A New Lease on Death - Olivia Blacke

Olivia Blacke caught me off with the the first few pages of her new novel -  A New Lease on Death. Well, with the title and the image on the cover, you might have an inkling of what you’re going to find inside…

Ruby moves into a Boston apartment that’s advertised as fully finished. It is, but the last tenant died in the bathtub. And all her items are still there. There’s another death and Ruby decides to investigate as the police don’t seem to think it  is a crime.

 

I really liked Ruby as our lead character. She’s determined to do the right thing. But along the way she gets herself into some sketchy situations. Our supporting player is Cordelia and she’s a bit harder to get to know. She doesn’t talk much in the beginning of the book but things change for her too. And we know much more about her life as the book progresses.

A New Lease on Death is a mix of amateur detecting, supernatural elements, friendship and doing the right thing. I enjoyed the detective parts. I did wonder about Rudy's reasoning for and the impetus for her jumping in both feet. The who dunnit was a good one and it was one I hadn’t considered. Nicely done.

A New Release on Death is also setting up everything for a new novel using these characters. And there’s a burning question that I would love to know the answer to. All in all, it was an entertaining story. See what you think - read an excerpt of A New Lease on Death.