Thank you to NetGalley/Macmillan-Tor/Forge for a copy of Lavender House in exchange for an honest review.
Summary
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. — from the publisher
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Soapy goodness
How could a book about a murder and a soap business be interesting? Well, not sure, but Lev AC Rosen has done it. Even though it’s somewhere in the middle of the cozy and hard-boiled mystery continuum, Lavender House isn’t a light book. It deals with the realities of being queer in 1950s San Francisco. Being queer in 1950s San Francisco bore no resemblance to being queer there today. (But, as I’ve said before, books set in the Bay Area are my jam.)
Plus, Lavender House is a fun read. There’s an inherent sweetness to it. In investigating and solving the central mystery, Evander finds life. By the same token, Andy’s slow realization that a queer, full life is possible takes Lavender House from a simple whodunit to something more meaningful. That still resonates today.
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That sounds cheesy, but it doesn’t read that way. Part of what saves the book from going into saccharine territory is the flawed and campy-kooky characters. But no one is bitter just to be a jerk; these people develop tough outer shells for a reason.
Should you read it?
If you like found family, you’ll love Lavender House. If you love imperfect characters, you’ll love this book. Further, as far as mysteries go, it’s one you can solve along with the narrator, and the pacing is just right. Unlike so many queer mysteries these days, there’s nothing supernatural in this whodunit, but in this case, that makes it all the more effective.
Lavender House is out on October 18, 2022. Pick up a copy at your local indie bookstore or library. 📚🐀
https://www.geekgirlauthority.com/book-review-a-scatter-of-light/
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