What do you think?
Rate this book
Missing Pieces Mystery #2
A Touch of Gold
Long before he became curator of the Duck Historical Museum, Max Caudle discovered its greatest treasure-a wooden chest full of gold. But a thief with his eye on the gold fires a cannonball into the museum, destroying the building-and killing Max.
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.
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.
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 1, 2011
About the author
Joyce Lavene
78 books647 followersaka Elyssa Henry and Joye Ames, J.J. Cook, and Ellie Grant
Joyce Lavene and Jim Lavene are a wife and husband team who have written and published more than 70 books since 1999. They live in North Carolina with their family and enjoy cooking, photography and ghost hunting.
Joyce Lavene and Jim Lavene are a wife and husband team who have written and published more than 70 books since 1999. They live in North Carolina with their family and enjoy cooking, photography and ghost hunting.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
March 3, 2017
Loved this book! This cozy mystery series has become one of my favourites.
November 10, 2022
An interesting heroine makes this cozy a fun read. There's some carryover elements from the first novel & a storyline that doesn't end at the end of the book, so it's definitely a character-driven series. Fortunately, there are engaging characters to hang out with on the Outer Banks. Mayor Dae O'Donnell of Duck is injured & discovers that her psychic ability to find lost things when she touches a person has exploded into an ability to touch an object, see the history of the object, & more difficult, feel the emotions of the people who have owned the object. This new ability is making it hard for her to live a normal life, plus find the killer of a beloved citizen. As she is drawn further into the investigation, several lives are in danger as a hoard of gold is wanted by several persons unknown. Great setting & fun mystery.
May 20, 2016
It's been quite awhile since I've read the first book in the series, but I remembered bits and pieces of it. This book picked up and carried on at a fast pace on it's own.
The characters were great, like I said above I didn't remember much from the first book, so I wasn't sure what to expect from this book because as a general rule I don't care for books about psychic people, but this book was really good. THe author did a great job of having a MC with a psychic power without having that overshadow the mystery, though it did play a large part in the mystery.
The setting was really good, though I feel it's overused in the cozy mystery genre, Ellery Adams,a nd now Eva Gates also write mysteries set in this area.
Overall a good book, the author made the killer slightly obvious and it was slow to get into but it was still a good book. I already have the next one!
The characters were great, like I said above I didn't remember much from the first book, so I wasn't sure what to expect from this book because as a general rule I don't care for books about psychic people, but this book was really good. THe author did a great job of having a MC with a psychic power without having that overshadow the mystery, though it did play a large part in the mystery.
The setting was really good, though I feel it's overused in the cozy mystery genre, Ellery Adams,a nd now Eva Gates also write mysteries set in this area.
Overall a good book, the author made the killer slightly obvious and it was slow to get into but it was still a good book. I already have the next one!
October 6, 2018
The story is set in Duck, North Carolina and features Dae O'Donnell as the main character and the mayor of Duck. The story centers around the death of Max Caudle in a blast which is caused by the firing of an old cannon. It also includes the theft of gold another fire and Dae who wants answers. Dae can see and feel things by touching items or the people connected to the items. The book was a quick easy read.
September 8, 2019
Ok story. I’ll read the next one.
December 22, 2015
Second in the Missing Pieces series. Dae is near the museum when it explores. She is thrown out to the street and lands in front of car As a result of this accident Dae paranormal powers are enhanced. She tell can tell the history of an object by touching it as well as find lost items. Dae is learning to control new power slowly. Law enforcement agencies, news reporter s and h er friend all want to know about the explosion. Before Dae finds answers a fire guts a house in the town of Duck . Dae manages She is looking for answers before she must reveal her new talent. Dae is kidnap and find some answers.
July 3, 2011
love this series. The people and place are really brought to life. You can picture Duck and the shops. reading you think you have it figured out and it takes a quick turn in another direction.
Would definately recommend reading this book but read the first one and meet the characters.
Would definately recommend reading this book but read the first one and meet the characters.
June 10, 2015
Another great book!!
Dae O'Donnell is the mayor of her town. I love reading about the town named Duck, and all the interesting characters that Joyce and Jim have created. The gold that is the source of greed and murder makes for a fun story!!
Dae O'Donnell is the mayor of her town. I love reading about the town named Duck, and all the interesting characters that Joyce and Jim have created. The gold that is the source of greed and murder makes for a fun story!!
May 29, 2022
I enjoyed the second installment in the series a great deal. I still haven't made it to Duck, but these books bring the little town to life for me. The characters are well-developed and seem like folks you would meet in small town NC. The story surrounding Theodosia Burr is one that I have heard from childhood, and I like the way Lavene spun the tale of her fate. The main mystery in the book was well-written and interesting, with curve balls coming from all directions. I was pretty sure I had the culprit figured out fairly quickly, but then second guessed myself several times. I had the correct solution and the right reasons.
April 18, 2023
Second in the series. Loved it! I really enjoyed the story. I love getting to know all the characters better from the first book - and the setting of Duck, NC is a real plus. The fact that this time the story line also touched on the history of Aaron Burr's daughter, Theodosia Burr, was an added attraction. All the historical details and descriptions of the Duck, NC area is added pleasure for this reader. And this cozy mystery was very detailed and you had to pay close attention - and I was still surprised at the end. Looking forward to the future books in the series!
January 6, 2019
A generous 3 for this one. The mystery plot seemed to drag. I also noticed that many of the characters act unrealistically- stilted and ridiculous. It felt a little like a robot wrote some of the interactions. I didn’t notice it so much in the first, so I’ll give the 3rd a try for a final ruling.
June 17, 2017
Dae is thrown clear when the museum is blown up. It has taken the life of a dear friend and community historian. Then it turns out he was murdered. And Dae's gift has taken an unexpected turn and is stronger. Find out how she copes and eventually finds the killer.
April 4, 2020
Another exciting adventure with the mayor of Duck, NC! Residents of a tight knit community fall victim to one of their own in this swashbuckling tale of missing gold. Mystery and mayhem ensues in the small town of Duck. Will the gold be claimed? If so, at what cost? Make this your next beach read!
August 4, 2017
A fun read in a "new to me" series.
June 9, 2018
Really enjoyed this one. Liked the psychic abilities, loved the mystery and solution, and really liked the light romance.
October 3, 2018
I loved his book so much that I'm sorry I finished it.
November 19, 2018
I enjoyed the start but the plot became confusing and too unbelievable.
November 24, 2018
Read the first book quite a while ago but had no problem following story or characters. Can't wait to read the next book.
June 22, 2024
Fun summer read!
Juar found this team of writers. What an entertaining read, and perfect for a long car ride. Looking forward to the next book in the series!
Juar found this team of writers. What an entertaining read, and perfect for a long car ride. Looking forward to the next book in the series!
December 31, 2025
As good as the first
May 13, 2026
Another cool mystery from the Lavenes!
June 28, 2011
First Line: "On a dark night in 1812, the schooner Patriot vanished with all hands onboard, never to be seen again."
Before he ever became the curator of the Duck Historical Museum, Max Caudle had discovered the museum's greatest treasure-- a wooden chest filled with gold coins. But it seems that someone wants that gold, and when a cannonball is fired into the building, Max is killed, Mayor Dae O'Donnell is injured-- and the gold disappears.
Before her ears have a chance to stop ringing, Dae finds out that her ability to touch an object and learn its history has been greatly amplified. Excruciatingly amplified: Dae starts wearing gloves and avoids touching anything. Fortunately she can blame the gloves on her injuries so people don't ask too many questions. But she has questions of her own, and with the help of ex-FBI agent Kevin Brickman, she hopes to learn how to use and decipher her visions in order to catch a killer before someone else dies.
As in the first book in the series, A Timely Vision, two of the characters annoyed me-- Dae's half-baked medium friend, Shayla, and Tim, the man who refuses to believe that he and Dae won't be getting married in the near future. Fortunately they didn't make many appearances in this book.
I did enjoy the twists and turns of the plot and getting to know the people of small town Duck, North Carolina better. A very interesting subplot involved an historical figure, Theodosia Burr (daughter of Aaron Burr), whom I'd read about in the past. Bringing in bits of local history like this adds a great deal of depth to the setting and the characters.
Dae has survived trial by cannonball. I'm eagerly awaiting what's in store for her next.
Before he ever became the curator of the Duck Historical Museum, Max Caudle had discovered the museum's greatest treasure-- a wooden chest filled with gold coins. But it seems that someone wants that gold, and when a cannonball is fired into the building, Max is killed, Mayor Dae O'Donnell is injured-- and the gold disappears.
Before her ears have a chance to stop ringing, Dae finds out that her ability to touch an object and learn its history has been greatly amplified. Excruciatingly amplified: Dae starts wearing gloves and avoids touching anything. Fortunately she can blame the gloves on her injuries so people don't ask too many questions. But she has questions of her own, and with the help of ex-FBI agent Kevin Brickman, she hopes to learn how to use and decipher her visions in order to catch a killer before someone else dies.
As in the first book in the series, A Timely Vision, two of the characters annoyed me-- Dae's half-baked medium friend, Shayla, and Tim, the man who refuses to believe that he and Dae won't be getting married in the near future. Fortunately they didn't make many appearances in this book.
I did enjoy the twists and turns of the plot and getting to know the people of small town Duck, North Carolina better. A very interesting subplot involved an historical figure, Theodosia Burr (daughter of Aaron Burr), whom I'd read about in the past. Bringing in bits of local history like this adds a great deal of depth to the setting and the characters.
Dae has survived trial by cannonball. I'm eagerly awaiting what's in store for her next.
April 22, 2011
Dae O'Donnell, mayor of Duck, has a very special gift. She can find things lost by touching your hands. She was introduced to us first in A Timely Vision. In this second book in the series, her gift has been intensified (or was it unleashed?) due to an explosion.
You might get the impression this book has to do with pirates and such but that idea has been dismissed early on in the story. Even though it was quite easy figuring out the villain, I think the story still had a few twists and turns that made me want to keep reading.
The only thing I didn't like about this book is that it falls under what I call smart-woman-making-stupid-move category. In its defense, if she didn't do that stupid move, she wouldn't have solved the town mystery. I know, nobody's perfect. But real life smart women just won't do something so careless. Sad to say the last book I read also had this component. I just hope that other writers will not follow this path, even though their heroine is going crazy out of curiosity.
You might get the impression this book has to do with pirates and such but that idea has been dismissed early on in the story. Even though it was quite easy figuring out the villain, I think the story still had a few twists and turns that made me want to keep reading.
The only thing I didn't like about this book is that it falls under what I call smart-woman-making-stupid-move category. In its defense, if she didn't do that stupid move, she wouldn't have solved the town mystery. I know, nobody's perfect. But real life smart women just won't do something so careless. Sad to say the last book I read also had this component. I just hope that other writers will not follow this path, even though their heroine is going crazy out of curiosity.
January 31, 2015
I still enjoyed this book, but it just didn't do it for me the way the first book of the series did. I think one of the things I appreciated was that the first didn't fall into a lot of the standard genre tropes...which the second book did (most particularly the worst of the female relationships and romance tropes). Honestly, Trudy and Shayla are pretty terrible friends and between them and the Caudle girls, the series seems to have a bit of a problem with women.
It also seemed like the balance was off between the mystery itself and Dae's mental powers (which I remember being so on point in the first book). The second half was stronger than the first, resolving a few of the issues I had and demonstrating that there are real consequences for fucking up. I do so enjoy people being competent at what they do and taking their responsibilities seriously.
In the end, all the pieces didn't entirely work together, but it was a decent read.
(But Tim remains so. gross. How does anyone think they'd be good together? Or that he'd be good for anyone with that kind of creepy attitude towards women?)
It also seemed like the balance was off between the mystery itself and Dae's mental powers (which I remember being so on point in the first book). The second half was stronger than the first, resolving a few of the issues I had and demonstrating that there are real consequences for fucking up. I do so enjoy people being competent at what they do and taking their responsibilities seriously.
In the end, all the pieces didn't entirely work together, but it was a decent read.
(But Tim remains so. gross. How does anyone think they'd be good together? Or that he'd be good for anyone with that kind of creepy attitude towards women?)
December 2, 2014
This series is quickly becoming one of my favorite adult mystery series- a nice cozy mystery series with a psychic twist. Dae O'Donnell, Mayor of Duck, North Carolina, has the unusual ability that she can touch someone and find lost items for them. Sometimes she can also pick up uneasiness but she tries to not read minds. While leaving the Duck Museum, where curator Max Caudle, had long ago contributed a chest full of gold coins purported to be from pirates, an explosion injures her when someone fires a cannonball into the museum. Max is killed. Dae finds that now her abilities have been amplified- she can tell the history of every object she touches. Literally driving her crazy, she begins to wear gloves to eliminate this experience. Despite that she becomes embroiled in the mystery of who blew up the museum and is continuing to set fires.
I like that the reader quickly becomes part of life on the North Carolina island and the residents there become real people. This is a well-written cozy series with plenty of mystery and suspense.
I like that the reader quickly becomes part of life on the North Carolina island and the residents there become real people. This is a well-written cozy series with plenty of mystery and suspense.
March 10, 2022
I read a lot of different types of mysteries and paranormal books. Some are even combined such as this neat Missing Pieces Mystery series. Cozies are sorbet for me between the wee bit harsher thrillers, suspense, UF that are also on Mt Git'r'Read. I keep a stack (or three) of cozies/amateur sleuth books on Mt Git'r'Read to keep me from my 'aerobic reading' books (the ones that make the heart pound like crazy form the uber-suspense).
Some cozies can do that too. This is one of those. One thinks of murder taking place in a cozy/amateur sleuth, but this one was a humdingah. Small town Duck, North Carolina has an explosion at the historical museum and the mayor, main character Dae O'Donnell, is injured in the blast. Her abilities to find lost items and sense thins have always been with her, but they have become almost more than she can handle as a result of the explosion.
I love this series.
Definite recommend.
Some cozies can do that too. This is one of those. One thinks of murder taking place in a cozy/amateur sleuth, but this one was a humdingah. Small town Duck, North Carolina has an explosion at the historical museum and the mayor, main character Dae O'Donnell, is injured in the blast. Her abilities to find lost items and sense thins have always been with her, but they have become almost more than she can handle as a result of the explosion.
I love this series.
Definite recommend.
April 1, 2011
A very good follow up story to A Timely Vision. Dae O'Donnell is mayor of the small coastal community of Duck, NC. the community has a rich history of pirates, but then maybe it is mostly lore. Max Caudle claims to have found a chest filled with pirate's gold along the shore years ago. As Dae is returning to the Duck Historical Museum, run by Max, an explosion levels the the building injuring Dae. Dae has the ability to find missing pieces by touching the hands of the owner. The expolsion maginifies these abilites, so that know she gets much broader readings. Along with Kevin Brickman owner of the Blue Whale Inn and former FBI agent, they put there heads together to solve the mystery and find the killer. When they had their heads together, there may have been a few kisses, but that might be more for the next book.
June 22, 2012
In the Lavene’s paranormal mystery novel, the curator of the Duck Historical Museum, Max Caudle is killed in an explosion that destroys the museum and all of its treasures. Injured in the explosion, Dae finds her abilities have morphed to now include the ability to pick up historical facts from objects as well as finding lost items. With some help from her ex-FBI agent beau, Kevin Brickman, she begins to adjust to this new talent and decipher the visions she now experiences. Determined to find the answers to this recent Duck tragedy, she embarks on a quest for answers only to find more than even she could imagine.
A charming amateur sleuth, a puzzle to unravel, all accomplished in fast-paced action.
A charming amateur sleuth, a puzzle to unravel, all accomplished in fast-paced action.
April 1, 2013
This is the second book in the Missing Pieces Mystery series. I liked this book even better than the first book in the series (although I gave it a 4 star also). I'm not ready to make this a 5 star series yet but it could be getting there. This time, Dae has an accident and her powers are enhanced in a way that scares the crap out of her (it would be pretty scary but you have to read the book to see what I'm talking about).
The characters are developing nicely and I enjoyed getting to know the main players better. The ending has a cliffhanger of sorts and I am looking forward to reading A Spirited Gift, the next in the series, to see what happens.
The characters are developing nicely and I enjoyed getting to know the main players better. The ending has a cliffhanger of sorts and I am looking forward to reading A Spirited Gift, the next in the series, to see what happens.
August 12, 2015
I love this series! Dae is the mayor of Duck, NC and she can help people find lost things. She owns a junk store called missing pieces which has a few treasures in it. In this book the local museum is blown up and it's manager is killed in the explosion. Dae is outside when the n
Blast occurs but she is still thrown several feet into the street and knocked out. Later the manager of the "competing" local historical society of a nearby town disappears and is later found washed up on the shore, an apparent suicide. Did he really blow up Duck's museum, and why. Dae needs to get to the bottom of things before the whole town believes it this the curse of a pirate affecting them. An excellent read with lots of twists.
Blast occurs but she is still thrown several feet into the street and knocked out. Later the manager of the "competing" local historical society of a nearby town disappears and is later found washed up on the shore, an apparent suicide. Did he really blow up Duck's museum, and why. Dae needs to get to the bottom of things before the whole town believes it this the curse of a pirate affecting them. An excellent read with lots of twists.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews