3.5 star
I liked seeing the witty female in a funny murder mystery. This a cozy mystery you'll love to curl up and read.

The multiple POVs help add depth to the story. It gives us a fun and cute aspect but also so real life issues and struggles people may run into for us to relate.

There are some choppy moments and repetition but still overall an enjoyable read.

A mystery becomes cozy when it becomes entertaining as well as mysterious. This one is cozy from page 1. A new series that Olivia Blacke has given an unusual plot line while building a community and cast of characters that are a little on the unusual side too. When Ruby finds a deal on a rental apartment that is fully furnished.....like fully everything is furnished......she figures ther's a story but she's desperate and takes it. Cordelia, the former renter is now just former, but her ghost is sticking to the place she knows best. And so starts the story of unlikely roommates who team up to solve a neighbor's murder as they learn to share a space. It's going to be fun to see how Ruby and Cordelia use their new found friendship to keep their circle safe. Loved every page!!!

Ruby has had some spooky things happen to her since moving into her new apartment. She finds out that her neighbor, Jake, was recently killed in a mobbing. Along with that, she comes to find out that she is being “haunted” by the former tenant of the apartment Cordelia. After finding out she shouldn’t be spooked by Cordelia, Ruby find that she might be just the upper hand she needs to help find out what exactly happened to Jake. Will this duo be of great success in avenging Jake’s murder, or will the spooky vibes of being haunted in her apartment return!

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

Olivia Blacke’s “A New Lease on Death” is a darkly humorous supernatural mystery that introduces readers to an unconventional crime-solving duo. Set in a quirky Boston apartment, the story follows Ruby Young and her ghostly roommate, Cordelia Graves, as they navigate the challenges of city life and the afterlife.
The pacing is brisk, keeping readers engaged as Ruby and Cordelia form an unlikely partnership. The dynamic between the living and the dead adds a unique twist to the classic whodunit, making the investigation both entertaining and suspenseful.
Ruby and Cordelia are a fantastic duo. Ruby’s youthful energy and Cordelia’s old-world charm create a perfect balance. Their evolving friendship is heartwarming and adds depth to the narrative.
At its core, “A New Lease on Death” is about friendship and perseverance. It explores how two very different individuals can come together to overcome obstacles and seek justice.
It’s a perfect pick for a weekend read, offering a delightful escape into a world where the living and the dead must work together to uncover the truth.
I certainly hope there is a sequel!!!

I really enjoyed the entire concept of this mystery - a ghost and her “roommate” work together to solve the murder of a neighbour. Written with smart dialogue, A New Lease on Death has a great pace and interesting characters.

Ruby is heartbroken, moved to a new town, got a new apartment, trying to find a new job. She is hopeful, but also missing home. But what Ruby doesn’t know is that she moved into an apartment where a woman, Cordelia died, and to make matters even weirder, her ghost is around. I had this CRAZY feeling I was going to love this book, because the first chapter made me laugh so much, even though something tragic, and Cordelia was EVERYTHING. How are these two women going to communicate throughout the whole book??? And now Ruby has this itch to solve a case of a dead neighbor, but then again what REALLY happened to Cordelia??? This is labeled as book 1, I need Book 2 to launch TOMORROW! Because that ending gave me FUEL, I need more of Cordelia and Ruby.

The author did paranormal perfectly. She wrote the story as if ghosts were a natural thing, and it completely hooked me. The writing was strong, the plot was enjoyable, and the two leads, Ruby and Cordelia were so much fun and rather interesting, as they learned to co-exist with each other. Perfect ending as I was saying that myself, happy the author went there. This was a new author for me, and I’m a huge fan after finishing this book.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions expressed are
my own.

Happy Publication Day
We meet two roommates that meet under really different circumstances so when their neighbor end up dead they get together to solve the murder but the twist in this case is one of them is a ghost. The way they end up taking to each other is sometimes comical.
This is a cozy mystery with a paranormal twist that’s a perfect read for this time of year. Thank you @netgalley

The blurb for this one really pulled me in, but unfortunately it ended up not really being my cup of tea. The premise was interesting; a 20 year old Ruby moves into a new apartment that happens to be haunted by the previous occupant, Cordelia. When her neighbour is murdered and no one seems interested in investigating, Ruby and Cordelia team up to solve the mystery.

Unfortunately in execution this fell flat for me. It was marked as “darkly funny” but the joking parts were strained. Ruby also is very much the quirky “dream girl” character, described as cute and perky, always wearing cringey shirts with “funny” taglines. She also is very naive (which as a young woman living alone in a shady neighborhood of Boston… I’m not buying). Cordelia is snarky and judgemental, and while she warms up to Ruby by the end of the book it felt very offputting. The plot is slow moving, so without any connection to the main characters I wasn’t particularly invested in the story.

But just because it wasn’t for me, doesn’t mean it won’t be for you! It has an interesting premise and is evidentially set up to become an ongoing mystery series!

There’s a new paranormal cozy mystery series to watch out for! A New Lease on Death is a fun and kooky whodunnit that is an absolute delight to read! Cordelia, the resident ghost, and Ruby, a perky Gen-Z, formed an unlikely duo in solving their neighbor Jake’s murder. I always love reading about found family stories. What is unique in this series is that Ruby is unable to see or hear Cordelia’s ghost, hence communication is a real challenge! You have to read the book to find out how they managed to solve the murder mystery despite this issue! Thank you @Minotaur_Books for providing my ARC. It sure is the perfect fall read! I cannot wait for book 2 to come out!

I have been on a cozy murder mystery kick so when I saw this book I had to read it immediately.
I think the mystery aspect of the book was really well done and fully captivating. The stakes weren't too high of course but it was still and easy and exciting read. I really enjoyed reading about the relationship between Cordelia and Ruby as they work together and solve a murder of Rubys new next door neighbor.

Dark and quirky and an oddly funny supernatural story.
Perfect book for spooky season

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really struggled to get into this story. The premise was promising and the characters were interesting, but I really struggled with how the characters investigated the murder and skipped over plot holes. This one wasn’t for me,

New Lease On Death by Olivia Blacke is a fun and funny supernatural mystery.

Ruby just moved into a new apartment in a new city and is looking at a fresh start. However, she soon finds out her apartment isn't her own. She is sharing it with Cordelia, the previous tenant who is now a ghost.

Can this unlikely duo solve the apartment buildings murders?

A fun and enjoyable fall read for the last days of October

The ghost of a recently-departed 40-something woman inadvertantly teams up with the 20-something woman who took over her lease to investigate the murder of one of their neighbors… except they can’t really communicate across the lines of death very well? Sign me up. Cordelia died in her Boston apartment’s bathroom, supposedly committing suicide in her bathtub. Ruby is new to Boston and in need of a cheap furnished apartment - and it doesn’t get any cheaper than a dead woman’s apartment where she took her own life in the bathtub and left behind all her belongings. When her across-the-hall neighbor turns up with a bullet hole in his forehead in the early hours of a snowy Boston morning, Cordelia and Ruby somehow team up to investigate. Doesn’t matter that they can’t really communicate beyond the odd moving object. As Ruby digs further and further into both Cordelia’s and the neighbor’s past and what caused both of them to end up dead, Cordelia finds a new appreciation for her unwanted roommate. Despite their ability to communicate in a more traditional fashion, they find a way to make it work, especially once Ruby takes over Cordelia’s vacant job position. As they get closer and closer to finding the truth behind their neighbor’s death, they become closer friends too. And when the truth puts Ruby in danger, Cordelia is there to watch her back. A New Lease on Death is one of the most fun and interesting cozy mysteries I’ve read in awhile. The writing was sharp, and the characters of Ruby and Cordelia nuanced and well-written. The plot was unique, and the cliffhanger at the end ensures I read the next book!

Cordelia Graves is dead (have to love her name), has been for a little while when the story starts. She’s a ghost just trying to make her way in the afterlife. She’s still living in her old apartment (I guess technically she’s now haunting it) but when her next-door neighbor is killed in a ‘mugging’ things just don’t seem to add up to her. But being dead she can’t really go digging into his death. Not on her own anyway. That’s where her ‘roommate’ comes in. Ruby is a young woman who moved into Cordelia’s apartment, and instead of being scared when she discovers Cordelia, Ruby thinks its cool to have a ghost. And before you know it the two of them are digging into the their neighbor’s death. I really liked the characters and thought the story, while not perfect, was definitely fun. This is a promising start to a new cozy mystery series. I’d like to thank St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Olivia Blacke’s A New Lease on Death.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R2NQS8RIVWC23M/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

This is an interesting mystery. Ruby is young and moves away from home to live in an apartment where a woman committed suicide. She is loving the apartment, but she needs to get a job, or she will be out of the apartment. The woman, Cordelia, left behind everything so Ruby starts clearing out everything. When a man who lived across the hall was murdered, Ruby thinks she might have to find out why he died. The police don't seem interested. Ruby has a feeling that Cordelia might still be hanging around. Wouldn't that be cool? Ruby and Cordelia need to find a way to communicate. Cordelia helps Ruby find a job and is helping her investigate the neighbor's murder. Ruby finds out so much about Cordelia and she finds that the neighbor was a very likeable guy. So, who killed him? There are quite a few suspects, but they don't pan out. Could it really have been a mugging as the police say?

OMG this book has it all. It’s a funny who done it. A did she OD or did she have help. The cast of characters are hilarious and witty and kept me in stitches. I loved everything about this book and as a first time reader of Olivia Blacke I am hooked.

The idea behind this novel was so intriguing - a ghost shares her apartment with the new tenant, her "roommate", and together try to solve the mystery behind the death of another tenant in their building.

The story started strong, but as it progressed it felt there were a lot of description of events without any real developments. The eventual resolution felt very quick and anticlimactic and left me wanting much more.

Unique and humorous, this book was enjoyable overall but just felt lacking.

This was such a fun cozy mystery! The paranormal roommate was such a fun idea. This is perfect for Spooky Season without being super scary.

Olivia Blacke has been writing mysteries for a while. In A New Lease on Death, she begins a new series. I think that readers will enjoy this one and will be happy to know that more titles should be forthcoming.

The one who knows about a murder is Cordelia Graves (Graves!). The victim is Jake Macintyre. The problem is that Cordelia is herself deceased. She needs to find a way to be involved.

The solution? Involve Ruby Young (Yes, she is young). How well will these two work together? Will the killer be brought to justice? Readers will enjoy finding out.

This book is for those who like their traditional mysteries spiced with the supernatural. Perfect for an October release date.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press-Minotaur Books for this title. All opinions are my own.