This was a lot of fun. I loved the concept of Ruby and Cordelia sharing an apartment but having difficulty communicating; as much as I love communications with a ghost sleuth in cozies, I tire of the MC having to deal with a ghost talking to her while people are around and hiding it. I did enjoy the differences between Ruby and Cordelia and how this added to their evaluation of the investigation. The mystery was interesting but the story itself seemed to drag in the middle a little, as Ruby got settled in her life, but this ends with a cliffhanger and I can’t wait to see how it all plays out.

“A New Lease on Death” is the perfect quirky cozy mystery for the fall season! Ruby has moved into a new apartment and her only roommate is a ghost. Cordelia mysteriously died in the same apartment a month earlier. Now, Cordelia and Ruby must team up to solve the mystery of another death occurring on the same apartment floor. The characters were charming and the Dual POV added to the storytelling. I was intrigued in the mystery and wished for the best outcome for Ruby and Cordelia. Can’t wait to see how this series continues!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This was so fun & different than anything I normally read.
Ruby & Cordelia’s relationship, although unconventional, felt real in a sense that Cordelia grew to liking (and “living”) with Ruby.
I liked how the author explained the ghostly parts that Cordelia experienced, the tough parts of surviving for Ruby, the mystery aspect of the story. It all came together nicely at the end. I did feel the story slogged on a bit in parts or seemed wordy where I was skimming.
I plan to read the next one, as this one did end on a cliffhanger and I want to know what happens next between the friendship of these two MC’s.

I enjoyed the back and forth narration, despite feeling frustration for Cordy and Ruby in not being able to communicate. I look forward to the next book, which there BETTER be after that ending!

Real Rating: 3.5* of five

Entertaining buddy comedy featuring a ghost, her living subtenant, and a lot of very hinky people doing crappy things to each other. I got a lot of good fun from Cordelia, the ghost, being...well, let's say herself. Trying to figure out her afterlife was a major hassle when she hadn't even figured out her life! Ruby interested me less, seeming sort-of clueless and naïve.

A lovely cozy series I'll follow as it unfolds. This is a solid series-starter and one that repays you for reading it with fun and laughter.

Minotaur Books brings this out on 29 October 2024. Preorder now for some smiles in your #Deathtober.

👻 W A C K Y W E D N E S D A Y review 👻 featuring “A New Lease on Death” by Olivia Blacke!

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤/5

This book is told from the POV of a ghost named Cordelia Graves who died in her own apartment and “haunts” the building. Cordelia’s landlord never even cleaned out her apartment and instead rented it out fully furnished and full of her personal belongings to a young woman named Ruby.

Ruby senses that Cordelia is “there” with her and together they form a wacky friendship/roommate situation … especially since Ruby cannot see or hear Cordelia. When one of their neighbours is found murdered outside their building from a gunshot wound, the two of them pair up to solve his murder!

This is a fun cozy mystery and I don’t think I have read anything like it before with a ghost as the MC! It gave me Casper the Friendly Ghost vibes with a mix of murder and meddling!

Thank you kindly to @oliviablackeauthor @minotaur_books @stmartinspress @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This book releases on October 29, 2024!

A New Lease on Death is a perfect cozy mystery! Olivia Blacke introduces us to Cordelia Graves, a tenant whose death has kept her lingering, and the new tenant, Ruby Young, who has recently moved to Boston to escape her old life.

Cordelia and Ruby soon meet and form a friendship by way of refrigerator poetry magnets and an Etch-A-Sketch. When the neighbor across the hall is unexpectedly murdered outside their apartment complex, Ruby and Cordelia team up to find out what happened.

The dynamic duo of Cordelia and Ruby were very entertaining. They each have distinct personalities and I enjoyed getting to know them both. There were sprinkles of mystery, romance, comedy, and an affinity for all things Boston related. I did not see the ending coming, and really enjoyed the ride! There does seem to be room for a sequel in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and the author Olivia Blacke for a very enjoyable ARC of A New Lease on Death!

Unfortunately i made the decision to DNF this book after multiple failed attempts to consume. I hope to pick it up again at a later time.

When I first started reading this book, I thought it was going to be a rom com and I internally groaned. First chapter, a guy dies and meets a female ghost, perfect set up for a rom com, right? Nope.

Thankfully, the guy ghost disappeared and we meet Ruby, the new tenant at the apartment that Cordelia Graves died at. This, in my opinion, made a much better story than a rom com.

The entire story was really entertaining. It was funny in all the right parts and it was an easy read. This was great for me after reading a more difficult book. It was just perfect. Definitely would recommend to anyone that wants a nice cozy read. It has supernatural themes (ghosts), but I wouldn't classify it as scary or horror. Honestly, it was more of a comedy.

Cordelia is only a few months into being dead when she discovers her VERY newly dead neighbor, Jake, outside of their apartment building. Jake quickly makes his way to the afterlife and Cordelia makes her way back home, to her apartment which she now “shares” with Ruby.
Ruby has long suspected that Cordelia’s ghost has remained in the apartment, but this isn’t confirmed until Jake dies. The two devise a way to communicate and decide to investigate Jake’s death together.
A friendship of sorts is formed and it’s fun how the author made this odd couple come together. It was a good read, good plot, and mostly good ending but if left a cliffhanger!! Which I was mad about until I realized it’s book 1 in a series so I’ll get to read more about this pair. Overall very enjoyable!
Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and St Martins Press for access to this ARC.

This was an unexpected surprise. This story felt very unique and genuinely made me laugh. I love Cordelia and Ruby was a treat. I am so excited about the ending and the possibility of a sequel because I definitely don’t believe Cordelia’s death was self-inflicted. All in all I really enjoyed this and it was the perfect way to kick off spooky season!

A New Lease on Death is a cozy mystery and the first book in the Supernatural Mysteries series. I love the unique storyline and paranormal aspect. Cordelia and Ruby make an amazing duo. I enjoy the humorous tone and laugh a lot while reading. I can't wait to read the next book in the series. Overall, it was a great read and I highly recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A New Lease on Death is an entertaining cozy mystery with characters that are quirky and ghostly.

Cordelia tragically departs this world and returns as a ghost. ( that's a learning experience for her)

Her death has been classified a suicide.

Ruby is the new tenant and she soon realizes that she is not alone.

Then the unthinkable happens and together they team up to solve a murder.

I laughed out loud at times and I absolutely loved Cordelia.

Twists and turns with an ending that will surprise you.

A New Lease on Death has great potential for a great new series and I cant wait to meet up with Cordelia and Ruby soon.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the privilege of reading and reviewing A New Lease on Death.

I loved this book so much! This story was so heartfelt with plenty of elements of mystery. I have been on a cozy mystery kick lately and this definitely worked for that. I cannot wait for this story to continue. Ruby and Cordelia are both extremely relatable characters in their own ways. I love watching them discover how to communicate with one another and help each other out. Cordelia is a complicated and extremely interesting character. I cannot wait to see where her afterlife goes and just what all these secrets are she is keeping. Ruby is messy and very real. I appreciate watching her character grow and mature having been in her shoes before. The mystery was also well flushed out and I did not guess what the outcome was. I also really liked how it was not necessarily linked to Cordelia's death and that that is still a mystery we need to find out. I definitely recommend this one!!

This book starts off strong with a really fun setup: a ghost and her living roommate teaming up to solve a murder. I was hooked right away after meeting Cordelia, the snarky ghost, who made me laugh out loud. Then we meet upbeat Ruby, who I also really enjoyed. Their banter had me laughing throughout, and the way they form an unexpected friendship while trying to solve a mystery is entertaining.

The ghost angle adds a nice twist, giving the story a unique vibe while keeping things light even though it’s a murder mystery. The humor really shines, and the characters are easy to like and root for. The only downside for me was that some parts felt very repetitive, which made the middle drag a bit. It didn’t take away from the overall story, but it did slow things down.

That being said, the ending totally made up for it. It left me wanting more, and I’m excited to see where the story goes next. If you’re into a mix of humor, mystery, and a touch of the supernatural, this book is definitely worth checking out!

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for an eARC of this book!

This was a fun and entertaining cozy mystery, and the first in a series. I haven't read a book like this before, and I did enjoy the dual points of view and the characters. Not exactly memorable, but I would read the next in the series when it comes out.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC of A New Lease on Death!

This was a fun read as a new apartment tenant pairs up with the former tenant, who by the way is a ghost, to solve the murder of the tenant across the hall, who is not a ghost because he didn't believe in ghosts. The mystery itself had plenty of red herrings and kept me guessing, and the resolution was satisfying. Cordelia (the ghost) has secrets yet to be unveiled, and Ruby, the living tenant is flighty and funny. Everything's set up for the sequel and I look forward to it.

I loved this book! The story line was very original and the characters were great. I love a mystery and this book delivered on that. The end left me ready for the next book!

ARC Book Review!

A new lease on death by Olivia Blacke


3 / 5⭐️


I swear I could FEEL the Boston cold while reading this book. The author portrayed it vividly. The story was not what I expected at all and the “who done it” was shocking.

I do wish the author had put trigger warnings on this book though. It was heavy on the topics of violent murders, suicide, adultery and topics related. The overview of this book was a bit misleading as it didn’t indicate any of that but lead the reader to believe it would be a lighter fluffy read






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Wow, I loved this book! It was the perfect kind of book to kick off my spooky season reads this year! There were laughs and there was mystery, all with a paranormal twist.
👻
I loved the pacing right up until the last couple of chapters, honestly. The ending felt a bit rushed to me, but otherwise it was an enjoyable, quick moving story. And somebody else please tell me that last page also screamed SEQUEL! to them - it wasn’t just me, right?
😱
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for a free digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.