I can defintely see where the Brooklyn 99 and Charm Offensive comparison comes from (both being some of my all time favs) and while it was an overall enjoyable read, the romance/murder plot felt somewhat disjointed at times. Nontheless, both were good on their own and it was a quick and fun read. 3.5/5 Stars

This was a really enjoyable book, it was a great balance of romance and mystery. It wasn't perfect, but it got pretty close. I had my suspicions on who the true villain was, and worked it out by about half way through but there was still so much surrounding it that I hadn't guessed that it didn't bother me. It was nice to still be surprised at the reveal! The love story element was very sweet too, sometimes I did wish there was a bit more of it, more conversations etc so you could really feel the passage of time because it could at times feel rushed even though realistically weeks had passed. It didn't stop me from rooting for the two main characters though. Two polar opposites that just understood each other, and found what they needed in each other. It was really lovely. Definitely worth reading.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC

He’s To Die For was pitched as a read for Brooklyn 99 fans so of course I had to pick up this book and it delivered on all fronts!

As someone who likes mysteries in theory but still rather gravitates to romances instead, this was the perfect read for me as it combined a murder mystery with a cute queer romance.

Rav and Jack were both such sweet and loveable characters and I just loved following them and seeing how their relationship developed. I loved how posh and witty Rav was without being snobby and how caring and protective Jack was.

There were a few parts in the middle during which I didn’t really care about the murder mystery but overall I enjoyed that as well and had a fun time trying to guess who the murderer was.

All in all, I really enjoyed this debut, it was such a fun and engaging read, and I’m looking forward to more books from this author.

This was a fun read and I absolutely loved Rav's snarky banter! As an openly gay detetective for the NYPD he feels the need to prove himself capable and finds himself leading a very high profile case involving a very famous band. Feeling an attraction to Jack, one of the prime suspects, was never a good idea but Rav is drawn to him nonetheless. With a great cast of supporting chara caters, this is a great romantic mystery read as you're enjoying your summer.

Sadly, He's to Die For just didn't work for me, which is a same because i was looking forward to reading this, "Brooklyn 99 meets Charm Offensive" bascially screams this book is going t o be wonderful, and there was elements of these vibes in the story but nothing that could have saved it.

thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

Unfortunately, I got so busy over the last month that I only had time for audiobooks. I wish I could have gotten to it because I'm sure I would have loved it. I'll keep an eye out for it to buy the book or audiobook.

This was so much fun!
I wasn´t sure what to expect from this rom-com meets murder mystery, but it was so well done. Both genres got an equal amount of space in the plot and in the mind of our MC.
I loved the relationship and apprechiated that the problems it might evoke for Rav and his carrer weren´t swept under the rug but talked about.
I thought the mystery was well done and hooked me from beginning to end.

I did think that there were a LOT of pop culture mentions that will date this book very quickly and felt a bit much, espescially in the first half of the book. But it was also a fun nod at a certain pop star that just won majorly - a perfect time to read this book imo. :)

I loved exploring the mix of crime and romance with Rav, it's a fun read overall that has great twists, sizzling chemistry and mystery.

I absolutely loved this book! It was fun from start to finish. The main character Rav was just amazing. He is sassy, smart and just so much fun. I also liked how he was teased for being vain and having a big ego, but instead turning out to be proud of his work and being a really hard worker. Rav also being completely lost when it comes to contemporary pop culture was hilarious.

And Jack, the dreamy rockstar, as our main suspect and forbidden crush? Chef's kiss! The development of their relationship was perfectly balanced against the investigation of the murder. You could feel the tension from the first meeting but it never owerpowerd the actual plot, which I appreciated. The fact that more intimate parts of their relationship, when it did develop, was mostly off the page was also refreshing, as a lot of mm romance have a tendency to be extremely explicit. Which is fine, but it sometimes take away from the plot, which it did not do here.

I am usually pretty good at guessing who the actual murderer is in mystery books but this one had me stumped. I genuinly had no idea who the actual murderer was until Rav figured it out and it was a complete chock.

If you like mystery books but want them to be more lgbt+ then this is a must read. Even if you are just looking for a good mystery then this is a book you should read.

As much as I am a fan of the romcom (and I am a huge fan of the romcom), I am perhaps an even bigger fan of the action-romcom, the adventure-plus-romance story, the rom-thriller or rom-mystery. He's to Die For is by Erin Dunn is the melding of two worlds, on the one hand a boy-meets-rock-God romance story, on the other a twisty murder investigation: in short, exactly what I was hoping it would be.

Rav Trivedi is a homicide squad hotshot, he might be young, and maybe a touch arrogant, but there's no arguing with his results. When his LT gives him the opportunity to run a high-profile case Rav recognises the opportunity for the test that it is, succeed and he proves himself ready for bigger things, fail and the the mockery of his older, straighter colleagues will be the least of his problems. But Rav has a problem, the prime suspect is Jack Vale, front-man of The Nicks. Or, to be more precise, the enigmatic, drop-dead-gorgeous, utterly compelling, entirely his type, knee-buckling, pulse-accelerating smokeshow of a man whose blue-green eyes haunt Rav's every moment from the first time they meet. And to make matters worse, Jack isn't some uppity, fame-crazed celeb, he's... kind, funny, warm, soft spoken, a little fragile... he's a bloody poet, and Rav is utterly doomed. As the case twists and turns, both men must contend with what their feelings mean for their futures.

I struggled to find comparison titles for this, in places it reminded me of Boyfriend Material, or really any Alexis Hall contemporary romance, and at other times it was a more straightforward mystery novel, it also had flavours of Notting Hill, with it's celebrity angle, although I would say Dunn cuts down on the angst, and focuses on the intimacy, the friendship, at the heart of this story.

Enjoyable and romance forward, He's To Die For had a sprawling cast, and I occasionally got confused about who was speaking, and where we had met them before, in part because Dunn goes back and forth between surnames, first names, full names and nicknames for a lot of the characters. This, combined with various elements of Rav's investigation, and the time devoted to building the central romance, did leave me wondering if we would ever get to the end of the mystery, that being said, I remained engaged throughout! Dunn has a talent for intimate, emotionally charged scenes, and naturalistic humour, both of which serve the story well.

3.5 stars rounded up.

A deliciously addictive blend of murder mystery and romantic comedy, He's To Die For delivers all the wit, tension, and swoon-worthy chemistry promised by its Brooklyn 99 meets The Charm Offensive premise. Erin Dunn crafts a sparkling debut that’s equal parts thrilling and heart-warming, with a detective-suspect dynamic that crackles with forbidden attraction.

Detective Rav Trivedi is an instant standout hero—charming, ambitious, and refreshingly human. As a gay British-Indian outsider in the NYPD, he’s already fighting to prove himself when he’s handed a career-making case: the murder of a record executive. The prime suspect? A smouldering rock star with motive, opportunity, and the kind of magnetic presence that makes Rav’s professionalism waver. Dunn nails the enemies-to-lovers tension, balancing razor-sharp banter with genuine emotional stakes.

The murder mystery is tightly plotted, with enough twists to keep readers guessing, but it’s the romance that steals the show. The chemistry between Rav and the enigmatic musician is electric, their push-pull dynamic layered with vulnerability and wit. Dunn also deftly explores themes of identity, prejudice, and the pressure to conform, giving depth to what could have been a frothy rom-com.