Publishers Weekly
08/05/2024
Rosen’s immersive third mystery featuring gay San Francisco ex-cop Andy Mills (after The Bell in the Fog) captures the joys and fears of being queer in 1950s America. When bookshop owners Howard Salzberger and DeeDee Lamb disappear, Andy worries not only for their safety but also that the subscriber list for their mail-order gay book service could fall into the wrong hands. To help prevent that, Andy forms an alliance with gossip reporter Rose Rainmeyer, hoping to gain access to some of Rose’s leads and ensure she doesn’t out him. Meanwhile, Andy’s protective urges cause conflict with his partner, Gene, who manages a local gay club. Rosen buttresses his solid suspense plot with a rendering of midcentury San Francisco that feels realistic in its depiction of the dangers facing the city’s gay residents but refreshingly optimistic about their ability to lead fulfilled lives. Readers interested in queer history will be especially delighted. Agent: Joy Tutela, David Black Literary. (Oct.)
From the Publisher
"Immersive ...Rosen buttresses his solid suspense plot with a rendering of midcentury San Francisco that feels realistic in its depiction of the dangers facing the city’s gay residents but refreshingly optimistic about their ability to lead fulfilled lives." –Publishers Weekly
Praise for the Evander Mills series:
"Gripping...Rosen’s candid portrayal of the casual cruelties perpetrated on queer people in the 1950s provides a novel and edifying foundation for a traditional mystery. Readers will be ready for the next Mills adventure as soon as this one ends" –Publishers Weekly, on The Bell in the Fog
"The result is an atmospheric historical novel as well as a gritty noir mystery that will thrill both readers who already love Andy Mills and those meeting him for the first time." –BookPage, starred review, on The Bell in the Fog
"Rosen’s deftly clued, noir-tinged plot successfully walks the line between hope and heartbreak, all while thoughtfully exploring the role of family in our lives. This fresh take on the classic private investigator begs to be brought to the big screen." –Library Journal, starred review, on Lavender House
"Rosen’s smart, bittersweet tale plays with the oldest truth of all: the price we pay for our identity in America." –Walter Mosley, on Lavender House
"Lavender House is a fabulous, genre-bending mystery-noir, told with wit, panache and style. Lev Rosen is one of a kind and just gets better and better—his eye for characters is both acerbic and compassionate, and his story-telling is top notch." –Dan Chaon, New York Times bestselling author of Sleepwalk, on Lavender House