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Tiggy Jones Mystery #3
A Deadly Concoction
A bag of baffling clues.
A string of mysterious deaths.
A race to expose the truth ...
When mystery author Tiggy Jones launches Mystery Week in her local town in Devon, she opens a donated bag of ‘mystery items’ to entertain the audience. But the first thing she holds up has a nasty stain on it. Is it blood? Or is someone playing a trick to embarrass her?
Tiggy rescues the moment and takes the bag home, only to discover it’s full of perplexing evidence. With her curiosity piqued, she begins to untangle the connections between the clues.
Why has the isolated distillery at Larrington Hall on Dartmoor seen so many deaths over the last twenty years?
Does the 500-year-old legend behind its exclusive blue liqueur hide a dangerous secret?
And when Tiggy gets close to uncovering one truth too many, will the purpose behind the bag of evidence turn deadly?
Join Tiggy Jones, with her dog Raider, as she discovers that researching a mystery novel is usually safe but investigating a murder or two is perilous.
A Deadly Concoction is the third book in the addictive Tiggy Jones Mystery Series – small town English mysteries with an edge – and a dog. Other books in the series A Scrap of Silk and A Missing Signature.
A string of mysterious deaths.
A race to expose the truth ...
When mystery author Tiggy Jones launches Mystery Week in her local town in Devon, she opens a donated bag of ‘mystery items’ to entertain the audience. But the first thing she holds up has a nasty stain on it. Is it blood? Or is someone playing a trick to embarrass her?
Tiggy rescues the moment and takes the bag home, only to discover it’s full of perplexing evidence. With her curiosity piqued, she begins to untangle the connections between the clues.
Why has the isolated distillery at Larrington Hall on Dartmoor seen so many deaths over the last twenty years?
Does the 500-year-old legend behind its exclusive blue liqueur hide a dangerous secret?
And when Tiggy gets close to uncovering one truth too many, will the purpose behind the bag of evidence turn deadly?
Join Tiggy Jones, with her dog Raider, as she discovers that researching a mystery novel is usually safe but investigating a murder or two is perilous.
A Deadly Concoction is the third book in the addictive Tiggy Jones Mystery Series – small town English mysteries with an edge – and a dog. Other books in the series A Scrap of Silk and A Missing Signature.
376 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 25, 2024
47 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
About the author
Virginia King
14 books81 followersVIRGINIA KING has lived most of her life in Sydney, but has travelled to many places. Her books blend her love of mystery, travel, psychology and folklore in a fast-paced style.
In the past, Virginia has been a teacher, an unemployed ex-teacher, an audio-book producer, the author of over 50 childrenʼs books, a workshop presenter and an award-winning publisher. These days she’s a full-time writer who paints a bit, living in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney with her husband, three pet alpacas and four chickens.
In the past, Virginia has been a teacher, an unemployed ex-teacher, an audio-book producer, the author of over 50 childrenʼs books, a workshop presenter and an award-winning publisher. These days she’s a full-time writer who paints a bit, living in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney with her husband, three pet alpacas and four chickens.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 20, 2024
Tiggy Jones, crime author and amateur sleuth, had the donated duffle bag, filled with mysterious items, which she took home from the event, intending to investigate all inside. But the stained stiletto went to the police, who confirmed it was blood. Now Tiggy had more to research, and while neuro-diverse friend Baxter, walked Tiggy's dog, Raider, her plans spread.
With Larrington Hall in Dartmoor on the agenda, Tiggy met up with various locals who all had things to say. The liqueur that the distillery had been built on was popular and had a long history. Was it connected? And the deaths that had happened in the past two years - were they accidents? Or murder? Tiggy was becoming deeply involved, but she couldn't see the danger she was heading toward...
A Deadly Concoction is the 3rd in the Tiggy Jones Mystery series by Aussie author Virginia King and was another spine-tingler! Tiggy is pretty intuitive and when clues are in front of her, if she can't work it out, Baxter can piece it together! They make a great team; I really enjoy Baxter's character - he's written well - and his love of Raider is heartwarming. Another excellent episode, and I'm looking forward to #4 already! Highly recommended.
With thanks to the author for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
With Larrington Hall in Dartmoor on the agenda, Tiggy met up with various locals who all had things to say. The liqueur that the distillery had been built on was popular and had a long history. Was it connected? And the deaths that had happened in the past two years - were they accidents? Or murder? Tiggy was becoming deeply involved, but she couldn't see the danger she was heading toward...
A Deadly Concoction is the 3rd in the Tiggy Jones Mystery series by Aussie author Virginia King and was another spine-tingler! Tiggy is pretty intuitive and when clues are in front of her, if she can't work it out, Baxter can piece it together! They make a great team; I really enjoy Baxter's character - he's written well - and his love of Raider is heartwarming. Another excellent episode, and I'm looking forward to #4 already! Highly recommended.
With thanks to the author for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
August 20, 2025
*I beta read and received an ARC of this book, with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
This is the third book in the Tiggy Jones mystery series and they just keep getting better and better! You don’t need to have read the previous books to read this one, as each story stands alone perfectly. I would still recommend reading them anyway, but that is because they are so good!
Mixing some local mythology with her uncontrollable instinct to uncover the truth, Tiggy (and Raider and Baxter) investigate a series of not-so-recent deaths that all seem to be connected somehow. Urged on by an anonymous source and Tiggy’s work on her next Piper mystery (which is loosely based around the clues they find), the trio can’t resist following up on the real-life trail, but are any of the deaths actually suspicious or are they just the accidents or suicides they appeared to be?
I really love the characters in this series, that feel like real people (and dogs – not forgetting Raider!) to me. Tiggy and Baxter make a really engaging sleuthing partnership based on mutual respect and a shared burning curiosity, and I have everything crossed that once Baxter finished his P.I. training he finally manages to persuade Tiggy to make it official (as long as she keeps writing her books too!).
The sense of place is particularly immersive, bringing to life the varied Devon setting with its cliffs and oceans, moors and bogs, and the local mythology of piskies and ‘Black Shuck’ seamlessly reinforces that authentic atmosphere in this story. And I was hooked in to the plot from the very first sentence – who doesn’t want to know more about a mysterious bag full of suspicious items, a trail of ominous gnomes and an ancient liqueur with mystical properties?!
I wholeheartedly recommend this book (and the rest of the series) to any mystery fans looking for a new British mystery series full of intrigue and interesting details, and characters you will wish you could hang out with.
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
This is the third book in the Tiggy Jones mystery series and they just keep getting better and better! You don’t need to have read the previous books to read this one, as each story stands alone perfectly. I would still recommend reading them anyway, but that is because they are so good!
Mixing some local mythology with her uncontrollable instinct to uncover the truth, Tiggy (and Raider and Baxter) investigate a series of not-so-recent deaths that all seem to be connected somehow. Urged on by an anonymous source and Tiggy’s work on her next Piper mystery (which is loosely based around the clues they find), the trio can’t resist following up on the real-life trail, but are any of the deaths actually suspicious or are they just the accidents or suicides they appeared to be?
I really love the characters in this series, that feel like real people (and dogs – not forgetting Raider!) to me. Tiggy and Baxter make a really engaging sleuthing partnership based on mutual respect and a shared burning curiosity, and I have everything crossed that once Baxter finished his P.I. training he finally manages to persuade Tiggy to make it official (as long as she keeps writing her books too!).
The sense of place is particularly immersive, bringing to life the varied Devon setting with its cliffs and oceans, moors and bogs, and the local mythology of piskies and ‘Black Shuck’ seamlessly reinforces that authentic atmosphere in this story. And I was hooked in to the plot from the very first sentence – who doesn’t want to know more about a mysterious bag full of suspicious items, a trail of ominous gnomes and an ancient liqueur with mystical properties?!
I wholeheartedly recommend this book (and the rest of the series) to any mystery fans looking for a new British mystery series full of intrigue and interesting details, and characters you will wish you could hang out with.
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
March 25, 2024
This third book in the Tiggy Jones series grabbed me right away. A mysterious duffel bag submitted to a Mystery Auction - contents unknown, submitter unknown. As Tiggy looks through it, she uncovers what might be a murder weapon. She turns it over to the police but of course has to find out what the contents mean herself and if there is a murder attached. Meanwhile she is writing a mystery and uses these items and her sleuthing to write her book. She posts her thoughts on her blog for feedback. She gets some interesting comments. Her investigating takes her to a distillery that makes Ambrodesia - a "concoction" that if not made correctly, can be lethal. There has been one mysterious death there and another "injury". The clues also take her to the beach where a woman names Sinead disappeared presumably drowned. One boot was found with a "piskie" charm attached. I love all the returning characters; Baxter, Rupert and Raider. I love how the author throws out many threads to her stories, weaving in local myths, and then ties them all together at the end. All the individual ingredients are brought together to make a "deadly concoction".
I received a free copy and voluntarily provided this review.
I received a free copy and voluntarily provided this review.
March 26, 2024
Tiggy would not be Tyggy if she could stop herself from digging into the mystery of the donated duffel bag.
We have cryptic notes that with Baxter’s help are slowly decoded. The combination of these two as a team works great. Baxter is really coming into his own personality, making clever use of his knowledge to become a private detective. Using his drawbacks as his strength. His better understanding of people with mental problems is a unique help in this case. Some of the characters you will love and others you would gladly lock up and throw away the key. We should know better than to respond to the unpleasant behaver of an individual because we might be wrong in our evaluation. The story keeps the twists and turns coming, and I can tell you I did not guess the villain till the end. The mystery of the blue liqueur and its 500-year-old recipes developed by a priest in hiding. Makes for a good marketing strategy. How did the chemist who helped develop the liqueur get poisoned prior to the selling of the liqueur? How come that three people involved with this liqueur have died within a brief time of each other. Have fun unraveling!
We have cryptic notes that with Baxter’s help are slowly decoded. The combination of these two as a team works great. Baxter is really coming into his own personality, making clever use of his knowledge to become a private detective. Using his drawbacks as his strength. His better understanding of people with mental problems is a unique help in this case. Some of the characters you will love and others you would gladly lock up and throw away the key. We should know better than to respond to the unpleasant behaver of an individual because we might be wrong in our evaluation. The story keeps the twists and turns coming, and I can tell you I did not guess the villain till the end. The mystery of the blue liqueur and its 500-year-old recipes developed by a priest in hiding. Makes for a good marketing strategy. How did the chemist who helped develop the liqueur get poisoned prior to the selling of the liqueur? How come that three people involved with this liqueur have died within a brief time of each other. Have fun unraveling!
July 21, 2024
The third Tiggy Jones mystery is even more full of surprises than the first two. The twists keep coming. Once in a while, I actually got a step ahead of Tiggy in solving the mystery, but often I was startled by the next event, and especially by the final solution to the mystery. I never foresaw a certain thread that tied up the whole plot. I enjoyed the way folklore and foraging were incorporated into the story, and I was fascinated to learn about Otherkin. As always, the characters are wonderful. I love Tiggy and Baxter, and would like to actually know them in real life. Tiggy is one of the most plausible amateur sleuths I've ever read, since her work as a mystery writer naturally inclines her toward investigating how certain mysterious events in her area happened. I look forward to the next book in the series.
March 3, 2024
I really like Tiggy but I'm starting to love Baxter. His character development is coming along nicely and sometimes he utters "pearls". The banter between Tiggy and Baxter when they were decoding the phone messages between Sinead and the mysterious "M" made me smile, and the way they handled the "embarrassing" bits, gave me a bit of a chuckle.
There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you on your toes and characters who are not quite whom they want you to believe they are. Tiggy's internal compass really let her down this time. Thank heaven for Raider!
A Deadly Concoction is the third book in this series and each one is better than the one before it. I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys excellent "clean" reading with a tantalising mystery to boot.
There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you on your toes and characters who are not quite whom they want you to believe they are. Tiggy's internal compass really let her down this time. Thank heaven for Raider!
A Deadly Concoction is the third book in this series and each one is better than the one before it. I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys excellent "clean" reading with a tantalising mystery to boot.
March 26, 2024
Another outstanding read!!
Ms. King has done it again! This is the third in the Tiggy Jones series and they just keep getting better. Tiggy is given a duffle bag of mystery items to talk about at the opening of Mystery Week. The first item she pulls out of the bag has a stain on it. Is it blood? No one wants to claim where the bag came from or who owns the items. Tiggy will have her job cut out for her as she, Baxter, and Raider try to unravel all the clues in the bag. Can they investigate the legend behind the blue liquor and the accidents that have plagued the distillery before they become the next victims? Great story that keeps your interest until the very end!!
I received an ARC. This is my honest review.
Ms. King has done it again! This is the third in the Tiggy Jones series and they just keep getting better. Tiggy is given a duffle bag of mystery items to talk about at the opening of Mystery Week. The first item she pulls out of the bag has a stain on it. Is it blood? No one wants to claim where the bag came from or who owns the items. Tiggy will have her job cut out for her as she, Baxter, and Raider try to unravel all the clues in the bag. Can they investigate the legend behind the blue liquor and the accidents that have plagued the distillery before they become the next victims? Great story that keeps your interest until the very end!!
I received an ARC. This is my honest review.
March 31, 2024
A Deadly Concoction is book #3 in the Tiggy Jones Mystery Series series by Virginia King.
I love this series. I never know what to expect, but I know I’m going to enjoy it! I’m always amazed at how all the various threads of the story get wrapped up in an ending that makes sense. Tiggy being given the mystery bag starts us off on a mystery. I really like how she posed questions for her new book to get more information. There were a few things that absolutely shocked me. I really like how Baxter is more than a dog-walker now. These stories are a challenge for me. I want them to last but I also don’t want to put the book down. I can’t wait for the next book!
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I love this series. I never know what to expect, but I know I’m going to enjoy it! I’m always amazed at how all the various threads of the story get wrapped up in an ending that makes sense. Tiggy being given the mystery bag starts us off on a mystery. I really like how she posed questions for her new book to get more information. There were a few things that absolutely shocked me. I really like how Baxter is more than a dog-walker now. These stories are a challenge for me. I want them to last but I also don’t want to put the book down. I can’t wait for the next book!
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 5, 2024
Twiggy is an excellent mystery writer because she is an excellent sleuth. When there is something strange afoot…when something doesn’t seem quite right...when there is a question...SHE has to investigate! But, SHE puts herself in danger time and again. She can’t help but massage every item in the mysterious duffle bag to learn its secret. Try to follow her through all the twists and turns - does she get it right?
Ms. King has concocted another well-planned story to keep me on the edge of my seat, turning pages ‘til the wee hours, trying to guess whodunit. I thoroughly enjoy her writing and highly recommend her books.
Ms. King has concocted another well-planned story to keep me on the edge of my seat, turning pages ‘til the wee hours, trying to guess whodunit. I thoroughly enjoy her writing and highly recommend her books.
April 12, 2024
Once again I have found myself enthralled in the life of Tiggy. Tiggy is a mystery author but somehow always finds herself enveloped in a mystery and becomes a sleuth and solves it.
This time Tiggy is relying on her (followers) to help her write her next novel. She posed questions revolving around a duffle bag filled with seemingly unrelated items. Boy oh boy does she get a shock…
Another beloved character in the life of Tiggy is coming into their own and it is such fun to get caught up in the antics.
I recommend this book to all who enjoy a good mystery and a sometimes-lighthearted fun.
This time Tiggy is relying on her (followers) to help her write her next novel. She posed questions revolving around a duffle bag filled with seemingly unrelated items. Boy oh boy does she get a shock…
Another beloved character in the life of Tiggy is coming into their own and it is such fun to get caught up in the antics.
I recommend this book to all who enjoy a good mystery and a sometimes-lighthearted fun.
March 12, 2024
My wife Carol has read this book as an ARC and has asked me to report her review, as she does not have her own Goodreads page.
She says "This story had me engrossed from beginning to end. The intricacy of the plot is amazing, and the attention to detail in the story is excellent. It's that old saying about a good book: I couldn't put it down. Well done again, Virginia!"
She says "This story had me engrossed from beginning to end. The intricacy of the plot is amazing, and the attention to detail in the story is excellent. It's that old saying about a good book: I couldn't put it down. Well done again, Virginia!"
March 8, 2024
This book really kept me guessing. What an adventure. Tiggy and Baxter make a great team. So many wonderful characters. Can't wait to see what their next adventure will bring.
June 23, 2024
The story was good but I found it hard to follow and keep all the characters straight. Who was who was hard to follow.
December 25, 2024
A mystery within a mystery
Enjoying the characters more and more. The insights as to how an author gathers and changes information to create a story was added enjoyment.
Enjoying the characters more and more. The insights as to how an author gathers and changes information to create a story was added enjoyment.
Read
March 15, 2025an other good story
September 1, 2025
Really good series
Engaging main character leading the series. Interesting side characters. Strong plots that are well thought out. So this is a really engrossing series.
Engaging main character leading the series. Interesting side characters. Strong plots that are well thought out. So this is a really engrossing series.
April 2, 2024
I have really enjoyed this book. A very clever mystery with a diabolical perp. Virginia King has given us lots of clues this time round and I regret to say that I still did not manage to guess the ending. I have always liked Baxter and it is great to see the character develop and grow. I also love the close relationship that Tiggy shares him and how she encourages him as well. Such a good read, looking forward to more please!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews