If you’re a fan of historical mysteries, then trust us when we say this isn’t one you’ll want to miss out on. Marketed as Knives Out meets Carol, that alone should pique your interest sufficiently. But if, for some unknown reason, that hasn’t worked, check out our review to find out why Lavender House should be right up there on your TBR!
And don’t forget, you can follow Lev on twitter.
A delicious story from a new voice in suspense, Lev AC Rosen’s Lavender House is Knives Out with a queer historical twist.
Lavender House, 1952: the family seat of recently deceased matriarch Irene Lamontaine, head of the famous Lamontaine soap empire. Irene’s recipes for her signature scents are a well guarded secret—but it’s not the only one behind these gates. This estate offers a unique freedom, where none of the residents or staff hide who they are. But to keep their secret, they’ve needed to keep others out. And now they’re worried they’re keeping a murderer in.
Irene’s widow hires Evander Mills to uncover the truth behind her mysterious death. Andy, recently fired from the San Francisco police after being caught in a raid on a gay bar, is happy to accept—his calendar is wide open. And his secret is the kind of secret the Lamontaines understand.
Andy had never imagined a world like Lavender House. He’s seduced by the safety and freedom found behind its gates, where a queer family lives honestly and openly. But that honesty doesn’t extend to everything, and he quickly finds himself a pawn in a family game of old money, subterfuge, and jealousy—and Irene’s death is only the beginning.
When your existence is a crime, everything you do is criminal, and the gates of Lavender House can’t lock out the real world forever. Running a soap empire can be a dirty business.
Lavender House
Lev A. C. Rosen
Rep: gay mc, Mexican lesbian side character, lesbian side character, gay side characters, Jewish bi side character
CWs: suicidal thoughts, murder, homophobic slurs, homophobic violence (ch. 10)
Release: 18th October 2022
Five Reasons to Read This Book
One. On the one hand, there’s something refreshing about reading books where being gay isn’t a big deal. On the other, it was, and still is, a big deal and it’s great to read books which recognise that while still letting their LGBT characters just live. Because there’s something still entirely revolutionary about that, especially when it comes to historical fiction. Let me try contextualise this: while a primary aspect of Lavender House is the fact that these characters aren’t straight, that isn’t all they are. Neither are they presented either as all perfect, or all villainous. They are, as is the only thing I really want, entirely human.
Two. This is a very solid mystery. The comparisons to Knives Out are apt to an extent, but I think it’s better plotted than that (at least in this one, the culprit wasn’t so obvious). It’s a book that keeps you guessing and turning pages, waiting to find out what little bit of information you might be dripfed next. Basically, all you’d want from a mystery story.
Three. At the centre of this book is a found family. Not necessarily in the usual sense of the word, admittedly—it’s a lot less tropey and love-filled than you might be used to—but a found family nevertheless. It’s a family that has joined together in order to protect one another (this is a book set in the 50s, let’s not forget) and I think this shows one of the best aspects of the book: how LGBT people in the past lived and survived. I still think it more unusual than not to find historical fiction with tragic gay narratives. This one is not untragic, but it does ensure a happy ending for its characters.
Four. If you’re looking to read more adult historical fiction, but you find that a lot of it a bit too dense with not very much plot, then this is a good starter for the genre. While more properly a historical mystery I’d say, it has a good balance of plot development and character development. The pacing is also good, with the mystery moving forward enough, while giving room for other events (and character development) to happen as well.
Five. I feel like I’ve said a lot about the characters in general, but really my final point here has to be about the main character, Evander Mills. I think the number one thing you need from a book is a compelling protagonist. They don’t have to be sympathetic, or even remotely likeable (although, it must be said, Evander is both of these things), but they have to be compelling. And this book gives you exactly that.
So, have we convinced you that you want to read this book?
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