Lev A.C. Rosen’s Lavender House is the setting for the death of Irene Lamontaine, head of the soap empire. She had a nose for scents and would famously change the soaps scents on a regular basis. Lavender flowers that grow on the estate give the house its’ name. Most of the family members and staff are queer so there’s a wink and a nod to the name Lavender House as well. Irene’s widow, Pearl, hires a down-on-his-luck former police inspector recently fired for gay lewd conduct to solve the mystery of her wife’s death. Evander “Andy” Mills discovers that this queer family live a life of freedom inside the gated walls of the estate and soon labels one of them a murderer. San Francisco in the 1950’s, gays and lesbians were treated differently from today. Gay bashings, homophobia and being called faggot were everyday occurrences for the queer community. Andy was “one of us” and Pearl knew he could be trusted to keep the secrets of Lavender House. Pre-order the book/audiobook to find out who is the murderer. Try to guess their identity. Request the book/audiobook from your local library. I enjoyed the audiobook’s narrator, Vikas Adam, and because of his narration, fell in love with Andy. You’ll be longing to smell the scent of lavender. Are you “one of us”? Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC.