charmettebooks 's review for:

He's to Die For by Erin Dunn

4.0

adventurous emotional funny fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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He’s To Die For is my first read by Erin Dunn, and I loved the romance/mystery blend of this novel. It’s difficult to blend any two genres, but both the romance and the mystery were well-developed, evenly paced and compelling. I was drawn into the mystery in particular and finished the book very quickly. The story has many twists and turns which made it nearly impossible for me to put down.

Rav is a queer British NYPD detective whose first case is investigating the homicide of a music industry executive. Things get interesting when one of the potential suspects is a hot musician, Jack Vale, who Rav is immediately attracted to. The case has many ups and downs, and the Rav’s partner and other officers he works with are funny and have good banter. 

When Jack is cleared as a suspect, he and Rav start texting and end up spending the night together after a stalker attempts to shoot Jack. They have great chemistry and many deep conversations that lead to both developing feelings for each other. The situation takes a dramatic turn when Jack once again becomes the lead suspect in the murder, and Rav is suspended from his job. Rav works tirelessly to solve the crime with the help of his partner and a quirky hacker.

Rav has a great sense of humor and his POV is snarky and fun. I would have loved to have a dual POV narration here with Jack. That would have really strengthened the romance to know more about what Jack was thinking. Both characters seem to be falling in love, but Jack was sometimes distant and it wasn’t clear that they both felt the same way. 

This story had many funny and great characters. The plot and mystery were complicated and really held my interest. I really felt the attraction and connection between the two main characters and was cheering for them throughout the story. This was a great read and debut novel.

Thank you to Erin Dunn, Minotaur Books, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.