I really enjoyed this cozy mystery! We are following two women, Ruby and Cordelia. Cordelia recently passed and Ruby moved into the apartment. These two start to build a friendship through a variety of unique communication routes as they try to solve the murder of their next door neighbor.

I really enjoyed the building of the relationship throughout the book between Ruby and Cordelia. Ruby is so bubbly and enduring that you can’t help but love her. Cordelia is quiet and mysterious but a very kind woman. I am very curious about Cordelia, and I really want to know more about her in the next book. The side characters in the apartment were interesting to learn about too, and I’m curious to see what we learn about them in the future.

The mystery within the book was good and kept me entertained. The reveal and explanation was satisfying to me. There was a good balance of intensity, humor, and coziness within. If you are season specific reader person, this would be great in the winter. Overall, I really want to continue this series.

Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur Books for an eARC in exchange for a review.

Thanks to Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for the E-ARC! I really enjoyed this! Very cool concept. Also loved the overall vibes of this book. Definitely will read more from the author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

NOOO WHAT KIND OF ENDING IS THAT ???? We're left on a cliffhanger of what might have really happened to Cordelia Graves. I want to know!

Ok spoilers below:

I never figured out who had killed Jake. I had a feeling it was delivery related because of what he was wearing when he died, but I didn't expect it to be because of Shannon. I didn't think Shannon was the cheater too. The watch and the search around it was a red herring.

I enjoyed the dynamic between Cordelia and Ruby. I think if there is another book, that it'll look into the mysterious "suicide" of Cordelia. I think Adam and his money covered up the suicide. He was probably the man being seen leaving her apartment. But I want to know for sure ugh!

Some parts felt like ramblings of the girls' thoughts, which I didn't enjoy. I just wanted to know who had done it.

If there is another book, I will be reading it to know what Ruby finds out about Cordelia.

A fully furnished apartment with a live-in ghost maid? Sign me up!

When Ruby moves into her new apartment she doesn't expect it to come with a supernatural roommate, or for her nextdoor neighbor to be murdered under mysterious circumstances. With the help of the ghost of her apartment's former tenant, Ruby sets out to to solve the murder, but that may not be the only mystery lurking beneath the surface.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Ruby and Cordelia. I loved all of the creative ways that they communicated and how, despite their differences, they became good friends. I also thought the cover was adorable.

I wasn't particularly compelled by the central mystery of the story. I was far more interested in what happened to Cordelia than Jake, and I wish this book had resolved those loose ends. That being said, I can only assume that there will be a sequel, and I intend to read it when it comes out.

I think this will make a very fun fall read upon publishing and I would recommend it to anyone who likes mysteries and spooky (but not scary) vibes. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

A very fun paranormal murder mystery! I loved the characters and had a great time reading this one. A perfect cozy read for autumn.

I think I accidentally clicked on this book, I got about 1/3 of the way and just couldn’t get into the writing:

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC of this book!

This is the story of a recently deceased 40-something woman and her attempt, along with the young woman who moved into her apartment, to solve the mystery of the murder of her neighbor. I liked it, but didn't love it, and I was kind of thinking I would love it. I love ghost stories, and I felt like the book was setting up the mystery of her death (it clearly was), but I think in order to set up for the second book. So, while I really didn't care about the murder of her neighbor, I AM curious about her death, and I liked both the main characters, so I have been swept up into this. Looking forward to the sequel!

Delightful cozy mystery that showcases Olivia Blacke's talent for crafting engaging and heartwarming stories. With its well-developed characters, intriguing plot, and charming setting, the novel is a standout in the cozy mystery genre. It offers a perfect escape for readers looking for a mix of humor, mystery, and small-town charm.

A New Lease on Death is a cozy mystery that takes place in Boston. Cordelia is a ghost who died alone in her apartment. There are no other ghosts in her vicinity, and she hangs out in her old apartment, learning about the apartment's new resident, Ruby. After her neighbor, Jake, is found shot and murdered, Cordelia begins to communicate with Ruby and, together, they are determined to investigate the murder. Although it's a short book, it was hard for me to get into at first. There were some unanswered questions for me, and some things that didn't make sense. This seems to be the first in a series, so I'm interested in seeing what direction the series will take. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the ARC.

This story opened very strong and with a great premise. I liked the idea of a ghost and her "roommate" investigating a death together while having to find unconventional ways to communicate. The more I read though, the more the characters started to feel very stereotypical to their generation. As someone who is in Gen Z it felt like the author just googled stereotypes about us and gave as many as she could to Ruby, which felt icky IMHO. There is also mention of an affair between a main character and someone. I felt this was unneeded. It added to my dislike of this character because the affair was downplayed and brushed off as no big deal. I also think the dialogue became repetitive overtime which took away from the story for me. Overall, it was a fun paranormal mystery it just wasn't my perfect cup of tea.

If you're a fan of cozy supernatural mysteries with quirky characters this book is for you. There were many story lines that I felt were a little unnecessary but the main mystery was engaging. We're left on a cliff hanger so hopefully this will be the start of a series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was looking for a light mystery to read on the plane on my way to and from vacation and this fit the bill nicely. I enjoyed the concept of ghost-and-human crime solving team. I liked that the "team up" was made more challenging by the fact that the two can't communicate directly, which led to some creative work arounds and challenges for the duo. However, beyond that premise the book was just ok. None of the characters made more than a surface impression on me, and the crime-solving was basically just Ruby (the "living") wandering around asking questions. Neither ghost nor human had any particular crime solving skills, and so there isn't much to the investigation. The mystery didn't hook me much either, and the "twist" at the end to set up for the next installment was pretty clearly telegraphed throughout the book. All in all, it was a fine light mystery read with a supernatural twist, but it didn't interest me enough to continue on with the series.

A New Lease on Death by Olivia Blacke is a captivating read. This witty, fun, and propulsive mystery novel was an absolute delight to read. The story is well-crafted, blending humor and heart in a delightfully dark way. Thank you to the publisher and author for allowing me to share my thoughts on an ARC copy of this book.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

This was a fun murder mystery that featured a 40 year old ghost helping a 20 year old. Cordelia (love the name), died in her apartment and now she is a ghost. She is not just any ghost but a ghost who has the ability to move things although she can't be seen or heard. Ruby has just moved into an apartment that was fully furnished due to the former tenant (Cordelia) dying with no one to take her stuff. It is Ruby's first time away from home and she is excited to live on her own except she has barely any money and no job. Things go from bad to worse when there is a corpse outside her apartment building that turns out to be another tenant. Ruby and Cordelia decide to team up and find out why their neighbor died as it seems the police have given up on his death.

This book had lots of cute moments. I loved the idea that a forty year old ghost could be friends with a 20 year old as well as be able to solve crime. There were some funny moments but also moments that made one think. The author also set up the ending so that you want to read the next novel in this series. Overall, this book was very well done and an enjoyable read. If you love crime, mystery, or paranormal books, this will be a great read for you.

Thank you to Minotaur Books/St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

Unique dual POV between Ruby the new tenant and Cordelia the old and very much dead tenant. A murder mystery, with many characters and lots of fumbled communications between amateur detectives! Ends with a setup for the next book which I will definitely read because I want to know what happened!

I enjoyed this. It was a light mystery involving a woman who dies and becomes a ghost who then befriends the new tenant in her apartment. They try to solve some murders together. There were some twists I didn't see coming. Check it out. :)

This is a cozy supernatural mystery. Ruby is living in her new apartment with her ghostly roommate, Cordelia. Their neighbor, Jake, was found dead outside. Ruby and Cordelia are gonna solve the murder mystery. These characters are so fun. I will definitely be reading some more Olivia Blacke novels!

This was a cute and fun cozy mystery with a ghost. I enjoyed it.
The book opened up with a dead body, so it immediately grabbed my attention.
Cordelia is a ghost who is lonely and looking for a friend. She comes across her neighbor’s dead body and thinks she finally has a companion, but it doesn’t last long and she ends up back alone again.
Ruby is the tenant living in Cordelia’s apartment now that Cordelia is dead.
Together, these ladies team up to solve a murder case.
The investigation done by both women was not the best, but the story kept me engaged. I wish there was a better way for Cordelia and Ruby to communicate with one another. This isn’t a ghost story where the ghost is visible to the public.
The ending did have a little twist I never saw coming. The killer did not end up being who I thought it would be lol. The cliffhanger at the end has me wanting to continue the series because it left me with unanswered questions.

An enjoyable murder mystery with fun twists along the way. The main character works to solve the crime with the ghost of the woman who killed herself in the apartment she moved into. A lot of ghostly circumstances are very convenient for story telling but still a fun read. The story is very simply written and often explains details that don’t need explaining. I’d suggest the be labeled as a Young Adult novel. But still a captivating story perfect for a plane ride or beach vacation.