Lavender House by Lev A.C. Rosen: A Book Recommendation

Lavender House by Lev A.C. Rosen

Police Inspector Evander Mills had a good job until he was caught with his pants down in a San Francisco gay bar bathroom, circa 1950s. His very own colleagues carried out the raid, leaving him un-hirable and ostracized without many options for a brighter future.

On the brink of self-destruction, he meets a widow who wants to hire him as a private detective. Her wife recently died, and she believes it was murder. To make matters more curious, the woman who died was in fact Irene Lamontaine, the founder of the Lamontaine Soap empire.

Andy follows the widow to her estate, “Lavender House”, where he meets the entire family and staff.

Nobody is what they appear to be, and everyone has a motive.  

People are always trying to claim you, without ever listening to who you are. They want you to be something else, to be the role they have for you in the family. But really, we’re all better off just making our own.

Lev A.C. Rosen, Lavender House

If you’re giving Lavender House as a gift, here are a few things to consider:

The vibes are mysterious, reflective, tense, and extremely interesting with a medium pace.

It’s the perfect book for anyone who is fascinated by empires built by women, vintage queer culture, stories about found family, and detective noir motifs. It’s fantastic for those who love the Knives Out movies.

Permission to judge a book by its cover!

I most definitely chose this book for its cover! I love the lavender and gold, plus the tiny rabbits—all of which tie into the story. @bookcrushin posted the most gorgeous photo of the book leading up to its debut.

*Lavender House fulfilled my POPSUGAR Reading Challenge prompt for a book with a rabbit on the cover.