Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for this electronic ARC of "A New Lease on Death" by Olivia Blacke, publishing on October 29, 2024!

This was a fun read! I liked that it switched viewpoints between Cordelia and Ruby. I loved seeing Ruby grow as a character and the relationship between her and Cordelia blossom as they try to solve Jake's murder. I was so stressed when I saw I was at 98% and there were still so many loose ends, but the ending just leaves at a great spot to lead into a sequel. Highly recommend if you like mysteries. It was a super fun read, great for spooky season!

If you enjoy cozy mysteries with a paranormal aspect you will like this book.

When Ruby moved into a new apartment she didn’t know she was getting a roommate or that the roommate was going to be a ghost! Cordelia used to live in the apartment, but was found dead in the bathtub, she can communicate with Ruby and they spark a friendship. When the neighbor across the hall dies, Ruby and Cordelia work together to solve the mystery.

I liked this book, but it wasn’t a new favorite cozy series. I found the characters to be likable, but the plot moved slowly. Not much happened, I wish there was a bit more action or more at stake. We are following the death of Jake the neighbor, but to be honest I didn’t care too much about him. I wished the book was more about Cordelia’s death, we didn’t even know Jake so I didn’t really care to solve his murder. I think the book could have been a bit shorter because not a whole lot was going on. It ended on a cliff hanger so I’m assuming the next book will be about Cordelia, that could be interesting and I am more interested in her story.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I am always on the lookout for a new mystery series, and when I saw A New Lease on Death has a paranormal aspect, I was intrigued. What a sweet mystery duo Olivia Blacke has created with Cordelia and Ruby! Cordelia, the ghost of a woman who was found dead in her bathtub (suicide? or murder?) and Ruby, the young woman who is now living in that apartment, team up to solve the murder of Jake, the man who lived across the hall. From their issues with communication to the situations they find themselves in as they investigate, I was charmed from beginning to end of this fun read.

I absolutely loved Ruby and Cordelia, and also the cast of characters who appear throughout the book. The possibilities for an ongoing series are endless, and I look forward to reading the next installment. This book will appeal to fans of the Stephanie Plum and Finlay Donovan novels.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital ARC of A New Lease on Death by Olivia Blacke. The opinions in this review are my own.

A New Lease on Death is a great cozy mystery with a ghostly twist! It’s told through the dual POV of Cordelia, the ghost of a 43 year old woman who recently died in her apartment and Ruby, the new 20 year old tenant looking for a fresh start. It doesn’t take long for Ruby to suspect there’s a ghost in her apartment but thankfully, she’s okay with it. When their neighbor is killed in what the cops deem a mugging gone wrong, this unlikely duo team up to solve his murder.

I loved the friendship that develops between Cordelia and Ruby. It was so much fun seeing them try - and sometimes fail - to communicate. There are a lot of entertaining one-sided conversations and I love how creative they get during the investigation. I could relate to Ruby’s inability to keep a plant alive and Cordelias annoyance at this was hilarious.

The whodunnit aspect may be my favorite part though. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough! I'm satisfied with the way the main storyline wraps up but it does end on a cliffhanger. Since this is the start of a new series I kind of expected this but man, that last line was exactly what I'd been waiting for. I can’t wait for the next installment!

I definitely recommend this if you enjoy paranormal mysteries with charming characters and unique storylines.

I really enjoyed this cute, spooky cozy mystery. I found the premise of a ghost working with the next occupant of her apartment to be unique and entertaining. I don’t usually like cliff hanger endings but felt that it was a perfect ending for this story. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an early copy of this book! 😀 I was intrigued by the premise of this a ghost and the girl living in her apartment working together to solve a mystery. I liked the characters and was interested in the plot. At times this was a little too boring and too descriptive for me. It could have moved a little faster. Overall I did enjoy this and it was a great read for fall!

The story is told in dual POVs, Ruby and the ghost of Cordelia. This is a funny, charming, supernatural mystery. The premise is unique, and I really enjoyed the scenes where Cordelia is figuring out how to be a ghost. There is a lot to learn and one misstep and poof you are gone. The two main characters made the solving of a murder entertaining. Ruby and Cordelia are a quirky, but likeable, pair and it is easy to root for them. The cliffhanger ending set up book #2 nicely.

If you are searching for a cozy mystery for Halloween, this is it!

ARC REVIEW | PUB DATE 10.29.24

so I really did enjoy this book more than I thought I would! I read 85% of it yesterday alone and finished it up first thing this morning.

It was comparable to Finlay Donovan, which is an all time favorite, and I could see the relation — two women solving murder, some humor and fun, a solid cozy mystery. Except in this book, one of the women is a ghost.

I’m NOT into ghosts because I’m an absolute wimp, but this was a fun ghost ☺️

Ruby moves into a new fully furnished apartment, and it turns out that’s because the former tenant, Cordelia, had died in it a few months prior. After the neighbor across the hall is murdered one night, and the cops write it off as a mugging gone bad, Cordelia and Ruby set off to solve the murder themselves.

A charming, fun read that I enjoyed and will read a follow up if it ever comes out. Recommend if you’re looking for something light hearted and fun.

Thanks so much to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for my ARC!

This was a dark, amusing murder mystery. Ruby is a twenty-year-old newcomer to Boston during the winter. She was completely unprepared to move and fled home after a romantic breakup. She was unemployed and had very little money. She moved into an apartment in a rundown building where the heating rarely worked, plenty of noise, and nosey neighbours. The apartment came with the ghost of a forty-two-year-old Cordelia, found dead from an overdose in the bath. It came complete with her furniture and possessions.
Cordelia found Ruby annoying with her outgoing personality, incessant upbeat chatter, and the fact that her beloved plants died after Ruby moved in. Ruby can sense Cordelia's ghostly presence but, oddly, cannot sense when she is absent and keeps talking to her. Cordelia found Ruby employment with her previous tech company so she could afford groceries.

When a neighbour, Jake, from the adjoining apartment is shot dead outside in the snow, wearing pyjamas and without shoes and clutching his cell phone, the police conclude he is a mugging victim. Cordelia feels the murder was more personal, but being dead cannot investigate it without Ruby's help.

Jake seemed well-liked but was a serial womanizer and gambler. The amateur crime-solving pair had considerable difficulty in communicating. Cordelia could not be seen or heard unless the person was drunk, barely awake, or a ghost. She tried to find methods to make Ruby note and understand her directions: moving utensils, notes by fridge magnets, etch-a-sketch, etc. Sometimes, Ruby catches on and follows Cordelia's instructions.
Ruby loves to talk, so her interviews are direct and efficient. Internet searches cannot be done in Cordelia's presence, as tech devices and electronics blow up when the ghost is nearby. Cordelia can move objects but cannot be seen by live people. A stream of relatives, lovers, and friends enter Jake's vacant apartment, seeming to be looking for something or intent on moving into the empty place.

The plot was witty, but the pace was uneven and repetitive. I enjoyed the unlikely crime-solving duo but would have liked it more if they had found one predominant communication method. Their attempts to communicate became tedious. Many of Jake's friends and suspects frequented a bar, and Ruby was kicked out for an incident that was not her fault. This interfered with her investigation. Cordelia attacked a man on a bus after he bothered Ruby, and Ruby was blamed. They could have conversations when Cordelia caused the underaged Ruby to become drunk on vodka. Still, Ruby was unable to remember anything that was said or happened during that time.
The story is told in alternating chapters from Ruby's and Cordelia's perspectives, and the living woman and the ghost are interesting and likable. The supporting characters are flawed, but Jake's killer is finally revealed after a few twists. The finale leaves room for a sequel and a new criminal investigation, one I am anxious to read. I assume most readers have already anticipated this cliffhanger.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press (Minotaur Books) for this entertaining, whimsical, enjoyable ARC in return for an honest review. The date of publication is October 29.

This had such a strong start and premise and then fell a bit flat for me. Sharing your apartment with the ghost or the past tenant had me hooked.

I liked it enough but it felt like a lot of descriptions that told me nothing and it took the WHOLE book to really get any information and even then we only got half of it. I wanted more.

So it was enjoyable enough but forgettable.

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were so great. It reminds me of Ashley Poston books but with a mystery. I was sucked in to the story start to finish. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

A New Lease on Death by Olivia Blacke is about a woman, Ruby, who moves into an apartment where the previous tenant died. Unbeknownst to the new tenant, she is now sharing the apartment with the ghost of the woman who died. Eventually Ruby figures out she is roommates with a ghost and the two work together to solve the murder of the neighbor across the hall.

This was a so so read for me. I think someone who frequently reads and enjoys supernatural mysteries would enjoy it. It’s not really my jam and I felt like parts of the story dragged a bit for my taste.

This is a fun murder mystery! Ruby, the new tenant in 4G, teams up with Cordelia, the deceased tenant in 4G, to solve the murder of their neighbor across the hall. Ruby can't see or hear Cordy, but somehow they manage to communicate, sometimes in very entertaining ways. Picture a trail of Skittles. This is a fun read and I happily anticipate the next book!

Very exciting and different premise. Cordelia is dead, however she is still around- sort of- as a ghost. She considers the new tenant of her apartment to be her roommate of sorts. She talks to a newly dead neighbor the first time she’s been able to communicate since she was alive. Taking place in Boston during the winter adds to the mystery and fun of this book.

Here’s a review for A New Lease on Death:

This book was an absolute delight! From the start, it drew me in with its charming characters and engaging story. Each page offered something to enjoy, and I found myself savoring the details and humor that made the world feel warm and inviting. The plot twists were lighthearted yet satisfying, and it kept me smiling the whole way through. I really didn’t want it to end – it’s one of those reads that leaves you wishing for more. Perfect for anyone looking for a cozy, feel-good read that lingers long after the last page.

A New Lease on Death is the first book I’ve read by Olivia Blacke, but it won’t be the last. Blacke’s writing style does take a bit of getting used to. Or maybe it was the fact that I wasn’t able to give myself over to the story as much as I had hoped. How dare life get in the way of reading!

This book is set in Boston, and many details to help sell the setting. Many of these are through the conversations between the characters. You can pick up on the inflections when they talk about Jakey, Markie, and Scotty. There are also a few references to being a “Southie,” which is how someone from the neighborhood known as South Boston is often referred to. And, of course, there’s mention of Dunkin’ being everywhere and the best place for coffee and donuts.

The story is told from Ruby and Cordelia’s point of view. It is easy to know who you are seeing things from, as each chapter is labeled with their name. This is especially useful when Ruby starts working at the company Cordelia worked for before her death.

Who should read A New Lease on Death? Everyone! But especially if you enjoy reading books with unexpected characters. How many cozy mysteries have you read with a ghost as one of the people working to solve the mystery? As such, the story has a darker vibe, but it’s still a cozy mystery people should read.

This was such a fun book. I loved it and the story line. Solving murders is one of my favorites but they also made the characters very likeable! I can’t wait for the next.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy to honestly review.

I really enjoyed this! It was a cozy mystery where the two crime solvers couldn't communicate very well... because one of them was a ghost! Cordelia and Ruby couldn't be stopped once they figured out how to communicate, and while they might not have been sophisticated crime stoppers they used their unique skills to solve the murder!

Eh this was fine I guess. It was a cute premise, and some of the writing was pretty funny. But it was very bland. The story didn’t really come together for me, which isn’t great in a mystery. And it contained one of my biggest pet peeves - it’s set in a specific city (in this case Boston), but to accomplish that the author just threw in a bunch of vague city stuff so it didn’t feel like it was set in that place at all.

This also clearly is being set up to be a series, but I’m not invested enough to continue. So I guess the overarching mystery will remain a mystery to me (unless someone wants to read the future installments and tell me what happened).

Thank you to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for this ARC, which is our 10/29.

2.5/5

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for a complimentary copy of this novel!
When Ruby Young rented an apartment in Boston, with the previous owners’ belongings still there, she expected nosy and loud neighbors, and an occasional malfunctioning appliance; but never did she expect to find the ghost of the previous tenant of the apartment. And on top of all that, Ruby gets pulled into a murder investigation when her neighbor Jake, across the hall, is found outside their apartment building with a bullet in his forehead from an apparent mugging. Cordelia, the previous tenant where Ruby now lives, died of an apparent suicide a few months back, in her own apartment. Now, Cordelia is convinced Jake’s death is not a simple mugging. So, she finds a way to communicate with Ruby and convinces her to help solve her neighbor’s murder! As Ruby works to find suspects, she begins to suspect that not just Jake was murdered, but also Cordelia herself!!!
This was a cozy, ghostly read perfect for Halloween!!! I do hope there is a second book because......major cliffhanger!!!
AVAILABLE October 29, 2024