This was a light cozy read with some humor. It took me a long time to get into it, even though it seemed like it would be interesting enough. I think this is just not my type of book, so it took me longer to adjust. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to finish it in time.

There were some inconsistencies with what could/could not be done and that tripped me up a little bit.

I think people who love cozy mysteries will love this. It just wasn’t the right book for me.

A New Lease on Death is a cozy, who dunnit mystery with paranormal sprinklings. I found the characters, Cordelia and Ruby, and their quirky friendship to be endearing. Olivia Blacke definitely has an interesting take on ghost life (the capabilities, debilitating thoughts, and ins and outs of such!) It weirdly reminded me of the show, Drop Dead Diva, which I loved, so in a way, this story was nostalgic. The cliffhanger pretty much means you have to read the next book in the series, but it also means that you don't get to end the book with that feel good completion and satisfaction of a complete story. It was a nice blend of mystery and feel good, although the ending was a bit rushed. Thank you to #NetGalley and #MinotaurBooks from #StMartin'sPress for this ARC

This one was interesting!! I loved the idea of having a friendly ghost to be around so you’re never alone. Ruby definitely needed the companionship and it helped Cordelia also feel less alone in the afterlife!

I liked the murder mystery mixed in as well. I didn’t really know where it was going which was a good sign!

Overall it was a fun (not the murder part) quick one for me! Perfect for spooky season. And I’m obsessed with the cover!!

Cordelia is a ghost who has recently revealed her existence to the girl who took over her apartment, Ruby. While Cordelia has to communicate in unique ways since she can’t be seen, both Cordelia & Ruby are concerned about the recent murder of their neighbor, Jake. The two women team up to solve the crime.

I was interested in this book because it is set in Boston. However, this book could really be set anywhere, there was nothing particularly Bostonian about it. I thought it was a cozy and cute read. It was easy and non-stressful. Thought the book could be a little more engaging, but the writing was good. The novel ends on an open note for a second book

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for a copy of this ARC.

Ruby managed to find a new apartment in Boston, fully furnished AND it comes with the previous tenant! But don’t worry, she’s not around much… well atleast you can’t see her. Cordelia is a ghost 👻

Now, Jake the across the hall neighbor, has been found shot outside the apartment building! Cordelia tries to help him and learn what happened but he moves on, leaving her to figure things out.

But how will Cordelia solve the mystery, she’s unalive?!? Maybe Cordelia’s new roommate is good for something after all!

Get ready to find out if Cordelia and Ruby are able to find out what happened to Jake!

This unlikely pair are fun and you never know what Ruby is going to get herself in to. It’s like Cordelia got a sister she never wanted but the more time they didn’t together the more she grows to love her!

This a a lighter side, paranormal ish read with a murder mystery to solve! I’m definitely interested in this being Supernatural Mysteries book #1- I’m excited to see what the rest of the series is like! What really happened to Cordelia and I’d love to meet some more helpful ghosts!

The cast of characters kept me entertained and you find yourself reading because you want to know more, now!


Thank you to the author, Olivia Blacke and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read to this book. I received an epub for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A New Lease on Death offers a cozy, cute mystery story with a quirky group of characters. The main character, Cordelia is a ghost, who believes she died due to an overdose. Cordelia is stuck hanging (haunting) around her old apartment when Ruby, a new tenant moves in. Ruby suddenly realizes that she isn’t alone in her new apartment. Ruby ends up working and figuring out how to communicate with Cordelia to solve the murder of their neighbor, Jake.

I loved that this book had alternating POVs between Cordelia and Ruby. It was a fun fall read but it just wasn’t super memorable for me. I will likely check out the second book in the series though!

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the e-ARC.

This book was a fun cozy mystery mixed with paranormal--perfect for October! One of the two main characters is a ghost, and the other is the woman who moved into the ghost's apartment after her death. They team up to solve the murder of another tenant in their apartment building. There's a lot of dark humor that was right up my alley.

It ends on a huge cliffhanger (not my favorite) but it certainly succeeded in making me interested in reading Book 2.

[3.5 stars]

Cordelia Graves and Ruby Young aren't your typical Boston roommates. That's because Cordelia is a ghost. Cordelia died in her bathroom months ago but continues "living" in her apartment (because where else would she go?!). When Jake Macintyre, the neighbor across the hallway, dies unexpectedly, Cordelia is the first to welcome him to the land of the unloving. However, Jake is a little too overzealous, and...well, he isn't a ghost anymore. Now that Jake is really gone, Cordelia doesn't think his death was an accident. Ruby is the only hope of solving this mystery - primarily because she is the only one living who can talk to people. As the pair starts to uncover secrets - their own, their neighbors, and related individuals - they form an unlikely friendship. Will this unlikely duo uncover the truth? Will there be justice for Jake? More importantly, will there be rest for Cordelia?

This was a super cute and fun read! As someone who lives in New England, it's nice to have a cozy mystery set in a city close to mine. My one grief with the book was the cliffhanger it ended on. Naturally, this sets us up for a sequel, but I really wanted to know what was going to happen! Some parts do feel a bit rushed and some of the characters are surface-level, but overall, it's a nice cozy mystery for fall (or any time of the year). I will definitely be checking out more of Olivia Blacke's work!

I love a good cozy murder mystery! This one will have you laughing and sleuthing. So happy this is to be a new series!
Cordelia is a ghost. She killed herself (or did she?) in her own bathroom by overdosing on alcohol and pills. Her landlord didn't even clean out her stuff before renting her apartment to someone new. Ruby is an unemployed, eclectic young woman who soon realizes she is not alone. Cordelia has never left the apartment. So when Jake, a next door neighbor, inexplicably dies by a gunshot wound on the street in front of their building, Cordelia and Ruby team up to solve a murder.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this e-arc.*

A new Lease on Death was a fun, quirky and interesting take on a ghostly/paranormal mystery. I requested this from the publisher mostly because I love reading stories that take place is Boston that is not more than 40 minutes from me.
Ruby Young is a cute but young and often annoying in her own sort of ways throughout the story that kept the story moving in this dual POV where the other POV is her "roommate" Cordelia Graves who tragical died in the apartment that Ruby moved into. I found the way Olivia Blacke took on how the paranormal interact with the world around us, interesting and often came at a price of the story that created some lulled because the two MCs weren't able to work together cohesively.


Overall I would recommend this story to anyone who is looking for a nice, semi-cozy mystery that does end on a cliffhanger.

The premise of this paranormal cozy mystery drew me in. Ghostly Cordelia haunts the apartment she died in, and once they find a way to communicate partially, she and the new tenant, Ruby, team up to solve the suspicious death of a neighbor. What follows is a humorous whodunnit and promising start to a new series.

As this book introduces Cordelia and Ruby and their surroundings, there is a fair amount of world-building, and it is well done. I could visualize the apartment Cordelia and Ruby "share" and the surrounding neighborhood. Both FMCs are flawed, with compelling backstories and real-life problems. Ruby is not afraid of Cordelia, in fact, she relishes having a ghost for a roommate, and their friendship becomes endearing. Neither of them had any experience as a sleuth, and there is trial and error on several fronts, especially as the two have a communication barrier. This leads to some interesting attempts to find ways to talk, but Cordelia's ghostly energy and electronics do not mix. This barrier sets up some scenarios that add to the danger, mild suspense, and comedy.
The mystery is interesting and well-plotted, and I did not guess who the culprit was. Told in dual POV, there is a bit of repetition, which might be resolved in future books if the women can find a more reliable means of communication. I enjoyed how quirky this was, and since it ended on a cliffhanger, I can't wait how that plays out in future installments. The setup is there for an intriguing overarching mystery that carries across the series. This light read is a good choice for those looking for a spooky season read with ghostly vibes that trend more fun than scary.

Thank you to MInotaur Books and Netgalley for the gifted review copy!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was thrilled by the plot, but maybe a little too excited... which unfortunately didn’t end well. The book is slow, like really slow. A lot of times, repeating the same information irritated me. I also felt more time spend on insignificant details. And the climax was the worst— it was not predictable but could have been better (in my opinion). I liked the writing, it was fun to read, just that I had high expectations.

Cordelia Graves, a ghost herself, was kind when her next-door neighbour ended up dead and became a ghost; she tried her best to guide him through the afterlife but failed. The thing is, if you don't believe in the existence of ghosts, you can't be one. Jake was a nice guy, and she knew it was not a mugging gone wrong, but what could she do? Well, you need a human to investigate a murder— in comes Ruby, the young new resident of Cordelia's apartment. Either she has to woo her out or befriend her to find Jake's murderer.

Im so excited for a new new mystery series by Blacke.
A New Lease on Death is book one in the Supernatural Mysteries series by Olivia Blacke.
This was a super fun supernatural mystery.
A fun mystery that had me guessing along! A fantastic cozy read! I enjoyed the storyline and the mystery.

Thank You NetGalley and Minotaur Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

3.75 ⭐️ I had a great time reading this book and I really enjoyed the humor. However, It just felt very rushed at the end and not finished. (I know it ends on a cliffhanger) I felt there was something missing. It just seemed very easy & predictable and surface level. I didn’t feel super hooked to any of the characters and was hoping to get some more aspect on Cordelia as a ghost. I wanted more of her ghostly things. She seemed to discover something and move on. I wanted to know more about it. Overall, a cute read but really missing a lot for me.

3.75 stars.

This is a cute cozy mystery, the first in a planned series. It has a unique premise with a young woman teaming up with a middle-aged ghost to solve a murder. It’s written in an easy to read style.

A pleasant read but at times I found it slow and I wasn’t really invested in the characters.. For me, this one did not stand out in a clear way in the crowded cozy mystery space.

Thanks to the publisher for this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the digital ARC of ”A New Lease on Death” in exchange for my honest opinion. This was an entertaining read and I liked the unique perspective of a ghost helping to solve a murder. The story moved at a good pace, I enjoyed the cast of characters, and there was a good amount of humor mixed in as well. I would definitely read more books in this series as it ended with a nice segue into the next book.

This was an enjoyable read - the first of what I hope is a long series.

Cordelia Graves is still living in her Boston apartment despite the fact that she died several months ago. The apartment's new tenant, Ruby Young, is getting used to the fact that the apartment ghost is clearing moving things around.

When neighbor Jake McIntyre is murdered outside the building one night, Cordelia enlists Ruby's help to figure out who did the crime.

This was funny and entertaining, as the pair figure out a way to communicate, and try to understand why Cordelia disappears from time to time.

We also get to root for Ruby, newly transplanted in Boston, and in need of a job, and a friend and a steady way of life.

I found the characters fun, and I look forward to reading more of these in the future.

Thank you Netgalley & St’. Martins Press /Minotaur Books foe an eARC ♥️♥️♥️

I'm Obsessed with This Ghostly Duo!

IThis book masterfully blends humor, mystery, and heart, making it an absolute page-turner.
Meet Cordelia, a lovable ghost, and Ruby, her quirky roommate-turned-sleuth. Their unlikely friendship is the stuff of magic, despite Ruby's inability to see or hear Cordelia directly. Their creative communication attempts had me giggling and rooting for them.
The whodunit mystery is expertly woven, with paranormal twists and ghostly rules that add depth. Boston's atmospheric setting only adds to the charm.🤩
"A New Lease on Death" checks all the boxes:

Cozy mystery? Check! ☑️
Ghostly crime-solving? You bet!☑️
Unlikely friendships? Absolutely!☑️

This debut promises fantastic series potential. I'm eagerly awaiting Cordelia and Ruby's next adventure.♥️

Rating: 5/5 stars

And... I've found another amazing book series to obsess over🥰

I am a big fan of this author's Record Shop Mysteries and was happy to see she had started a new series. The two main characters are Cordelia, who has passed and now is a ghost and Ruby, a younger person who is now living in Cordelia's apartment. Through a creative means they " meet" and become an unexpected duo to solve a murder mystery.
I have to admit that I did not like this one as much as I love the authors other series. In general I am not a paranormal person. It is just me and I do believe many readers will love this book.
Thanks very much to NetGalley, St Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book. In exchange for my honest review.. The release date date is October 29,2024

Former me was not a cozy mystery fan. Lucky for recent/present me, former me has become more flexible with age and experience. I now appreciate a good cozy mystery to keep the brain working, with less explicit violence and trauma than full-strength mystery/thrillers. [The caveat here is that some serious issues are glossed over or treated casually, which may be hurtful to some readers. Content warnings include alcohol abuse, infidelity, domestic abuse, gambling, suicide, and murder.]

A New Lease on Death is so funny that my laughing distracted my partner, who tends to do all the driving on our road trips. I refused to share much with him, so he can enjoy reading it himself once it's published. I might even reread it . . . with my ears. I didn't guess Jake's murderer in advance, which is rare. I wasn't entirely satisfied with the ending, both in terms of the content and the cliffhanger. The flipside is that there's a sequel to anticipate!