This is one of those rare occasions where I find myself beginning a story that doesn't seem to be a derivative of a hundred other books currently on the market. The idea of a house full of LGBTQ people living together in peace and privacy in the 1950's is a unique one that I could never have even fathomed on my own. Add into that a murder mystery and it makes for one of the most compelling and interesting stories I have run across in recent memory. The telling of this story is so important, and I admire the author for not sugar-coating it and making sure to include the unfortunate but pervasive self-hatred felt by many LGBTQ people at the time. It certainly helps that his writing is excellent on top of his imaginative world building, making for a clear and engaging picture of San Francisco in the middle of the century. I am very much looking forward to diving deeper to see where the story goes and how he continues to use history to color and deepen his narrative.