Lavender House

Lavender House (2022) Lev AC Rosen (Evander Mills #1)

Set in San Francisco in 1952

Evan Mills has been dismissed from the SF police department after being caught in a raid at a queer club. Caught–quite literally–with his pants down. Now with no job, and no home (he was thrown out).

Even he wouldn’t meet my eye as he told me I was done. Conduct unbecoming, perversion, lewd acts. They said they wouldn’t lock me up, though. That was their one token for my years of service. They’d just let everyone know what I was and what they’d found me doing and my life in the real world would be over.

As he is contemplating ending his life, a woman comes up to him and offers him a job: to find out who killed her wife.

“Only that you’d say it out loud like that.” I try to keep my voice casual.

“Where we’re going, we say everything out loud,” she responds, her voice a growl imitating the engine.

Because Pearl and Irene had created a have for themselves and their family. A place where they could be themselves, openly, because they–and the staff who work at the house–are all queer and all have as much to lose if people discover the truth of Lavender House.

“The flowers,” she says. “Irene always liked having all the flowers around to pick new scents. Lavender was her favorite, though, so we grow that everywhere. That’s why we call this place Lavender House.” She pulls the car forward and laughs, deep and throaty. “Well, and for the other reason.”

This is far more of a noir than a cozy. Evan is caught out by his former co-workers who take delight in beating the shit out of him.

It’s a reminder of how the world used to be–and how it could become again.

“Are you a doctor?”

“Almost,” he says, pulling out a long string of bandages and pulling me forward to wrap my chest in them. “I was training as one, but then an ex sent the hospital I interned at some photos of me and him … Anyway. Can’t work in medicine anymore.”

But it’s also a murder mystery. Was Irene killed and if so, by whom?

What’s particularly good about the mystery is that when Evan meets everyone, they seem to be on their worst behavior–angry at Pearl for bringing in an outside, stressed after weeks of not knowing if Irene’s death was an accident or murder. And because Evan can hardly believe a place such as Lavender House exists, he views it–and everyone in it–with suspicion.

I don’t turn to look at her. I know my face is angry and I don’t want to give her the satisfaction. Sure, I was married to the job. What else was there for me to be married to?

It’s an excellent mystery and I already got the next book in the series.

Cover art by Colin Verdi

Characters: Evander Mills, Pearl Velez, Irene Lamontaine, Cliff Carbury, Henry Lamontaine, Margo Lamontaine, Elsie Gold, Alice, Judy, Dot, Mr. Pat Kelly, Gene Manalo, Gertie, George Cohen, Rachel Cohen, Jim, Sammy, Dr. Levinstein, Ralph Stockwell

Publisher: Forge Books

Rating: 9/10

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