Reviews

Lavender House, by Lev AC Rosen

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arrkon's review

Excellent. Found family, exploration of being yourself and also being someone else. Self discovery and a murder mystery!

themorbidlibrary's review

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4.0

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars.

Spoilers ahead. I will not reveal anything big - most of the review vaguely alludes to plot, structure, and characters.

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I'm not normally a fan of historical fiction, but the characters in Lavender House kept me hooked. I loved the nuance involved when dealing with the characters' queerness, and the historical aspects of their persecution. I didn't guess the twist, so that is a HUGE plus for me. I wouldn't necessarily compare this to Knives Out - it's got more of a Christie vibe to me - and I consider that a very good thing. I loved the characters, but the story itself dragged at points, which is why it's getting a 4 from me. If you're hesitant to try out Historical fiction and are a mystery fan, I'd say this is a good entry point. Overall, it's a good story with excellent characters, and some buttoning-up of the pacing would make it even better.

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Again, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

shatteredsun's review

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4.0

BRO THAT ENDING
I kind of knew “whodunnit” but I was still absolutely shocked with how things wrapped up. Such a great story.
It’s hard to say much else, this is such a short book to begin with and mysteries are hard to summarize without spoilers. But….read this.

kory_is's review

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adventurous mysterious 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

verdenrow's review

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mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Cozy, queer mystery that takes place over several days in post WW era San Francisco.

aclopez6's review

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5.0

While there are certainly themes of the oppression of sexuality and identity, I found this book to be cozy in the sense that the mystery was fairly straightforward, characters were *mostly* welcoming towards Andy, and there was a found family aspect. That doesn't outweigh the police brutality nor the queer-phobic behavior, but I would cautiously recommend this to patrons who already enjoy historical fiction and mysteries.