Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. The book releases October 29th, 2024.

I would like to start my review by saying that I don't usually consider myself a reader of the cozy mystery genre, however the synopsis of this one is what pulled me in. This a supernatural mystery about a woman named Cordelia (who is now a ghost) who ends up teaming up with Ruby (a 20 something year-old) who has just moved into Cordelia's old apartment. The two try to solve a string of murders happening in their community.

Overall, I did enjoy the relationship between Cordelia and Ruby. It's always interesting when you pair a middle aged adult with a younger character that is almost half their age. You see a lot of the book's humour shine through these two characters because of their age differences.

The who dunnit itself was a little lacking in my opinion. I feel like I was expecting a bit more from it. The author also leaves you with a massive cliffhanger in order to end the book so that it can leave room for future installments.

Some mentions of cheating, drinking and suicide so be aware of that if those are sensitive topics for you.

A New Lease on Death is a funny, cozy mystery and I enjoyed every minute of it! Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book introduces an unusual detective team. Ruby Young is a young woman who moved to Boston for a fresh start. She moves into the apartment of an older office manager Cordelia. The twist is Cordelia is dead. She died in the apartment. When the across the hall neighbor is shot in front of the building on a snowy night both women want to figure it out. But how can a ghost and a lie one work together. The story was good and kept me guessing.

What a lovely little lighthearted, paranormal cozy!

Cordelia and Ruby are roommates, but Ruby doesn't know that right away because Cordelia is dead.

I really, really liked both of these characters. They were complete opposites in age, background, and professional lives. It really worked, though. Once they figured out how to communicate with each other, they team up to solve the murder of their neighbor, Jake, from across the hall.

I think it was really neat watching two people who really can't see or speak to each other form a friendship. I'm excited to see where this series goes next! I do wish the pace was a little bit faster, but all in all I enjoyed it. I am giving this four stars because I actually am interested in where this goes in the future.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy. My opinion is my own and I was not financially compensated for it.

This was a really fun read! I am a huge fan of cozy mysteries and this one was a hit. I had a slight book hang over after finishing it. I thought it had an interesting and unique plot. A ghost becoming friends with the new tenant of her old apartment? Sign me up! I can’t wait for book two and more shenanigans from Cordelia and Ruby.

What ai enjoyed:
- a very unique take on the cozy mystery genre. This wasn’t corny and kept me interested the whole time
- the friendship between Cordelia and Ruby
- my need for the next book! I must know what happens

Overall, a great and fun paced read. Perfect for spooky season and any fan of paranormal mysteries. 4 stars out of 5. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I love a good cozy mystery. This had everything I look for, and more. I’m already looking forward to a reread in October for spooky season

3.5 stars -
This author is new to me and since I am in a bit of a mystery run on books, I thought it was a great choice for something different.

This story is as quirky as they come. It gave me distinct cozy mystery vibes, but with a ghost narrating parts of the book, it becomes a fun story with a few minor twists.

For me, Cordelia, the ghost, was the best part of the story as we get to see life from her side of the world. Trying to figure out how to be a ghost was humorous and the interactions with the living housemate were a trip as well.

I did not get a full buy-in from the other characters, however. For me, there was not a lot of excitement and thrills. Ruby, the housemate, was a bit annoying and clueless sometimes. Other characters were incorporated but no one really stood out as interesting and exciting for me.

The ending was a definite twist, and while it was beyond needed, it almost seemed rushed too.

A New Lease on Death is a cute cozy mystery that is simple and straightforward but fun. Top points for the cute cover!!

This book was cute and I honestly loved the idea of a ghost living in an apartment they died in and getting their new “roommate” to solve a murder. What bothered me was the abrupt way the book ended with a cliffhanger and so many questions about Cordelia. I felt like this should be the first in a series and I’m not sure if that is true or not.

If you’re a fan of cozy mysteries with a dash of literary fiction, this book could be a delightful find! It’s an easy, enjoyable read, perfect for when you want to relax with a slower-paced story that gives plenty of room for character development.

While it wasn’t a perfect fit for me personally:

- I found it a bit challenging to connect with the protagonists, which made it tough to stay fully engaged.
- There were a few repetitive moments in the writing that could’ve been tightened up a bit. (Yes, we know Boston is chilly!)
- The “no electronics are safe” theme felt a bit overused.

But hey, everyone’s taste is different—what didn’t quite click for me might be exactly what you’re looking for!

𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★ ★ ★ ★
𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: October 29, 2024
𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪:

This book was like Buffy meets Supernatural and I was here for all the moments of it. The was a fun fast paced murd3r mystery. We have the POV of Cordelia who is unailve and Ruby who is very much alive and they are living together. I absolutely love the relationship of these two and their fun way of talking. You will constantly be guessing what’s going to happen next page by page while they try to solve the neighbor, Jakes’ murd3r. The ending of this book was perfectly left for a book 2 and I cannot wait for it!

𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦: Supernatural Elements, Dual POV, Cozy Mystery, Set In Boston, Banter, Buffy x Supernatural

I enjoyed this book, although it had a slow start.

It is a cute little cozy mystery, when a ghost and her alive roommate solve a mystery together. I enjoyed it once it picked up momentum

Thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book to read and review.

Twenty-year-old Rose has just moved into a fully furnished apartment. This is a blessing for Rose as this is her first time on her own, but she has little money and she does not have a job. Except, the apartment already has a tenant, Cordelia. The problem is that no one can see Cordelia, because she died in the apartment. With no one to collect her belongings, it all stayed in place and Rose moved in.

Cordelia has the power to move items, but she cannot be seen or heard. Adding to the complications, a body is found outside of the apartment building, belonging to another tenant. The police are not interested in the case, leaving Cordelia and Rose to team up to find out what happened.
This is a sweet, cozy mystery, perfect for fall reading!
The ending is left open as this will be a continuing series.

Many thanks to Minotaur Books/St. Martin's Press, NetGalley, and the author for this ARC.

I have a new favorite detective duo! Cordelia and Ruby are an incredibly amazing pair. I would give anything to be friends with this duo in real life. It was silly and cute but builds a compelling mystery you want the pair to solve. I can’t wait for book 2.

This was a super cute ghosty mystery. Some things really stuck out to me though such as: if Cordelia could move magnets, why couldn’t she water her plants? Why would she try to write in print instead of cursive to communicate. I get hung up on these things. The story was good though overall and I’d recommend it for a light read

TBH, I wasn’t sure what I was expecting when I started this novel, and I didn’t get what I expected. However, that’s ok, because I did like what I got. Cordelia and Ruby are a very interesting duo, besides one of them being dead. They can’t have been mostly more different than if they’d tried, expect I got the feeling that they are both lonely and need someone, and in this case it’s each other. I know that’s much to say, but really, I can’t say too much. I really loved how they communicated with each other, how Ruby seems to be so much more confident by the end of the book, and how we slowly learned about what Cordelia was doing before she…well, I can’t say much about that either. While I think that maybe this could have been a tighter read, I still really enjoyed this, and I can’t wait to see what the two are going to do about Ruby’s revelation at the end…which I did see coming. A little dark, a little fun, well-written, and very interesting read. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

This book y'all!!! This was my first book of this type of genre, supernatural mystery, and let me tell you !! It did not disappoint! I loved the alternate pov's, the suspense through out the book, and the character's personality mesh. Very fast read and that ending !! I need a sequel now! Excuse me, while I read all of this author's backlist.

Thank you Netgalley, Minotaur Books, and author Olivia Blacke, for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. I went in not expecting much but I was really pleasantly surprised. The banter was great and I enjoyed the multiple POVs. I am glad to see that this is the beginning of a series because I was sad when this book ended. Cordelia and Ruby were a very unique odd couple and this definitely gave me Finlay Donovan vibes.

I loved this cozy paranormal story!!! The characters were well developed and the story kept me hooked from the first chapter. I loved Ruby and Cordelia working together and the adventures they got themselves into. This was my first book by Olivia Blacke and it will NOT be my last!!

Thanks NetGalley and SMP for an ARC!!

This was a fun first book in a new series. I have read this author before and enjoyed her other series. I found the paranormal aspect to be intriguing. I like seeing how the relationship between Ruby and the former tenant in her apartment, Cordelia. They become involved in solving the murder of the guy across the hall. I found it well written. I had no idea where it was going until the end. It moved along at a great pace and kept my interest all along.

I really enjoyed this book! It was fun, playful, enigmatic, and delightfully twisted. Suspicious characters everywhere paired with Ruby’s innocence and Cordelia’s cynicism made for a wonderful mystery. I’d love to see if there’s more to Ruby and Cordelia’s friendship!