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quirkycatsfatstacks's review against another edition
4.0
Book Summary:
Detective Evander “Andy” Mills once thought his life was over. While it has changed quite drastically from the life he once lived - he has started to find a place for himself. This is thanks largely to the community around him.
Andy can support this community by solving the mysteries and murders that the police ignore. Take his latest case, which begins as a simple (but troubling) case of blackmail. It doesn’t take long before it gets much darker.
My Review:
If you love mystery novels with a side of historical fiction and loads of LGBTQ+ characters, you’ve got to check out the world of Andy Mills. The Bell in the Fog is the second novel in this series, and I am here for it.
I first fell in love with this series with Lavender House - but I think I loved The Bell in the Fog even more. Here, the characters have been given a chance to grow, and boy, did they. Andy’s backstory, in particular, seemed to blossom within these pages, and I can’t wait for more.
The mystery in this book immediately sucked me in. It was layered and nearly impossible to predict - in the best way possible. Likewise, the secondary characters help flesh out this world, making it feel alive. I don’t think this series would be the same without them.
Long story short, The Bell in the Fog is the perfect follow-up for this series, and I’m already counting down the days to the third novel (Rough Pages, estimated release of October 2024).
Highlights:
Historical Mystery
Murder Mystery
Detective Series
LGBTQ+
Thanks to Forge Books and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
Detective Evander “Andy” Mills once thought his life was over. While it has changed quite drastically from the life he once lived - he has started to find a place for himself. This is thanks largely to the community around him.
Andy can support this community by solving the mysteries and murders that the police ignore. Take his latest case, which begins as a simple (but troubling) case of blackmail. It doesn’t take long before it gets much darker.
My Review:
If you love mystery novels with a side of historical fiction and loads of LGBTQ+ characters, you’ve got to check out the world of Andy Mills. The Bell in the Fog is the second novel in this series, and I am here for it.
I first fell in love with this series with Lavender House - but I think I loved The Bell in the Fog even more. Here, the characters have been given a chance to grow, and boy, did they. Andy’s backstory, in particular, seemed to blossom within these pages, and I can’t wait for more.
The mystery in this book immediately sucked me in. It was layered and nearly impossible to predict - in the best way possible. Likewise, the secondary characters help flesh out this world, making it feel alive. I don’t think this series would be the same without them.
Long story short, The Bell in the Fog is the perfect follow-up for this series, and I’m already counting down the days to the third novel (Rough Pages, estimated release of October 2024).
Highlights:
Historical Mystery
Murder Mystery
Detective Series
LGBTQ+
Thanks to Forge Books and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
lovelyandmorbid's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Scratches my detective fiction itch (which I am usually very picky with) and my gay historical fiction itch, what more can I want? Will continue to read any book in this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, Outing, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Racism, Antisemitism, and Alcohol
booksbagsandbadideas's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
iamsatan666's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
katherine_dewald's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
rachelnevada's review against another edition
Evander Mills has established his private detective practice over the Ruby, but he's still struggling. The cases he's getting are slightly scummy, the queer community still doesn't trust him due to his cop background, and he has yet to work up the courage to ask out Gene. Then, an old flame from his Navy days comes to him asking for help with a case where he's being blackmailed. Andy will have to use his connections with in the queer community, new and old, to help solve the case while not letting the past fog his vision.
Having just read The Lavender House, I will say I like the established Evander Mills a bit more. The Bell in the Fog introduces some fabulous new characters, my favorite of which is Lee, a Black drag queen who utilizes their social connections to help Evander solve cases. One thing that I found a bit disturbing? repetitive? was the fact that just like the death in The Lavender House, the initial death in The Bell in the Fog was ostensibly an accidental push. While I don't necessarily mind the literary convention, it is fascinating that this also occurred in the previous book. If it happens again in Book #3, it'll certainly be a weird authorial quirk (and honestly take away from a lot of the suspense.
Still entertaining enough that I'll snag the next book on audio when it comes out.
Having just read The Lavender House, I will say I like the established Evander Mills a bit more. The Bell in the Fog introduces some fabulous new characters, my favorite of which is Lee, a Black drag queen who utilizes their social connections to help Evander solve cases.
Still entertaining enough that I'll snag the next book on audio when it comes out.
rideauriverreads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, and Murder
Moderate: Blood and Alcohol
skullsnbats's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5