Welcome to my Stop on the Blog Tour for Avalon Sky, via Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources
Blurb
Some secrets should never be told. Some crimes should never be forgiven.
Following a private tragedy, TV historian Kit Pevensey and his wife Lissa seek respite in the quiet of rural Somerset to compile a village history for a friend.
But when their friend vanishes without a trace, the Pevenseys’ research stirs memories of dangerous secrets. Amid the deceptive peace of the Somerset Levels and Lundy Island, a killer plans the perfect murder – and Kit must face his own demons, whilst battling to prevent the crimes of the past from tearing a family apart.
My Review (4 stars out of 5)
Seeking respite in rural Somerset, TV historian Kit and his wife agree to compile a village history for a friend. When the friend disappears and his dog is found dead, Kit sets about tracking the killer. But the historian has his own issues to deal with, and things quickly escalate into a web of lies and deceit.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author and while it gets off to a bit of a slow start the pace quickly picks up and the action moves fast from there onwards. The characters are an interesting bunch though I did get a bit confused at one point and had to backtrack a bit to sort out who was who. For the most part the writing is very good, though the author’s overuse of ellipses and exclamation marks is irritating – you can only have so many exclamations and dramatic pauses before they become meaningless. Aside from that, it’s an exciting tale with plenty of twists and turns along the way.
Author Bio
Jill Todd was born in Eastleigh, Hampshire. Her parents taught her to read and write at an early age, to occupy her during a long illness, and she has been writing stories ever since.
After completing a historical novel, published in 1988, she rediscovered a social life, married and had a family. Whilst working as an Admin Assistant at a local secondary school, she continued to write as a hobby.
Her romance thriller, Echo of Bells, was published in 2016 and became the origin story for Avalon Sky. Since retiring in 2023, she has been able to write full-time and plans to make Avalon Sky the first in a series of crime thrillers featuring Kit and Lissa Pevensey.
In 2001, Jill’s husband and four fellow pilots won a microlight aircraft kit in a magazine competition. The build took three years, and the little plane (or a fifth share of it) became part of the family, which inspired one aspect of the plot of Avalon Sky. Holidays in Somerset and on Lundy Island supplied more material, and the island is one of Jill’s favourite places.
Social Media Links
Giveaway to Win an Avalon Sky prize bundle including clotted cream fudge and shortbread (Open to UK Only).
Prize includes:
Avalon Sky, paperback
Echo of Bells, paperback (my romance thriller, which became the origin story for Kit and Lissa’s relationship)
2 double-sided bookmarks – i.e. one for each book
1 box of clotted cream fudge
1 box of clotted cream shortbread selection
1 Lundy Island keyring
*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Gleam box below. The winner will be selected at random via Gleam from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
Colin Garrow 