
Release date: June 2, 2026
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Synopsis:
From award—winning, critically acclaimed crime writer Lev Rosen comes a punchy, hilarious mystery—thriller. Meet the disaster gays: They’re messy. They’re queer. And they’re about to solve a murder… Or die trying.
Brandon is a hopeless romantic. So when a handsome stranger named Jon checks in at the hotel he works at and invites Brandon to his room, Brandon ignores the advice of his crew—a group of loveable and messy queer twenty—somethings—and accepts. What follows is a tale as old as time: they hook up, Jon promises to text, Brandon falls in love, and Jon ghosts. Case closed—or is it?
When Jon checks out early, leaving behind a bag of belongings and his cellphone, Brandon takes the phone and sets out to find him, thinking that this must at last be his Cinderella story.
But he gets more than he bargained for when he witnesses a murder—and sees Jon fleeing the scene.
Determined (and not in over their heads whatsoever), Brandon, Ollie, Nicole, and Ian decide to solve the mystery of the murder and uncover Jon’s true identity…they just have to figure it out before a target falls on their own backs.
Review:
The Disaster Gay Detective Agency had all the makings of a book I should have loved: a messy queer friend group, a murder mystery, chaotic amateur sleuthing, and plenty of humor. The premise is easily the strongest part of the book, and I genuinely enjoyed the diversity of the cast and the overall chaotic energy. There were moments where the humor and personality really worked for me, and I could absolutely see why this setup would appeal to readers looking for a quirky, campy mystery.
Unfortunately, the execution never fully came together for me. The biggest issue was the narrative structure, which relies heavily on repeating scenes from multiple POVs. While that style can sometimes add depth or tension, here it mostly made the story feel repetitive and slowed the pacing considerably. I also found it difficult to stay invested in the large ensemble cast because the constant perspective shifts kept interrupting the momentum instead of building it.
Overall, this ended up being a pretty middle of the road read for me. There’s definitely potential here, and I appreciated the representation and unique concept, but the writing style ultimately made it hard for me to stay engaged. A fun idea with some entertaining moments, but one that never fully delivered on its promise for me personally.
Overall rating: 3/5
Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.



















