Ruby and her ghost roomie are back! As enjoyable as the first one, Ruby trips over a body of the food delivery guy at work and gets pulled into a complicated web of secrets. If only it were easier to communicate with Cordelia ...

I adore this series, but gah the way this ends! Such a cliff hanger. I love the dynamic between Ruby and Cordelia. I read this as an arc and was so excited to get the opportunity after falling in love with them in book 1. The writing keeps you interested and wanting to keep reading even when you say “this is the last chapter”. Cordelia’s personality, demeanor, and commentary for no one to hear add a sense of humor and sass that adds enjoyment to from start to finish.

Ruby and Cordelia’s relationship further deepens and the banter continues in Death at the Door. I do think we get more of each person’s viewpoint and they have more individual storylines in this one from the first. It seems that they go off and have their own adventures and come together. I enjoyed the additional characters introduced in this storyline. The personalities still show through with the main characters and the suspects have their own traits and identifiers which helps keep them all separate from each other when remembering who is who.

I cannot wait for book 3. I love that Olivia has multiple mysteries within each book and that some roll over. I’m still intrigued to keep going with the series because some mysteries have yet to be answered. At the same time, the largest ones each book are wrapped up by the end. It’s a great way to keep the reader engaged and making them interested to keep going with future publications - solve some parts; leave some unanswered. Chefs kiss in tactics.

Death at the Door was a great installment in the Ruby and Cordelia series, and I enjoyed the continuation of their escapades. The new mystery that was presented in this book was interesting, but I wished that we could've had a bit more of the main story surrounding Cordelia. The ending was an exciting cliffhanger, so I'm looking forward to reading the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Olivia Blacke is so much fun.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series and this one delivered the same kind of fun, entertaining, ghost-flavored mystery as the first. It was fun to see this story continue and to learn more about our key players.

Over the last few years, Blacke has become a must-read for me. If you're a fan of her record store books and don't mind a little bit of paranormal fun, check out these books too.

Ruby and Cordelia are back in a joint effort to solve another murder. The victim is a deli messenger who delivers to Ruby’s office. Who killed the likable Marty. As Ruby and Cordelia investigate, they discover Marty was not the innocent delivery guy he seemed. With prescription drugs in his messenger bag and a prison record, there are plenty of suspects. Another enjoyable entry in this series.

Death at the Door is the second installment in Olivia Blacke’s Ruby and Cordelia Mysteries, and it continues to deliver a delightful blend of cozy mystery and paranormal intrigue. Ruby Young is still settling into her new life in Boston, navigating the everyday challenges of work and adjusting to the presence of her ghostly roommate, Cordelia. Despite the communication hurdles that come with having a spectral friend, thing are going well.

Finding the body of a delivery man in the work bathroom is the last thing Ruby expected. While Cordelia immediately jumps into detective mode to protect her, Ruby isn’t one to sit idly by. Determined to get to the bottom of the mystery, the entertaining amateur sleuthing duo get to work. Their dynamic is one of the book’s greatest strengths. Despite their differences, they complement each other perfectly, each bringing unique investigative skills to the table.
With a clever setup, engaging twists, and a cast of intriguing characters, including a new neighbor who piques Ruby’s interest, this novel keeps the investigation lively and unpredictable. The story is both light and intelligent, balancing suspense with the charm of a cozy mystery. It’s an easy, fun read that left me eager to continue the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

Ruby and Cordelia are back! In the first mystery starring these two, Ruby moved into a completely furnished apartment and discovered that the ghostly previous owner never left. Together they managed to solve the murder of their neighbor across the hall, and to become friends . . . or at least, as friendly as a ghost and a naive newcomer to the city can be.

In this installment, the delivery man from the local deli is murdered while delivering to Ruby's workplace. Since Cordelia also worked there before her death, both have a personal stake in figuring out the murderer. Ruby soon discovers what Cordelia already knows--the deli delivery guy delivered much more than sandwiches and bagels!

I enjoyed watching the two characters work together the solve murder as much as I enjoyed the first book in the series. Their friendship has deepened, and in this book we learn much more about Cordelia's life before death when Ruby meets Cordelia's brother and learns about her lover. Ruby is also making new friends, including the new neighbor across the hall. Or is he just trying to use her? And what is going on at work, with all the secret meetings?

Blacke sprinkles in the details about both Ruby and Cordelia amongst the efforts both are making to solve the murder. A great second book in this series.

This is the second book in the Ruby and Cordelia series. Ruby and her ghost roomie, Cordelia, team up to solve another murder. While this book was just as fun and cute as the first it was a bit repetitive at times and I felt the ending was really rushed. There were several times during the story that the author reminded us that Cordelia would try electronics if she got to close to them by giving us a long drawn out story about a time it had happened previously. We did not need this reminder each time. I also felt that some of the characters in this one were very underdeveloped and I was left with questions. I understand that this is going to be a series and I'm looking forward to more adventures with Ruby and Cordelia but some closure would have been nice. Overall I was very excited to be back in Ruby and Cordelia's world and I'm looking forward to the next book! Thank you too Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book!

👻 Roommates, Red Flags & the Return of Murder

Okay, if you told me last year that one of my favorite mystery-solving duos would be a live woman and the ghost who haunts her apartment, I would’ve said, “I mean… sounds kinda fun?” And it is.

Death at the Door picks up with Ruby settling into her very haunted Boston life, and Cordelia—her stylish, salty, very dead roommate—is still not totally thrilled to be sharing her space. But their odd-couple energy is back and better than ever, and when a delivery guy turns up dead at Ruby’s job, you know these two aren’t going to sit this one out.

The mystery was solid—twisty enough to keep things moving but not overly complicated. That said, the ending did feel a little neat? Like a bit too “villain explains their plan in a dramatic speech” for my taste. But honestly? I didn’t even care. I’m here for Ruby and Cordelia’s dynamic. It’s weird, it’s charming, and it works. Somehow.

This series lives in that sweet spot between cozy and quirky, with just enough ghostly edge to keep it interesting. The pacing in this one was a little bumpier than book one (some plot stuff dragged or felt a little too obvious), but the characters carried it. I could watch Ruby bumble into danger and Cordelia roll her ghostly eyes forever.

Also? We got a few new side characters I’m very curious about for book three. 👀

If you’re into:
• Murder with a paranormal twist
• Dead girls with opinions
• Found friendship between the living and the not-so-living

…you’ll love this series. Just don’t read it expecting Agatha Christie. This is more like: Scooby-Doo energy but with a ghost in vintage heels.

Ruby and her ghost roommate Cordelia are back with another murder mystery to solve!

I move this duo so much. They are so cute and compliment each other so well. I think the characters are really the highlight of this series.

The murder mystery was fun and I enjoyed it, but I thought the way it wrapped up was a little off? Maybe rushed? Or like it just fell too perfectly into place? I don’t care for the whole “villain is exposed because they couldn’t help but to monologue” thing.

But really, that didn’t take away from anything at all for me because I just love Ruby and Cordelia and their chemistry they have. We were introduced to some new characters as well and I’m very interested to see where that goes in the next book 👀

It’s 5 stars from me! I could read about Ruby and Cordelia’s adventures all day ❤️

Thank you so much to NetGalley for this arc! I was so excited to get it and started reading as soon as I got the email! 💖

I will be updating with my insta link once I post on publication day!

The second in Olivia Blacke's series does not disappoint. Suspend your disbelief and relax right in.

Cordy and Ruby are back to solve another murder! I absolutely loved this book and did not want it to end. Is it too early to ask when book three will be released?

It was a cute read and fun read. I enjoyed it because it was quick and different from most of the scary ghost stories out there. I am not a big fan of the cliffhanger at the end but all and all it was a good read.

This book was funny witty and such a page turner I don’t usually read about ghosts because they scare me lol but this was a bright read thank you

Cute, ends on a cliffhanger like the first one. This one had a bunch of little continuity errors that bugged me but I enjoy reading about what happens with Ruby and Cordelia. One loose end really wasn’t tied up and I don’t consider it a cliffhanger, just frustrating if it’s forgotten about.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the arc of this book. Death at the Door is the second book in the Ruby and Cordelia Mysteries. This book is a cozy murder mystery. It is not necessary to read the first book in this series but it will provide more context about Ruby and Cordelia and their relationship. This book has some twists and turns and gives more insight into Cordelia's life. This book ended up a big cliff hanger and I cannot wait to read the next book.

3.5/5

This is such a fun little series!

Sometimes, you move into a new place and it is haunted by its previous tenant. And sometimes, the two of you decide to solve some mysterious happenings around your new home, including maybe some murder...but of course, like all relationships can have, communication issues can occur. (Not everyone speaks ghost.)

I did find that the pacing of this one was a bit strange and I definitely do not remember that happening with the first book. This one just seemed a little repetitive (but it wasn't too annoying or too often). It was just one of those things where the reader picked it up way before the characters in the book did, so it feels repetitive and kind of weird. I just like when me and the main characters learn/figure things out at the same pace, I feel like it makes for a smoother storyline. But that is totally a personal preference when it comes to mysteries.

Overall, these are really fun books. And I don't know why, but I feel like this is for girls that grew up reading Goosebumps.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

3.7
While Ruby and Cordelia were just as charming as expected, the pacing here was not particularly well considered. Also, the characters seemed to have repetitive revelations, like they suddenly discover something in chapter x that they seemed to notice back in chapter v, so that's odd. Add to that what was clearly meant to be a cliffhanger but reads outright as a lack of resolution, and, I don't know, maybe one more spin on the editor's desk could bring this a little closer to the mark the first book achieved.

I tried to like this series but I really don’t like the two main characters at all. I felt their dynamic just didn’t work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Book and Minotaur Books for providing this book, with my honest review below.

Death at the Door continues Ruby and Cordelia’s story beautifully in the ghostly paranormal series that proves A New Lease on Death (the first book) by Olivia Blacke was the kick off to a new favorite series.

While you don’t need to read the first book, I’d encourage it for more context on Ruby and her ghost roomie Cordelia. In this book we run into a new murder that seems to prove that Cordelia’s own demise was not suicide and that there is a greater conspiracy at play. While the duo try to solve the crime (suitably difficult given the communication barriers between ghost and human), Ruby also finds a maybe love interest and Cordelia’s brother shows up, complicating things. I love the dynamic between Ruby and Cordelia and the additional intrigue and characters deepens the overarching mystery of Cordelia’s death just as we are learning more about her life.

I can’t wait to see what happens next given the cliffhanger we ended on… and I really hope a third book reveals more around Cordelia’s murder as she and Ruby are proving a formidable team.