A Touch Of Gold by Joyce and Jim Lavene is the second book in the “Missing Pieces” mystery series. Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime (Penguin), March 2011
The mayor of Duck, North Carolina, Dae O’Donnell is a woman with a gift for finding lost things. Sometimes it leads her to lost keys or earrings—and sometimes it leads her to murder.
Long before he became curator of the Duck Historical Museum, Max Caudle contributed its greatest treasure—a wooden chest full of gold he discovered washed up on shore. Tales of pirates and their booty have long been part of local folklore, but history is really made when someone fires a cannonball into the museum, destroying the building and killing Max, before looting the gold.
Injured in the explosion, Dae finds her abilities have been amplified, overwhelming her with intense visions every time she touches an object. Now if ex-FBI agent—and burgeoning beau—Kevin Brickman can help Dae decipher her visions, she just might be able to stop the modern-day buccaneer from killing again.
Wow, what a story. Dae was just talking to the museum’s curator when the building explodes killing him and injuring herself. When her abilities are acutely heighten, a touch of a gold coin tells her there’s more to this building explosion and Dae vows to find the person responsible for killing her friend. This was a compelling story that captured my attention right from the start. This action-filled mystery started with a bang and didn’t let up until the last secret was revealed. As Dae sort through all that she is envisioning, someone else is trying to hide their involvement by any means necessary, no matter who gets hurt. I like that the author had me going one way or the other as I tried to figure out who the killer was and then I knew and I was like “whoa.“ With a quaint coastal setting, a great cast and refreshing dialogue, this was an enjoyable and pleasant read and I look forward to reading the next book in this delightfully charming series.
FTC Full Disclosure – The publisher sent me a copy of this book
previously posted on the Cozy Chicks blog