When's the best time to get up to no good? When you're dressed as a Santa at a Santa Run and Christmas fayre.

One of the Santas steals something from Alice Carroll's mum's knitting stall - and then he's found dead outside the village hall with the stolen item.

Alice thinks that there's more to this than meet the eye - and that the police are wrong.

Can Alice and her neighbour Robert crack this before Christmas?

Another excellent adventure in this lovely series

Alice is looking forward to Christmas in her Curiosity Shop. Her mum comes to stay and is knitting things for the fair. There's a Santa Run where anyone can enter. One of the Santa's grab a scarf from Alice's mum stall and then a Santa is found injured with the scarf round his neck

This was my first read of this series so I can vouch that it works well as a stand alone. Alice Carroll is preparing for her first Christmas in her new home, a celebration that includes not just the traditional Christmas Fair but a Santa Run. Her mother is visiting and Alice is looking forward to a peaceful holiday celebration with her relatively new beau, Robert who, as we find out, has money. Lots of it. That's beside the point, however, as he's genuinely likable and low key about his status. To be honest, though, Alice can't help but be a bit subdued by his wealth as, well, what do you buy someone who has the money to buy about anything he wants. She's also a tad uncertain about her status but they do seem to work well together, especially when it comes to sorting out whodunit in a murder.

So, who killed Clive and why? Strangled with a scarf stolen from the booth owned by Alice's mother, Alice is naturally interested. I won't spoil the plot any further except to say there's an interesting twist to the crime. If you don't know what Netsuke is, you will by the time you finish this book. It was rather fun to learn a bit about this art form as well as some aspects of museum collecting and investments/sponsors. I liked the cast if characters and you'll easily figure out who is who and the relationships they have with each other. Some are rather naive, even Alice at times, but they come across as good people that are easy to root for. Robert's granddaughter, Tilly, was a standout, and I'm guessing that Alice's mother may be sticking around based on her so easily fitting into the knitting community. She's one fast knitter, too. The village of Little Pride might be said to play a role, too, with both positives and negatives.

Bottom line, while somewhat slow in pace, I wound up enjoying the book. The characters are a real plus with them seeming to be real people prone to think the best of others. And, of course, there's that blossoming romance between Alice and Robert. Thanks #BoldwoodBooks for giving me this early peek at Alice's world and the doings of Little Pride. It was fun to imagine the Santa Race, especially the slower paced, not so athletic ones, and loved the giving spirit of the community, and the mention of Paddington Bear and toggle buttons was a bonus. Made me remember my grandmother's button jar.

Death at the Village Christmas Fair by Debbie Young is the third charming installment in the Cotswold Curiosity Shop Mysteries, and it’s a delightful blend of festive spirit, classic whodunnit structure, and sharp character work. Published by Boldwood Books, I want to thank them and NetGalley for the gifted ARC that allowed me to revisit Little Pride during one of its most festive—and most sinister—seasons yet.

Alice Carroll is trying to embrace the quiet joys of her first full countryside Christmas after a whirlwind year that involved not one, but two murders in her sleepy Cotswold village. She’s running her Curiosity Shop, preparing for the local Christmas Fair, and hosting her witty, no-nonsense mum, who has her own stall selling hand-knit scarves and winter wear. But peace in Little Pride never lasts long. When a Santa runner is caught swiping a handmade scarf from Alice’s mum’s booth and later turns up dying outside the village hall—with that same scarf, now a murder weapon—the mystery kicks off fast and doesn’t let up.

At first, it seems like a bizarre holiday mishap. But Alice quickly discovers that the scarf’s unique button isn’t just a quirky embellishment—it’s a valuable Japanese netsuke, stolen from the local museum. That revelation pulls her into a deeper investigation involving stolen antiquities, hidden identities, and some very slippery suspects. The police chalk it up to a petty thief getting what was coming to him. Alice, of course, knows better—and with her trademark persistence, plus some help from her enigmatic neighbor Robert Praed, she sets out to uncover the truth behind the crime.

Debbie Young excels at building a world that feels lived-in and authentic. Little Pride isn’t just a cozy setting—it’s a fully realized community with complex relationships, unspoken tensions, and layers of personal history that add texture to the story. The characters feel like people you might actually know: quirky, kind, occasionally irritating, but always human. Alice is a strong amateur sleuth—curious, grounded, and willing to risk her reputation to get to the truth. Her relationship with Robert continues to evolve in subtle, believable ways, avoiding overdone romance tropes in favor of something more mature and real.

The mystery itself is satisfying without being overly complicated. Young includes enough twists to keep readers guessing, but she doesn’t rely on shock for effect. Instead, she lets the clues surface naturally through character interactions, local gossip, and Alice’s own investigations. If anything, the only thing I wanted more of was the final confrontation—a bit more emotional depth or confrontation between victim and killer would’ve made the payoff stronger. But that’s a minor note in what is otherwise a very well-constructed cozy.

What makes Death at the Village Christmas Fair stand out isn’t just the murder plot—it’s how skillfully Young blends it into the rhythms of village life. There’s humor and warmth throughout, especially in the scenes with Alice’s mum, whose dry commentary is often laugh-out-loud funny. There’s a real sense of community, too—the kind where everyone knows your name, your past, and your business, whether you want them to or not. And underneath the surface of holiday lights and Santa suits, there’s always the question of what people are willing to hide—and what’s worth killing for.

Debbie Young’s writing hits that sweet spot between clever and comforting. Her mysteries never lose sight of the humanity behind the crime. And though this one leans more whimsical than dark, it still manages to touch on deeper themes like grief, legacy, and how far people will go to protect what they believe is rightfully theirs. It’s a perfect read for fans of M.C. Beaton, Jeanne M. Dams, or anyone looking to escape into a wintry English village with secrets around every corner.

“Even the jolliest Santa costume can’t hide a guilty conscience.”

Alice Carroll operates the Curiosity Shop in Little Pride and is active in the running of the annual Christmas Fair and Santa Run. Her mother is knitting up a storm making winterwear, including the scarf that had a fancy button on it and became a weapon in the murder of one of the Santas. It seems that it wasn't an old button, but an old and valuable Japanese netsuke which they later found to have been stolen from the local museum. The investigation was well done, but I was entranced by the characters and the low key humor. Loved it.
I requested and received a free temporary uncorrected ebook file from Boldwood Books via NetGalley. Avail Aug 16, 2025
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My first Debbie Young book but definitely not my last. This was a good cozy mystery. Lots of colorful characters kept me reading way past my bedtime. This was a great book to get lost in.
Thank you NetGalley, Debbie Young and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read and review this book

Another fun installment in the series following Alice and a collection of wonderful side characters discover and solve a murder. While this one is quite short it’s entertaining and had a few plot twists that were unexpected. The full explanation of the murder itself was a bit lacking, the reveal of what crime had been committed, by who, and why was decent. One more scene describing the altercation between the murderer and their victim would have added important context and concluded the story perfectly.

This book was such fun to read, I enjoyed every minute of it.
Alice is preparing for the holidays as well as having her mum to visit and to help with her curiosity shop.
When two random shoppers in her store raise suspicion, Alice soon finds herself involved in a possible murder investigation.
I liked the fast pace of the book, it kept me guessing until the end.
I'm looking forward to reading more in 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