Ever since she was a child, Dae O’Donnell has had the ability to find things that others have lost. Thankfully, she learned how to use – and cope with – this power early in life, so it’s always been more of a help to her than a hindrance. But then one day, she's injured in an explosion that destroys the local museum and kills its curator. The blast knocks Dae unconscious, and when she comes to, she discovers she now has a new ability – one that gives her visions of objects' histories whenever she touches them. The visions are occasionally crippling, particularly when the object in question is associated with a highly emotional event, which leaves Dae wondering how she's going to get through life when everything she touches has the potential to knock her flat. But then another body turns up, and her visions start providing clues that could help the police solve the crimes. Can Dae master her newfound skill in time to help the police nab the killer before he claims another victim?

A Touch of Gold is the second of Joyce and Jim Lavene’s Missing Pieces Mysteries. I haven’t read the series debut, A Timely Vision, but after muddling my way through its sequel, I’m not sure I ever will. The prose is stilted, awkward, and lacking in style, causing the book to feel like something written by committee. The story lacks a true through-line, and just sort of meanders from scene to scene. And none of the characters have any spark to them at all.

I had high hopes for this book. The opening chapters feature a pirate legend, found treasure, an explosion, and a death – a promising start, to be sure. And giving your main character the ability to “see” an object’s history? That’s a brilliant device that’s just loaded with potential. Unfortunately, however, the Levenes fail to capitalize on their setup. The pirate legend is maybe the most interesting part of the story, but the Levenes never really tie the legend to the central mystery in any meaningful way. The cause of the explosion, while unique, is kind of ridiculous and far-fetched. No one in the book seems to care all that much about the death of the curator. And while Dae’s power results in some interesting revelations, few of them have anything to do with the murder that’s supposed to be at the heart of this tale.

The pace of the book does start to pick up about three-quarters in, but then, instead of building on that momentum, the story stops and catches its breath, causing the ending to feel kind of anti-climactic.

And as for the characters, they’re all kind of bland and generic. Dae is the most interesting of the group (as she should be), but even she lacks complexity. The Levenes try to give her some depth by complicating her relationships with those she cares about most (namely her grandfather and budding-love-interest Kevin), but unfortunately, these relationships never rang true to begin with, so you find yourself not caring too much when they start to go south.

A Touch of Gold is a solid read, but if you’re looking for an exciting tale of murder and pirates that will suck you in and hold your attention until the very end, I suggest you focus your search elsewhere.

Reviewed by: Kat