He’s to Die For is a swoon worthy, crime packed love story between a British NYPD cop and his suspect, a broody rock star.

Erin Dunn knocked this out of the park - I couldn’t finish this book quick enough. I absolutely love the tv show Brooklyn 99 - and this story matched that vibe while also giving me Taylor Swift vibes (see song Peace). I am OBSESSED with these characters - from the snobby but lovable Rav, to his quirky hacker friend, to the sexy rock star Jack, everyone has an incredible character arc that leads you rooting for them and finding them incredibly reel and deep. I love that Erin uses Jack’s anxiety as a great example of how strength can be seen in those perceived as weak, and how Rav is able to care for him.

This story does an incredible job of weaving a romance into a well written, engaging crime plot - and I did not see the big reveal coming! SO GOOD.

The audiobook is absolutely impeccable - with the narrator being so easy to understand and listen to, and their delivery being completely on point with inflection, tone, and cadence. You can even listen at high speeds and not lose any of the nuance of the narration.

I cannot wait to see what Erin comes up with next - selfishly, I’m hoping we see Rav and Jack again soon.

He’s to Die For by Erin Dunn is such a fun and entertaining read! I loved the blend of a thrilling cop storyline with a swoon-worthy rockstar romance—it made for such a unique and exciting combo. The LGBTQ+ representation felt natural and refreshing, and the characters were absolutely fantastic. Their chemistry, banter, and emotional depth pulled me in right away. This book didn’t take itself too seriously, which made it an absolute joy to read. If you’re looking for something romantic, fast-paced, and just plain fun, this one’s definitely worth picking up!

I haven’t read nearly enough romantic mysteries, and the ones I have read are usually historical. But there have been some exciting contemporary romantic mysteries lately, including He’s to Die For by Erin Dunn. It just came out earlier this week and I loved it!

What I Liked:
- Music-industry mystery. If you’ve read many of my reviews, you’ll anticipate what I’m about to say again: I love books about music! Here, the mystery revolves around a vicious label executive who was murdered hours before signing away the rights of a popular band’s entire music catalogue. This guy had plenty of enemies, but chief among them may have been the New Knickerbockers, especially their lead singer, Jack. The music industry can be a sleazy place, and this mystery really leans into the worst sides of it.
- The pop punk emo band, the New Knickerbockers! Rav apparently doesn’t know anything about modern music, and certainly not about this entire genre of music. So despite how popular this band is, Rav has never heard of them. I loved how his feelings for Jack started to flourish when Rav started listening to his band’s songs. Cute!
- Combating stereotypes in their respective careers. Police don’t have the greatest reputation, and Rav—a gay man of color—feels like he must prove that he’s more than a DEI hire. (Ugh, that feels so loaded right now. DEI is a *good* thing; we should keep it; that is all.) Rav isn’t your typical macho cop; he’s pushing the boundaries of what law enforcement can look like. Similarly, Jack isn’t the kind of rock star who’s all ego and attitude. Quite the contrary, he’s a sensitive introvert.
- And their little off-limits romance! I love how both Rav and Jack are so unalike, and so different from the stereotypes, yet they balance each other out perfectly. Of course, it’s not exactly recommend to fall for your #1 suspect in a murder case… but that’s neither here nor there. Love knows no bounds!

What Didn’t Work for Me:
- The mystery ended up being a bit convoluted. Complex mysteries are fun to read about, but some aspects of this felt a bit too far afield.

Audiobook:
Sid Sagar does an excellent job narrating He’s to Die For. He captures Rav’s whole personality, from his slightly snobby (and very proper) Oxford accent to his uneasy romantic feelings for Jack. His humor, wit, and class all came through perfectly.

Final Thoughts
He’s to Die For is such a fun read that’s equal parts mystery and contemporary romance. Rav is a character full of personality, so he made an engaging POV (third person) to follow throughout the novel. It tackles family dynamics, grief over a previous loss, career struggles, and the darker side of celebrity, but the story is infused with a lightness and quickness that holds readers’ attention. I look forward to reading more from Erin Dunn.

Thanks to netgalley for the audiobook to review!

Narrator Sid Sagar is lovely!

This was a 3.5 star read for me, mainly because what sold me on choosing this book was the comparison to The Charm Offensive (that I love so so much). However, where the Charm Offensive is solidly a romance with the plot coming second, He's to Die For is more of a mystery with some romance. Don't get me wrong, both have some good fluffy romantic moments, but Dunn's book seemed more focused on the murder mystery. Part of what contributes to that vibe is that He's to Die For is solely from Rav's perspective and since Jack is a suspect as well as a love interest, I felt a lil suspicious of him and had a more difficult time connecting.

On a personal note, besides the fact that Rav comes from a very privileged upbringing (so many designer clothes mentioned), I found it difficult to want to connect with him as a cop. A lot of the "copaganda" feels cliche and I found myself wondering why I wanted to read about a cop at this point in world events.

All in all, solid romantic mystery.

loved loved loved this audiobook!

this felt like the perfect start to pride month and I loved every second of it.

The story was great and highly recommend!

This was fun and enjoyable to listen to :)

A rockstar who is suspected as a murderer. A Detective who breaks all the rules and falls in love with the suspect. YES I was hooked from start to finish with twists and turns that kept me on the edge and needing to find out more.

Great performance by Sid Sagar!

I saw the B99 comparison and said - I need this. This book was a delight. Rav Trivedi is a young detective who is eager to prove himself. It’s too bad that rock star, Jack Vale, is a murder suspect when they first meet. These two couldn’t be more different. We have a posh detective with a soft spot for designer suits. And then there’s the sensitive rock star, who was ill prepared for his rise to fame. Despite their unconventional meeting, these two cannot deny their connection. I loved watching these two connect despite the actual murder mystery going on. The police work doesn’t take a back seat to the romance, it’s an equal story line. This book really worked for me. I enjoyed the characters, the romance, and the mystery. I hope we get more in this world- there’s side characters I’d love to learn more about!

🎧The audiobook was a wonderful experience. I loved Sid Sagar’s accent and found he really brought Rav to life. I enjoyed hearing our posh, and occasionally overdramatic, detective solving this mystery. There are a lot of character names, but I found it easy to keep track since I read along with my audio.

4.5⭐️ Thank you to Macmillan Audio for my alc.

Sid Sagar delivers a fun and emotional performance that keeps the listener fully engaged in this murder mystery romance. His English accent was pleasant to listen to and not so thick that it was difficult to understand. Sid also brings lots of heart to his narration as well and was a perfect match for Rav’s character. I very much enjoyed this audiobook!

I really wanted to love this one, but for me, it fell a bit flat. I think it needed to lean more into the romance or into the mystery, but in spreading between the genres, it didn't have as much excitement as I would have liked. There was something about the narration that also did not draw me in as many other narrators do. It was a fine read overall.

Detective Rav Trivedi is a refreshing and magnetic lead—sharp, ambitious, and unapologetically stylish. This murder mystery blends classic procedural with modern flair, adding a dose of slow-burn romance that complicates all the right things.

The high-profile case is compelling, the dialogue crisp, and the chemistry between Rav and his prime suspect crackles with tension. A few plot points stretch plausibility, but the character work and sleek pacing more than make up for it.

A fun, fast, and fabulously queer twist on the classic detective story.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this early

I thought He's to Die For was a cute and fun read overall. The narrator's voice really stood out to me—witty, engaging, and easy to root for. Their personality brought a lot of charm to the story and kept me turning the pages.

That said, I did find a couple of things a bit hard to connect with. The romance, while sweet in moments, felt like it came on a little suddenly. I would have loved to see more buildup or emotional groundwork between the characters to make it feel more natural and believable.

As for the mystery, I enjoyed the premise but found myself struggling to follow all the twists and turns. It wasn’t always clear how things were connecting, which made it hard to feel fully invested in the unraveling of the case.

Still, the cozy tone and the narrator’s personality made it a pleasant ride, even if some parts left me a little puzzled. I'd recommend it to readers looking for a light, voice-driven mystery with a splash of romance—just don’t go in expecting a tightly woven whodunit.

🚔🚧🎶🚨🎫

This was WIIILD! A rich bougie gay cop falling in love with a hot murder suspect who turns out to also be a famous rockstar?? What could POSSIBLY go wrong? 👀

I looooove murder mysteries and queer love stories, so this was the perfect storm for me! The mystery portion of the plot kept me guessing up until the end - it was soooo messy and I kept thinking the case was solved until it wasn’t - and the romance was TOP TIER I loved Rav and Jack sm 🥹🥹

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!! 🫶🏼

😍😍 I saw Brooklyn 99 meets The Charm Offensive and immediately was intrigued!
This was a funny and cute read. I loved Rav so much. Jack was such a cutie. I felt so bad for him dealing with all the things he had going on. The romance in this is so stinkin cute! The banter and flirting had me kicking my feet. So cute!
For me, this romance felt more realistic and developed than a lot of other romance books…. for a cop and celeb mixed in a murder mystery anyways 😅
The mystery plot line was also interesting. Overall, such a fun book with great pacing and great characters! I would love if some of the side character got their own story, in particular Rav’s partner, Will!
🎧
I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed it! I believe it was my first time hearing the narrator, Sid Sagar, but I really enjoyed how he brought Rav to life. I think I loved Rav even more because of the narration. Def recommend!

Audiobook Review - This book is absolutely charming. From the get-go I enjoyed Rav as a narrator. A British detective in the NYPD? Tell me more! Haha. He's absolutely charming and watching him bend his uptight rules as he gets in deeper and deeper with the sexy rock star bicon, Jack, was a delight.

I wish I had more interesting things to say than "READ THIS BOOK!!!" but that's all I've got! The characters are magnificent and I figured out half of the mystery, but was still surprised by the twist.

A good mystery, sexy romance, and full of lovable characters.

How fun was this a romance and mystery mashup. I loved that one of the leads was a detective who was trying hard to follow his instincts and the law. But his heart got in the way. Swoon. I’m a sucker for any sort of normal person/celebrity romance, and I thought this was a really fun take on this genre mashup. I don't know that I've ever read a detective/musician, and it was lots of fun! The mystery was well thought out and the pacing was great. The romance developed organically and it hit some bumps that were all perfectly timed in the plot. I love the narrator, Sid Sagar, here because he captured both leads so well. The tone of the main character was so rich here and made him easily distinct.

This was super fun and had me trying to figure out the mystery along with them. It gave off the vibes of RWARB with the contrasting worlds they live in but with the good pining. I definitely think if you're looking for a new gay romcom with a side of mystery/thriller in the mix, you'll enjoy this. I really liked the reevaluating their careers and life goals because it was very relatable especially in terms of their feelings for each other but not just unrealistically going "LOVE IS THE ANSWER" but actually using some braincells to go, okay so I like you a lot but also this is jeopardizing your privacy/job etc. So it was very well done in that sense.

A police detective falls for a suspect, the suspect is the lead singer for one of the most popular bands in the world. Rav is a NYPD detective The on page chemistry is great, the banter between Rav and his police partner is spot on. Rav is a witty and charming main character. The spice is minimal, the murder mystery flows well. Nicely paced and engaging.

I was surprised to find that He's to Die For is a debut!

The book is funny, especially in its descriptions of Rav's personality—he's what some might call . . . fussy. Some might, more graciously, call him particular. Regardless, Rav is appealing and human. I enjoyed his inner monologue. The book is also sweet and sexy. The first kiss (and more) doesn't come until around the 35% mark, so it's neither quite instalove nor a slow burn. My favorite supporting character is absolutely Aisha Khan—Rav's cybersecurity expert (hacker). I'm not convinced that readers are fed enough information to support the conclusion. Still, I'm open to reading more of Dunn's work in the future.

Content warnings include murder, explicit sex, emotionally neglectful and manipulative parents, and substance abuse.

Sid Sagar is a new-to-me narrator. I enjoyed both his British and American English voices.

3.5⭐

*Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillian audio for early copy for review*

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator Sid Sagar did a fantastic with character voices in this. Our main character Rav, is British Indian, similar to the narrator so you got a genuine British accent for him. The rest of the character are American and he did a great job at differentiating the voices.

The story was really good with Rav focusing so much on his job, being a young gay detective, than his personal life. When he meets and connects with Jack, a rock star he has to question about the death of another man, he feels drawn to him. I loved the banter between the two and the excuses to meet each other. While they fall for each other Rav still focuses on the mystery thats bigger than he first thought.

If you enjoy police procedurals that are filled with drama from the detectives and queer love stories you should check this out. I had a great time listening to it.

Erin Dunn’s debut novel, He's to Die For, is a delightful blend of romantic comedy and murder mystery that offers an engaging, character-driven narrative. Set against the vibrant backdrop of New York City, the story introduces readers to Detective Rav Trivedi, a sharply dressed, Ivy League-educated Brit navigating the complexities of the NYPD. When he's assigned to investigate the high-profile murder of a record executive, Rav finds himself entangled with Jack Vale, the charismatic lead singer of a popular rock band and the prime suspect in the case.

What Works:

Dunn skillfully balances humor and suspense, creating a narrative that is both entertaining and emotionally resonant. The chemistry between Rav and Jack is palpable, with their interactions providing both tension and tenderness. Rav's internal struggles—balancing his professional responsibilities with personal feelings—add depth to his character and drive the story forward. The supporting cast, including Rav's colleagues and Jack's bandmates, enrich the narrative, offering additional layers of intrigue and warmth.

What Falls Short:

While the novel's length allows for detailed character development, it occasionally leads to pacing issues. Some readers may find that the central mystery becomes overshadowed by the romantic subplot, with the investigation taking a backseat at times. This shift in focus might disappoint those seeking a more traditional whodunit experience.

Final Verdict:

He's to Die For is a charming and witty debut that successfully merges elements of romance and mystery. Despite its occasional pacing issues and the mystery sometimes being eclipsed by the romance, the novel offers a satisfying read for fans of character-driven stories with a touch of suspense.