One thing to know before going into this book - THERE IS A CLIFFHANGER!! And while this book was fine, I didn't love it enough to want to come back to the second to find out what REALLY happened to Cordelia.

A cute premise where a new renter, Ruby, finds that her apartment is haunted by Cordelia and that they can see each other (sometimes - they explain how in the book), and they decide to solve the murder that occurred outside the apartment building. This was a decent enough read. Exactly what you'd expect from a light-hearted murder mystery, with okay (but slightly annoying) characters, comedy, a bit of heart, and solving a murder.

If you're looking for something fast and easy, this could be a good pick for you!

A cozy lighthearted mystery with a paranormal twist. Cordelia and Ruby make a great crime solving team regardless of their situation. I enjoyed the story. It moves and is filled with plenty of ‘who done it’ vibes. There is also plenty of wit. Ruby is bright and youthful with balances well with Cordelia’s serious nature. I enjoyed their interactions and miscommunications. It’s a fun book and definitely worth a read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun and cozy mystery. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Cordelia and Ruby. They were an amazing duo and I loved their crime solving antics. I am dying to know what really happened to Cordelia and who killed her and why. I hope to learn more in the next installment. I also just adored Ruby as she was an adorable character.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. While I enjoyed the mystery and intrigue of the book, I felt like it carried on too long and left a lot of questions unanswered. I do know a second book was announced but I’m not sure if I will read it if I’m being honest. I did like the characters and the dual POV but a lot of the dialogue and interactions felt forced and awkward. I just don’t think the mystery genre is for me though so you may enjoy this one a lot more!

this book was not anything wonderful, but i had a really fun time with it. i loved the characters, the mystery was fun if nothing groundbreaking, and i will absolutely be reading the sequel.

I had the pleasure of reading *A New Lease on Death* by Olivia Blacke, and it was an absolute delight! This cozy paranormal mystery introduces readers to Ruby, a young woman who moves into a new apartment in Boston, only to discover that her deceased neighbor, Cordelia, is still lingering as a ghost. Together, they embark on a mission to solve the mystery of Jake's murder, a neighbor who died under suspicious circumstances.
What truly stood out to me was the dynamic between Ruby and Cordelia. Their evolving relationship was both heartwarming and humorous, with Cordelia's ghostly antics and Ruby's youthful energy creating a perfect balance. The dual perspectives offered a unique insight into both the living and the afterlife, making for an engaging narrative.
Olivia Blacke's writing is clever and filled with red herrings that kept me guessing until the very end. The pacing was steady, and while there were moments of repetition, they didn't detract from the overall enjoyment of the story. The ending was satisfying yet left room for more, and I'm eager to see where the next installment takes these characters.
Overall this is a fun, charming, and entertaining cozy paranormal mystery. It's a delightful escape into a supernatural whodunnit that I highly recommend to fans of the genre.

Too cozy for my taste. I don't mind some humor in thrillers but it is a fine line for me and often reads as too silly.

A New Lease on Death is a fun, quirky, cozy mystery. Cordelia and Ruby are sort of roommates, one is alive and one is a ghost. It's a mystery with some interesting twists with an ending I didn't expect. Hopefully there is another book in the series.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my review copy of this book.

I saw Olivia Blacke’s newest book on NetGalley, Death at the Door, and I realized that I had the first book in the series unread on my Kindle! 👀

A New Lease on Death is about a woman, Cordelia, who killed herself in her home and came back as a ghost. She stumbles upon her neighbor, Jake, outside their apartment who’s slumped over with a bullet hole to the head and talks to his ghost for a moment before he disappears.

Ruby started renting Cordelia’s apartment after her demise. It came furnished since Cordelia had no family to clean it out and Ruby doesn’t have the money to redecorate. Cordelia hates Ruby living amongst her things and has tried to run her off, but now that their neighbor has been murdered outside their apartment building, they team up to solve the case.

I loved the banter between Ruby and Cordelia and plan on jumping into the new book soon! While the book was a little slow in the beginning, the investigation started developing, and the ending took me by surprise! I listened to the audiobook while reading and the narrators were fun!

This was a great story but I don't love the writing style-I've felt this way with her other books. They are always a great concept but don't love the editing (or lack thereof) and writing. Sorry but this was not my favorite

Enjoyable, lighthearted, ghostly mystery with good characters and interesting premise. I enjoyed the story and the characters and would definitely read another book by this author.

The first book in a new series by author, Olivia Blacke, is a quirky and funny supernatural tale. I have enjoyed the books in the Record Shop series and was excited to explore a new adventure. The characters are well developed and I loved getting to know Ruby Young and Cordelia Graves. Even though Cordelia is deceased, she is still present and tries to figure out how to communicate with Ruby so she can help solve the murder. It was entertaining to watch how they worked together to discover clues. The ending will grab you unexpectedly and have you anxiously looking forward to the next book in the series. I can’t wait to see what Ruby and Cordelia get themselves into!

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

Cozy Mystery
Fantasy
Fiction
Ghosts
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Mystery Thriller
Paranormal

I'm afraid the time has come to admit defeat. I have tried A New Lease on Death a few times and haven't been drawn in. I loved this author's other books in the Record Shop Mysteries series, starting with Vinyl Resting Place. I was hopeful this series would work for me as well and was excited to try a paranormal story. Unfortunately, I never got very far into the book because I simply couldn't get into it.

I was not able to read this book and review it before its publishing date but now that I read it I have given it 4 stars.

I loved A New Lease on Death. A ghost and the new tenant of her apartment team up to solve the murder of their neighbor across the hall. This is a cozy, quirky mystery with Beetlejuice and Ghostbusters vibes-I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am so excited to read the Blacke's second installment in this series Death at the Door coming in October 2025. Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the eARC in a exchange for an honest review. (And apologies for the delay in getting my review posted!)

I love the idea of this plot so much! But unfortunately, it sounded too good to be true. I thought the comedy was a bit forced and that the plot with its twists was a bit predictable.

I really liked the cover on this book, I love a different style of cover with a green background. More green cozy mysteries pls. With a hauntingly good mix of humor, spectral shenanigans, and a dash of amateur detective work, you'll find yourself rooting for this living-dead duo. A delightful read that’s more LIVEly than it has any right to be

This wasn’t really within a genre I enjoy yet it was a fun and charming book that really hits on some deep issues as well.

I DNFed this at 39%. I just could not get into the writing style and the mystery part dragged too long. Never felted connected to the character or really cared about solving the mysteries.

Every once in a while, I find myself needing a change of pace of my usual reading habits. Between that and my exposure to Only Murders in the Building, this cozy murder mystery seemed like it would do the trick. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me. The story was predictable and the characters were hard to connect with.