⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars

[ thank you @minotaur_books for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own! ]

PUB DATE: October 29, 2024 (out now!)

I don’t read a lot of paranormal/supernatural cozies but I absolutely enjoyed this one!

It’s dual pov with Cordelia (the ghost) and Ruby! And the way they figure out how to communicate to each other by using fridge word magnets, so clever and made me laugh. 🤣

I loved that we kinda had two mysteries going on.. one was solved and the other will hopefully be solved in the next book?! Guess we’ll find out!

It was a fun mystery. I liked the ghost aspect and learning (sometimes alongside Cordelia!) how it worked and her abilities. I liked Ruby, she was eccentric and she made me chuckle with her inner thoughts. She was quirky and I was here for it!

Overall, perfect book for this fall season! Hoping we get a book two in the future because I need some answers! 👻🔎

During this spooky time, a cozy mystery with a ghost as one of the main characters is a great fit for me. Cordelia Graves died several months prior and is still finding her footing in the afterlife. When she encounters a neighbor who has joined her on that side, she decides to uncover the mystery surrounding his demise. But first she must figure out how to communicate with the woman who now inhabits her Boston Apartment. Ruby Young is struggling to find her place in her new town when she discovers that all the wacky things that are happening in her new residence are the former residence trying to get through to her. Once they discover a means of communication, they work together to improve her life and solve the mystery. This appears to be the first in a new series by Olivia Blacke. I will look into her other series while waiting for the next volume.

3.5 ☆ // An interesting take on cozy mystery for sure. The characters were quirky , but that’s what made this a fun read. I love that you get the double narration, one being a ghost & one being the girl who moved into the ghost’s past apartment. I enjoyed the idea of the two being amateur sleuths & investigating a murder mystery together, also. 

The ending seemed a bit rushed, but it did end on a cliffhanger. Since the background has been set for me, I’m definitely interested in reading the next book to see how the story unfolds. & added points for the cute & fun cover! 

Thank you NetGalley, Olivia Blacke, & St. Martin’s Press for this arc in exchange for my honest thoughts!

Fun. An unexpected friendship and partnership. Lots of twists and turns. Ended on a cliffhanger so obviously I’m anxiously waiting for the next one

Cordelia Graves died in her apartment a few months ago and she's stuck around to see her landlord rent her fully furnished apartment to young Ruby, who moved to Boston to get away from a bad relationship with no plan and no money. Things were already off to a bad start when Ruby's neighbor is murdered right on their building's doorstep and Cordelia convinces Ruby (through magnetic poetry, of all things) to look into the suspicious murder that the police seem to be ignoring. Along the way, things about Cordelia's life come to light as Ruby gets a job where Cordelia worked and meets the people who supposedly knew her best. There's more than one case to be solved, but Ruby and Cordelia first need to figure out how to communicate and stay safe.

It's an intriguing story and Blacke kept me guessing from beginning to end when it came to the main mystery, but neither Cordelia nor Ruby were particularly interesting characters. It's also very obvious what happened to Cordelia so that part of the plot lagging enough not to be resolved in this book is a little annoying. There's also a feeling that the plot drags its feet instead of moving along and things are unnecessarily mentioned several times. So, instead of pulling me into the mystery, I sometimes put it down to get away from it.

Overall, it's not a bad story, not great either, but the writing is top-notch.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the read!

Cordelia Graves didn’t see who killed her neighbor Jake, but she was there after, sitting in the freshly fallen snow and waiting for him to start his afterlife. No one had been there for her when she woke up and found herself dead, so she thinks it will be nice for him to have someone there to help with the transition. She can teach him the ropes, or at least the ones she’s been able to figure out.

Cordelia liked Jake and she wants to help him. She wants to figure out who killed him. But there’s only so much she can do as a ghost. She needs someone else, someone who is still living, a breather, to help her with the investigation. So she goes to the place where she is most comfortable. She goes home.

Ruby Young moved to Boston to get away from a bad relationship, and she doesn’t have much. She doesn’t have a job. She doesn’t have much money. But she did find a furnished apartment that she could afford. It’s not perfect, since the elevator doesn’t work, and she’s on the fourth floor. But it will help with her heating bills, as the heat will rise from the apartments below. And she doesn’t need a gym membership, since she’s walking up and down four flights of stairs all the time.

All Cordelia has to do is to introduce herself to Ruby and ask for her help investigating Jake’s death. But first, she has to figure out how to communicate with her. And to get Ruby to stop killing her plants. And to help her find a job. That should be easy enough, right? Except that whenever Cordelia gest close to electronics, they fail. Cell phones, computers, lights, appliances. Cordelia isn’t sure why, but she needs to find a way to talk to Ruby that’s analog, old school, and apparently not in cursive either, as Ruby never learned to read it.

But slowly, Cordelia finds ways to communicate with Ruby. And Ruby, who is interested in true crime, is excited to get started. She talks to neighbors and friends of Jake to try to figure out who could have wanted him dead. He had a steady stream of girls through his apartment, he gambled, and he spent a lot of nights at the bar. That gives them some good places to start. But the more Ruby asks questions, the closer she gets to a cold-blooded killer. Does Cordelia have enough energy to keep Ruby safe? Or will Ruby end up as a ghost as well?

A New Lease on Death is a new cozy mystery from Olivia Blacke. The paranormal twist offers up interesting plot twists and relationship challenges. The learning curve for both ghost Cordelia and breather Ruby makes for comedic moments in this unusual mystery. The story is well plotted, but it’s the characters who steal the show.

I loved A New Lease on Death. The chemistry between Cordelia and Ruby is electric, and reading this book was just so much fun. I love the unusual problems Cordelia comes up as a ghost, and Ruby’s cheerfulness is relentless. There is even a very Boston trip to Dunkin’ Doughnuts. This story is clever, funny, and smart, and I can’t wait for the next book to come out.

Egalleys for A New Lease on Death were provided by Minotaur Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.

This was a fun book for spooky season. Cordelia and Ruby are roommates but not in the traditional way as Cordelia is dead…

This is a fun spin on a cozy mystery with the amateur sleuth being a ghost and a human. It was mostly fast paced with some slightly slow spots.

The killer did come completely out of left field and I was not excepting it. This book leave on a slightly cliff hanger so I am hoping there will be another book. I will definitely keep reading more about Ruby and Cordelia.

Genre: Cozy Murder Mystery
APK: Ebook
Pages: 328
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Series or Standalone: Supernatural Mysteries Book #1

A New Lease on Death by Olivia Blacke
Release Date: 10/29/24
Rating: A Haunting Good Time!

What a fun dark comedic mystery! Cozy mysteries can be hit or miss for me, but Blacke did a great job at keeping this book just silly enough without tipping over into absurd or losing your attention!

This novel follows two roommates as they investigate just what happened to their neighbor who was murdered outside their apartment building…the only thing is one of the roommates is a ghost, and one is the youngin who moved in after she passed!

I really found these characters enjoyable and the ending perfectly set us up for a book two - which I cannot wait for! This was my first book by Olivia Blacke but won’t be my last.

A new lease on death is a cute fun murder mystery. I loved both Cordelia and Ruby throughout the book. The juxtaposition of their lives and thoughts gave this book a fun silly - it’s perfect for fans of only murders in the building! That being said I felt like story wise this felt lacking at times. They would spend so much time looking for something for it to just fall in their laps. However I still loved the book even with this little blips!

If you’re looking for a cozy mystery with a unique storyline, then you’ve come to the right place. When a man dies in a apartment building in Boston, the ghost of a single, 40 year old woman and the young, energetic (very alive) tenant who takes over her apartment come together to solve the mystery.

I really enjoyed that this story was told from the POV of both Cordelia and Ruby. While they are certainly the most unlikely of pairings, it was fun to see their relationship develop, especially when communicating was such a challenge! Parts of the book could be a little repetitive but it was a fun read.

I’m looking forward to the next book to learn more about how Cordelia got to where she was.

Thank you to #NetGalley #StMartinsPress and #Minotaurbooks for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cozy mystery, whodunnit style that ends on a cliffhanger. It's written well and darkly funny. Minimals twists, but filled with secrets; the living and dead have to work this one together, I'm curious to see the answers they get back as well as what Cordelia & friends will get up to next!

What if your new apartment came with a ghost?

This is a fun and cute supernatural cozy mystery that features a young woman struggling to figure out life on her own in her early 20s and the ghost of a 40-something who used to live in her apartment when they team up to solve the murder of the tenant who lived across the hall.

The mystery itself here is just okay and the solve could have been better, but it does all add up in the end, and the real enjoyment of this is in the journey to get there.

I loved both Ruby and Cordelia, and the story adopts a solid buddy comedy style that makes it a light and fun read where experience matters more than plot. And the plot isn’t bad either, especially taking into consideration what appears to be an ongoing mystery that will thread through the series in the future.

Probably more like a 3.5 than a true 3, but Olivia Blake has the ability to craft such humor and lighthearted fun in mysterious or dangerous situations. It honestly is a perfect example of black comedy and makes you laugh out loud. I also appreciate Cordelia's wit and snark. But having a ghost for a main character can make it hard to car about the projection of the story sometimes (because actions can have less of an impact on a dead person), I think Olivia Blacke manages the balance well.

This is definitely a quirky, fun read, especially for spooky season! The ghost was a really fun character since we got to understand her perspective on life. And she was super funny! She was definitely my favorite character-the others weren't as exciting or special. This reminded me of the Finlay Donovan series because it was light-hearted but also had a lot of mystery. Just overall, it was fine. It did it justice for what it was, but it didn't blow me away.

I enjoyed Olivia Blacke’s A New Lease on Death. This not-so-cozy mystery is both dark and humorous. It is really a blend of a supernatural mystery and a cozy mystery. The unconventional crime-solving duo is the recently deceased Cordelia Graves and the young woman who next rents her apartment, Ruby Young.

Set in a not so gentile Boston neighborhood, the story follows Ruby Young and her ghostly roommate Cordelia Graves, as they search for a neighbor’s killer. Ruby and Cordelia are a great duo. Ruby’s youthful energy and Cordelia’s seasoned, worldly outlook create a nice balance. Their evolving “relationship” is sweet in a way. I enjoyed the pace of the story, and the dynamics between Ruby and Cordelia were engaging and funny. Ms. Blacke's writing is clever; there are plenty of red herrings that lead both characters down wrong paths. A good "surprise" ending, that in hindsight, had been hinted at throughout the book.

A New Lease on Death is a a fun whodunnit, offering a delightful escape into a supernatural, cozy mystery. While there is a wholly satisfying ending, the story line leaves room for a much delicious sequel.

This book was very entertaining! I really liked both main character Ruby and Cordelia. The two make for an unlikely pair, but they seemed to find a connection allowing them to work together. I don't normally like paranormal stories, but this twist to the mystery worked really well. The mystery was resolved satisfactorily but there was still some unresolved questions. The book set the stage for there to be more and I am interested in learning more about Cordelia's life and what may have been going on at her workplace. I liked the writing. The pacing was done well and I liked the change of view between Ruby and Cordelia. It would be a perfect weekend escape read! I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

3.5 Stars
This was an interesting way to deliver a mystery novel, told in alternating chapters from the point of view of a nosy ghost and a very alive and helpful younger woman with no direction in life. I liked both characters and the mystery was engaging enough to keep me turning the pages. But it was not only the mystery that I wanted to know more about, I wanted to know more about the dynamic between the two characters and what shenanigans they would encounter next.
The main murder mystery was solved here but there is a huge unsolved mystery that I hope will be addressed in another book (I hate loose ends, I need my books tied up completely, so I am hoping for a sequel).
If you are looking for a paranormal cozy-ish mystery this is a good choice with a very interesting mystery solving duo.

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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RUBY
Ruby is a young twentysomething-ish woman*, new to Boston, having moved there following a bad breakup. She's left the comforts of home and family to start again and prove to herself (and probably her ex) that she can do it on her own. She's generally optimistic, talks to herself, is a bit overwhelmed with everything but she still has a cheerful personality—which is reflected in everything from the way she dresses to the way she looks at life. Despite Winter in Boston, which really isn't treating her well, that is.

* Just before scheduling this post, I remembered that Ruby can't spend time in bars. So, she's a really young twentysomething-ish. I could probably look it up, but that's good enough.

She's jobless, but looking, and is getting close to the desperation point. But she's not going to quit until she has to.

She shares her apartment with a woman who is very different than her, and their communication...well, it's lousy. And not just because Ruby's killed all but one of her houseplants.

CORDELIA
Cordelia is noticeably older. Not truly grumpy, but optimistic and bubbly are definitely not things she's been called (or would want to be called). She's maybe not a huge success, but she does well enough that she's not worried about money or comfort (there's more to it than that, but I'll let you read it for yourself). She likes to stay home in the evenings and read.

And drink. And drink some more. I don't know if she's technically an alcoholic (a functional one, for what it's worth) or if she's just a heavy drinker. It's probably an academic question, really.

Cordelia doesn't have much of a social life, she gets along with her coworkers—none of whom know that up until recently she'd been having an extended affair with their very married boss.

She doesn't understand Ruby's optimism, her approach to life/job hunting, resents what she's doing to her houseplants, and just doesn't know how to get through to her at all.

A large part of that stems from the fact that Cordelia was found dead a few months ago, and is now a ghost who likes staying in her former apartment while she gets a handle on the whole afterlife thing. Ruby, is (I should've said earlier, but I just assume it) very much alive and was more than happy to move into an already furnished apartment.

WHAT'S A NEW LEASE ON DEATH ABOUT?
The book opens with Cordelia trying to talk the brand-new ghost of their neighbor through the opening minutes of his afterlife. He'd been murdered just outside their building and he is not taking the whole experience very well.

In one of the early attempts at actual communication between the roomies, Ruby gets the idea that Cordelia is trying to tell her they should investigate the murder like someone on one of the True Crime podcasts she's a huge fan of. Cordelia was actually trying to keep Ruby as far as she could from all that, and seemed more than ready to accept the police's rushed theories.

Before you know it, these two had become much more than people...entities?...sharing an apartment, they were a semi-functional team on the hunt for a killer.

THE GHOSTLY BRASS TACKS
This isn't a book steeped in magic, supernatural creatures, and other things common in Urban Fantasy or even other supernatural mysteries I've talked about here. The Supernatural (at least in this book) is limited to ghosts who linger around—and not many do. We're not really told why, but Cordelia has a theory.

It's not easy to help someone when you're incorporeal, invisible, and unable to make yourself heard. It's also hard to "lean on" or assist someone if you're not all that sure is actually around, or off doing their own thing.

And honestly, that's just the beginning of their problems.

Blacke paints a picture of Claudia's reality, her state, her learning curve, and her abilities to interact with the physical world and people in a way that absolutely makes sense, is consistent, well thought-out, and believable. It's truly impressive—and darn entertaining—to watch Claudia try to be Ruby's partner through all this.

It's strong to say there's a relationship between these two, but there is.

SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT A NEW LEASE ON DEATH?
In brief—this is everything I hoped it would be (well, I wanted a few more jokes, but I got over that). I bought in right away to everything—Blacke made that really easy—and both the plot and characters kept me fully engaged. I was faster than the pair on a thing or two (nothing applicable to this case, but what appears to be the next one), but didn't get to the solution to the mystery until about the same time as Ruby and Cordelia.

It's both a fun and well-executed novel and a solid introduction to a world and series (it's at least a duology, I just don't know how many books Blacke/Minotaur Books have in mind). There's not a huge cast of characters that we can expect to see again—but there are some. We'll see some of Ruby's coworkers, I'm sure (eep—minor spoiler, she finds some kind of job); there are some figures we'll see from the apartment building; and there's one ghost I expect Cordelia to learn a bit more from. But it's essentially a cast of two—and that's more than enough to fuel this book and series.

In a step in a new direction for Blacke, this isn't a cozy mystery—or so Blacke's website says. And it's true, I suppose—largely depending on how strictly you define "cozy." But almost every cozy reader will embrace the storytelling. Blacke's fans, in particular, will be fine with this after a little adjustment, and will likely embrace it without much trouble.

It's not as lighthearted, warm, fuzzy, and pun-filled as The Record Shop Mysteries were. There's little in here that's outright funny—although you'll smile most of the time, and the book is rarely dark. Tonally, it's close to Darynda Jones' mysteries, Janet Evanovich, and Lee Goldberg's Eve Ronin (although all of those contain more jokes).

What Blacke carries over from the Record Shop Mysteries is her charm. You will like these two women right away. You'll look for signs of friendship, camaraderie, and understanding between the two—and be pleased when you find them (and when you don't have to look anymore).

This is the fourth book by Blacke that I've read, and it's the fourth book of hers that I enjoyed. But she's displaying a greater skill when it comes to writing, plotting, and character here than she has before. I think that's a function of subject/subgenre rather than skill or anything. I've liked her books before, but this impressed me in a way the others haven't. I don't think it's me comparing the two series—because I honestly want her to circle back soon to the environs of Sip & Spin Records (as little as I expect it). It's just this is a better canvas for her to display more of her talent.

If you've tried her earlier material, you'll see what I mean. If you haven't, just realize I was dancing around a point—and maybe landed near it.

Regardless—this is a fun odd couple/buddy cop outing featuring amateur sleuths (so, yeah "buddy cop" isn't technically right, but you know what I'm saying) with a side order of supernatural woowoo. The solution to the mystery is satisfying and fitting—and the conclusion of the novel launches into the next novel/series. What's not to like? Very little. I'm already eagerly awaiting the next volume. I feel like there's something I'm not saying, but I can't figure out what it is. So I'll just leave it at this point.

I'm looking forward to the next book, I expect almost everyone who reads A New Lease on Death will find themselves in the same boat. And I really hope many people come aboard—like you. Yes, you. Pick this one up.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley—thanks to both for this.

"A New Lease on Death" was such a fun read. Olivia Blacke created such an awesome little world with Ruby and Cordelia.

This was a blast to read and I could not put it down. I found myself very entrenched with the story as Ruby tried to navigate solving a murder with the help of a ghost sidekick in Cordelia. I love ghost stories and this was such a humorous take.

I am really looking forward to more books by Olivia Blacke now.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur books for selecting me for the ARC.

I received a complimentary ARC copy of A New Lease on Death by Olivia Blacke from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press /Minotaur Books in order to read and give an honest review.

…I love this character driven type of story which is a seamless blend of mystery, humor, and the supernatural…

When down on her luck Ruby Young moves into a seemingly ordinary Boston apartment, not only was it fully furnished but she soon discovers it comes with a rather unusual roommate: a ghost named Cordelia. Cordelia, the former tenant died in the apartment months prior to Ruby moving in and is still lingering. The two could not be more unalike and Cordelia is a little irked with Ruby’s treatment of her belongings often letting her know in the only way she can, by moving things around. When the kind yet womanizing neighbour Jake across the hall is found dead, shot between the eyes, together the unlikely pair embark on a mission to solve the murder of their neighbor.

I love this character driven type of story which is a seamless blend of mystery, humor, and the supernatural. While the mystery plot is quirky and fun, I really love the character development of Ruby and Cordelia. Their unique dynamic and evolving friendship are really make the story for me. I really enjoyed A New Lease on Death and would highly recommend it.