jasmine256's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Homophobia, and Police brutality
Moderate: Murder, Animal death, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Grief, Suicidal thoughts, and Gore
patricktreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A dark murder mystery set in the 50’s that is rough and not happy or smooth.
The twists in this were everything. The discussion of hard to acknowledge topics like homophobia and police brutality was also a very important and well felt piece. It was made a part of the story and not just a plot point on the side.
Please not content warnings before reading. This mystery is deep and can be triggering.
The twists in this were everything. The discussion of hard to acknowledge topics like homophobia and police brutality was also a very important and well felt piece. It was made a part of the story and not just a plot point on the side.
Please not content warnings before reading. This mystery is deep and can be triggering.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Alcohol, Blood, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Violence, Classism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It's 1952, and Andy Mills is hired to investigate the death of Irene Lamontaine, the head of the famous Lamontaine soap empire. At the surface, it seems like her death is an accident. But her wife thinks otherwise. After being fired from the San Francisco Police Department for being caught in a raid on a gay bar, Andy will take whatever cases he can get.
However, the little queer oasis the Lamontaine family has carverd out for themselves holds dark secrets. While they might be hidden from the rest of the society and able to be themselves, something more sininster might be going on. And it's up to Andy to figure out what.
Thanks to NetGalley and Forge Books for an advanced copy of Lavender House to review! I've read some of Lev AC Rosen's YA stuff, so I was interested in seeing how he moves to adult fiction. I am happy to say I wasn't disappointed!
This is being pitched as a queer, historical Knives Out, and I think that's the perfect description of this book. There's the murder mystery, things not quite like they seem on the surface. Before going in, know that there is a lot of homophobia depicted in this book, due to the time period its set in. The idea of a little queer oasis is fantastic, though. I'm sure this happened more than we think it did.
The characters are also really well written. Andy is a complicated protagonist, trying to figure out where to go now that he's been kicked out of the police force. There's a pretty large cast of characters, but they don't blend together like you might think they would. It's definitely a great book to read as we're right in the middle of spooky season.
All in all, if you love mysteries like Knives Out, you will probably thoroguhly enjoy this book!
However, the little queer oasis the Lamontaine family has carverd out for themselves holds dark secrets. While they might be hidden from the rest of the society and able to be themselves, something more sininster might be going on. And it's up to Andy to figure out what.
Thanks to NetGalley and Forge Books for an advanced copy of Lavender House to review! I've read some of Lev AC Rosen's YA stuff, so I was interested in seeing how he moves to adult fiction. I am happy to say I wasn't disappointed!
This is being pitched as a queer, historical Knives Out, and I think that's the perfect description of this book. There's the murder mystery, things not quite like they seem on the surface. Before going in, know that there is a lot of homophobia depicted in this book, due to the time period its set in. The idea of a little queer oasis is fantastic, though. I'm sure this happened more than we think it did.
The characters are also really well written. Andy is a complicated protagonist, trying to figure out where to go now that he's been kicked out of the police force. There's a pretty large cast of characters, but they don't blend together like you might think they would. It's definitely a great book to read as we're right in the middle of spooky season.
All in all, if you love mysteries like Knives Out, you will probably thoroguhly enjoy this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Police brutality, and Violence
Moderate: Misogyny, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
Minor: Gore, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief
alatarmaia's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Man, I'm going to be thinking about this one for a while. It's a story that sticks with you, partly because of its quite period-accurate homophobia. But despite being struck deeply (as I'm sure was intended) by that, I still really loved the book. It captures the flaws of the characters. It makes you smile at the sweet parts and shiver at the creepy mystery parts. This author is really good at expressing a variety of moments and making their characters seem like real people.
(re: the content warning for gore:)
(re: the content warning for gore:
Spoiler
a detective finds part of a tooth while investigating a murder scene where the body has been removed
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Homophobia
Minor: Gore
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