Debbie Young wraps up mystery, merriment, and village charm in a delightfully festive package with Death at the Village Christmas Fair. It’s everything you’d want in a cozy Christmas read—witty, atmospheric, and full of small-town intrigue.

As Alice Carroll prepares for her first holiday season in the Cotswolds, the local Santa Run takes a dark turn: one participant is found fatally injured, clutching a stolen item from her mum’s knitting stall. But as the police lean toward a quick conclusion, Alice suspects there’s more than meets the eye—and she won’t rest until the truth is untangled.

Young’s storytelling is crisp and comforting, balancing humour, heart, and a neatly constructed mystery. The cast of villagers brings warmth and whimsy, while Alice remains the steady, clever anchor of the tale. With help from neighbour Robert Praed, this investigation unfolds with charm, seasonal sparkle, and clever twists.

An irresistible read for fans of classic whodunnits and festive flair. The perfect cozy crime to curl up with beside the Christmas tree.

With thanks to Debbie Young, the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

The latest book in this fantastic series does not disappoint.(though it would be equally enjoyable as a standalone). It’s great to see how the relationships develop between characters, and the village Christmas setting is perfect. It’s almost got me picking up my knitting needles! I’m already looking forward to more books to continue the series.

It's December, and Curiosity Shop owner Alice Carroll is looking forward to enjoying her first Little Pride Christmas Fair complete with a Santa Claus race. Her mum, Wendy, has come to stay and booked herself a stall to sell her beautiful hand knitted creations. When a Santa takes one of her scarves and leaves without paying things take a serious turn, especially as the thief is discovered fatally injured minutes later. When the scarf fastener disappears at the same time Alice and partner Robert know something strange is going on. After all, it was just a teddy bear button, wasn't it? As they begin their own investigation, the reason for the theft becomes clear, but someone from the fair is a killer. All they have to work out is who!

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Boldwood Books, but the opinions expressed are my own. This series is becoming a must-read for me now. I love all the regular characters, and Alice and Robert especially are great together. I did have a bit of a grrr, moment early on, which, as it seemed an obvious thing to do, lost it a star but overall I thoroughly enjoyed this and all the information which was added throughout. I will definitely be on the lookout for book four early next year.

When Alice bought buttons for her Cotswold Curiosity Shop little did she know the trouble that would follow. Alice's mother, Wendy, used some the buttons to adorn her knitting projects to sell at the village Christmas fair. However, after someone stole a scarf with a cute little button it was discovered the value was much more than anyone would guess and what followed turned out to be even worse.

The first half of this story moved too slow for me but near the middle things started to pick up and bit by bit it became more intriguing. Also, the author did a good job capturing the charm of village life.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Yet another book that fulfills my mystery trifecta — Christmas, a cozy mystery, and an English location (Cotswolds) — I quite enjoyed Death at the Village Christmas Fair by Debbie Young. Reading it in July didn’t dim its festive magic; the Santa Run and bustling Christmas Fair in Little Pride wrapped me in that warm holiday glow I love. The Cotswolds setting felt like a dream, making me yearn to revisit those charming villages. Coming from a family of knitters, crocheters, seamstresses, and button collectors, the story’s focus on a button-adorned scarf hit so close to home. I could almost feel myself rummaging through my grandmother’s button tin, each one sparking memories, just like Alice’s mum’s nostalgic biscuit tin of buttons did for me.

I found Alice Carroll, the Curiosity Shop owner and amateur sleuth, so relatable, though I’ll admit her naivety annoyed me a bit at times. Still, her heart and determination won me over, and I loved how her romance with Robert Praed felt real rather than cloying. The mystery, involving a murdered Santa and a stolen scarf with a valuable netsuke button, was straightforward but fun, perfect for when I’m craving cozy vibes over a tricky plot. Learning about netsuke was a delightful surprise, like finding a hidden gem in my family’s crafting stash.

This book’s charm lies in its blend of humor, heart, and holiday spirit. Alice’s mum, with her quick knitting and witty remarks, felt like she could join my family’s crafting circle. Little Pride itself is so vivid it’s practically a character, making me long for that village life, murders aside. While the mystery isn’t the twistiest, it is the kind of story that feels like a warm blanket. As a Debbie Young fan, I’m torn between her Sophie Sayers series and this one, but Death at the Village Christmas Fair is a new favorite. For now, I wholeheartedly suggest this to anyone craving a festive, cozy escape, especially if you love Christmas and a good button jar memory.

Thanks to NetGalley, Debbie Young, and Boldwood Books for an advanced, digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Quite possibly the epitenon of 'Cosy Mystery'. This is the first book in the series I've read by the author, and I suppose the nearest to a Miss Marple I've come across for a while. The characters are well-drawn, though the story tends to be a little too reliant on co-incidence. My thank to Netgalley and the publisher for the reading copy.

It’s Christmas time at Little Pride so, in order to raise funds for the village school’s library, the organize a fair. Everyone who helps has a stand with something to sell. Alice’s mom, who is in town has a knitting collection of various items. Being on of them a green scarf with a big bear ornament button.
Without knowing the button is a Japanese antique than unravels several felonies, including murder.
Alice and Robert, the town sleuths discover the connection between all the suspicious activity going on.
I loved the town of Little Pride, the people, the places and best of all the curiosity shop.

Alice Caroll is looking forward to her first Christmas in Little Pride. Her Curiosity Shop is doing well and her romance with her neighbour Robert is going well.
Inviting her mum to have a stall at the village Christmas Fair means she can spend some quality time with her and her mum will have some company. What Alice is not expecting is that someone will end up being killed at the fair, and that Alice will find herself at the centre of the investigation.
This is a great example of good cosy crime writing. The characters are relatable, with just the right balance of humour, intrigue and crime.
Although this is the third book featuring Alice and Little Pride, you don’t have to have read the others to enjoy this, but I would highly recommend you do.

I genuinely wasn't sure about reading a Christmas-themed mystery in July, but surprisingly, it was really fun. I've previously read 'Death at the Village Chess Club', also by Debbie Young, and there's something incredibly warm about her books. Not too taxing, solid whodunit, and all with lovely characters.

'Death at the Village Christmas Fair' has that same quirky charm, and in it, Alice Carroll is settling in for her first Christmas in the village of Little Pride, running her curiosity shop and preparing for the local fair alongside her spirited mother.

Celebration turns to sleuthing when a Santa-suited thief steals a handmade scarf from Alice’s stall, only for the culprit to turn up seriously injured moments later.

As Alice investigates​, a rare teddy bear button becomes the unlikely centerpiece of the murder case as both she and her neighbour/love interest, Robert, try to figure out who would have wanted to kill for it, and why.

It's a great fair-play puzzle with a quaint village backdrop, and a very nice addition to the Cotswold Curiosity Shop Mysteries.

With thanks to NetGalley for the early copy in return for an honest review.

A further installment ment in the series of novels featuring Alice Carroll and her Curiosity Shop set in a village called Little Pride in the Cotswolds. Alice is gearing up for the village Christmas Fayre and annual Santa run. Her Mum Wendy is furiously knitting away for her stall. Alice has bought button tins from three of the local ladies. So when Wendy needs buttons for her knitting, she can help herself. After all, what harm can it cause? Yet another fun, easy and fairly quick read for those who love a cozy murder mystery. I enjoyed the story, liked all the characters.

Alice Carroll is getting ready for the traditional Christmas Fair and Santa Run held in the Cotswald
Village. When a visitor to the fair steals a scarf from Alice's booth and ends up dead, she begins to
wonder if it has anything to do with the buttons she's purchased from residents to sell as it turns out
that the bear shaped button stitched onto the scarf is a valuable Netsuke appealing to collectors. As
Alice and her neighbor Robert look into the dead man's background and his job at a museum, the
man's employer and a former co-worker who is now employed at the museum. Charming
installment to this cozy mystery series.
#DeathattheVillageChristmasFair #BoldwoodBooks #NetGalley

Alice Carroll is looking forward to her first Christmas in the Cotswolds, but when a scarf stolen from her mother’s market stall turns up at the scene of a murder, the festive spirit is swiftly overshadowed by suspicion. Determined to uncover the truth, Alice teams up with her charming neighbour to solve the mystery.

Death at the Village Christmas Fair is the third book in Debbie Young’s Cotswold Curiosity Shop Mysteries, and the first I’ve read in the series. It stands comfortably on its own, with just enough backstory to feel grounded while still inviting newcomers in.

This is a story that leans fully into its cozy credentials—low stakes, a picturesque village, and endearing characters who feel like old friends. Alice’s background as a museum curator makes her an ideal proprietor for a curiosity shop, and the little details of her personal journey—especially her reflections on her mother—add a welcome layer of emotional depth.

While I did piece together part of the mystery early on, there were still several surprises in store, and I thoroughly enjoyed the gentle pacing and satisfying resolution. A particular highlight was learning about netsuke – intricate Japanese miniature sculptures – which added a touch of historical intrigue.

This is a light, comforting read, best enjoyed curled up with a blanket and a steaming mug of hot chocolate.

Thank you to Debbie Young, Boldwood Books, and NetGalley for the advance review copy.

Death At The Christmas Village Fair is the third book in the Cotswaldb Curiosity Shop Mysteries by Debbie Young, Alice’s mom called to tell her a beloved friend from her hometown Mrs. Hardy has died and left the inventory of her knitting shop to her mom so this means more crochet treasures for Alice’s little shop she also gets her own collection of strangeness with an abundance of buttons this is her first year living in the village for the Christmas fair and everyone keeps telling Alice how much fun she’s going to have but it is also at the Christmas fair where one of the marathon Santa Claus is murdered. The suspects prove worthy of suspicion until one of them is also found dead Alice is spending more time with ROBERT the popular author she’s dating and he is also her investigation partner in her amateur sluething mystery solving venture. I have really started loving cozy mysteries and although this one was OK I found Alice to be a tad bit fanciful not to mention I found more than one character had the tendency to use the same phrases which for some reason really irritates me in a book. Although I appreciated the Christmas theme and all the great descriptions I only found this book OK some may love it but I myself took a while to finish it.#NutGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #DebbieYoung, #DeathAtTheChristmasVillageFair,

This is the pinnacle of cosy crime. There's knitting, there's a charity Santa Run and there's even a quirky craft shop! Alice and Robert are bumbling along quite nicely in Little Pride, when the death of a Santa shakes the village. What's the connection between Clive, the grass green scarf and the missing bear button?

Alice leads the charge to find the culprit, with a few misproven theories and plenty of cups of tea along the way. Whilst there's not as much sleuthing to be done as with other others, it's still a (holly) jolly good read!

This was a fun Christmas book to read in July. The vibes were on point with a nice, cozy atmosphere and as soon as I picked it up, I could picture the book as a Miss Marple movie. The female main character was a bit dumber than Miss Marple, but the intention was there. I liked the mystery aspect to it, but I mostly picked it up for the Christmas theme, and I was pleasantly surprised by it. It was the perfect book for my mood.

I definitely recommend this book, as I truly enjoyed it, but don't go into it expecting a complicated mystery. It's quite easy to figure out the plot/ culprit, but it's fun to read for the vibes.

Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC. Needless to say, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Well, it's a Debbie Young, so of course I'm going to love it. (I devour all Debbie's cosy mysteries.) I admit the Sophie Sayers series are my favorites ... but ... The Cotswold Curiosity Shop Mysteries are rapidly becoming joint favourite! I'm becoming as fond of Alice Carroll and the inhabitants of Little Pride as I am of those at nearby Wendlebury Barrow.

No spoilers regarding the cunning plot, but suffice to say that the characters are delightful, the plot engrossing, entertaining and enjoyable, the location enviable (who wouldn't want to live in such a lovely village - despite its regular murders! :-).The writing is superb - as it always is - and the entire book (actually, the entire series!) is an absolute joy to read.

This one also evoked some very nostalgic memories... I wonder what happened to my mum's biscuit tin of buttons? As I read, I vividly remembered playing with all those lovely buttons... sadly, a button box is something very few of us have today.What a shame!

Settle down in a comfortable chair, turn off the phone, tea and biscuits to hand (or a delicious Pimms) and enjoy the well-crafted absorbing cosy mystery.

This one can be read as a standalone, although for full pleasure do start at the first book .

I have read a few of Debbie Young's cozy mysteries and enjoyed them, but this one wasn't for me. I found the protagonist frankly irritating and not nearly clever enough. She finally works out what has happened right at the end, when it was obvious to me from the beginning. Her "investigation" is just laughable. She stumbles around with no logic and even when she decides she has to look into something, she doesn't follow up. The village atmosphere is cozy and there are some sweet moments, but it isn't nearly enough to carrry the book. Disappointed.

The otherwise peaceful Cotswold village of Little Pride has yet another murder mystery to solve in the third in the series.

An enjoyable return to the Cotswold village of Little Pride where there is always at least one dead body and a mystery to be solved! The relationship between Alice and her mother was satisfying. I hope to see her move to Little Pride in a future installment.

"For the first time in years, I was really looking forward to the festive season. Somehow, I already knew that my first Christmas in Little Pride would be like no other I’d ever experienced."

"At least I’d been there long enough to know that NULPY meant Not Unusual for Little Pride. Being able now to translate some of the local shorthand gave me a pleasant frisson of belonging."

"And why all this fuss over a single piece of netsuke? I know the finer antique ones can change hands for thousands, but they’re hardly priceless. We’re not talking about an audacious heist of high art. It’s hardly lifting the Mona Lisa from the Louvre."

"That’s one reason why Suki’s gossip is always such fun – it’s a heady blend of fact and fiction, and not to be taken seriously without a fact check."

I’ve always loved knitting from a young age so I was hooked from the opening chapter of this book. My grandma used to have a large tin full of buttons and this was passed down as a family heirloom. Bearing this in mind you can guess that I loved this story and could relate to some of the key elements. The information about rare Japanese netsukes was fascinating and added to my enjoyment.
If you enjoy cosy crime then this is a great read. As the title suggests, it’s set at Christmas so you may wish to wait until the festive season to increase your enjoyment.
I thoroughly recommend this book. The author’s writing style makes it very easy nd enjoyable to read nd the plot is quite unusual.

Alice Carroll is the owner of The Cotswold Curiosity Shop and has recently purchased many button collections from the older residents of the town. Some she sells to an artist who makes jewelry from them, some are used by her mother on her knitting projects, and some she plans to sell in her shop. The buttons become the center of the mystery when an unpleasant stranger comes in, searching for a specific button. Later, the man is killed after the Santa Run at the village Christmas fair. Alice and her gentleman friend unravel the mystery and enjoy their time together.
This is the first book I’ve read by the author and it works great as a standalone. However, I’ve already put the first two in this series on my TBR list. The characters are well-developed and the mystery enjoyable. It is set in the Christmas season, so there is a nice holiday vibe to the story as Alice tries to decide what to give her friend (who is very rich, but doesn’t flaunt it). This cozy mystery definitely leaves you with that warm, cozy feeling.
Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC.