The Bell in the Fog

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.