andy Mills’ story—it’s a deepening. Rosen has crafted a noir that’s as much about identity as it is about intrigue, as much about love as it is about loss. It’s a book that understands that sometimes the most dangerous thing isn’t the killer in the alley—it’s the truth we hide from ourselves.

If you’re looking for a mystery that challenges conventions while honoring them, that wraps you in atmosphere while cutting to the bone, Mirage City is your next stop.

I simply adore this series with my whole heart. I hope Lev AC Rosen writes approximately 8,000 more of these books. The mysteries are engaging without being too stressful, which is the sweet spot for me when it comes to murder mysteries. I love all of the characters and enjoy seeing how their development plays out. Furthermore, every book illuminates a part of queer history that I'm not super familiar with, and also manages to deal with heavy topics while remaining hopeful. I love that there is so much on-page queer joy and self-acceptance in each of these books, regardless of the circumstances of the world at that time. I also shudder to see parallels between the US's current swing to the right and reactionary anti-LGBT+ legislation and the world of the 1950s.

Arc provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another book from the Lavender House series that did not disappoint! Evander Mills is such a comfort character to me, and the newest edition of his story was one of my favourites. I think this series is at its best when the focus is on Andy and his struggles within the community and working towards acceptance and self love. I think this book did a great job of having a compelling mystery but focusing on the difficulties the queer community have of going back home and not having a sense of belonging. I hope Lev Rosen continues to write these stories cause I will always come back to them!

I’ve loved every book in this series, and this latest installment is no exception. As long as the author keeps writing Evander Mills books, I’ll keep reading them. This time, Andy travels from San Francisco to Los Angeles on a missing persons case. The storyline is engaging, the mystery is well-crafted, and the characters are as likable as ever. I especially appreciated getting more insight into Andy’s backstory in this one.

I received an ARC of this ebook from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review!

“Mirage City” is Lev AC Rosen's fourth and latest book in the Evander Mills mystery series. Like its predecessors, it is a queer, hard-boiled detective novel set in 1950s California.

As a big fan of the series, I was excited to get my hands on this ARC, and it did not disappoint. It captures a noir-inspired feeling while also conveying deep emotion. The protagonist and the supporting cast are caring and empathetic, even if they are morally gray—aren’t we all?

This well-plotted book is a true page-turner and centers on queer themes. Since Rosen addresses the homophobia of that time and location, some readers may want to check CWs beforehand.

I would recommend this novel, along with the entire series, to fans of queer fiction, detective stories, and historical fiction. Readers who enjoy the works of Cat Sebastian and KJ Charles may especially appreciate this book. Thank you to St. Martin’s, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.