“Readers who love queer history, complicated family dynamics, flawed characters and a good murder mystery will be eager for more. Rosen puts a welcome gay spin on the traditional country house whodunit.” – Publishers Weekly “This book’s real pleasure lies in the richly realized portrayal of its cast and their personal struggles. This fresh take on the classic private investigator begs to be brought to the big screen.” – Library Journal, starred review “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. Running a soap empire can be a dirty business. 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. 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.

He’s seduced by the safety and freedom found behind its gates, where a queer family lives honestly and openly. And his secret is the kind of secret the Lamontaines understand.Īndy had never imagined a world like Lavender House. 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. Irene’s widow hires Evander Mills to uncover the truth behind her mysterious death. And now they’re worried they’re keeping a murderer in. But to keep their secret, they’ve needed to keep others out. This estate offers a unique freedom, where none of the residents or staff hide who they are. Irene’s recipes for her signature scents are a well guarded secret-but it’s not the only one behind these gates.

Lavender House, 1952: the family seat of recently deceased matriarch Irene Lamontaine, head of the famous Lamontaine soap empire. A delicious story from a new voice in suspense, Lev AC Rosen’s Lavender House is Knives Out with a queer historical twist.

Camp by Lev A.C. Rosen