Somehow, impossibly, this sequel is even better than the first book, Lavender House. I’m so thrilled that this is going to be an ongoing series! The Bell in the Fog is a strong sequel in Lev AC Rosen's queer historical noir mystery series (a niche genre, but one I really hope continues to grow!) One of my favorite parts of the series are the characters at the center of it all, particularly our flawed hero and detective, Andy Mills. The characters pop off the page, in part due to their inherent messiness and believably flawed humanity. Andy, in particular is both wonderful as he is, while still having a lot of room for growth. It’s really fascinating to read a story with a lot of morally grey characters, who are all just trying to do their best in the world that isn’t always fair or even humane. The setting of 1950s San Francisco is a brilliant backdrop to these messy, enchanting characters. And well, I desperately hope that Andy find a happily ever after sooner rather than later, I also would love for this series to go on endlessly - I love it and can’t get enough!