This was a cute little mystery that is definitely in the cozy genre. The snarky commentary by Cordelia the ghost, who just doesn't understand Gen Z Ruby, and Ruby's hilarious thoughts about what a sad "old" woman Cordelia must have been was highly entertaining.

The mystery itself engaging and definitely set itself up for a sequel. However, the pacing was a bit slow at times and I occasionally found my attention wandering.

This one would be great for fans of paranormal and cozy mysteries!

Unfortunately I just couldn't get into this one. I struggle with supernatural themes and ghosts which made this less appealing to me. Overall it was a cute premise and the idea of it was fun and different. For those who can get past the ghost aspect, I think you will enjoy!

I will fully admit I went into this one hoping for a fun read that would keep me glued to the page and I'm so glad I grabbed it.

Ruby and Cordelia are, without a doubt, my new favorite crime-solving duo; while they may not be the traditional team, they're just perfection.

Reading this is, first and foremost, fun; I laughed and thought about what I'd do differently, tried to solve the crimes, and considered what I'd do if I were a ghost; all in all, this book had me completely immersed and longing for more.

I'm so mad at myself for taking so long to read this book, it's phenomenal, and I can't recommend it enough; if you're looking for a who dunnit mixed with friendships and the unpredictable, this is the book for you.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing a copy of this e-book; I have voluntarily read and reviewed it, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

A New Lease on Death is an unusual murder mystery. The story is told from the perspective of Cordelia's ghost and from the new resident of the apartment she died in, Ruby. When the tenant from the neighboring apartment is murdered, Ruby is shocked and somehow realizes that Cordelia can communicate with her despite being a ghost. They work together to uncover their neighbor's murder and realize that they need to investigate Cordelia's suspicious death as a murder, too. It's creative and a new take on the murder mystery.

*A New Lease on Death* by Olivia Blacke left me feeling underwhelmed. The premise—a cozy mystery involving a quirky cast of characters and a death tied to a real estate venture—had potential, but it just didn’t quite hit the mark. The pacing felt slow, and while the protagonist had promise, her development felt flat and the dialogue often lacked the sharpness I was hoping for. The mystery itself was predictable, with few twists to keep things exciting. Overall, it felt like it tried to be charming but fell short of being engaging or compelling. I wasn’t able to connect with the story, and by the end, I found myself not particularly invested in solving the mystery.

I told myself that I wouldn’t force myself to finish books, but here we are.

I don’t think I processed what was going on for most of the book. I felt like I was waiting for the actual mystery to start. I was bored and couldn’t focus on this book, but after seeing the many positive reviews, it’s clearly a me problem.

But I did enjoy listening to Cordelia. She has a fun and interesting narrative style that made her charming. Maybe she was the reason o stuck around.

Thank you, Netgalley and SMP, for the ARC!

I really tried to get into this story but it was just too slow for me. It also lacked the cozy murder mystery vibes I was looking for. Will try again in the future and see if maybe it was just right book wrong time.

A New Lease on Death by Olivia Black is a cozy mystery set in Boston. I enjoyed the quirkiness of the main character, Ruby, and how the author intertwined the storylines and multiple points of view.
cozy mystery isn’t my normal genre of choice, but I enjoyed reading this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy.
3 out of 5 stars.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

This mystery was unfortunately not a hit with me :(

Different murder mystery. I enjoyed Ruby and Cordelia. Wasn’t expecting the twist! Overall it was a pretty solid plot, I liked the lead into a sequel to. Clever.

the cover leaves something to be desired, but this was a fun and lighthearted mystery! i also liked the ghost element and thought it was fairly unique!

Review:

A New Lease on Death by Olivia Blacke
3⭐️

First ARC of the year! Thanks, @netgalley…even though this came out back in September.

You may life this if you like funny murder mysteries. If you’re just along for the ride.

This book was too long in my opinion. And it took the MCs way too long to come to conclusions. I did enjoy the ghost/living person dynamic and I liked that Cordelia had flash backs. I wish they were part of the murder they were trying to solve and not just random filler.

Overall, I think it needed some work but it was fun. It is a series so maybe after book two comes out book one won’t seem too long.

My uber short, hardly any details, spoiler free, quick summary:

Cordelia is a ghost hanging out in her apartment who enlists the new tenant , Ruby, to help solve the murder of their neighbor.

St. Martin's Press and NetGalley, you know my type of books. "A New Lease on Death" was an absolute treat to read. I put this in the category of a cozy mystery where it never felt TOO high stakes and had JUST enough humor and intrigue to keep me invested.
The unlikely duo of Ruby Young, unemployed free spirit, and Cordelia Graves, middle-aged ACTUAL spirit, was a beautiful combination that brought heart, humor, and teamwork to the forefront. Trying to solve the mystery of who killed Jake Macintyre, these two are able to work together in a refreshing new take on a typical murder-mystery.
The writing was sharp and the switch between POVs gave readers something to look forward to. The only reason I took away a star was because of an abrupt ending. While it is setting up the book for a sequel, I was hoping for more answers than ultimately were revealed. Guess I'll just have to read more!

I am giving this 2.5 stars rounded up - mostly because it had some entertaining moments. The premise gave me hope due to the supernatural aspect and the promise of a crime-solving cozy mystery. But this sadly didn't live up to my expectations.

The characters are well written, and yes this is cozy, but there just wasn't enough mystery. There was also too much repetition, almost every scene was the same: character goes to interview someone who just might know someone with some knowledge about the homicide and then is let down when they don't learn anything helpful. I also hoped for a big ending with a big twist and, even though it twisted a little, it was definitely not enough. I needed much more from the whole story. This is a series, so hopefully Blacke will get better by the next one when developing the story.

This is a new author for me, and this cozy mystery read was ok. It was an average book. Maybe this is not the type of book for me.

In A New Lease on Death, Olivia Blacke delivers a quirky, genre-blending mystery that combines ghostly intrigue with sharp humor and an unlikely friendship. Ruby Young’s less-than-perfect Boston apartment becomes the backdrop for a thrilling whodunit when her across-the-hall neighbor, Jake Macintyre, is killed in what seems like a mugging gone wrong. But when Ruby discovers her apartment already has a ghostly tenant—Cordelia Graves, the former occupant who met an untimely demise—things take an even stranger turn.

Cordelia, bored of her afterlife and determined to solve Jake’s murder, ropes Ruby into her amateur sleuthing. The contrast between Ruby’s chaotic, plant-killing, twenty-something energy and Cordelia’s sardonic ghostly wit provides much of the charm and humor as the two reluctantly team up to uncover secrets about Jake’s death—and each other.

The novel is packed with memorable twists, a richly atmospheric Boston setting, and a cast of colorful characters, both alive and spectral. Blacke’s writing shines in the dynamic between Ruby and Cordelia, whose unlikely friendship evolves in tandem with the unraveling mystery.

A New Lease on Death is a delightful mix of cozy mystery, supernatural fun, and heartwarming character development. Perfect for readers who love an offbeat detective duo and a ghostly twist, this book is an engaging and enjoyable ride that leaves you eager for more from Olivia Blacke’s creative imagination.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced copy to honestly review.

📖 Book Review 📖

📱🎧 "A New Lease on Death" by Olivia Blacke
Supernatural Mysteries #1

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
published October 29, 2024

A funny mystery where a ghost and the young girl who moves into her apartment solve the crime of who killed their pizza loving neighbor. Ruby Young's new Boston apartment comes fully furnished after the last tenant died in the bathtub. And yeah the apartment comes with a friendly ghost too. The story has some funny, cute moments, but it also has some real-life struggles. Overall, a charming, and entertaining mystery and a new cozy series on ghosts.

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I wanted to enjoy this, it seemed to be the perfect cozy mystery to read during spooky season but sadly it fell flat for me.

Ruby moves into a new apartment and quickly realizes it’s haunted because Ruby has been interacting with ghosts for as long as she can remember. Cordelia died in said apartment months ago from an apparent suicide and is now stuck haunting her old digs. When their neighbor Jake ends up shot and killed outside the building, Cordelia tasks Ruby with helping her solve his murder.

The relationship between Cordelia and Ruby was cute and the hijinks they managed while solving the murder were fun but I can’t say that this left an impact on me, I honestly don’t remember much of what happened weeks after reading it. Definitely for fans of other cozy mystery series like Finlay Donovan.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this; all opinions are my own.

“It’s okay for weird people to believe in ghosts, but if they tell people there’s a ghost living with them, then they’re not weird, they’re not eccentric, they’re crazy.”

Synopsis: A dead middle aged woman haunts her former apartment where a new young (19/20) female has moved into it (fully furnished). The across the hall neighbor is murdered and the two work together to solve the case.

Review: This was great! I listened to the audio and there were two narrators for Ruby (young FMC) & Cordelia (ghost FMC). The voices matched perfectly and so did the energy. The cozy mystery was just that. We went along and got to see into Cordelia’s life along with seeing Ruby trying to get her feet under her in this new place that she moved to. There was character development, funny moments, and a murder to be solved. I enjoy the way Cordelia and Ruby interacted and worked together.

This one ends with a statement that will lead directly into book 2.

Read if you like:
😜 Quirky female main characters (FMCs)
🧩 Mysteries to be solved
🕵️‍♀️ Sleuthing
👻 Interactions with ghosts! (The not scary kind)

Audiobook length: 9.5 hours
Narrators: Stefanie Kay & Petrea Burchard

Thank you to NetGalley & Minotaur Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A New Lease on Death is the first book in the new “Supernatural Mysteries” by Olivia Blacke. I grabbed this one on audio, and it is an entertaining listen I did not want to put down.

When 20-year-old Ruby Young sees an ad for a fully furnished apartment to rent, she jumps at the chance. She’s ready to move to Boston and away from past events. She needs a fresh start. The apartment might not be in the best area, but it truly is fully furnished – it even includes clothes and books, and oh, by the way, also the ghost of Cordelia Graves, former resident of the apartment.

Cordelia thinks Ruby is young and perky (two words Cordelia would not use to describe herself), and she wishes Ruby would stop killing all her house plants. But Cordelia is bored stuck in the apartment. That is until her across-the-hall neighbor, Jake Macintyre, is shot and killed in an apparent mugging gone wrong outside their building. Cordelia is convinced there’s more to it and is determined to bring his killer to justice. To do so she must enlist Ruby’s help.

This is such a clever and creative start to a new mystery series. So many details are well-thought out from the complicated mystery the two must unravel, to the creative way Ruby and Cordelia find to communicate with each other. There are silly parts and slightly darker parts that make this such a unique entry into the cozy mystery genre.

The contrast between Cordelia and Ruby is delightful and watching them become friends despite some pretty big differences added so much to my reading experience. They are the true odd couple. I love how bubbly (and a little bumbling) Ruby is in comparison to Cordelia. The dialogue is spot on and had me chuckling to myself.

I could easily picture every detail of the apartment and the cold Boston area. I especially enjoyed time in Cordelia’s apartment – each little discovery Ruby makes helps to reveal part of the more reserved Cordelia.

The two new friends will wrap up the central mystery of Jake’s death, but the book ends on a spectacular cliffhanger that had my mouth hanging open. Now we must wait until book 2 arrives – the struggle of readers everywhere!