A Ruby and Cordelia Mystery: Book 2! My favorite cozy murder mystery duo. Last year I enjoyed ‘A New Lease on Death’ and was so excited to pick up where I left off with Ruby and her ghost roommate, Cordelia. This story digs deeper into Cordelia’s relationships and family history, while also watching Ruby continue to find her footing as an independent adult.

I love the unique POVs and the budding friendship between the living and the dead. The witty narrative made me chuckle aloud multiple times. The only negative: just like the first book, there was quite a bit of repetitiveness. Mostly reminders of the limitations of Cordelia being a ghost. Regardless, this series is fun, quirky, and a great non-scary ghost story. I can’t wait for more!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for this ARC. This review will be shared on NetGalley and Goodreads.

Pub Date Oct 21 2025

What a cute story. Cordelia, a ghost who is helping Ruby try to survive in Boston as well as solve a murder or two. Bring in a few other characters and the story just flows along. I enjoyed the ride and am looking forward to the next story in this series.

This was a fun start to a new series with great world building and a unique paranormal twist. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Ruby and Cordelia, and the mystery kept me engaged from start to finish. Looking forward to seeing where this series goes next!

Death at the Door is book two in the Ruby and Cordelia Mysteries series and I recommend reading book one first.

Book two continues to unravel the mystery surrounding Cordelia’s death while introducing a new case tied to a suspicious death in Ruby’s workplace. Some parts of the story line don’t really make sense and it can sometimes be repetitive but it is a cute, quirky, low-stakes cozy mystery that’s perfect for light reading. Just a heads-up—it ends on a cliffhanger, so we’ll need book three to find out what happens next.

I received an ARC of this ebook from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review!

Death at the Door is the second installment of the supernatural cozy mystery series. Ruby lives in an old apartment with the previous owner, Cordelia’s, ghost and they have developed a way of communicating with each other. Ruby has also replaced Cordelia at her place of employment. Note, the two never met when Cordelia was alive (called a “breather”). When a popular delivery man turns up dead in the office bathroom, they work together to solve the mystery. There are some new characters to meet, and it’s implied Cordelia’s brother might be a returning one. This story was somewhat repetitive, the pacing not as tight and more than a few red herrings. Still, Ruby and Cordelia are charming and the book is lively. With thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC. My opinions are my own.

In the second book in the Ruby and Cordelia series, there is a new murder (obviously). Delivery boy, Marty, turns up dead in Ruby's office and the cops aren't doing anything about it. Surprise surprise. Ruby and her ghost of a roommate, Cordelia, are on the case.

Do these books make complete sense and do they resolve in a very quick and maybe too convenient way? Sure. But they're really fun and really fast reads. The concept of a ghost helping to solve crimes is so fun. Ruby does throw me off a bit with some of her comments. She is young though. Cordelia always seemed older than 40 to me and I tend to picture her as double that most of the time.

Overall, these are really cute and fun and well written books. It's definitely a series I'll continue to read as long as they're written.

Death at the Door is the second in a series. Ruby and Cordelia are roommates with a twist- Cordelia is a ghost. She was the previous tenant before Ruby.
When Ruby stumbles across a body at work, Cordelia does not want her to investigate until she realizes the police won’t do much. And Ruby just won’t stop. Cordy needs to keep her safe.
This is a fun, light cozy mystery. It is a very enjoyable series.

"The odd couple of crime-solving returns in Olivia Blacke's Death at the Door, where a ghost and her living roommate find another mystery on their doorstep.

Ruby Young is slowly adjusting to her new life in Boston. A big part of that is her unexpected roommate - the ghost of the woman who lived there before. For Cordelia Graves, she may no longer be breathing, but it's still her apartment and Ruby is the somewhat unwanted houseguest. They're both happy they've managed to become friends, which is a miracle considering they struggle to communicate with each other. Cordelia even set Ruby up with her old job.

When Ruby discovers the body of a delivery guy at work, the new life she's been building hangs in the balance. The last time Cordelia dragged Ruby into a murder investigation, it was almost two ghosts living in the apartment, not one. Determined to protect Ruby, Cordelia tries to shield her from the investigation, but Ruby has other ideas. It will take both of them working together to navigate the fine line between the dead and the living to bring a killer to light."

But would Ruby haunt the apartment as well if she was killed? I mean, she's a far more recent tenant...

Living not far from Boston, I'm pretty familiar with the city but not sure the author has spent much time there. For example, Boston does live up to its reputation of being proper - so it is unlikely a rising start up in the downtown area would want their receptionist - the face of the company- to show up in cutesy t-shirts. There are lots of other indicators of lack of knowledge of the city but I digress. I thought the story hummed along - nothing too earth shattering, a little unbelievable at times, but kept me engaged enough to finish the book.

🕵️‍♀️ Wholesome Whodunit with Heart and Humor 🧁

This cozy mystery was an absolute joy to read! It struck that perfect balance between an intriguing murder mystery and the comforting charm of small-town life. From the first chapter, I was completely drawn into the world — where secrets lurk behind charming shopfronts, and even the nosiest neighbor might be a clue-holder or a red herring.

Death at the Door is a light, cozy mystery with quirky characters and a charming small-town setting. Olivia Blacke sprinkles in humor and heart, making it an easy read. However, the mystery itself felt a bit predictable at times, and some pacing issues slowed things down. Still, it’s an enjoyable pick if you’re in the mood for a fun, low-stakes whodunit.

This was not what I was expecting, and I ended up enjoying it more than I thought. It was written well, and the storyline kept me reading

The dynamic between Ruby and ghost Cordelia is just perfect. Ruby is young and innocent and Cordelia wants to make sure she is protected. When another murder happens at the TrendCelerate, where Ruby now works, Ruby and Cordelia decide it is up to them to find out what happened. This is fun paranormal read with witty moments that will have you laughing out loud. It is also fun to watch Cordelia learn more and more on how to be a ghost and try to communicate with Ruby. I loved the first book in this series and the second one did not disappoint.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an ARC in return for an honest review. I hope there are several more books to come from this series!

Death at the Door
by Olivia Blacke
Oh, I just love a good ghost story! Mix a ghost story with an intriguing mystery and you've got a winner! This one is certainly a winner. I read this author's first book and loved it just as much.
The characters are likable and believable. Yes, even the ghost! If there are ghosts, in her situation, they would act just like her!
The plot has fun parts, suspenseful scenes, and times of satisfaction. I enjoyed it. It's not your Friday Night Horror ghost story. This is a ghost story for the average person. I like unique stories.
I want to thank the author, publisher, and NetGalley for letting me read this great book!

I really like Ruby ana Cordelia as a pair. This second in the series is fresh, cute and a little sassy. A cozy mystery with a supernatural twist, I loved it!

Death at the Door by Olivia Blacke is the second book in the Ruby and Cordelia Mysteries series. It continues the story of an unlikely crime-solving duo: Cordelia, a ghost, and her living roommie, Ruby.

When a delivery person is found dead at Ruby's workplace (which also happens to be Cordy's former workplace) the two roommates team up to investigate.

I found Death at the Door to be more than a little repetitive. How many times does a reader need to be told that breathers are unable to hear ghosts talking, or that Cordelia is constantly causing light bulbs to explode, and the electronics in computers to stop working? I found it annoying that Ruby and Cordy think they can communicate only via an Etch-A-Sketch, or by using the poetry magnets on their refrigerator. An Etch-A-Sketch? Really?? Instead of trying to write messages to each other via poetry words, why not buy ABCs magnets? (I imagine those things are meant to add hilarity to the book.)

On the positive side, Ruby has a huge heart, and I loved that. I also loved Cordy's quirky personality. She seems to find Ruby to be naïve and needing of protection, which I like, too. The mystery portion of the book kept me on my toes, and my very favorite lines in the book are Ruby speaking: "I knew from experience that if I pushed too hard, she'd refuse to answer. She might even disappear for a few days. There's nothing like being ghosted by an actual ghost."

Many thanks to #MinotaurBooks, for providing this book for review and consideration via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Death at the Door has an expected publication date of October 21, 2025.

#Crime #Friendship #Mystery #Paranormal

This was such a fun story! For starters, the mystery is an exciting whodunit - a locked door murder! But then you have an office and apartment full of interesting characters to meet and explore for connections. I didn't realize that this wasn't a first in series story, but I had no problem following the storyline and catching on to the relationship between Ruby and Cordelia. The interplay between Ruby and Cordelia is evolving throughout the story, and I enjoyed the manner in which they regarded each other (one living, the other not). I would not call this your typical ghost story because Cordelia is equal to Ruby, just unseen. I liked the humor, the character build and the unfolding mystery. Thank you to NetGalley for such an entertaining whodunit - I look forward to continuing this series!

This book is entertaining and has a lively narrative voice. However, I found that the structure of the points-of-view is sometimes jarring in how it switches back and forth, and I also found that the book is very repetitive. It reads like the author doesn't trust her readers to remember the rules about ghosts and breathers or to remember details about the world. I also found the contents about drugs, alcohol, theft, shoplifting, adultery, and p**n to be very off-putting. Overall, the book is interesting, and I like the concept, but the murder didn't hold my interest.

The cozy mystery is my favorite genre. I like engaging mysteries and fascinating characters. I will read more books by this author.

I love the combination of Ruby and Cordelia. One alive one a ghost. Both roommates. I also like how we get both points of view. Good storyline. I can't wait for the next one.