What a haunting mystery! Omg, I loved this. I absolutely devoured this book. I love the characters separately and together. I love the concept. I love how things moved along. I love how they are learning to navigate this new situation. So many things that just worked so well together in this. It had a great mystery to solve and a budding friendship. Ruby and Cordelia were so different but meshed well together. There's so much room for their characters and relationship to evolve. The clues that led up to the final ending proclamation were exceptional. I need this to continue immediately! Where is book 2?!

A cozy mystery is a pretty good way to describe this. You get to see a ghost and their new tenant solve the mystery of a murder, plus Ruby is a hoot.

A few months ago, I received an email from Minotaur Books inviting me to read an eARC of “A New Lease on Death,” the first book in a new supernatural mystery series. I’ll be honest, I have not been a fan of paranormal books recently. However, the premise of this book sounded interesting, and the email promised I’d enjoy it as a fan of the Finlay Donovan series. So I decided to give it a chance, and October seemed like the perfect time to read a ghost story. Apparently the folks over at Minotaur know me pretty well, because I absolutely adored this incredibly clever, fun, and cozy mystery. If it weren’t for life’s responsibilities, I would have read it in one sitting. I was completely captivated by this whodunnit and spent every spare second I had reading the story. I loved the unique plot, the charming main characters, and the intriguing mystery. While the main storyline was resolved, there was a bit of a cliffhanger at the end, and I am already excited to read the next book in this series. This was my first time reading an Olivia Blacke novel, and I can’t wait to check out her other cozy mystery series while I wait!

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A New Lease on Death provides an entertaining, lightweight read, albeit one with some darker subjects underpinning the cozy mystery of it all. The mystery side is a little underwhelming - chipper amateur sleuth Ruby and her ghostly co-investigator Cordelia spend a lot of time covering the same ground, failing to find new info or clues, only to luck into the solution just in time. But the dynamic between Ruby and Cordelia, and the details of Cordelia's newly paranormal existence, are engaging enough, and it promises to be an enjoyable series, if continued.


Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I normally like cozy mysteries but this one was a bit difficult to get through. I didn’t love the dialogue. It felt a bit clunky to read. I also thought the plot was generally fine, but it had a hard time keeping my focus. I kept putting my kindle down to go do other things and finding myself not excited to pick the book up. It was just a fine read.

I was looking for a more cozy read, and this delivered on that. I think I may have had too high of expectations, because while I enjoyed the coziness, the story itself was very forgettable.

A murder mystery involving a ghost and her humans roommate? Yes please! I read dozens of mystery/thrillers a year and their plots and characters often run together. A New Lease On Death is a standout novel. I loved the great characters and a complicated enough plot. I will be anxiously awaiting the sequel!

thank you netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review. i cannot wait for the other books that may come in the future for this series. never read a book or seen a movie with this idea. i thought it was well written and the story kept focus.

While the idea of having a ghost for a roommate is fun, this book was not as exciting as I thought it would be. There was a lot in this book that just did not work for me. Although I liked the MCs, Cordelia and Ruby, I did not care for many of the other characters. A lot of them felt unnecessary, like Jake's coworkers and Harp. Harp is another ghost, and when he was introduced, I thought he would have played a significant role, however, he did not. I also did not like how the weather was mentioned several times in every chapter. It was unnecessary. We get it, Boston gets cold. I also didn't love the constant mention of the cheating. At one point, I felt the author started trauma-dumping and adding as many toxic experiences as she could in, and I'm not quite sure of the reasoning behind it. Also, the houseplant. The houseplant seemed important to Cordelia and closer to the end she mentioned a secret, but we never got that secret. And then there's the ending itself. It was not jaw-dropping, I was not left on the edge of my seat. I'm pretty sure all readers assumed this from the start of the book. I actually thought we were going to find out exactly what happened to Cordelia when we learned what happened to Jake (which was also no surprise), however that was not the case. (Most readers can probably conclude what happened to her though, after the conversation with Millie and Ruby.) I liked the fact that Cordelia was still around even after her death (of course, that made the book), but I could not get with her being able to only talk to people when they were falling asleep or intoxicated. It just feeled a little odd and not thought through.
The book was alright, but by the end I found myself wishing it gave more. 2.5 stars
Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Olivia Blacke for this ARC.

Too slow. I was bored out of my mind and dreaded picking it up in the evenings. Dialogue is stilted and clunky and Ruby is all over the place. She's a mess, very chaotic and not in a cute and endearing way. Too many pointless details and yet at the same time it's too repetitive. Not for me. If this is how all "cozy mysteries" are I will still clear of the genre.

When Cordelia finds a body on the sidewalk in front of her apartment building she decides it's up to her to investigate. There's only one small problem, it's minor really; she's dead. She must team up with the new tenant, Ruby that has moved into Cordelia's apartment, because you know, dead. This was a cute cozy murd€r mystery with an unexpected ending. Ghost Cordelia is a great friend to have! I really enjoyed that perky Ruby grew on her and Cordelia came to feel responsible for her and took her under her wing. It was a fun twist to the found family trope. I had my suspicions leading up to the cliffhanger and look forward to the next book to learn more on that. 3.5 stars rounded up.

*3.5 stars rounded up.

How's this for a fun cozy mystery plot? 'I moved into a haunted apartment, but the ghost is real nice. She got me a job and now I'm helping her solve a mystery.'

When Ruby Young moves to Boston from Baltimore, she rents a furnished apartment AS IS. She soon realizes 'the furnishings' include the ghost of the woman who owned them, Cordelia Graves. When Jake, the neighbor across the hall, is found shot to death in front of their building, the Boston police seem to write it off as a mugging. But why was Jake out there in his pj bottoms and fuzzy socks in the middle of a snow storm? Cordelia convinces Ruby to help her find his killer.

Looking for a fun ghost story for the Halloween season? This cozy mystery is so delightfully quirky and humorous. I enjoyed meeting these two characters and will look forward to more from this zany duo. Maybe next time they can figure out the truth of how Cordelia died.

Many thanks to the author and publisher for offering me an arc via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

Cordelia has an annoying new roommate, Ruby. Cordelia is dead and Ruby is very perky and alive.

This story was super cute, even though our unlikely duo is investigating the murder of their across-the-hall neighbor. During the investigation, Cordelia is finding out more about navigating her new life as a ghost and Ruby is learning how to be more independent.

You also start out knowing that Cordelia’s death has some unresolved issues. The book does end on a bit of a cliffhanger that I believe is setting up additional books that will address Cordelia’s demise. This was my first cozy mystery, but may not be my last.

Thank you to NetGallely, St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books, and Olivia Blacke for the eARC.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC! I actually loved this book. My ONLY problem is the unresolved ending/cliffhanger. We know from the very beginning that Cords death was suspect, so to have that bit of knowledge be the ending was frustrating. I really liked the dynamic between the characters. I would read the next one!

I finished A Lease in Death by Olivia Black and I enjoyed the heck out of it!


It’s a paranormal cozy mystery!! I've never read one before but wow-oh-wow it was AMAZEBALLS!! A spooky whodunnit…. How clever!!

Imagine if you will, you find out you are living with a ghost, what would you do? Call a priest? Make it your new BFF?

Cordelia supposedly killed herself in the bathroom and is hanging around Ruby’s apartment. When Ruby’s neighbor also dies…. They realize something fishy is going on and that's where the real fun begins!

The characters are brilliant! That right there is enough to keep me going with a book. The story was easy to read and held my attention the whole time. It did get a little sluggish in the middle but that didn’t last long! The pace was great and the writing was clever, like really clever.

The book is quirky and really amusing! I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would as I prefer my cozy mysteries in audio format but I ate this up with a spoon and I got the memo that this is book 1 of a series?? I think it would translate well to TV too. This book checks all the boxes so squeeze it into your spooky season reading as it is out on the 29nd October 2024!!

Thank you to @minotaurbooks and @netgalley for my paperback and my kindle versions.

4.5 stars

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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Wowza this was a fun read! I definitely went into this one blind and was pleasantly surprised about what I was reading! I love a good paranormal tale and this didn’t disappoint. The characters were so delightful and I CANNOT wait for a sequel!

Grab a copy of this one when it publishes October 29, 2024!

This was a fun read for this time of year! If you like a cozy mystery with a quirky, supernatural take, I think you’ll enjoy this one 👻

This story follows Cordelia, a ghost in her forties who is haunting her old apartment, and Ruby, the new twenty-year-old tenant who moved in after Cordelia died. They form an unlikely partnership when they team up to solve the murder of their neighbor across the hall. The dynamics between the two were so funny to read: different generations, different living situations… literally 💀😂 It was a fun time!

I liked the ghostly elements and seeing how all the supernatural rules played out - they had to get really creative to communicate and solve the murder! On that note, I was a bit underwhelmed by the mystery overall, but it ended on a cliffhanger to set up the next book in this series well. I probably will pick it up when it comes out and keep reading to see what’s in store for Ruby and Cordelia next!

Nothing groundbreaking to me, but it was a good addition to my spooky season TBR!

4 stars / This review will be posted on BookwormishMe.com & goodreads.com today.


What would you do if you suddenly realized you were living with a ghost? Would you call someone to exorcise the ghost, or befriend it? Ruby has always been fascinated by ghosts, so when she realizes the woman who killed herself in Ruby’s apartment is still hanging around, Ruby decides to make the ghost comfortable.

Cordelia supposedly committed suicide in the bathroom of this very apartment. A bottle of Jack Daniels and some pills, and she took a permanent sleep. Until she woke up to realize that she was truly dead. When Ruby moves in, Cordelia decides to stick around. When Ruby and Cordelia’s neighbor Jake also turns up dead, something is truly fishy.

Together Cordelia and Ruby are going to solve a crime.

With not much more than a magnetic poetry set to communicate with, they form quite the pair and seek out a murderer. Often with more comical results than not. This is a great mystery, but with such a sense of humor.

Apparently there will be more mysteries to solve for Cordy & Ruby, which makes me ever so happy. I think this is a truly fun novel. Easy to read. Can’t wait for book two.

Ok so I loved her Record Shop Mysteries series. And I LOVE this book too. I am super excited for there to be more books for Ruby and Cordelia. I think Black’s writing is phenomenal, she really draws me into her stories. I almost read this in one day, stupid parenting duties interfering with my reading. 😂.

*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.*

My first read from Olivia Blacke but it won't be my last. This was a very interesting story with a unique plot. After Ruby moves into a new apartment, she is haunted by the ghost of the person who lived there beforehand who's name was Cordy. Ruby and Cordy end up working together to solve a murder. This was a fun book to read right before Halloween to help me get into the spirit. It had just the right blend of humor, mystery and paranormal activity. Thanks so much to the author and NetGalley for giving me an ACR! The cliff hanger was a bit of a surprise, but it will make me excited to read the sequel and get back to my old character friends to see how this all plays out.