How to Catch a Thief

Golden Sun Detective Agency #1

by Austin Moon

How to catch a thief in five days or less.

Noah Sun is desperately broke—his detective agency is on the verge of collapse after his fiancé and business partner abandoned him six months ago. So when Dean Prescott, charismatic millionaire playboy, hires Noah to recover a priceless antiquity that was stolen, it seems too good to be true.

What begins as a simple case of theft takes a turn for the worse when the pair discover a dead body at the socialite’s borrowed mansion. The two form an unlikely partnership to solve the case before his uncle comes back and discovers his home is a crime scene.

However, as the investigation progresses, the lines between professional and personal blur. Dean’s irresistible charm and the undeniable chemistry between them cause Noah to question his integrity—Dean is annoying and bratty, sure, but he makes Noah laugh in a way he hasn’t in a long time. The only problem is that his client is keeping secrets, secrets that might just derail the entire investigation.

Can Noah solve the case before Dean’s tangle of lies and his own feelings catch up to him?


How to Catch a Thief is an m/m cozy detective mystery that contains some cussing but no graphic violence or sexual content. The book also one grump, one sunshine, one sarcastic teenager, and a fluffy black labradoodle named Captain.

Genres: Mystery, M M Romance

298 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 16, 2025

About the author

Austin Moon writes swoon-worthy queer romances and twisty mysteries. When they’re not obsessing over their latest novel, they can be found crocheting, illustrating books, and cycling around their rainy little town in the PNW. Sip on a matcha latte and curl up with a good book during a thunderstorm for them, why don’t you?

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a new to me author who has managed to create likeable MCs and a great mystery to be solved. As well as having NO SEX, just a kiss and I have to tell you being able to get into a book without having endless, mindless sex is great.
I started out thinking Dean was something else but then I was persuaded that I was wrong, it did turn out I was right but it was a cleverly crafted story. I liked Noah as the private detective.
I am hoping this is the start of a series.

This is definitely one of my top 5 books so far this year

[Natalie H · Rating 3 out of 5]

September 2025
Kindle edition

Read for a group challenge otherwise not one that would've landed on the TBR. It was alright. Took a while to get going. Warner was useless and arrogant. Noah was dragged around by his client. Dean had this over confidence where you stop and blink, thinking are you supposed to be here. Best character was Lexi.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This was a delightful book with Noah and Dean as engaging main characters who complement, yet frustrate, each other in a non-sexual way, even though there is an underlying attraction between them. Side characters have their own individualities adding to the mix, creating an interesting core group to populate further Golden Sun Agency book offerings. I enjoyed Lexi, Noah’s tech-savvy and invaluable resource niece, and Felicity, Dean’s “partner in crime”, while Detective Warner was sufficiently annoying and abrasive. I especially enjoyed the connection between Dean and Noah and the way they played off each other, whether solving the crime or simply interacting with each other. You could feel a bit of underlying sexual tension in many of their interactions, although nothing really overt. I get the feeling more tension may evolve in future books, even though Noah wants a clear line between work and personal interactions, still a bit gun shy after a former breakup with a business partner/significant other.

The mystery was well done with red herrings and enough other things going on, I actually didn’t have the culprit on my radar, and I am often pretty good at picking out the perpetrator before the author’s “reveal”. The story kept my attention and interest, and my predictions were in full force — though not too accurate this time. The plot was well-developed and Noah’s steps were realistic and logical to me. I was involved in the action, and pleased with the solution, one I didn’t see coming in a couple of ways. Overall, an entertaining way to spend an afternoon and keep my mind active.

As an author new to me, I was totally engaged with the characters and plot, and will definitely look for other work from this writer. If you like mysteries, I would recommend this one as a lighter, not too dark or deep read, but one to keep the mind active.

I received an advance review copy from the author and this is my voluntary review.

[Lyndsay-ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

BookSiren Advanced Read

Started March 27th Finished April 24th

I enjoyed this. It had the feel of a cosy mystery, but without the cheesieness of one, while at the same time being a more serious story. The main character was an actual private detective and not the random nosy person who stumbled on a mystery they decided they were the only ones who could solve it.
I liked both characters, Noah and Dean. They were fun and personable and made me want to keep reading more. There was a hint of romance between them, and while I enjoy m/m romances, if it wasn't there you probably wouldn't have noticed it missing.
There was a few phrasing errors that were a little weird to read overall it was a great story. If this is the first in the series, I would definitely be interested in reading more, if not to find out where things go with Noah and Dean.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Maria E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Noah Sun is the owner of a detective agency, which is on the verge of going bankrupt if his luck doesn't change. That's when he gets a much-needed commission from Dean Prescott, a charming millionaire and con artist, to locate a priceless ancient artifact that was stolen from a mansion that he was looking after. During their investigation into the theft, they discover a dead body in the mansion and that's where the "fun" begins. Now the two of them have to solve not just the theft, but also the murder. And in the meantime, you soon realize that there is a relationship forming between Noah and Dean. I've read books by this author before, so I'm familiar with their style. Since this is Book 1, there is an implied promise that this book is part of a series. This book is a murder-mystery, and an MM romance, two of my favorite genres, so I will be looking for more books in this series.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is billed as an MM murder mystery.
I’ll start with the MM - there was kiss between the two MCs but no overt thoughts, actions or behaviour. It wasn’t relevant to the story.
This story focusses on the mystery. I liked the prologue which set the scene and the tone. It created a moment of seriousness and drama.
What follows is a joint effort between the client and detective to solve the mystery. They stumble across a few more mysteries before stumbling right into the guilty party. It ends in a showdown.
Despite the themes of grand theft, murder and explosions it’s very much a. Cozy crime with no explicit details or gore.
It was fun and has a few plot twists. All enough to keep the pages turning. I would read more in this series.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Noah Sun is the owner of the Golden Sun Detective agency. Dean is the con man who hires him to help him find a rare statue stolen from a house he was hired to look after while the owner is away. A few twists & turns as the two search for this statue. As the search goes on, what started as a working relationship just may turn into a HEA. Looking forward to some more capers from the Golden Sun Agency in the future. An enjoyable m/m cozy detective mystery that contained some cussing, no graphic violence or sexual content. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Lois - Who Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Noah’s life is not at the best place. His partner deserted him, his business is not attracting clients, his family is always comparing him to his perfect brother, and he lives in a tiny apartment above his business. All he has going for him now is Captain and Lexi, his dog and his niece. Then Dean walks into Noah’s office desperately in need of help to find a stolen statute. The banter between Noah and Dean is hysterical. Noah knows that he shouldn’t trust Dean, but Dean seems to know just the thing to say to get Noah back on his side. The mystery is an old school theft mystery. There are a limited number of suspects and everything is buttoned up by the end of the book. This was a fun read and I will be reading the next book.

[Tiffany (areyoutellingstories) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dean! What a character! This was such a fun cozy mystery! Dean and Noah are the perfect duo! Dean's antics provided delightful comedic relief. I look forward to more in this series. Thank you to the author and BookSirens for an ARC!

[DLB2572 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Mystery

This was much more of murder mystery story than MM one but it was interesting and entertaining to read. I really enjoyed the overall story.

I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion

[Amanda Reeves · Rating 4 out of 5]

How to Catch a Thief is the first book I have read by this author and I really enjoyed it. I do have to say, you need to go into it as a mystery book, not so much a romance. As a mystery this was a really good book and I would love to see more from this author.

[Austin Moon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hope you enjoy this first book in what I hope will be a long series :)

[Courtney Gittins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick, easy read that had likeable main characters with fun banter and good chemistry. The mystery was interesting and fast paced and kept me engaged. I am really keen to see how the story continues with the next books in the series.

I received an ARC copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.