As a fan of both the Cotswolds and cozy mysteries, Death at the Village Chess Club was the perfect choice for my first ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) review. After a long, exhausting month, I was looking for something comforting and engaging—and this book delivered exactly what it promised: a classic cozy mystery true to its genre.

Despite not having read the first book in the series or any of Debbie Young’s previous works, I had no trouble diving in. The author skillfully fills in the blanks, making this an enjoyable standalone read. The premise is intriguing, the characters are charming, and the chess element at the heart of the mystery adds a unique touch. I also appreciated the subtle hint of romance, which has me eager to follow the next installment to see how the protagonist’s relationship with her wealthy but kind neighbor unfolds.

For cozy mystery lovers, this book has all the essential ingredients: a picturesque village, an endearing community, an easy-to-follow mystery, and a satisfying, feel-good ending. If you're in the mood for a light yet engaging read, Death at the Village Chess Club is a delightful choice.

Alice is asked by her ex-boyfriend to sell some of his collected chess sets, and she agrees. Deciding how to garner attention, she asks the school if she could have a chess club set up with local students. Some chess pieces end up stolen, and a biker is found murdered in the parking lot. Deciding to work to find out what happened and why, the cozy mystery continues. Enjoyed this one overall, although skimmed a bit in the middle. Might just be me. Overall though enjoyed this one and would recommend. Had to look up Isle of Lewis chess pieces and Aztec ones too. Look fun.

"Death at the Village Chess Club” the 2nd instalment in The Cotswold Curiosity Shop Mystery series by Debbie Young set in the Cotswold Village of Little Pride, England. What a great follow up to the series. She doesn’t know why anyone would be interested in stealing random chess pieces, let alone willing to kill for them, but she’s determined to find out. Can she solve the case before someone else gets hurt?

Or will this be one gambit too far for Alice?

I devoured Debbie's latest novel, which expertly combines cozy mystery and heartwarming storytelling. Alice's character shines, and I'm eager to see her relationship with Bob Sponge unfold in future instalments.

The traditional romance and blossoming friendship between Alice and Bob feels authentic and, with the misunderstandings adding a touch of humor. The mystery is engaging, with clever twists keeping me on the edge. I enjoyed guessing and second-guessing the killer's identity.

Overall, this book is a must-read for fans of cozy mysteries and heartwarming fiction. Debbie's writing is engaging, and her characters are lovable and well-crafted. I highly recommend this charming novel and look forward to the next instalment.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I requested and received an advance readers copy from NetGalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I had just about finished reading the first book in this series, when I saw the second. I was happy because I really enjoyed the first book.
These are just good fun cozy mysteries. I enjoy the setting of a small English Cotswold village. The characters are fun and have developed further in the second book.
If you like cozy mysteries, English villages and loveable characters, you should give this one a try. Can't wait for the 3rd book!
Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC!

Loved this follow up cozy crime story, which started strong and has built on this success in the second novel. Alice is building her small business and her relationships with the locals and in book 2 her ex husband tasks her with selling some of his collectible chess sets.

Bring on murder, intrigue and the development of the great characters and a story that was good fun to read and hard to put down.

I love the character of Alice and can’t wait to see how her relationship with Bob Sponge will evolve. I enjoy the misunderstandings that get in the way and the traditional romance of their blossoming friendship.

Can’t wait to read the next instalment.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A delightful cozy mystery full of wonderfully lovable characters in a Cotswold village that had me hooked from the beginning. When a task of selling chess sets turns into investigating a murder at a tournament hosted at the local school, “I couldn’t believe a board game could be so dangerous.” Perfectly captures the essence of the book with fast paced sleuthing and twists I wasn’t expecting.

Death at the Village Chess Club is the second book in Debbie's new series. I have not read book 1, but I have read titles from both of her other series, so I was intrigued to discover this new series.

While it takes a while for the death and the subsequent mystery to become the central part of the narrative, I did adore this lovely depiction of life in the Cotswolds. Debbie has created some lovely characters in a charming location, and although I also don't play chess, I've tried to learn to play chess so I understand the chess elements. I also very much loved the addition of the bell ringers, as we have some in our local village as well (every Monday from 7.30-9 pm).

When the focus did turn to the mystery, it was very intriguing. Like our main character, I couldn't understand why anyone would be so fascinated by the chess boards, and I was swept along by the unfolding mystery.

It's a thoroughly entertaining read. I didn't guess the resolution, which always pleases me:)

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my review copy.

small-business, small-town, ex-husband, local-gossip, Cotswolds, cottage-industry, new-series, murder, amateur-sleuth, situational-humor, verbal-humor, wry-humor, local-law-enforcement*****
Alice is stuck helping out her flighty ex who is touring. He wants her to sell off his collection of chess sets in order to finance his gambling and stuff. Everything goes well for a while until pieces go missing. And then there's that body that turns up. Absolutely loved it!
I requested and received a free temporary uncorrected ebook file from Boldwood Books via NetGalley. Avail Mar 03, 2025
#DeathAttheVillageChessClub by @debbieyoungauthor #TheCotswoldCuriosityShopMysteriesBk2 @theboldbookclub #CotswoldCuriosityShop #AliceCarroll #cosymystery #cozyMystery #booksAboutChess #CotswoldsMystery #chess#cozyMysterySeries #englishmystery #NetGalley #goodreads #bookbub #librarythingofficial #barnesandnoble ***** Review #booksamillion #bookshop_org #bookshop_org_uk #kobo #Waterstones #knitters

I knew nothing going into this book other than that it would be a 'cozy mystery.' As I've been taken with mysteries lately, I was excited at the prospect of a cozy one.

I'm sorry to say I was disappointed. I didn't read the first one, which, to the author's credit, I could still make sense of everything happening. However, it all felt cookie-cutter. The characters didn't have any real depth or growth in the story.

It also seemed like all the plot points happened because they had to. A character needed a clue, so the next character walked in with a clue. A character was wondering about something, so the next character brought it up. There were also moments of unrealistic reactions to the situations and it just felt disconnected.

A few grammatical errors and odd sentence structures also brought me out of the world.

I was looking forward to a story that made chess interesting, but in the end, it fell flat and just...everything was laid out neatly and expected.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for sending this book for review consideration . All opinions are my own.

Death at the Village Chess Club is book 2 in the Cotswold Curiosity Shop Mystery series by Debbie Young, but is easily read as a standalone.

Deaths at the Village Chess Club is written in first person from the point of view of Alice, a woman who is rebuilding her life after her husband leaves her to live a minimalist, travelling lifestyle, after 25 years of marriage.

Alice’s ex contacts her to ask her to sell his collection of chess sets because he’s running out of money. Alice agrees, and she organizes an event to show off and sell the collection. After the sale, as she she and her friends find the body of a man as they leave the event she had organized to sell the sets.

This was my first book by Debbie Young, and I really enjoyed her writing style. The book was a quick, easy read, and kept my attention throughout.

Like most cozy mysteries, thee was a fair sized cast of characters to serve as suspects so the author was able to keep me guessing. I think one of my favourite things though was the obvious attraction Alice’s neighbour had for her, but which she seemed clueless about.

I really enjoyed the mystery, and the characters in this book and recommend it to other cozy mystery lovers. I will be checking out other books by the author.

A solid example of a cozy mystery.

This is my second Debbie Young book, the first being the previous one in this series. It was shaping up to be a 4-star review until the end, where two things let me down. But let’s start at the beginning.

Death at the Village Chess Club is the second book in the Alice's Cotswolds Curiosity Shop series. This time, Alice's ex-husband asks her to sell his chess sets, and she decides to promote an event at Little Pride Elementary School. By the end of the day, a mysterious dead biker is discovered in the parking lot, sparking Alice's curiosity.

I enjoyed all the cozy elements of the story. It’s an easy read, Alice has a funny outlook on life, and the chess elements are a nice addition. Having liked the first book in this series, I was excited to read the second installment and learn more about Alice. Unfortunately, the ending disappointed me to the point where I’m unsure if I’ll continue with the series.

The ending itself was fine, but two things stood out as problematic. First, the phrase "karate-chop" a bike/scooter was used in a non-sarcastic way. When I read fiction, I want to escape reality and immerse myself in a different world. Moments like this, where characters say or do something implausible, pull me right back to reality.

Second, there was a political comment near the end, brushed off as a "funny remark" but still political. While I happen to agree with the sentiment, it felt unnecessary to the story and broke the cozy atmosphere of Little Pride.

Triggers in this book are very mild, and one involves a spoiler. In my opinion, it doesn’t require a warning. However, if you feel differently after reading, please reach out, and I’ll add mild warnings in future reviews.

I would recommend this book to fans of cozy mysteries. While it’s not strictly necessary to read the first book to enjoy this one, I’d suggest starting with it for a more complete experience.

Thank you, NetGalley and Boldbook Books, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Death at the Village Chess Club will be released on March 3, 2025. #DeathattheVillageChessClub #NetGalley

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