What an absolutely delightful sequel. I loved getting more backstory and depth to Andy while meeting an almost entirely new cast of characters. Delightful twists and turns with so much heart, like all of Rosen’s books I’ve read so far. ( )

Most of the book focuses on Andy dealing with his new life as a private investigator specializing in queer clients and his complicated romantic interests but it's a solid plot, too, with a believable twist. ( )

The Bell in the Fog is the sequel to Lavender House and follows detective Evander "Andy" Mills. The series is set in early 1950s San Francisco among the LGBTQ+ community. I loved Lavender House, so was excited to read The Bell in the Fog.
Andy, no longer with the police force, is working as a PI out of an office above The Ruby, Elsie's queer club. He is approached by James, an old boyfriend from his days in the navy, who is being blackmailed. Andy embarks on a hunt for the compromising photographs of James and, in doing so, must face the uncomfortable truths and secrets from his days in the navy. Andy, previously lonely and isolated as a closeted gay cop, starts to make connections within the queer community, with the help of his new friend Lee, a female impersonator from the Ruby, who loves the idea of being a PI's "Girl Friday". Rosen paints a vivid picture of the times and the constant threats to queer people whether they be from a hostile government and military, a homophobic police force and hateful members of the general public.
The Bell in the Fog is a well written, immersive, unpredictable, historical mystery with an atmospheric setting and well developed morally grey characters. It was even better than Lavender House and I could not put it down. Thank you to BookishFirst for a copy to review. ( )

I loved the first book, "Lavender House," so much, and was so excited when I realized it was becoming a series. I'm happy to say that I loved the sequel as well. Andy is an excellent main character, and while I think he carries this book a bit (the first book as well), I also liked the cast of minor characters. Lee is a wonderful edition, and I particularly like the inclusion of one of Andy's past lovers, especially when the story delved into their past. I only wish there'd been more to it. But I love that there's more romance in this one! I'm really looking forward to seeing where that goes. As with Rosen's other books, I like his writing as well, and the historical queer setting will likely keep bringing me back for more.

One thing about this sequel is that it didn't feel like much of a mystery story this time around. Hopefully the next book has a tightly written mystery like the first book again.

I enjoyed Lavender House, the first Andy Mills mystery, but was still holding out a bit wanting to see where the story would go next (assuming there was a next). The Bell in the Fog more than met my hopes.

This series is very noir. It really couldn't be anything else, set as it is the the post-WWII red scare/lavender menace panics. A book set during this time with primarily queer characters that ignored the threats and abuses would be unacceptably light, a willful covering of the eyes. But those times also saw an emerging queer community that was increasingly asserting its right to exist and refusing to settle for pariah status, and Lev A.C. Rosen shows us both sides of the coin.

Andy Mills, the P.I. in these books, is gay and was a sonar operator during WWII. When he left the Navy at the war's end, he joined the San Francisco Police Force—thinking the best place to hide himself would be the spot no one would ever expect him. When he was brutally ejected from the force, he began his P.I. work, setting up shop in an office/apartment above one of the city's gay bars. He's not warmly embraced by the community, though he does have friends. With regular raids of gay gathering spots and police brutality, any former cop is going to be looked upon askance.

The plotting in The Bell in the Fog is tight, with enough information doled out to make the question of whodunnit at the fore, but not obvious. Andy's surprised when a former lover with whom he sailed in the navy (the promotional materials aptly describe him as "an old flame from the war who had mysteriously disappeared") shows up seeking help to identify a blackmailer and to get back photos being used to blackmail him. This ex didn't leave the military, climbed through the ranks, and is now being considered for a promotion that would be scuttled if word got out about his identity.

In this volume, Rosen displays a particular skill for providing endings that turn out not to be endings, but rather transitions into deeper layers of threat. I don't want to say more than that because of spoilers, but, if you like books that pull the rug out from under you a few times over the course of the action, you'll be delighted by this title.

You don't need to have read Lavender House in order to enjoy The Bell in the Fog. Rosen deftly provides contextual information where it's needed without being at all heavy-handed. In fact, I would suggest starting with this volume as its definitely the stronger of the two.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss; the opinions are my own. ( )