Great cozy mystery that is perfect for a rainy day by the fire. I will definitely be checking out more titles by this author .

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book by Debbie Young , so much so that I’ve just bought the first book of the series for my Kindle. Good storytelling, great characters, an altogether lovely cozy mystery . Recommended.

As an avid reader of cosy crime I naturally gravitated to both the cover and name of 'Death At The Village Chess Club'. The book as a whole perfectly encompasses the genre and to put it simply - it's exactly what you'd expect it to be ... but better.

Debbie Young's writing style is so clean and polished that the reader is able to enjoy every page of the book. Her character's are well developed, memorable and very easy to root for. I haven't quite put my finger on it yet but there was also something about the setting (the Cotswolds village of Little Pride) that felt so familiar and easy to get swept up in. The real magic though is in the pacing. The story just flows and before I noticed I was already on 87% and a little upset I didn't have much time left in Little Pride with Alice and the others. Where other authors easily get distracted by building suspense or throwing in needless red herrings, Young just doesn't. She gets on with the story with no filler, no fluff and certainly no feelings of trying to make up a work count.

As the second book in the series I was a little apprehensive that I wouldn't be able to jump straight in but all the factors mentioned above made it so easy and so enjoyable regardless. Although I would have loved to have read the first instalment of The Cotswold Curiosity Mysteries before the second there were clear explanations of what I'd missed and the story was so well developed that it is strong enough to stand alone. Most of all I'm pleased to say that having an advanced copy of this novel has allowed me to discover a new author and a new world that I can't wait to watch her grow.

For anyone who is new or a novice to this style of mystery I would say it's a brilliant place to start and would make a perfect holiday/travel book to enjoy on a long journey or even the beach.

A new to me cozy mystery set in Cotswold, England. Alice runs a curiosity shop there when her ex-boyfriend asks her to sell his chess collection. She sets up a chess club event at the local school when one of the attendees is found dead in the parking lot. Alice and Danny start to investigate the crime.

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. I liked the writing and the shenanigans that the characters were in. I can't wait to read more of this series.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

Death at the Village Chess Club by Debbie Young ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Boldwood Books
Pub Date: 3-3-25

Thank you @netgalley, @theboldbookclub, and @debbieyoungauthor for this eARC.

"With a little help from friends, old and new, and even from my estranged mum, I was determined to give it my best shot. Never before have I so wanted to call checkmate – on the villain whose reckless actions were threatening my village community, my shop and even my survival."

Alice gets more than she bargained for when her ex asks her to sell his collection of chess sets.

A chess event at the local primary school in the charming Cotswold village of Little Pride leads to missing chess pieces and a dead body in the second installment of this cozy mystery series.

I enjoyed my return to Little Pride and the opportunity to connect with its familiar characters. I love the friendship between Alice and Danny.

"Danny, has moving to the countryside made me callous? When I lived in Broadwick, the sight of a dead pigeon on the street would reduce me to tears. Now I’ve got dead people turning up on my doorstep, and I appear to be taking it in my stride."

This book was pretty good. It was a cozy crime book, it was trying to be a bit unique and different, but also the story was a bit overdone. I think that it was pretty good and it was entertaining to me

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

The second installment in Debbie Young's The Cotswold Curiosity Shop Mysteries series follows our protagonist Alice Carroll, who is caught up in a sinister game of theft and murder all linked to the collection of chess sets she had been selling at her store for an ex. Set in the quaint village of Little Pride, the novel explores the challenges Alice will have to face in order to keep her shop running successfully while winning over the hearts of the villagers and maybe, just maybe, finding love again. With an interesting cast of characters and a gripping story, this cozy mystery hooks you in right from page one and keeps you guessing until the very end!
I quite enjoyed the book and adored Alice and Danny's friendship. The plot was intriguing and brought out punches and twists at just the right time, and Alice's Curiosity Shop is the perfect setting for most of the story to unfold. Debbie Young is a masterful author and I love how unique and well developed every character is. Tilly especially is a sweetheart and I look forward to reading more about the people of Little Pride and Alice's adventures in the future. 3.5/5