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.

I love a good spooky romance story! Even though it’s summer, this book is a perfect fall read. A good book!

The idea of this book is what drew me in immediately it’s a cute little murder mystery of who done it. The story is in different POV’s and I had a hard time with it keeping my attention. For people that like that it would be a great book for you then because it’s something I could see people cozying up to the fireplace reading after a long day at work. I would give this 3.5 stars if I could but I rounded up because that’s only fair to the author.


Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with the ARC of this book for an honest review.

This review will be on Goodreads

I would describe this book as cute! Yes, there is murder and other serious subjects, but the interaction between Ruby and Cordelia is truly entertaining! Very well written between 2 points of view. A very entertaining ghost story!

Thank you to Net Galley and the Minotaur Books for allowing me to read this ARC.

The idea behind the story is really fun, and it's an overall cozy mystery! I really liked the bare bones of the story and the characters. The two POVs of Ruby and Cordelia were generally fun, and I loved seeing them work together (as best they could) to solve a murder. I'm interested in seeing where the next book(s) take us.

As far as some of the criticisms I had with this, I would be lying if I said I didn't want a bit more from the plot. Too much of the story felt like little to no progress was being made on a consistent basis. The characters and fairly low-stakes atmosphere of the book made up for it a bit, but I would have liked more there. The other big thing that took me out of the story a bit was how Ruby and Cordelia's personalities were written. The same points were hammered home a little too often and explicitly stated. I think a little more show and a little less tell would do wonders for making both of them feel like more well-rounded, real people. Again, not a story ruining thing for me, but definitely something that stuck out to me throughout.

Ultimately, this was a really fun starter book for a cozy mystery series with two fun main characters and plenty of room for growth as the series continues!

I just adore cozy murder mystery books. This book included a cast or crazy characters which made the story a bit more memorable. This was unlike any other cozy mystery I’ve read and I really enjoyed how different it was.

Thank you to #netgalley, #oliviablacke, and #minotaurbooks for the ARC of #anewleaseondeath. The cover caught my eye and I put a request in for an ARC. I'm so glad I did! This cozy mystery with ghosts was just what was needed. The relationship between Ruby and Cordelia is one I definitely want! They had me laughing out loud throughout the books. I hope the author works on getting this series into a show because it would be hysterical and definitely a must watch. I definitely recommend this book and I am so looking forward to future books in the series.