This was a fun cozy mystery that was a lot more enjoyable than the other book I read by this author. It was more authentic and the dynamic between the main characters was delightful. I enjoyed the mystery and though the main characters really didn't solve it, the adventure to get there was intriguing and they saved someone's life, so I'll take it. I feel cheated that one of the big mysteries wasn't actually solved, but I get it, we need room for a sequel, and that's (annoyingly) fine.

Okay…but what happened with Cordy?? Like I really just went through this whole book for it to end on a cliff hanger and not find out what happens to the main character?!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
𝑴𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔:
What a fun cozy mystery this was, and such a different concept for a book having one of the two main characters as a ghost.

I really loved having the dual perspectives as the narration for this story. It was great being able to hear from Ruby’s POV since she was the character actually alive and conducting the murder investigation in person, but I also LOVED having Cordelia’s POV as the ghost of the previous tenant of Ruby’s apartment. Both characters were very unique and had traits which I really liked, and made reading the story that much more enjoyable.

As for the plot, I thought the storyline was really good. It was pretty intricate, but was easy to follow along with based on all of the clues throughout the story. I do have to say I caught on to the murdered very early on in the book, but all of the twists a turns throughout made for an entertaining read.

Since this is the first book in a new series, I’m excited to see where the author will take Ruby and Cordelia’s story next. I feel like she lined up enough info to possibly get into Cordelia’s past a bit more, and I’m hoping the next book looks into what actually happened to Cordelia and how her old work and the reporter play roles in it👀

This book is perfect if you want a bit of a paranormal read (especially in October), and also if you love cozy mysteries which are easy to read.

𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒇 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆:
- 🕵️‍♀️ Cozy mysteries
- 👻 Friendly neighborhood ghosts
- 🧐 Interesting cast of characters

𝑾𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑷𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈: 2022 Rosé - Trius Winery🍷

Thank you to Minotaur Books, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

I couldn't resist picking this up with such an interesting premise, not to mention the small hope that this would be anything like another beloved series with a funny heroine who can see ghosts. And while this didn't (sadly) live up to the series I was hoping it would, it did hold its own in many ways. Overall this was an enjoyable read and was very different from what I expected it to be but not in a bad way. In fact I think this series looks promising and it will be interesting to see what the second book holds.

What a fun, quirky read! The characters were incredibly sweet and endearing- I was hooked from the start, and the cliffhanger ending left me wanting more! I hope there is a follow up on Ruby and Cordelia in the works!

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy!

Move over Finlay and Vero, there is a new amateur sleuth duo on the market of cozy mystery series! This is the start of a fun cozy paranormal mystery series following Cordelia, a 40 year old introverted ghost, who is haunting Ruby, a bubbly and naïve 20 year old, who has moved into Cordelia's old apartment. When Jake, the man across the hall, is also found dead outside the apartment building, Cordelia is worried for Ruby's safety so she tries to communicate and assist Ruby in solving his murder. These two opposite characters forge an unlikely friendship through fridge poetry magnets and skittle candy trails as they work together to interview Jake's family and slew of girlfriends to figure out why he was shot. Brimming with dark humor and with a cast of Southie Boston suspects, the mystery was fun, and I loved Ruby's attempts at understanding what also led to Cordelia's own death. This is setting up to be a great new series, and I am excited to return in book 2 to see spend more time with this crime-fighting duo.

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

Sitting beside the body of Jake MacIntyre, Cordelia Graves watches as snow accumulate on the legs of his flannel pajamas and the fuzzy socks covering his feet. There’s a bullet hole in the center of his forehead, but she is waiting for him to wake up.

Cordelia sits vigil until the dead man sits up. “I know you,” Jake says. Suddenly he remembers . . . Cordelia is dead. And now, so is he.

Cordelia wants to help Jake adjust to being a ghost. Although she could still see and hear everyone around her, she was invisible to them. Alone and unnoticed. She doesn't want him to feel alone. But Jake doesn't believe in ghosts . . . .

Ruby Young, the new tenant in Cordelia’s apartment, is certain that the apartment is haunted. With Jake being murdered, Cordelia thinks that, perhaps, she can keep Ruby safe. But Ruby thinks Cordelia wants her to solve Jake’s murder.

Will they work together? And will they solve the murder?

=========

First in the author’s planned Supernatural Mysteries series, Cordelia and Ruby provide their unique viewpoints for the reader. The unfolding narrative is both clever and intriguing; Ruby and Cordelia, both quirky and humorous, make a great team and the supernatural aspect of the story is well done.

The idea that Cordelia and Ruby could work together despite the challenges of communicating with each other keeps readers guessing as to how it might all work out and keeps those pages turning as fast as possible. While the mystery isn’t complicated, it is perfect for the telling of this tale and does keep the reader guessing.

Although the story wraps up well with regard to Jake’s murder, a larger mystery remains. Ruby does not believe Cordelia committed suicide . . . Cordelia does not remember doing the deed . . . so how did Cordelia end up dead in the bathtub? Presumably, this mystery will be solved in the next book in the series.

Readers who enjoy cozy mysteries and a clever paranormal character are sure to enjoy this unique tale as well as the stories that [hopefully] follow.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
#ANewLeaseOnDeath #NetGalley

The unlikely combo of the living and the dead, working together to solve a murder mystery.
I was pleasantly that it wasn't as silly as I thought it would, all the characters are fleshed out and have very real world struggles.
The dual perspective story telling really let's you get invested quick and the conversational writing style keeps you turning the page.

cozy-mystery, ghosts, paranormal, urban-fantasy, Boston, situational-humor, verbal-humor, contemporary, amateur-sleuth, murder, investigation, new-series, first-in-series****

Thought there was only one way to behave as a ghost? Cordelia has discovered a whole new way and it's a hoot!
The publisher's blurb is a really good start, but the sleuthing is well done, the humor is hilarious, the plot twists are amazing, and the characters!!! Great start to a totally new series.
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

This was a fun book and I loved the human/dead person interaction between Ruby and Cordelia. It was a good mystery with a twist and I loved that twist! Well written and fun as hell to read, I really enjoyed it!

I'll be honest, the blurb sounded a little outside of what I usually read. However, I am really glad I picked this ARC up!

Ruby doesn't expect to get a ghost included in her fully furnished apartment! Then, when her neighbor winds up dead, she has some questions! Together the ghost and Ruby try to solve the murder.

Excited for the sequel!

A New Lease On Death immediately starts in with the action and pulls the reader into the story. We follow Cordelia Graves as she discovers her dead neighbor (Jake) out front of their apartment building. Soon after we meet Ruby, Cordelia’s new roommate and begin to uncover the mystery of how Jake died. 2 POV from Cordelia a 40 year old women and Ruby 26 year old .
I absolutely loved the plot and storyline of a paranormal mystery, a first for me, I preferred the storyline from Cordelia’s perspective. I found Cordelia’s personality to be lol funny however we didn’t get much depth with her character as the story progressed. Ruby definitely had the most character growth overall but I found her annoying throughout most of the story. This story had a lot of questions that came to mind as I was reading relating to the context of the story.

I enjoyed the writing in this novel and the idea of this story. Had a good pace (slow and boring in the middle) for me. Overall a good time and I enjoyed the book to keep an eye out for the next in series

-Cozy Mystery
-Who Dunnit
-Ghosts
-Dark Funny
-Cliff Hanger
***check Trigger Warnings.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the ARC digital copy.

I loved it! Excellent mystery! There were clues dropped here and there that lead me this way and that but I didn't catch on till the end. Cordelia and Ruby are an unlikely crime fighting duo but their differences made it work. They don't know each other very well now and I'm anxious to see how that turns out in the next book.

loved this mystery of cordy's death and solving the murder of a neighbor and the room mate that lives there and helps her solve the case. loved ruby and cordy's relationship. Who killer her ? was it the boyfriend or someone else ? I'm ready for the next book.

What a fun easy read! The story had such character development and you felt like Ruby was your friend and cared what happened to her.

I was invited by the publisher to read this book. I did enjoy this "cozy mystery", which involved solving the murder of Cordelia's apartment neighbor, Jake. The catch was that Cordelia was also dead, so she had to team up with Ruby, the girl who was living in Cordelia's (former) apartment. This was a unique twist on this type of storyline, and the reader was able to have multiple viewpoints as well as get to go behind the scenes, so to speak, of being a ghost.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting story about how to handle one's death and the afterlife. I enjoyed the story as our main character searches for the reasons behind the death of a fellow apartment dweller...the only problem is that she died a few months ago!. I enjoyed the story as Cordela and Ruby search for a killer, but the book is a little confusing because you don't always know which character you are hearing. Sometimes the story is told from Ruby's perspective and sometimes it is from Cordelia's and the transitions aren't always smooth. There are a couple of storylines that end up not being completed, which leads into a new book, likely, but is not my favorite thing. It was also a little interesting because the living couldn't see the dead, meaning that communication was tricky and didn't really always work out.

‘A New Lease on Death’ held me from start to finish. There are some scenes that took my breath away, and others that genuinely spooked me. It’s got the right amounts of mystery, thriller, intrigue and action. Plus, I was very much a fan of the writing style from the beginning. Overall, I enjoyed it immensely.

OK, first off since we’re getting into summer back in my Thriller romance kind of dark humor reads. This was everything paranormal romance enjoyed from start to finish. I love the cover the story. The premise from start to end was a great refreshing palette from my recently literary fiction reads.

4.25⭐️
Thank you so much to NetGalley for giving me an arc of this book! If you're looking for a light-hearted mystery, this is for you. I liked Cordelia and Ruby a lot, especially as the book went on and Cordelia enjoyed Ruby more. I thought they made a great team solving the mystery together, and overall I thought it was great. The cliffhanger at the end set up perfectly for a second book, so I really hope there is one!