Forge Your Own Book Club: Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen

By Ariana Carpentieri:

With Halloween right around the corner, ‘tis the season for murders and mysteries! We may not have a haunted house for you, but we have the next best thing: Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen, coming your way on October 18th! This deliciously intense suspense will keep you on the edge of your seat and dying for more.

Lavender House, 1952: the family seat of recently deceased matriarch Irene Lamontaine, head of the famous Lamontaine soap empire. Irene’s recipes for her signature scents are a well guarded secret—but it’s not the only one behind these gates. This estate offers a unique freedom, where none of the residents or staff hide who they are. But to keep their secret, they’ve needed to keep others out.

And now they’re worried they’re keeping a murderer in.

Lavender House is the perfect pick for your next book club discussion. Here’s a breakdown on what to watch, what to eat, what to drink, what to listen to, and what to discuss while you read it!

What to Watch:

Lavender House is a whodunit story with well-guarded secrets and utterly unforgettable characters. Its plot is steeped in early 1950s noir, so a film we suggest pairing with this sharp read is The Woman in Question. In this 1950 murder-mystery movie, a fortune-teller named Astra is found murdered. During the investigation, a detective questions Astra’s housekeeper, who conveys Astra in a favorable light. Yet upon speaking with some of Astra’s other family members, a less appealing image of the victim is revealed. It’s up to the detective to figure out Astra’s true identity and what’s been hiding under the surface all along.

What to Eat:

According to P. J. Vernon, author of Bath Haus: “Tightly spun and utterly immersive, Lev AC Rosen delivers a deliciously twisty and queer whodunnit in Lavender House. With a mid-century mystery as sprawling as its titular mansion, the velvet knives in this one are sharp as hell.” We think a “deliciously twisty” book calls for an equally as deliciously twisty snack–like churros. Because churros are always a good idea…and so is reading Lavender House!

What to Drink:

The book opens with our main character, Evander Mills, sitting in a bar and nursing a few martinis. So what better drink to pair with this impactful book than a classic martini? If you’re looking for a beverage with slightly less of a punch, then a mocktail martini would also do the trick!

What to Listen to:

Looking for the perfect playlist to accompany this riveting read? We’ve got you covered! Lev put together a killer list of late 40s and early 50s songs that will have you wanting to break out an old record player so you can properly swoon. Click here to check out the full blog post featuring Lev’s breakdown of his song choices and peruse the Spotify playlist below!