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A review by bookandcoffeeaddict
Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen
5.0
Set in 1950’s San Francisco, with all the period-typical homophobia of the time, Lavender House is a historical detective novel following disgraced detective Evander Mills, Andy, as he investigates the possible murder of Lamontaine soap empire matriarch Irene Lamontaine at the request of her grieving widow, Pearl.
Once a respected detective with the SFPD, Andy loses it all and barely survives with the shirt on his back after he’s caught by his fellow officers in a raid at a gay bar. Pearl finds him in another bar contemplating the end of life as he knows it. She manages to convince him to come to the Lamontaine estate, Lavender House, and use his investigative skills to find out the truth about her beloved wife’s death.
Behind the gates of the Lavender House estate is like nothing Andy has ever experienced. The people at Lavender House live two sets of lives, in public vs on the estate. Here, Pearl has equal standing to Irene and was her wife in all but name, while in public she was her secretary. Likewise, Irene’s son and heir has to pass off his live-in boyfriend as his social secretary and his wife, the picture of the perfect society lady in the papers, has a girlfriend of her own, a notorious local nightclub owner. It’s a precarious balance they all walk, none of them happy to have a former detective poking around, even one that shares their secret.
Lavender House has been described as Knives Out, but make it gay and it’s a very accurate comparison.
Andy as he investigates is smart and charming and very likable. The added layer of him contemplating who he was (a cop who never stuck his neck out for others in the gay community) and what his new normal might look like from here on out (his detective skills are pretty much the only thing he has left and he’s reliant on the kindness of the community he never fully embraced) makes him a very human and sympathetic character.
Although I really enjoyed the unique and interesting cast of characters, and the investigation had me making guesses and turning pages fully engrossed, I have to say my favorite part of Lavender House was the worldbuilding. From the neon lights of early 50’s San Francisco nightlife to the art deco architecture of the Lamontaine Estate, and especially the fashion choices, I was pulled further and further into the time period, really creating an immersive experience that I didn’t want to leave.
I really enjoyed this book. I may even go as far as to say Lavender House is my favorite murder mystery of the year. A charismatic detective, interesting characters, an engaging investigation, and nostalgic worldbuilding tarnished with the fear of the times kept me turning pages. A fantastic start to what promises to be a fantastic series. The next book in the Evander Mills detective series is planned to come out this fall and I absolutely can’t wait to dive right back in.
*Thank you to the publishers for a review copy
Once a respected detective with the SFPD, Andy loses it all and barely survives with the shirt on his back after he’s caught by his fellow officers in a raid at a gay bar. Pearl finds him in another bar contemplating the end of life as he knows it. She manages to convince him to come to the Lamontaine estate, Lavender House, and use his investigative skills to find out the truth about her beloved wife’s death.
Behind the gates of the Lavender House estate is like nothing Andy has ever experienced. The people at Lavender House live two sets of lives, in public vs on the estate. Here, Pearl has equal standing to Irene and was her wife in all but name, while in public she was her secretary. Likewise, Irene’s son and heir has to pass off his live-in boyfriend as his social secretary and his wife, the picture of the perfect society lady in the papers, has a girlfriend of her own, a notorious local nightclub owner. It’s a precarious balance they all walk, none of them happy to have a former detective poking around, even one that shares their secret.
Lavender House has been described as Knives Out, but make it gay and it’s a very accurate comparison.
Andy as he investigates is smart and charming and very likable. The added layer of him contemplating who he was (a cop who never stuck his neck out for others in the gay community) and what his new normal might look like from here on out (his detective skills are pretty much the only thing he has left and he’s reliant on the kindness of the community he never fully embraced) makes him a very human and sympathetic character.
Although I really enjoyed the unique and interesting cast of characters, and the investigation had me making guesses and turning pages fully engrossed, I have to say my favorite part of Lavender House was the worldbuilding. From the neon lights of early 50’s San Francisco nightlife to the art deco architecture of the Lamontaine Estate, and especially the fashion choices, I was pulled further and further into the time period, really creating an immersive experience that I didn’t want to leave.
I really enjoyed this book. I may even go as far as to say Lavender House is my favorite murder mystery of the year. A charismatic detective, interesting characters, an engaging investigation, and nostalgic worldbuilding tarnished with the fear of the times kept me turning pages. A fantastic start to what promises to be a fantastic series. The next book in the Evander Mills detective series is planned to come out this fall and I absolutely can’t wait to dive right back in.
*Thank you to the publishers for a review copy