Welcome to Litsy!

Really enjoyed this one ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ looking forward to continuing the series.

#lavender #coverlove @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

Yes, it‘s technically a mystery set in the 1950s San Francisco…. But far more interesting were the lives of these characters. Pretty much everyone is gay at a time when that would be enough to get you fired, beaten or worse but they created their own compound where they could live as their true selves. This is such a foreign concept to our investigator, and he struggles with it while solving the case.

One part character-driven, queer historical fiction; another part cozy country house mystery. If you‘re here for the mystery, that‘s honestly the least interesting part of this book (it‘s a little predictable and solved without any major twists). However! I was drawn in by Andy and his struggle with his sexuality during a time when it wasn‘t safe to be out. Good supporting cast and my favorites look set to reappear in the next installment.

I made this quiz for Autostraddle dot com! Take it if you want a queer mystery recommendation. If you do, let me know which book you got. I've read most of the options and they are all great! #QueerBooks #Mystery

https://www.autostraddle.com/quiz-which-queer-mystery-novel-should-you-read/

#TLT #ThreeListThursday

1. Hercule Poirot
2. The Thursday Murder gang
3. Andy Mills from Lavender House is a new favorite

Thanks for the tag @dabbe ☺️
Want to play? @CogsOfEncouragement @Librarybelle @Mshookquilts

Different from the normal kind of book that I read, I found the story somewhat unique and interesting. Set in the 1950s it was quite eye opening. Describing the various attitudes of the time and the brutality of the police was shocking. This was the first in a series following Evander Mills or the Gay Detective as he was once described. While I enjoyed the story as a one off, I don't feel that inspired to continue reading anymore in the series.

#weekendreads

I love a good dedication. 🔪 My pick for #kill for #scarathlonphotochallenge #BatBrigade 🦇

The head of a famous soap empire mysteriously dies, and her wife hires a PI to uncover the truth. This book is touted as “Knives Out with a queer historical twist“, but I think that's a disservice to the book. It's a bit slower and deeper character study than Knives Out and I suspect some of the low ratings are from people who were looking for a fun romp.

“Need me to help you undress?” he asks, then looks horrified at himself. “I don‘t think I‘ve ever asked that without lewd intent before.”

Fun who done it. Great characters and a great sun plot of a guy finding who he is and beginning to create his family.

Good story.

This is just a murder mystery with characters engaged in non traditional lifestyles. It's entertaining. I don't feel compelled to read the next one.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

I‘m not sure what I was expecting but I‘m very happy, a not your usual detective story. Looking to reading about Detective Andy in the next installment.

Great story set in San Francisco in 1952. After the relative freedom for LBGTQ folk during the war years, McCarthy‘s raving paranoia had made life intolerable and dangerous. Detective Evander (Andy) Mills has been caught in a gay bar raid, that ends life as he knows it. Hired to find the killer of a soap empire, Andy joins a blended queer family at Lavender House which offers sanctuary, but danger lurks. Beautifully crafted, lovingly written.

“I get back into bed and fall asleep again.”

“I finally take my eyes off the poem enough to nod at her and try a smile, too, but it doesn‘t fit quite right again, so I walk away. She doesn‘t stop me.”

A noir style detective story with a cool twist. Andy is a police detective playing a straight man in a very homophobic post war San Francisco. His cover is blown and just as he‘s about to leave a bar and jump in the Bay - Pearl steps in to hire him to solve a mystery at Lavender House . I hope this becomes a series - I really liked Andy and the time period is interesting 👍👍💚🐉

Decided lavender essential oil was the perfect scent as I listened to tagged #audiobook

January Review

Thank you @5feet.of.fury for picking this one for me! I did a mix of audio and print for this one and loved both mediums. The blurb describes this as a queer historical Knives Out, which is a pretty good description. Set in 1950s San Francisco, Andy has been fired from the police department after being caught in a raid on a gay bar. While doing some day drinking, he is hired by a woman to solve the murder of her wife. ⬇️

Interesting mystery with LGBTQ twist - I enjoyed this one, I was rooting for the lead the whole time.

#12BooksOf2022
This was a great queer historical mystery. Kept me guessing and great characters 💜
@Andrew65

Loved this audiobook! I just binged it over the last two days. It was compulsively listenable, great narration, a twisty gay whodunnit in a unique setting with unique circumstances, a fabulous main character and I hope this turns into a series 💜💜💜

I read a ton of books this month but Lavender House was definitely my favorite. Historical noir plus philosophizing about queer identity? Yes please! Have you noticed a theme in my bracket yet... 🌈
#readingbracket2022

An historical mystery set in 1950s San Francisco with an all queer cast! Andy, the MC, is a nuanced portrayal of a gay man with internalized homophobia, a former cop kicked who was caught in a police raid of a gay bar. He's day drinking when an older lady approaches, asking him to investigate her wife's death murder. Great characters, a puzzling whodunit, and a heartwarming story about reinventing yourself after you think your life is over.

I absolutely adored this book! I've seen it described as a queer Knives Out and that is an apt description. Set in 1950s San Francisco, Andy is a gay detective who is fired after being discovered during a raid but then hired as a PI by a powerful family who live as openly queer within their household. The matriarch has died and her wife believes it was murder & needs Andy to prove it & find the killer
#Scarathlon2022 #TeamMonsterMash @StayCurious

The Lavender House, a private residence in San Francisco owned by a wealthy soap heiress who dies under mysterious circumstances. When a disgraced gay detective is hired to investigate her possible murder, he discovers secrets about the residents and his own truth in this queer themed mystery

Yeah, this is going to be one of my favorites of the year. Special thanks to @rachelsbrittain ‘s October Book Bingo. Would not have stumbled onto it without the prompts.

Andy is fired from the Police after getting caught in a raid at a gay bar, investigates a suspicious death of a queer woman who is the brain& face of a soap empire.Some people are unhappy to have a cop in their commune.
✅ found family
✅ endearing characters
✅ riveting plot
💯

Forgot my gym pass so I took a gloomy little walk listening to the tagged book.

The book is great so far! Set in the 1950s, former cop- fired from the police force after a raid on a gay bar- turns PI, takes a case in a queer commune/soap empire after soap genius dies under suspicious circumstances.
This is the whodunnit I was looking for when I started reading 7 1/2 Deaths
But super 🏳️‍🌈💜

#Scarathlon2022 #TeamSlaughter #31by31 #spookoween

This historical thriller follows a former police detective in the 1950s ousted from the force after being found with another man at a gay club. All seems hopeless but then he's hired by an eccentric family who's matriarch--the head of a soap making empire--just died under suspicious circumstances. The family is hiding many secrets, including that they're all queer in a time when being openly queer was still illegal and deeply dangerous.

This is an historical, almost cozy, mystery set in 1952 San Francisco's LGBTQ2+ world. I thoroughly enjoyed it and liked that the mystery was enhanced by the depiction of life for gay people at that time in history. The capacity of the characters to find happiness, in spite of being vilified by society, was inspiring. While there were some dark scenes, it did not read as a particularly gritty story. The ending left me hope for a sequel. 4.25/5

Littens, have you seen this cover?!? 😍

I don‘t know anything about the book but this cover definitely makes me want to know more!