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Daring Finds #2
French Polished Murder
You don't stumble upon a series like the Daring Finds novels every day...
Divorced mom, Candyce "Dyce" Dare is the owner of the furniture refinishing store Daring Finds. When she discovers decades-old letters inside an antique piano she's renovating, she becomes distracted by an investigation that puts her at odds with the letter-writer's very powerful local family.
Divorced mom, Candyce "Dyce" Dare is the owner of the furniture refinishing store Daring Finds. When she discovers decades-old letters inside an antique piano she's renovating, she becomes distracted by an investigation that puts her at odds with the letter-writer's very powerful local family.
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 4, 2010
17 people are currently reading
286 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
October 1, 2018
I liked this cozy murder. Although I couldn’t care less about French polish and I had guessed who the murderer was after we were introduced to her, I still enjoyed this quick read. Even though furniture restoration isn’t my thing, I’d rather enjoy reading more in this series. E is such an adorable kid and Cas and Ben are very likable gentlemen.
September 17, 2017
The first 50 percent of the book is about baby rats. Like literally. If you look past that, the mystery is actually very good.
June 30, 2019
Really enjoyed this one. The characters grew on me, the humour is great and the mystery intriguing.
March 11, 2017
Great series.
I love this series. Dyce Dare is such a fun character that I want to read all about her mystery and furniture refinishing exploits.
I love this series. Dyce Dare is such a fun character that I want to read all about her mystery and furniture refinishing exploits.
June 25, 2012
Another story from this series that kept me reading even though I had some minor problems with this book. First, the lead character is constantly throwing herself, and her small child, into danger by investigating all on her own, and also, in this instalment, going on a speed chase. I think the author could have found a better, more acceptable way, to involve the character in these investigations without resorting to the 'fools rush in' method.
Aside from this I do enjoy reading this series. The furniture refinishing techniques are very informative and interesting and I like the other characters that are present.
Aside from this I do enjoy reading this series. The furniture refinishing techniques are very informative and interesting and I like the other characters that are present.
July 25, 2016
I am having a hard time finishing this book, but I will find a way! This author has broken the most important rule for authors of. cozy mysteries: create likable characters! i don't like the main character, she blithely states she lit her parent's cat on fire, she calls her own child the kid, she constantly finds ways to get out of raising said kid. 17 pages to go, then good riddance.
June 4, 2017
Another fun mystery
A letter found in an old piano leads to mystery and adventure. Dyce Dare is back and totally not ready to dive into a other mystery. I mean she is able, but there are so many other things going on. Her relationship with her new boyfriend, her three year old who is finally starting to talk, her best friend, plus a menagerie that seems to fall into her lap. So with all that going on who has time? Dyce can always make the time. Her natural curiosity drives her to investigate a disappearance that is nearly 80 years old. Little does she realize that even old secrets can be dangerous.
The Dyce Dare novels are a fun series of mysteries. They fall into the category of "cozy mysteries." The characters are fun and the writing style is quick and witty. If you like good old fashioned mysteries then be sure to check out the Dyce Dare stories.
A letter found in an old piano leads to mystery and adventure. Dyce Dare is back and totally not ready to dive into a other mystery. I mean she is able, but there are so many other things going on. Her relationship with her new boyfriend, her three year old who is finally starting to talk, her best friend, plus a menagerie that seems to fall into her lap. So with all that going on who has time? Dyce can always make the time. Her natural curiosity drives her to investigate a disappearance that is nearly 80 years old. Little does she realize that even old secrets can be dangerous.
The Dyce Dare novels are a fun series of mysteries. They fall into the category of "cozy mysteries." The characters are fun and the writing style is quick and witty. If you like good old fashioned mysteries then be sure to check out the Dyce Dare stories.
December 29, 2020
Another fun installment of a little cozy mystery series. I really like Dyce and Ben. Cas and Nick are growing on me but still seem just a bit flat, hoping that gets better in the next book. The pacing is fast, and there is quite a bit of foreshadowing. I kept expecting the cat to end up clawing someone's face for breaking into the apartment, but apparently Pythagoras just isn't that kind of kitty.
One of the things I do love about reading is odd little bits of history that got by me in my youth. Lead poisoning concerns were rampant when I was younger, giving rise to lead free gasoline and lead free paint. But I was unaware of the issue of arsenic in green wallpaper of the Victorian era. And while I had heard of "French Polish" for musical instruments, I was unaware of just how involved it was to produce and apply.
The eBook was formatted OK. There were a number of spelling/grammar errors, but nothing too overly distracting.
One of the things I do love about reading is odd little bits of history that got by me in my youth. Lead poisoning concerns were rampant when I was younger, giving rise to lead free gasoline and lead free paint. But I was unaware of the issue of arsenic in green wallpaper of the Victorian era. And while I had heard of "French Polish" for musical instruments, I was unaware of just how involved it was to produce and apply.
The eBook was formatted OK. There were a number of spelling/grammar errors, but nothing too overly distracting.
March 24, 2017
A Fun Little Mystery
Dyce Dare takes on a piano refinishing project for her boyfriend, a local cop in the serious crimes unit. But there's more to the piano than meets the eye, and she finds herself investigating a mystery that's almost a century old. But maybe it's not quite as old as she thought, as obstacles and warnings appear while sho juggles an ex, a toddler, a boyfriend, a best friend, and a recently acquired menagerie.
Read this when you want something fun and engaging, not when you want to outsleuth the sleuths or want dark and brooding. Curl up in your chair and prepare to chuckle, or maybe even giggle a little. (And pray that nobody in the main character's family reminds you of someone in yours.)
Dyce Dare takes on a piano refinishing project for her boyfriend, a local cop in the serious crimes unit. But there's more to the piano than meets the eye, and she finds herself investigating a mystery that's almost a century old. But maybe it's not quite as old as she thought, as obstacles and warnings appear while sho juggles an ex, a toddler, a boyfriend, a best friend, and a recently acquired menagerie.
Read this when you want something fun and engaging, not when you want to outsleuth the sleuths or want dark and brooding. Curl up in your chair and prepare to chuckle, or maybe even giggle a little. (And pray that nobody in the main character's family reminds you of someone in yours.)
May 25, 2020
I was enchanted with this series from the first pages of the first book of the series, written by someone who has become a friend. With a quirky humorous style that brings to mind Jeeves and Wooster, Elise captivates the reader with the tales of an unlikely detective, a struggling single mother of a gifted but mischievous toddler who makes ends meet as a furniture refinished. Alongside a cast of patiently suffering sidekicks such as her police officer boyfriend, neurotic gay childhood best friend, baby rats, an adopted stray cat called "Peegrass," and bookstore-owning parents obsessed with mystery novels, Candyce "Dyce" Dare in this volume stumbles into an 80 year old mystery reopened by discovery of a long-lost letter in a piano she is refinishing.
January 31, 2021
This is a series that is just fun for me. I spent a down year as a picker for antiques and while I never did well with furniture I feel a bond with the main character. You can learn a lot about refinishing from the book and the big thing I'm taking away from this is I will never French Polish anything. The good news is the series may continue soon. If you have kindle unlimited this is a good time to read the series. Also, I love the cat.
March 23, 2018
A fun read
This series was recommended to me, and I delayed reading it for a bit. I am very happy I got around to reading it finally. I enjoyed the first book in the series enough to read the second, and I am did unity going to go on and read the third.
This series was recommended to me, and I delayed reading it for a bit. I am very happy I got around to reading it finally. I enjoyed the first book in the series enough to read the second, and I am did unity going to go on and read the third.
February 7, 2019
I really enjoyed this cozy mystery and got pretty caught up in it - often smiling, and sometimes reacting out loud. I got it on sale, but even at full price ($4.99) it's a good buy. This is book 2 in the series, and book 1 is just as good.
November 16, 2021
This cozy mystery was great, right after the first book in the series. Of course furniture restoration isn't my thing. I did enjoy spending another mystery with Dyce, Ben, and Cass. It was fun and enjoyable.
May 11, 2019
A fun read
I'm not a mystery buff, but I know the author's other work, so took a chance. Glad I did, it was a fun story to read.
I'm not a mystery buff, but I know the author's other work, so took a chance. Glad I did, it was a fun story to read.
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
May 17, 2013
There were improvements in this book, overall I liked it more than the first. At least concerning the repetitive complaining (it wasn't so bad in this book), and the TSTL moments were a little more subdued. I mean there were still a few moments where Dyce was completely reckless but less than in the first book. What I really didn't like was that she left E with Ben despite having the feeling that something was wrong, and then she proceeded to take her son (and cat) on a speed chase after him? I suppose that was meant to up the suspense, all it did was make me wonder why no one called CPS on her. Don't get me wrong, I like her (most of the time), and I get that she's concerned about her best friend, but this didn't strike me as something a mother would do. That incident aside I did like getting to see familiar and new faces so I didn't mind that this cozy mystery wasn't as mystery driven as I'm accustomed. It was great seeing Ben, E, and Cas as well as meeting new characters. I also appreciate the detail that Hyatt puts into her books.
And regarding the mystery, it was a little better than the first, but there was still a lot more going one involving the characters & relationships than the mystery. Dyce missed a few key hints to the murderer that seemed quite clear to me, but I see this happen quite a bit with cozies, so not a huge issue for me. Pythagoras and E are really too adorable, even the rats were great. The ending threw me a bit (not the mystery part, the relationship part) as I wasn't expecting it. I thought how Cas did what he did was both cute and endearing, I wasn't sure how Dyce would react considering her previous thinking so I thought her answer was a bit of a turnaround to her earlier behavior. Overall I enjoyed this light, sometimes humorous read. 3 stars.
And regarding the mystery, it was a little better than the first, but there was still a lot more going one involving the characters & relationships than the mystery. Dyce missed a few key hints to the murderer that seemed quite clear to me, but I see this happen quite a bit with cozies, so not a huge issue for me. Pythagoras and E are really too adorable, even the rats were great. The ending threw me a bit (not the mystery part, the relationship part) as I wasn't expecting it. I thought how Cas did what he did was both cute and endearing, I wasn't sure how Dyce would react considering her previous thinking so I thought her answer was a bit of a turnaround to her earlier behavior. Overall I enjoyed this light, sometimes humorous read. 3 stars.
August 12, 2011
I truly love laughing out loud as I read the mystery unearthed by our furniture refinisher, Dyce as she muddles efficiently through finding out the real story behind a nearly hundred-year letter found in a piano she is French Polishing for her boyfriend, Cas. Now, I realize saying muddles efficiently is contra-intuitive, however, that is what makes this book so enjoyable. Dyce appears all over the place but she is actually quite organized and focused as life keeps throwing surprises her way, such as opening the piano front and finding a family of 7 newborn...I think I will let you find out for yourself, just know she copes and comes out ahead.
There is this old, and yellowed letter from a prominent family of Goldport, Colorado that Dyce finds within the piano project. What is the letter really saying? Did a couple run off together or did something sinister happen? Why has Dyce and her detective boyfriend been 'warned' off trying to find 80+yr old police records? Who is trying to kill Dyce and her best friend, Ben? Aren't all persons connected to the old family passed? What are they trying to hide.
This was a remarkable book and I'm so eager and hopeful to read the next installment.
There is this old, and yellowed letter from a prominent family of Goldport, Colorado that Dyce finds within the piano project. What is the letter really saying? Did a couple run off together or did something sinister happen? Why has Dyce and her detective boyfriend been 'warned' off trying to find 80+yr old police records? Who is trying to kill Dyce and her best friend, Ben? Aren't all persons connected to the old family passed? What are they trying to hide.
This was a remarkable book and I'm so eager and hopeful to read the next installment.
June 24, 2012
Tossing this in my DNF pile. Really disappointed because I enjoyed the first book in the series. 100 pages in and we are still just working on Ben finding a potential new mate and nursing baby rats? These cozy books are murder mysteries. They are short in pages as it is and wasting 100 pages that seem to have nothing to do with investigating a murder is just silly. I don't even want to get started on all the time wasted on the baby rats. Where in the heck is she going with all this? I'll never know because I have more books on my "to read" list than my life expectancy so I use the 100 page rule a lot more frequently now.
October 10, 2022
Better than the first but still caused a lot of eye-rolling. I think Dyce’s parents shouldn’t be made out to be such idiots. They are mystery fans. Seems like it’s a perfect set up to help their clueless daughter solve mysteries instead of the current premise that they barely remember she exists. Also there’s repetition and inconsistencies, both of which make me crazy. I have less complaints about this one overall but it will never be a favorite series…good thing since I think there’s only one more
January 15, 2012
This is 2nd in the Daring Finds Mystery series and I hope #3 is in the works! I found it to be a really entertaining read! I laughed out loud at a couple of incidents so it wasn't just a mystery.
The only problem is I keep having the saying "Oh, holy $#$#" go through my mind when something happens around the house! lol
I don't have plans to french polish a piano. But I can now say I know what type of finish it has.
The only problem is I keep having the saying "Oh, holy $#$#" go through my mind when something happens around the house! lol
I don't have plans to french polish a piano. But I can now say I know what type of finish it has.
August 4, 2010
This book was almost a 4. Almost. You know my biggest peeve is editing - or the apparent lack thereof - and this one had my internal editor going bonkers. Especially when we hit chapter 18 and the author suddenly forgot in the space of a couple pages what street her characters were racing down like maniacs.
June 20, 2010
I liked this one better than the first one. Part of that was due to the fact that Dyce's best friend Ben gets a nice boyfriend instead of an abusive one like in the first book.
There's a lot going on and while some of it's predictable, some of it is just a bit scattered. Still, I found it a fun read for the most part.
There's a lot going on and while some of it's predictable, some of it is just a bit scattered. Still, I found it a fun read for the most part.
July 15, 2010
**** SPOILER **** I didn't care for this book as much as I had hoped I would. I still think this author is very talented and hope she writes another in this series. My main gripe was the whole "taking care of baby rats" premise. I hate rats and just couldn't get past my 'ick' factor. However, the rest of the book was great. I love the characters and would like to visit with them again.
March 10, 2012
I liked this better than book one: the mystery was less obviously dangerous, so there were fewer really stupid things for the heroine get on my nerves by doing. She missed several Significant Clues that I caught as they went by, though, which I usually can't do.
But, the characters are fun. I'll keep reading if the library keeps getting them.
But, the characters are fun. I'll keep reading if the library keeps getting them.
December 19, 2013
"Divorced mom, Candyce "Dyce" Dare is the owner of the furniture refinishing store Daring Finds. When she discovers decades-old letters inside an antique piano she's renovating, she becomes distracted by an investigation that puts her at odds with the letter-writer's very powerful local family."
Cute characters but only last third of book had anything much to do with a mystery!
Cute characters but only last third of book had anything much to do with a mystery!
January 26, 2014
Dyce Dare refinishes furniture in between caring for her active child, sort of dating a couple of guys and finding dead bodies. In French Polished Murder, Dare discovers an old letter inside of a piano she's working on, that exposes a long ago murder. Enjoyed the practical refinishing tips. Not sure where I picked this one up - it's a little unusual for me, but a fun, fast read nevertheless.
August 13, 2012
I absolutely adore this series! The author is so realistic with the humor and her surroundings. There were several times that I would bust out laughing, especially at Dyce's interpretation of peegrass' face.
September 7, 2011
Another cute cozy, with a twist. The murder happened several decades ago, but the danger is still real for our amateur sleuth. I bough this one at our local Deseret Industries, and I am glad that I did.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews