A millennial and a ghost team up to solve the murder of a man neither of them knew well. As the two work together, they must navigate the challenges of communication and cohabitation. Author Olivia Blacke brings a heartwarming tone to this book, despite a pace that drags a touch, in A New Lease on Death.

Cordelia Graves is bored out of her mind. Now that she’s been dead for a while and floated all around her hometown of Boston, Cordelia’s ready for something different. At the very least, she’s ready for some company. She didn’t know being a ghost would be so lonely.

When she finds the body of Jake Macintyre right outside their apartment building, she thinks she’ll be able to help Jake navigate the afterlife and also have some company. Jake, though, doesn’t take so well to being dead and disappears, leaving Cordelia right back where she started. Also, there’s the nagging sensation that something isn’t right about Jake’s death. Maybe the bullet hole in his head has something to do with that.

Not that Cordelia had a close relationship with Jake. They lived across the hall from one another, and occasionally Jake’s parties got a little loud. They never had any problems, but they weren’t exactly best friends either. So why does his dying bother Cordelia so much?

Maybe it’s because Jake died right outside the building on a snowy day without shoes or a jacket and still holding his cell phone. What if the person who killed Jake comes back? Cordelia feels obligated to warn her roommate about the situation. Even if she resents the roommate living in her space.

She supposes it wasn’t Ruby’s fault. After all, when Cordelia died the apartment became available. There was no way the super was going to let the apartment sit vacant.

For Ruby Young, the apartment is the start of her new life. She’s reeling—and running—from heartbreak. Coming to Boston is a way for Ruby to assert her independence. Moving into Cordelia’s apartment, fully furnished with all of Cordelia’s personal items, was a stroke of good luck.

Except ever since Ruby moved in, she’s sensed a presence. When she finds out about Jake’s murder, the presence becomes stronger. Before long, Ruby figures out the presence is Cordelia.

It surprises Ruby how chill she is about living with a ghost, but it also makes sense Cordelia would still be around. With the way Cordelia died—apparently by suicide in the bathroom—it would be hard to let go. But now Cordelia’s determined to help Ruby…what? Solve Jake’s murder? That must be it. They have to solve Jake’s murder together.

Ruby’s trusting heart exasperates Cordelia and endears her to Ruby all at the same time. As the roommates work through the excruciating process of figuring out how to talk to each other and what happened to Jake, they become friends. And the longer Cordelia is friends with Ruby, the more fervently she hopes Ruby doesn’t end up joining her on this side of death.

Olivia Blacke’s deep experience in the craft makes for an immensely enjoyable read. Blacke gives both Ruby and Cordelia the opportunity to share the story in alternating first-person chapters. Some books with more than one first-person POV find it difficult to distinguish between the POV characters. Blacke, however, solidifies Ruby and Cordelia’s personalities early on, making their chapters stand apart from one another.

The book falls squarely in the cozy mystery genre, and Blacke proves with her seasoned writing that a clean book can be just as compelling as one rife with profanity and intimate scenes. This, above many other elements, will most likely draw readers in. Ruby is genuinely sweet without once coming across as saccharine. Cordelia, at times, sounds and behaves much older than the mid- to late-40s age range originally proposed, but her big sister/mama bear instincts toward Ruby later in the novel are relatable and real.

The book’s pacing suffers somewhat from the quiet plot. So many chapters are taken up by character development and the establishment of the relationship between Cordelia and Ruby that the solving of the murder feels a tad quick. However, the murder mystery at the heart of the book doesn’t feel beyond the scope of the story world, a good thing given that so much of the story takes place within Cordelia and Jake’s apartment building.

Those looking for a new fun read in the cozy mystery genre will definitely enjoy this one.

This was definitely different from any cozy I've read before. We start out with a frozen body in front of an apartment building in a not so great area of Boston and that's when we meet Cordelia. Cordelia knows the body as it used to belong to the guy who lived across the hall from her. She's also getting used to having a roommate in her small dingy apartment. The problem is that the roommate, Ruby Young, doesn't know she's really there as Cordelia is actually a ghost.
The book alternates between Ruby and Cordelia's perspective. Ruby is young and optimistic and a bit down on her luck. Even when she was alive Cordelia was a bit of a loner and definitely not what one would describe as upbeat. Together, however, they're an interesting pair as they figure out how to communicate and try to find out just who took out their across the hall neighbor and maybe Cordelia herself.
Since this is a fairly complicated premise there is quite a bit of setup and it takes a bit for things to really get going in the story. This makes for a bit of a slower pacing. However, the characters were well drawn and lots of fun and the premise kept me guessing. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

Olivia Blacke has written a darkly humorous supernatural mystery, A New Lease on Death, featuring Ruby Young and Cordelia Graves. Ruby Young has just moved into a fully furnished Boston apartment that comes with noisy neighbors and the ghost of its former owner, Cordelia Graves. When neighbor Jake Macintyre is shot outside their building, Cordelia is determined to bring his killer to justice. Naturally, she needs to find a way to gain the help of Ruby. She can move things, but can’t be heard or seen.

The story has some funny and cute moments, but it also has some real-life struggles such as being away from home and needing a job in addition to the duo trying to solve the murder. The author did a great job on characterization and atmosphere. However, the pacing was somewhat uneven and there is some repetition. Woven into the story are threads of unlikely friendships, murder, relationships, living away from home, and much more.

Overall, this is a fun, charming, and entertaining cozy paranormal mystery and the series has a lot of promise. I’m looking forward to the next book.

St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books and Olivia Blacke provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for October 29, 2024.

I did enjoy this one! It was very quick to read and I'm getting more into cozy mysteries (and always love a ghost!). I am intrigued enough to read the second book, because I really did enjoy the characters, even though the ending felt a bit rushed and I don't usually love an aggressive cliffhanger. I like each book to be fairly self contained, which is the only reason why continuing is only a "probably" because of spite lol.

A cozy mystery with humor, hijinks, and lovable characters. It kept me guessing. The beginning and end were fast paced but the middle dragged a bit. The ending was great and I really hope there's a second book.

If you're looking for a lighter spooky season read this one is perfect. Cordelia and Ruby as roommates and an unlikely amateur sleuth team are adorable and funny. I loved that Cordelia was deceased and needed Ruby's help to solve her neighbour's murder. I absolutely cannot wait to read about these ladies again, and I'm hoping they will star in a sequel. This book is perfect for cozy, paranormal, and mystery fans.

Surprisingly fun! And just in time for Halloween!

I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked this one up, but a cozy mystery between a 20-year-old Ruby and her 40-something year old roommate, Cordelia, turned into a blast. Especially when you find out that roommate, Cordelia, is a ghost.

Staked with solving the murder of their next door neighbor, Cordelia and Ruby work together despite the lack of communication between ghosts and "breathers." I found the first 1/3 of the book to move really quickly, and the last tenth was extremely fast-paced. The middle dragged a lot, and it seemed like there was quite a bit of filler.

Some of that filler is important, as this is clearly meant to be a series and ends on a cliffhanger, but I do think some of the plot directly relevant to this book could have been cut to make the book move faster.

All told though, I was surprisingly delighted by the premise and delivery of this book and look forward to reading more of the series!

* Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review! *

This was a fun, cozy murder mystery. And was unlike any I’ve read before. I didn’t hate it or love it and would probably read the second in the series just to see what happens next as it does end on a cliff hanger. I gave it three stars solely because it took me forever to get through and felt like a chore to read.

This book was such a fun and cozy mystery. I loved that our main character was a ghost and she’s “roommates” with such a bubbly happy human. The unlikely friendship formed between the two was amazing! I loved that we got to see a ghost and human working together to solve a mystery, and it was cool to learn about the abilities Cornelia has as a ghost! This has a good amount of comedy in it and was such a fun read. I highly recommend it if you are in the mood for a fun and quick read!

A New Lease on Death is a paranormal, cozy mystery that I enjoyed reading! I really enjoyed the characters of Rubg and Cordelia, though I do wish we got a little more back story on Cordelia. The plot was interesting and kept me guessing but some parts felt a little redundant at times. Overall, I would recommend this book, it was a fun read!

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Thank you @netgalley for the advanced copy!

This book was okay. I wanted to like it because the cover the book really drew me in. I like the ghost hand dropping the skull key into the human hand.
I feel like the story had a good idea behind it, but there was too much going on. I also don't know why the female ghost was so interested in finding out why the male ghost was murdered.

Three and 1/2 stars. This book was ok. I found it boring but did finish it. Cordelia died from a supposed overdose/alcohol related incident. (or did she?) Her apartment was rented out, as is, to Ruby a young girl who had her heart broken from a jerk face. She moved to Boston where she rented Cordelia's apartment in a not so nice neighborhood. Jake, the guy who lives across the hall and eats a lot of pizza was found dead on the steps in front of the apartment building. Ruby decides she has to find out exactly what happened to Jake. Along comes Cordelia's ghost. She is going to help. Ruby can not see or hear Cordelia but she can feel her presence and Cordelia will move things or write on frost covered windows, or use poem magnets on the refrigerator to communicate. The story goes on to tell how they try to solve the murder. It is a funny, cute story.
Thanks to #netgalley, Minotaurbooks and @oliviablackauthor for an ARC of this book. All comments are my own.

Actually, this one gets a 3.5 star rating from me. Its's definitely more of a cozy mystery and not a thriller but perfect for a fun October read. Would I have selected it if I had realized it was the start of a new series? Probably not, sometimes I just want a good stand alone cozy mystery and not another in a long series that I feel obligated to continue reading.

The story was told from the POV of Ruby and Cordelia. Ruby, the perky, innocent "alive" tenant of Cordelia's apartment and Cordelia, the "no longer alive",grumpy, pessimist ghost. Together they are attempting to solve the murder of their neighbor Jake. The relationship between Cordelia and Ruby is cute and it's fun to watch their communication skills develop but the rest of the characters fell a bit flat for me, except potentially Shannon. The ending of the book felt a bit rushed and I was a bit disappointed for the ending to only invite more questions that can only be answered by reading the next installment.

I would like to thank NetGalley, St. Martin's press and the author for the opportunity to read an advanced copy ahead of the release date.

First, thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur books for this ARC! My opinions are my own.
I got approved for this novel in May, but I knew I wanted it to be one of my October season reads. I loved the cover and the concept of the novel.

Before I begin, here is some foundational information:

Chapter organization: There are two main narrators: Cordelia, the Millennial ghost, and Ruby, the bubbly GenZ, who moved into her apartment. The novel vacillates between both of their perspectives.

The premise: Jakey, the womanizer but life-of-the-party, neighbor dies in the beginning of the novel (shot to the head). The police write his death off as mugging, but due to the lack of anything actually stolen and how Jakey was dressed in a Boston winter, Cordelia and, eventually, Ruby have their doubts. There is also this pesky little clue that on the night when Cordelia died, Jake saw a tall figure holding a laptop leave Cordelia’s apartment. Cordelia never had visitors, so this is SUS. Once Cordelia makes herself known to Ruby and becomes her de facto guardian ghost, they venture out into the world like a crime-solving duo to solve Jake’s death.

My thoughts:
I really wanted to love this novel. It had several elements that really worked for me: Ghost roommate, strong female characters, a mystery to solve. While reading it, I felt like I was reading an off-shoot of the film “Ghost” with Patrick Swayze. It had the same vibe. Cordelia, like Sam Wheat, challenged herself to figure out her ghostly skills like moving things around and so forth. Ruby, like Oda Mae Brown, was the right hand of her ghost partner; however, Ruby couldn’t hear Cordelia unless she was drunk or in sleep mode.

I love “Ghost,” but unfortunately, I did not love “A New Lease on Death.”

SPOILERS AHEAD:
Here is where the novel fell flat for me. Throughout the whole novel, I frequently questioned why Cordelia and Ruby were so invested in Jake’s death. Yeah, he was clearly murdered, but he wasn’t family, or even a friend. It wasn’t like “Ghost” where Sam Wheat and Oda Mae Brown had a serious buy-in to solve the murder and protect Molly. It literally just felt like a hobby. The level of interest in his death was mostly “we can’t have a murderer running around these parts!” It wasn’t enough for me. I saw early on that Cordelia’s death was not an actual suicide like everyone thought. There were also statements that showed Cordelia was hiding something. I was there for the build-up and the great reveal that Jakey was a casualty of Cordelia’s sordid-esque past! I was actually hoping that Jake’s death was related to Cordelia’s…. then it wasn’t. It was a result of a lover’s spat and not actually connected to Cordelia at all. Wah-wah.

I know there are a lot of people who will love this novel, but it was just not for me.

I have been really into cozy mysteries this fall. I love the humour, the puzzle and the anticipation as the author gets closer and closer to revealing the truth… ⁣
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A New Lease in Death definitely falls into the cozy mystery category with its light and humorous story. Cordelia has a new roommate, Ruby, who is young, perky and, frankly, kind of annoying. The big problem, though? Cordelia is dead and it’s her ghost that is playing roomie with Ruby. When the across-the-hall neighbour is tragically killed outside the apartment building, Cordelia is sure that foul play is involved and needs Ruby to help her prove it. ⁣
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The story that ensues is full of the slap-stick humour and hijinks that you might expect from a story of a ghost (who no one can see) and her oblivious partner who stumbles into the answer more often than not. If you enjoy some laughter alongside your murder (I’m looking at you, Finlay Donovan fans), this will likely hit the mark for you. ⁣
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I think this book punched above where I would normally rate it as it did a really great job in writing some serious and sensitive topics alongside the humour. The topic of death was really respectfully handled, especially as we were reading from the perspective of someone recently passed. It added the depth to the story I needed to be able to continue finding the comical writing interesting. ⁣
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As a head’s up, this book does deal with the topics of: suicide, domestic abuse and homicide. There is very limited graphic content, but it is brought up throughout the book. ⁣
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Overall, I thought this was a fun little ghost story, and it was perfect to read headed towards Halloween. I’m glad this is a part of a series because I am already looking forward to the sequel! You can find A New Lease on Death on shelves October 29. ⁣
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I received this ARC through @netgalley . All opinions are my own. Thank you to @minotaur_books for making this title available to me!

Entertaining! I liked the twists and turns but, you are definitely left on a cliffhanger. Simplistic characters who become less naive as the story progresses. Enjoyable mystery looking forward to the next installment of Cordelia and Ruby!

This is a cozy mystery with a slight eeriness to it. I always enjoy a storyline with a ghost. It’s probably because I can live vicariously through the characters because I know it’s something that would only happen in the book.

There is a dual POV with one being a ghost which gives the story more depth. I like how I can see a little bit of myself in each of them. The sarcasm is comical. I laughed out loud a few times thanks to Cordelia.

Ruby and Cordelia have to find creative ways to communicate with each other. I do wish that Ruby was able to see Cordelia or at least hear her. I hope they are able to find ways to create a deeper connection as the series goes on.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy in exchange for my review.

I'm always a little excited when I see a new cozy with a paranormal theme. This book fit the profile for me and I'm so happy to read it. Ruby's new apartment comes with a ghostly roommate, Cordelia Graves, the apartment's previous tenant. Cordelia is bored of being stuck in the apartment and when neighbor Jake is killed Cordelia gets Ruby to help her figure out the murder.
This is a really good start to the series. I enjoyed the writing and the characters. I'll be sure to read the next book in the series.

An extremely fun, buddy cop-esque cozy mystery with one living and one very not-living pair of protagonists. I flew through this story and found it the perfect balance of engaging and light.

A New Lease on Death is the 1st in a new paranormal mystery series by Olivia Blake. It follows two narrators and it flips between them chapter to chapter. One is a ghost named Cordelia who has been hanging around her old apartment building since her recent death at 40 and the other is her apartment's new 20 year old tenet Ruby. Ruby is barely getting by and took Cordelia's apartment fully furnished for a discount because she died there. Cordelia is lonely and trying to figure out the after life. She gets invested in Ruby's life after her neighbour is murdered and Cordelia wonders if her death and his could be connected. If so maybe Ruby is also in danger and she begins to try to appear to Ruby and connect with her.
They become allies and Cordelia helps Ruby get her old job and that allows her to start to learn more about Cordelia and helps Cordelia reveal more about her life leading up to her death and whether or not she really committed suicide. They work together to solve the murder and reveal what happened to their neighbour.
The themes a bit darker then a typical cozy mystery, but it was still humorous and campy. You start to really root for Ruby to succeed, she's very endearing. Cordelia is revealed to be much more flawed as the story goes on and there's a lot more mystery to her then you first expect. There's one part in which Cordelia manipulates Ruby to get drunk so she can communicate with her better, that I found uncomfortable and made Cordelia less likable to me. That is why I gave it 4 stars, but I still plan on continuing the series. The ending is left at a cliff hanger so hopefully we get a book two soon.