Lavender House: A Novel

Written by Lev AC Rosen

Narrated by Vikas Adam

"This is a beautiful, satisfying listen."- AudioFile

"Most audiobook readers are familiar with Vikas Adam’s work. He’s a prolific narrator in the YA and romance space and the perfect choice for Lavender House....The narration kept my attention all the way through!"- Bookcrushin'

A delicious story from a new voice in suspense, Lev AC Rosen's Lavender House is Knives Out with a queer historical twist.

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.

A Macmillan Audio production from Forge Books.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio
• Release date: Oct 18, 2022
• ISBN: 9781250870896

Lev AC Rosen

Lev AC Rosen writes books for people of all ages, including the Evander Mills series, which began with the Macavity Award winning Lavender House, and continues with The Bell in the Fog. His most recent young adult novels are Emmett, Lion’s Legacy, and Camp. Rosen’s books have been nominated for Anthony and Lambda Awards and have been selected for Best of lists from The Today Show, Amazon, Library Journal, Buzzfeed, Autostraddle, Forbes, and many others. He lives in NYC with his husband and a very small cat. You can find him online at LevACRosen.com and @LevACRosen

Reviews for Lavender House

[Lori Ford · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a fantastic read and I have high hopes that it will be the start of wonderful new series. Loved the setting and the characters. Please write more about this fascinating detective and his adventures.

[Christine · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

LAVENDER HOUSE is an original book, a genre mashup unlike most other books I've read.

It's set in 1952; Andy has just been fired from the San Francisco PD after being found in a gay bar during a police raid. His job was his identity (if he got close to people, they might find him out) and now he's seriously questioning what there is to live for. It's in this headspace that he's sought out as a PI.

The case? Irene Lamontaine, head of the famous Lamontaine soap empire, was found dead a few weeks ago. Her widow wants answers, but doesn't want to bring the cops to Lavender House -- where most everyone is queer.

I'd call this a queer historical mystery, but one that felt more like a character study of a found family than a page-turning whodunit. It has a locked-room vibe as much of it takes place within the gates of Lavender House. Brace yourself for heartbreaking homophobia on display, but trust there'll be an ultimately hopeful ending.