I read THE BELL IN THE FOG at such a good clip I never had a chance to make any cute animals pose with it. While I loved LAVENDER HOUSE a smidge more, I still adored it and I‘m glad I‘ve got the third book on hand. I‘ll dive in soon as I finish something that‘s due a bit earlier.
I loved Lev AC Rosen‘s LAVENDER HOUSE so much I immediately requested the rest of the series. The fourth one‘s still in processing, but I was able to pick up the second & third books today, along with another Remixed Classic and Stephanie Butland‘s latest book. Then I grabbed some Zadie Smith off the shelf, because I need more nonfiction in my life, and left a couple of puzzles in exchange for this one.
pickThis is my new fav mystery series! Andy is an amazing character and I love his relationships with Gene, Lee and Elsie. The mystery was solid and kept me guessing. The historical backdrop of the LGBTQIA+ community in 1950s San Francisco is so relevant for what going on today. I‘m really looking forward to continuing the series. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
pickWhat a great historical mystery! And an amazing #audiobook performance by Vikas Adam, who does unique voices for each character. I love how Rosen doesn't shy away from the complexities of being queer in 1950s San Francisco and the tough sometimes unethical choices people made for self-preservation. A meandering surprising plot with lots of local colour in the setting. I also love how Andy frequently uses the library in his detective work!
My second baby was born a few days ago! This #audiobook is getting me through late night and early morning feedings. It's really good!
pickThis is a sequel to “Lavender House“. It is set in 1952 and revolves around the gay community. It is a decent mystery (blackmail and murder) and I found the characters to be well developed and complex. The author has done a great job of illustrating the precarious lives gay people lived then and the story has some good morality questions, etc. making this a good (albeit different) pick for a book club. Thanks to Edelweiss+ for the ARC. 4/5 stars!
so-soThis was a book that interested me based on the synopsis, and while the basic story is good, it took way too long to get there and was anticlimactic; I was hoping for a better mystery. That being said, I feel as though this is an honest novel, portraying the realities of gay life and culture in the 50s. The characters‘ feelings, reactions, and beliefs–both gay and straight–were not glossed over, creating an accurate representation of the times.
pickThe Bell in the Fog is the sequel to Lavender House and follows detective Andy Mills. The series is set in early 1950s San Francisco among the LGBTQ+ community. Rosen paints a vivid picture of the times and the constant threats to queer people. It is a well written, immersive, unpredictable, historical mystery with an atmospheric setting and complex morally grey characters. It was even better than Lavender House and I could not put it down.
The Bell in the Fog | 
