He's To Die For

He's To Die For has an interesting plot that's a blend of LGBTQIA2S+ romance and mystery and has some good banter but as much as I tried, I never felt invested in this story. 

Touted in the blurb as "Brooklyn 99 meets The Charm Offensive", it felt like this book was trying to do too much and didn't quite succeed leaving me wanting more romance, mystery and humour. 

The mystery dominated the story and felt convoluted with too many characters and way too many pop culture references (many of which I didn't get). The romance between Jack, the hot rockstar and Rav, the British police detective was sweet (with a sprinkle of spice) and an InstaLove feel. But we only get Rav's POV, and the story is told with a 'tell instead of show' vibe and a lot of dialogue which slowed the pacing.

Rav and Jack were a cute couple but when two of the tertiary characters (Rav's BFF and the sassy hacker) make more of an impression, you know it's not going to be a book or couple that will stick with you. 

I expected to love this book, but this was a miss for me, and I don't think the blurb did this book any favours with its comparison to Brooklyn 99 or The Charm Offensive. Please know I'm in the vast minority with my feelings for this book. If you enjoy mystery, lots of pop culture references and a sweet with a little heat romance, pick this book up! It's in stores now.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Minotaur Books for the complimentary digital copy of this book which was given in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 2.5 stars

Author: Erin Dunn

Genre: Romance, Mystery, LGBTQ+

Type and Source: ebook from publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Minotaur Books (SMP)

First Published: June 3, 2025

Read: May 25-30, 2025

Book Description from GoodReads: Brooklyn 99 meets The Charm Offensive in this sparkling romantic murder it's murder cute in the first degree when a detective finds himself falling for the lead suspect in a career-making case.

At 29, Detective Rav Trivedi is the youngest member of the NYPD’s homicide squad, and his future looks bright. He may be a bit of an outsider in the department—an ivy-league educated gay Brit with a weakness for designer suits—but his meteoric rise and solve rate prove he belongs.

So when his CO assigns him lead on the high-profile murder of a record executive, Rav is ready for action. He won’t be distracted by TV crews, tabloids, or what’s trending on social media, nor by the ridiculously hot rock star with a clear motive and no alibi.

This is it, his shot, and he is not going to screw it up—certainly not by falling in love with his number one suspect…