Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: June 5, 2025
Canadian author Erin Dunn combines romance with a murder investigation in her debut novel, “He’s to Die For”. When an NYPD detective falls in love with the main suspect of his murder case, there is bound to be trouble (and spicy, fiery sparks!)
Rav is the son of a Lord and a supermodel and, going against everything his parents wanted for him, he is now an NYPD police detective, trying to make his mark and help people in the process. When a high-powered record executive is found dead, Rav’s captain takes a chance and puts him in charge of the case and Rav is pulled into the world of glitz and glamour when his first suspects are members of an uber popular indie rock band. It isn’t until Rav meets the band’s gorgeous and talented frontman, Jack, that he realizes how difficult his investigation is going to be- not only does Rav have to stay out of the spotlight and solve the murder, he also has to pretend he isn’t head over heels in love with the main suspect.
“Die” is sharp and funny, a modern romance full of mystery and intrigue. Dunn delivers an atypical protagonist in suit-loving, homosexual, posh Brit, Rav, who is delightfully out of place in his white-male-dominated workplace. He makes no excuses and accepts who he is whole-heartedly, which serves to connect readers with him almost immediately.
There are multiple potential suspects in the investigation, due to the number of people involved in the inner workings of rock superstardom, but the twist at the end caught be my surprise. “Die” combines the high-powered world of the music industry with the gritty, taxing world of policing which isn’t supposed to work, but in this case, it really, really does.
Not only do readers want the killer to be caught, but they are also cheering for the relationship between cop and rockstar, and both plotlines are addicting and page-turning and I couldn’t wait to see how it played out. The dynamic between Rav and Jack was endearing and charming, and they provided all the swoon. Combined with the dangerous world of police investigation, and “Die” doesn’t slow down until the final pages.
Dunn is a new author and “Die” was a debut that will appeal to modern readers who are looking for a little murder with their romance.

I ate this book up! Anyways there are some twists and turns in this story that kept me interested! You think you have it all figured out but when you keep going you’re absolutely wrong. At one point it’s actually hard to figure out who to trust 😅 this story is a good blend of suspense, romance and some humor!

Thank you to St Martin Press for the ARC! I really enjoyed this book more than I through I would. There was bit of miscommunication throughout the book that could have easily been avoided. I loved the twist at the end and who the killer ended up being. Def kept me on my toes!

He's to Die For was a refreshing surprise—romantic suspense with a rockstar and a homicide detective that sidesteps some of the tired MM tropes in smart, thoughtful ways.

Detective Rav Trivedi is a standout: openly gay, not hyper-masculine, and not your typical cop romance lead. He’s Indian-American via Britain, posh, sharp, and always dressed to the nines—his fashion sense even plays into the investigation in a clever way. He’s confident and competent, but still navigating racism and tokenism within his department, which is handled with nuance and never veers into copaganda.

Then there’s Jack Vale, a surprisingly humble rockstar with anxiety who becomes Rav’s murder suspect—and unexpected crush. Their chemistry is real, and while Rav’s crush borders on embarrassing, it never feels like rushed instalove. The romantic tension is well-paced, grounded more in the ethical complications of the case than in celebrity drama.

What made me care about them wasn’t just the physical attraction, but their emotionally vulnerable, flirty conversations—the kind that make people feel safe and seen. I rooted for them, even when I got frustrated with the slow-burn “situationship” vibe (which, to be fair, made sense given the conflict of interest).

The mystery takes center stage and kept me guessing, and I loved the balance of humor, heart, and tension throughout. A swoony romance and a solid whodunit that left me genuinely emotionally invested.

He’s to Die For
By Erin Dunn
Narrated by Sid Sagar
4 ⭐️

I found this story to be sweet, entertaining, and dreamy. The MCs are very lovable; they had me rooting for them immediately. I also enjoyed the mystery aspect as well. It took backseat to the romance in my experience. It gave some surprising turns at the reveal. I do think the show:tell ratio is a little off here and there with a bit too much tell vs show happening for my preference. Not a huge issue but definitely noticeable.

I combo read this one via the ebook and audiobook. Both options were solid. I don’t think anyone will be shocked when I say I lean towards the audiobook. Sagar has a smooth voice that is easy to listen to and lets the reader get lost in the story. This is a yes on the recommendation list for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Erin Dunn, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan audio for the eARC and audiobook ARC. 🎶

I thoroughly enjoyed "He's to Die For"! I haven't read a murder mystery in ages, and this was a great one to pick up. The chemistry between Jack and Rav was there from the start, even when their romance is completely forbidden by circumstance. The way they interact with each other and with the other side characters makes this story so fun and suspenseful. The plot was great and very well paced, and I did not see it coming when they revealed who the actual killer was at the end. Great job to Erin Dunn for setting up so many possible suspects and making each other their actions and motives believable.
Great story. Strong plot. Surprising twists. Believable character relationships. Fade to black spice.

Despite being sick and having to wipe my eyes/nose every 5 seconds, I finished this in a few hours. Through brain fog and all. I could not put it down. I'm not fond of cops, or cop stories, but I do love a good murder mystery detective book, and it's marketed as being like Brooklyn 99, which I love, and I did get those vibes a lot. The author made it clear that cops were definitely not always the heroes they're needed to be, which was a refreshing thing to read about, especially in this day.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat. There was a lot of back and forth, a lot of will they won't they between Jack and Rav, and a lot of intrigue and mystery surrounding the murders. I liked that the book was sort of open door but in a way that didn't overwhelm. It felt right for the book, and didn't take away from anything. The pop culture refs were golden, and didn't feel like too much, like some books that are eager to plop them in everywhere. It was a book about celebrity, after all. There were some tender moments, some sad, and moments where I thought I had it figured all out, and then near the end I went "No way it's this character right?" and then it was. And I was floored. I loved that it wasn't just some random character who had never spoken before either. It was someone important to the story. Moreover, every loose end was tied up, and even though there were some characters who ended up being less important, despite my want to see more of them, they didn't feel totally neglected and left to the wayside in the end. There would definitely be room for the author to write a sequel with cameos from Jack, Rav as a side character, and Will and Ana as main love interests. I'd definitely read that.

A surprisingly good read, for sure.

While the premise of a romance entwined with a murder mystery had potential, the mystery angle just didn’t grip me. The romance had its moments, but I wasn’t as invested in the whodunit part of the story. The characters were likable enough, but I expected more depth from the plot.

I wanted to love this, and I did up until the second half. Maybe I needed to be in a different mindset to fully appreciate it because I do see the full potential of the story. <3

Good story and interesting characters, for a romance. It’s not my typical genre, but I did find myself wanting to know what happened next, so it was certainly entertaining.

ARC Review ✨️

♡Rav & Jack♡

This was such a great romantic suspense! Rav is the lead detective on a homicide case and ends up falling for the prime suspect😍🔥 The author creatively created these characters and wove all of the mystery/romance together for an incredible read!

The character descriptions were perfect and made it so easy to love them. I had such a fun experience reading this!

Thanks so much to the author, Minotaur Books, and Netgalley for the ARC!

4 stars

Oh, this is the romance of 2025 so far. Get your hands on it ASAP.

Rav is a fantastic character, and for me, he MADE this book. He's the youngest member of the NYPD homicide squad, he's British, and he's queer, and this is just scratching the surface. When Rav gets a pretty high profile case with even higher profile suspects and ancillary parties, he's driven by his sense of right to find justice, but he's also driven by other parts of himself to find...what I'll call here romance.

Lately, I've been really burned by some of these "for fans of..." comparisons, but in this case, the _Brooklyn 99_ and _The Charm Offensive_ mashup is a fair pitch. I will admit that this one did not grip me as intensely as Cochrun's work, but it is absolutely a respectable runner up. I'd LOVE to see this build into a series.

This was a fun listen (absolutely recommend the audio version when and where accessible), and I recommend this one to those looking for a fun romance featuring a compelling lead.

He's To Die For is a delightful read that is charming, funny and suspenseful.

This book is so far out of my genre but I was hooked from the first page and did not want to put the book down.

You cant help but love Detective Rav Trivedi who is not only classy but very clever.

Twists and turns that had me guessing from beginning to end.

Erin Dunn, I am a fan and certainly hope we see Rav back very soon.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the privilege of reading and reviewing this delightful yet suspensful book He's to Die For.

a twisty mystery and a swoony rom-com.. yes please! not my normal romcom couple i like to read but..

This was cute and i enjoyed the read.

📜Quick Summary: Rav Trivedi has worked hard to get to where he is. Being a Lord’s son weighed heavy on him growing up, and not winning the affection of either parents is something he’s always struggled with. However, he chose to follow a career path that he’s proud of… working his way up from cop to detective, on to a lead detective on a very hot case. As the lead in this homicide case, he has one goal- to prove the old fellas in the NYPD homicide department that he can handle a case like this. But when the main suspect is extremely good looking Jack Vale, a lead singer in a band, can he protect himself from falling for him?

❣️Initial Feels: This witty banter between Rav and Will are cracking me up. I love Rav already, and am rooting for his character in so many ways.

👀Trigger Warnings: stalkers

🌶️Spice Level: 🌶️

📖Read if you want: m/m romance, detective case mixed in with romance, banter and laugh out loud moments

🙋🏼‍♀️Moving Character: Jack, even though he’s a “rockstar,” isn’t quick to the fame and fortune. He has personal struggles as many normal people do, and he isn’t afraid to speak his mind. He was like an egg slowly cracking, showing bit by bit, which allowed him to open fully to Rav.

💡Final Sentiments: Overall, I enjoyed the witty banter, the fun cast of characters, and the detective/mystery side of things. The twists and turns in solving the case was very well executed! The romance part…just didn’t hit it out of the ballpark for me. This could absolutely be a me thing, as I’ve seen so many others love Rav and Jack’s relationship, but it seemed super rushed and from how Rav grew up and how hard he worked to get to where he was as Detective… It seems rash that he dove right into this very questionable relationship without thinking of the bigger implications. Rav is a very dashing character and mixed in with the very humble rockstar Jack, did give their relationship a lot of room to grow. Although his family was mentioned a few times, it would have helped his character development if we had more glimpses into his upbringing and maybe involved them more in the novel!

🌟Overall Rating: 3.5 stars

🔉Special thanks to Erin Dunn, St. Martin’s Press-Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for this arc of He’s To Die For!

📘Grab yourself a copy on June 3, 2025!

So many turns but it all came together! The story kept me guessing and I love how Jack and Rav found each other!

I really liked the mix of Rom Com and murder mystery in this book. I would read many more books about Detective Rav Trivedi and his exploits!

Rav is such an interesting character - he doesn't have the background you would typically expect from an NYPD detective. I also really enjoyed the murder mystery - I actually didn't guess the ending!

I loved Jack. He was such a sweet soul. I loved the chemistry between Rav and Jack. They were just so lovely together.

I was intrigued by the idea of romance between a police officer and a suspect as I thought it would be a fun forbidden twist. While that was the case, the relationships developed pretty quickly for what the situation was in my opinion. I don't know many people who would be willing to risk a career they have worked for years for to explore a connection with someone they only just met. I think part of the reason I felt that way is that we were told Jack and Rav talked for hours on multiple occasions but didn't read those conversations. It left me with the feeling that we were more being told they were in love than seeing it.

I did enjoy the mystery element of this story. It had some interesting turns I didn't see coming. I am a reader who is always more interested in the relationships than the situations that drive that relationship so a reader more invested in the mystery might have enjoyed this one more.

I would recommend this one if you love a celebrity romance with a mystery and are ok without seeing a deep emotional connection between the main characters.

A twisty mystery and a swoony romance?! Brooklyn 99 meets The Charm Offensive?! Everyone needs to add this to their TBR right now!!

First off, I LOVED Detective Rav Trivedi. I loved all of the characters Dunn introduced us to - they're well developed and funny and self-aware - but Rav just jumped out as one of my favorites for the year.
I also loved the plot - the murder mystery and conspiracy theories had me twisted and it was the perfect balance with the romance of it all. A detective falling for one of his suspects?! And not just any regular suspect, but a very very famous rockstar!
I also appreciated the timeline. There was a lot going on and it would have made the story feel wrong if it was rushed through an investigation and all of it's moving parts, and having the time and space also made the relationship between Rav and Jack feel fully formed. And the ending?! I did not see that coming!!

Safe to say that I loved this one and I hope you will, too! Thank you St. Martin's Press for the eARC!!!

Rav and Jack stole my heart in this book. Ray starts off strong with his wit and funny charms. Bonus points for him being British Indian. He maintains his values through out the book and I loved the solid communication between the two male leads. While this would have a made a great romance book, the mystery components kind of threw it off track. I was really invested in the mystery until about 50% in when I sort of resolved. Then after that, every thing involving the mystery felt way too convoluted for the light heartedness of the book.

Thank you Net Galley and St Martin's Press/Minotour Books for the ARC.