I loved this cozy mystery! It's the second book in the Ruby and Cordelia mystery series. In this book, Ruby finds delivery person, Marty dead and the amateur sleuth saga begins. I love that this is written in a dual pov, which brought an interesting layer to the story since Cordelia is a ghost. It ended on a cliffhanger with Cordelia's brother Ian, so I am looking forward to the next book.

Thank you to Olivia Blacke and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review. I loved it so much and I can't wait for the next book in the series.

Thank you for a copy of this ARC! I absolutely loved the first book in this series and loved this one just as much. I'm excited to see what this author has to offer in the future.
This just is a cozy story and I really connect and love the characters that are brought in. The concept is fun and both books held my interest throughout. I just love it!

Who knew there was such a learning curve to being a ghost? Good thing Cordelia Graves, our ghostly sleuth, is learning from Harp, albeit at a far slower pace than she'd like. Her living roomie and fellow sleuth, Ruby Young, is busy, too. Not only does there seem to be a potential romance blooming but, yikes, she's stumbled across another body, this time the delivery guy for her workplace. It's also where Cordelia used to work and still drifts in and out occasionally but, since her near presence seems to fry anything electronic, from light bulbs to computers, her visits can be hazardous for a data systems type site.

While Cordelia is on a mission to protect Ruby, who she sees as being naive, Ruby's on one, too. Only her mission is to figure out who killed Marty, the delivery guy, in the company's restroom. In the process of sorting this all out, we not only learn more about Ruby's new workplace and quirky co-workers but learn quite a bit about Cordelia's past life. Let's just say, she was no angel. I won't detail the plot, see the book blurb, but note that a popular topic of late, the algorism, gets a showcase. You know, like if you do a search online about "how to care for a plant", a topic Ruby could use help with, the next thing you know you're getting bombarded with ads and emails about that topic. Well, I guess it would be easier to explain than if you'd searched for "how to talk to a ghost", another topic Ruby could use help with as her communication with Cordelia remains limited and slow. That makes sleuthing tougher, let's face it, when you can't chat back and forth with whoever has your back.

This is a fun, quirky mystery with, let's face it, the odd couple of sleuthing, the naive, very alive young Ruby and the very dead, never so naive, Cordelia. I liked getting to know Cordelia's background more this go-round, even if little brother Ian left me with lots of questions. Cordelia and Ian obviously didn't have an easy time of it growing up and it shows. I'd also like to learn a bit more about the quirky ghost Harp who is trying to teach Cordelia what a ghost can and can't do. That seems to boil down to anything you believe you can do although there are obviously limits as Cordelia learns. Like? her energy source is limited. Harp's attitude is rather lackluster but, well, he's a ghost and who among us knows what is normal in Ghost-ville. While all this is going on, of course, Ruby is busy sticking her nose into things others would just as rather she not mention, some of them even fellow office workers. Is one of them a killer? Thanks #StMartin'sPress - #MinotaurBooks for introducing me to these two very different characters and giving me an early sneak peek at how their relationship is progressing. Those are some interesting ways they've found to communicate. Grin.

This is shaping up to be a fun mystery series. I enjoyed the first book and I enjoyed this one as well.
I’m curious to see how this series continues to unfold.

3.5 stars. Another fun adventure with Ruby and Cordelia! I am still loving the ghost roommate angle, but I do wish they would get better at communicating. Like why does she have poem magnets, but not the whole alphabet? Adding in Cordelia’s brother gave us more background on Cordelia and helps to understand her behavior better. I do wish we would get into her own death, but it seemed like the end was setting us up for it in the next book (but then again so did the last book). I would be perfectly happy with the next book solving that mystery, and then the series could continue with more one-off murders. And more ghosts would be awesome.

It was cute to see Ruby show some interest in the boy next door and Cordelia instigating it. But, I also loved how Tosh is a little suspicious, and I hope we find out his true intentions in the next book. And OMG, that ending! That twist opens up so many possibilities for the continuation of the series.

I do wish that we weren’t told so often how naive Ruby is, and perhaps she wouldn’t be so pathetically naive. She needs to grow. Also, there was a section that was repeated in the book where Ruby tells Tosh how she ended up with a furnished place. When I read it the second time, I was like haven’t they already talked about this and indeed they had. I know this is an uncorrected proof so I hope that was caught and fixed.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and I’m looking forward to reading more in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC. All expressed opinions are my own.

Death at the Door is exactly the kind of cozy murder mystery I love curling up with: quirky, warm, and just a little bit spooky. While you don’t have to read the first book to enjoy this one, it definitely adds more depth to Ruby and Cordelia’s unique living (and… after-living) arrangement.

Ruby Young is still finding her footing in Boston, balancing her job with the challenges of sharing a home with her ghostly roommate, Cordelia. Their friendship is such a delight, equal parts heartfelt and snarky, and I loved how their banter and loyalty shine through even when murder is afoot.

When Ruby stumbles upon the body of a delivery driver, her fresh start is suddenly in danger of unraveling. Cordelia wants to keep her safe by holding back details, but Ruby’s not about to sit idly by. Together, they navigate both the land of the living and the dead to catch the killer, while also uncovering more pieces of the puzzle behind Cordelia’s own death. That ongoing mystery is becoming just as addictive as the case-of-the-week element.

The murder mystery itself was fun and kept me guessing, though I have to admit the ending felt a touch too neat, like the pieces clicked into place a little too perfectly. Still, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment, and I’m absolutely hooked on this series. I can’t wait to see where Ruby and Cordelia’s story goes next.

My copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and Minotaur Books for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved it! Ruby and Cordelia are a great duo. It's hard to describe since it's not quite a mentorship or friendship or mother/daughter pairing. They have an unspoken understanding that they both need each other's help moving forward. Solving a murder together was progress in the right direction. The slow pacing was just right since I had a hectic week and picking up this book was perfect to unwind to each night. Very good series!

I absolutely loved A New Lease on Death by Olivia Blacke, so I was beyond thrilled to be approved for the second installment in this series.

Death at the Door finds Ruby Young settling into—well, trying to settle into—her new life in Boston. Her biggest adjustment? Sharing an apartment with Cordelia Graves… who just happens to be dead. Cordelia may have stopped breathing, but she hasn’t stopped believing the place is hers, and Ruby still feels more like a tenant than a roommate. Against all odds, the two have become friends—a remarkable feat when every conversation has to cross the veil. Cordelia has even helped Ruby land her old job.

But when Ruby discovers the body of a delivery driver at work, her fresh start is suddenly in jeopardy. The last time Cordelia pulled her into a murder investigation, Ruby nearly joined her on the other side. This time, Cordelia is determined to keep her safe—even if it means keeping her in the dark. Ruby, however, refuses to sit this one out. To catch a killer, the living and the dead will need to work together, walking the razor-thin line between worlds before another life is lost.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book—it’s a quick, suspenseful read that kept me hooked from start to finish. The alternating perspectives of Ruby and Cordelia added depth and momentum, and Olivia Blacke’s sharp blend of wit and darkness made the story shine. There is one plot point that feels unfinished, so I’m hopeful it will be explored further in the next installment. The ending left me eager for more of Ruby and Cordelia’s adventures.

Huge thanks to Olivia Blacke, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Make sure to grab your copy when it hits shelves on October 21, 2025!

Trigger warnings: murder, affair, drugs, alcohol

I’ll be sharing this review on Goodreads and Amazon in October 2025.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book. I read it in one sitting. I loved the characters and the storyline. I would definitely recommend this book.

Well written murder mystery with amateur detectives, Ruby -a living person - and, Cordelia - a new ghost.

Ruby and Cordelia 'live' together in Cordelia's pre death apartment. They have become unlikely friends while navigating challenges such as how to communicate with each other as Ruby cannot hear ghost Cordelia.

I look forward to reading the next book in this series

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. I had read the first one in this series and loved it. I'm not normally a cozy mystery gal but this series is great. In this one Ruby and Cordelia work together to solve a murder that happened while Ruby was at work. The story flows well, the author does a great job of writing. I had hoped that the author would dive more into Cordelia's death but she did not; I hope there will be a third one where they solve that mystery.

I'm three out of three on series I was recommended to go back and start so I could review book 2! Instead of it being more work to read two books for one review, it was twice the enjoyment - I loved both of the Ruby and Cordelia Mysteries. They are very similar, so if you read A New Lease on Death last year and are looking for more of the same, Death at the Door will satisfy you. (Other than the fact we still don't know who killed Cordelia. I hope that's a storyline that takes place over a trilogy and not an ongoing mystery in an indefinite series.) If you missed A New Lease on Death when it came out last year, like me, start reading it now so you'll be ready for Death at the Door's publication day!

- happy to be around cordelia and ruby again!
- i really enjoyed hanging out with them and solving another murder
- you could tell that there was a lot of growth with ruby and corelia's relationship
- the murder was one that i didn't expect, so it was fun to see how it all went down
- 4.5 stars

thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Ruby and her ghost roommate Cordelia are working together to solve another murder. This time it takes place at TrendCelerate the place that Ruby now works in that Cordelia used to work.

What I really loved about this book is that you can see the true affection that Cordelia and Ruby have for each other. And that they use that to their advantage to help solve this mystery. And it was so fun seeing Cordelia use the new ghostly tricks she has learned to help.

I love that you get the contrast between the two's vastly different personalities, but how well they work together and how much affection there is between the two of them. What I really enjoyed about this book is that you get little bits of Cordelia's history and you find out more about her past.

Just like the first book in this series. This is a fun, cozy laugh out loud good time. I highly suggest picking up this series. You will not regret it!

Quiet giggles and snurfles and snorts.
Ghostly Cordelia and clueless Ruby share an apartment since Cordelia died of an apparent suicide. Ruby needs discreet educating on all the start-up things like eating something besides Pop Tarts and Spaghetti-Os as well as doing low-on-the-totem things where Cordelia's used to work. That's where invisible and unheard by anyone else Cordelia comes in. Especially when they find the lunch delivery guy dead on the floor in the office bathroom! Good fun and misunderstandings ensue.
I requested and received a temporary unedited digital galley from St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Pub Date Oct 21, 2025
#DeathattheDoor by @oliviablackeauthor #RubyandCordeliaMysteriesBk2 @minotaur_books @stmartinspress #NetGalley #goodreads #StoryGraph @librarythingofficial #bookbub #netgalleyreviewer
#witty #snarky #supernatural #ghost #amateurdetectives #Boston #misunderstandings #friendship
#bookshop_org #bookshop_org_uk @indiebookstoresca

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I love this series. Ruby and Cordelia are back. This time, Ruby discovers the food delivery guy dead in the shared bathrooms at the office. Who killed Marty? Why? Was it the drugs he was selling to people in the office? Something else?

Cordelia is learning more about being a ghost and communicating with Ruby. I love the witty exchanges between them and how Cordelia is being a little sassy at time. The company golf outing had me laughing.

This book, while the second in the series, does well as a stand alone book. You get enough of the back story to put the pieces together. There was a cliffhanger for an ending and I cant wait to read the third book in the series.

In Death at the Door we return to the apartment that Ruby and her ghosty roommate, Cordelia share, and join them as they work to solve another murder. I read and loved the first book, A New Lease on Death, and was excited to pick up this next book in the series. Death at the Door focuses on a murder at TrendCelerate, the place that Cordelia worked at before her death, and Ruby works now.

As the two roomies know each other better now, they work well together and the affection they have for each other comes through. My favorite moments are when Cordelia uses the ghostly tricks she has learned to help figure out what someone is up to, or just to cause a little mischief. The mini golf scene had me cracking up.

This one had me guessing up until the end and is a fun paranormal cozy mystery.

Thank you to the publisher St. Martin’s Press | Minotaur Books, author Olivia Blacke, and NetGalley for the gifted digital ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Death at the Door is a new supernatural mystery by Olivia Blacke, the followup to A New Lease on Death.

Death at the Door was a break continuation in the Ruby and Cordelia Mysteries. Keep an eye out as this book is scheduled to publish October 21, 2025.

I read book one as a NetGalley ARC having not read recently the story continued on the storyline very well. I do recommend reading the series in order. However, if this one was picked up first, it wouldn’t be hugely detrimental.

This story is told in first person dual POV. We follow Ruby (20 something) who recently moved to Boston and is getting acquainted with living on her own. Cordelia (40 something year-old ghost) remaining in her past apartment. Where Ruby currently lives.

This story consist of the happenings of Ruby going to work and Cordelia, looking after her when a murder takes place at work.

Once again, Ruby and Cordelia are eager to get to the bottom of this mystery and find out who the killer is. Could one of her coworkers be a killer?

This story is such a gem. The drastic personality difference between Ruby and Cordelia is entertaining. There are so many laugh out loud moments and great one liners.

The plot line immediately picks up with a great backdrop and reminder as to how the story began. There was a great sub plot and a hint of romance within the pages.

We are able to learn a little bit more of Ruby’s mysterious history. As well as meet some new characters along the way. We see some character development in both FMC's and a lot of relationship dynamics in this story.

A fun Boston read that has atmospheric writing and ghosts with funny quips. What more is there to ask for?!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for a digital arc of this book for my honest review.

Death at the Door by Olivia Blacke is an entertaining, ghost-flavored cozy mystery and the second installment in the Ruby and Cordelia Mysteries. When a delivery man turns up dead in a work bathroom, the two amateur sleuths—one living, one not—find themselves investigating in clever, unconventional ways that don’t rely on face-to-face conversations. Their teamwork is creative and fun to follow.

While the paranormal twist adds charm, the pacing of the story felt disjointed at times, with transitions between chapters occasionally out of sync. Some chapters were also repetitive, slowing the flow. That said, glimpses into Ruby and Cordelia’s pasts add depth, and readers who enjoyed the first book will appreciate the added layers in this one.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book for review consideration. I am voluntarily leaving this review which is my honest, unbiased opinion.