This is a lovely, clever book that I read one afternoon as it was
raining and cold outside. I was entertained by the characters
and the Police-lite, rock music-high fun. Until there is a crime
spree that throws the cops and rock musicians together. It’s
not long before the fun begins, and rather than too much
information, just know that you’ll spend more time smiling
than worrying about who the murderer is~until you can put
the clues to work!
This is light reading, and much appreciated!
My thanks to Minotaur books via NetGalley for the
download copy of the book for review purposes.

Wow.. so I read this right after a disappointing read and it was. The redemption I needed! The mashup of a queer romance with a thriller? Hello! How awesome is that and it was done very well!

I enjoyed the queer characters/ representation and thought it was done very well with good character development. The characters read like they could walk off the page and I would know them as opposed to trying to be diverse for diversity sake.

I love that the taboo relationship due to how they met (no spoilers even though the description gives some of it) is based on getting to know each other and the building of emotional ties and isn’t the “insta love” that’s so prevalent in romance novels.

The mystery kept me engaged as the investigation took place along side the men from very different walks of life, got to know each other.

This book comes out on June 3, 2025. Perfect timing to read some entertaining and well written queer content for Pride Month.


I am thankful to have gotten the eARV for free from St Martins Press through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

Thoroughly enjoyable mystery/romance. I liked that there felt like more of an equal focus on each aspect rather than being predominantly one or the other. I was sad the romance was mostly closed door but it was all well written and I enjoyed the connections the characters formed.

As a heterosexual woman, I don’t typically read same sex romances. However, the description of this story intrigued me and I was not disappointed by the storyline. Celebrity, murder, familial disappointment, anxiety, and crazed fans are all part of the story which ends in a surprising way. Definitely worth the read. Thanks to @netgalley and Erin Dunn,

This was a thoroughly enjoyable book! Rav is a very likable character, a fashionista detective with a noble background, yet he is humble and salt-of-the-earth. As rock stars go, Jack is also very personable and modest. The story was an enjoyable mix of whodunit and romance. Vanderford's murder is well constructed, with an investigation that you can logically follow - and with a conclusion that I didn't see coming! These two main characters are both best in their fields as far as personalities go, and they really seem to mesh together well. There isn't anything that screams "no, I don't think so!" - something I truly dislike in stories. And, although I typically don't read MM romances, there wasn't anything explicit that turned me off to the romance of the book. Dunn did a great job of seamlessly combining two genres without sacrificing detail in either. My sincerest thanks go to Katie Layton of St. Martin's Press (Minotaur Books) for an ARC of this book! Reading this story was a nice escape from the general atmosphere of yuck felt these days. This was a heartwarming read - something I don't usually say when it concerns a murder investigation!

Rav Trivedi is a lot of things: son of a British lord and an American model, Ivy League educated Brit with Indian heritage, nappiest dresser, youngest detective on NYPD’s homocide squad.

He’s a bit of an outsider.

When he’s assigned as lead detective to the high profile murder of a record executive, Rav is ready to prove himself. He won’t be distracted by news crews, social media, or the prime suspect, the doe eyed, tattooed, angelic voiced lead singer, Jack.

Ok…Maybe a little distracted.

But it quickly starts falling apart, both professionally and personally. Rav sees the pieces to the puzzle in front of him but can’t figure out how to put them together and a key witness/suspect keeps eluding him; and despite some amazing make out sessions in the fanciest penthouse suites, Jack seems to be giving Rav the cold shoulder when they aren’t together.

Will Rav risk his job and his reputation for the chance at love?

Described as Brooklyn 99 meets The Charm Offensive, I found myself wishing for a little bit more. I liked it but didn’t love it.

Rav is an engaging MMC - he’s unapologetic and self confident, but falling in instalove with a suspect felt wildly out of character. I also was troubled by the way Jack constantly kept Rav at arm’s length. It didn’t make sense to me, and in retrospect, I think it was meant to keep the reader guessing as to who dunnit.

I enjoyed the mix of mystery and love, the pacing was good, but it could have wrapped up more quickly. And honestly, I’m not sure I understand why the person who ultimately dunnit, dunnit.

That said, I believe this one will work for a lot of people so don’t let me dissuade you from giving it a shot.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s for the ARC to read and review. This one is available June 3, 2025.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

A five star read. I'm never sure what to expect from genre mashups, but this was a PERFECT blend or mystery and rom-com that got the mix just right. A swoony romance between a detective and a rock star along with a clever, page-turning mystery that kept me guessing.

He's To Die For by author Erin Dunn is her debut novel but doesn't feel like it. An Queer detective mystery with a romance between a junior Detective and a rock star.

I really enjoyed this one. I loved the main character Rav! He's a bit of a perfectionist and when it coms to solving cases he's not one to give up. He's also charming and compassionate. I just really enjoyed his character and the people he surrounded himself with. I also enjoyed our miss understood rockstar Jack. He was a sweetheart but I do wish we had been given his POV especially during those times he would ghost Rav.

The case was interesting and I liked the way it unfolded. The book was pretty evenly split with investigation and the relationship of Ravi and Jack, Their relationship is a slow burn where they build an emotional connection over long phone calls before turning physical. Steam wise I would call it low/mild steam. There's a few scenes but they aren't very detailed.

Overall, I think He's To Die For Erin Dunn is a great debut detective contemporary romance. A detective who fall for the prime suspect of his high profile case, a sensitive rock star, opposites attracting, a solid mystery, light steam, and a satisfying ending.

Equal parts rom-com and murder mystery, this was such a refreshing read! Typically, I’d avoid a mystery/romance crossover as it always feels like the two genres can’t coexist unless one is significantly compromised, however this was quite a well-blended treat.

Similarly to how the TV show Brooklyn Nine-Nine restructured the average police procedural, He’s to Die For felt like a true shakeup of the standard murder mystery novel. An NYPD detective who understands the social nuances of his title, gay characters that aren’t dramatically feminine or overly masculine, and real, honest dialogue that doesn’t feel forced – what a goldmine.

The last half of the book had me pulled between the heart-thumping murder mystery plot and the butterflies-in-your-stomach feeling of witnessing a new romance. I couldn’t get enough; I’m sincerely looking forward to seeing these characters again soon! - 4.75 stars

The Charm Offensive was mentioned in this book’s summary and that had me intrigued. If you liked that book, you’ll like this one.

It’s a cute, slow burn romance with murder mystery elements and is definitely worth the read.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a delightfully charming book and I was instantly hooked.

What’s not to love? Action, romance, mystery, and rock and roll.

I loved the banter between Rav and Jack and how quickly paced this was.

I read this in one sitting in an evening, I was so drawn into it. That’s doesn’t happen very often for me anymore!

All around, a fantastic debut from a new author and I look forward to future reads from her.

HE'S TO DIE FOR wasn't as romantic as I thought it would be but I'm a huge fan of mystery so I wasn't at all disappointed.

A New York City cop (Rav) who is looking to increase his worth, finally lands his first big murder case. The case involves the murder of a band's record producer he finally feels likes he's hit the big time. Problem is everyone the team interviews except the lead singer seems to have airtight alibis. When Rav meets the lead singer, Jack it's an instant attraction. But because Jack is a suspect, Rav has to keep a distance. Until another incident and the FBI takes the case. A lot of heartbreak and romance in the story. A surprising twist to who the murderer is.

This mystery was fine. The was some comedy and romance. The fit the blurb and was overall good. It did not suck me in where i couldnt put the book down but it was still good.

I’m a sucker for cop/dectective romances with a very unexpected twist. I will admit there were some things that left me wanting more and there were some areas that I felt dragged on. Overall I really loved Rav and Jack. They felt real or as real as a rockstar and homicide detective romance can get. I loved that their romance started off with attraction and went into such an intimate realm that wasn’t related to the hot and heavy. Don’t get me wrong sometimes that can be a fun route but I’m glad the author built intimacy first and let that build into such fine tuned and fleshed out characters. But the highlight of this book was the mystery and all the who dunnits! This was such a fun and wild mystery that it kept me on my toes and engaged through out. Wonderful read and I hope others find it as well.

I was excited for this book as it stated it was “ Brooklyn 99 meets The Charm Offensive”. However it fell short of my expectations. I felt the romance aspect of the book and the murder mystery aspect were competing against each other. Instead of the two melding together to make one cohesive romance murder mystery. I was expecting a “Castle” like story, where the celebrity gets matched with the police detective to slow a crime. However this lacked the “Castle” levity I was looking for. I did not see the twist coming however.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

He's to Die For was an unexpected surprise. I thought Erin Dunn did a fabulous job with all the characters. Giving each a diverse and detailed background. Rav and Jack had great chemistry and you can feel the tension that was building up between them. Although Jack remained the number suspect in the murder case Rav was assigned to, eventually they found their way to each other. This was a great read! I enjoyed spending time with the characters and my only complaint is that I wish the book was longer! Highly recommend.

Before I begin, I would like to thank Erin Dunn for allowing me to read a Net Galley copy of her upcoming book, He’s to Die For, which will be available on June 3rd, 2025.

Detective Rav Trivedi is the youngest person in NYPD’s homicide squad at 29 years old. He stands out in the department being gay, British, and talented at what he does, not including his great taste in designer suits and having an ivy league education. When his CO assigns him to solve the case of a high-profile record executive’s murder, he is determined to do his best and ignore any distractions from the press, TV crews, social media, and a handsome rock star with a strong motive and zero alibi. There’s no way Rav will screw up his chance to prove himself by falling for his first suspect. Right?

This book was wonderful. You have Rav Trivedi, a confident, hardworking, loyal, determined, handsome young man that likes solving cases and doesn’t know a lot of pop-cultural references. You have Jack Vale, a sweet, talented, reserved, and cute rockstar / songwriter that wants to keep a low-profile outside of music. The interactions between Rav and Jack were fantastic and sweet, and I loved watching them grow closer as the story progressed. The banter between Rav and his detective homicide partner, as well as Jack with his guard and band members were wonderful and made me root for them all. There were many moments and plot twists that had me gasping in surprise, and I rooted for Rav and Jack as they gained more confidence in themselves, abilities, and each other throughout the book. Overall, if you like murder mysteries, great banter, lovely found family, wonderful queer representation, well-written plot-twists, and sweet strangers-to-friends-to-lovers / rockstar x detective romance with quite a bit of spice, then I would highly recommend this book. Here’s the link with more information: He's to Die For: A Novel - Kindle edition by Dunn, Erin. Romance Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

This just wasn’t for me, but I thought it was a well-written book with good elements of romance and mystery! I had a hard time getting invested in both, but I think lots of people will enjoy this.