A review by hearth_hobbit
Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen

mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

 

I received a free copy of this audiobook from Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for an honest review. 

4 Stars: I liked it

San Francisco, 1952: After being fired unceremoniously from the San Francisco police for getting caught during a raid on a gay bar, Andy’s plan is to drink away the remainder of his money and pitch himself into the bay. When Andy is asked to  privately investigate the murder of Irene Lamontaine, head of the famous Lamontaine soap empire, he jumps at the chance. At Lavender House he discovers a queer, found family who are able to live openly and while he’s enchanted with the Lamontaine’s living arrangements, Andy can’t get too comfortable because someone in this family might be a murderer.

You may like this book if you like:

• Murder mysteries
• Found Family
• Historical Fiction
• Knives Out
• Clue

Thoughts:

I’ve never watched a noir but I know the vibe and this book is exactly what I thought a noir would be. Each of the family members, I could see very clearly in my mind and I loved the dynamic between them in Lavender House. It was also very heartwarming to see Andy finding a place for himself as he conducted his investigation. Overall, the mystery was pretty predictable but the journey was obviously the main attraction. Even though this book is considered to be noir, I might label it more as a cozy mystery. The sequel is out and a third book will be coming out this year and I would be interested in continuing this series.

Vikas Adam was the narrator for the audiobook and I enjoyed his performance for this book.