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.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Death at the Village Chess Club will be available on March 3 2025.
Life, Tea, and Everything 