"Daisy and the Missing Mona Lisa" is a fun read with a smart, feisty protagonist and interesting secondary characters. The fast-paced plot had castles, art thieves, fashion, and retired spies galore. The third in a series, but it's easy to pick up who the characters are even if you haven't read the other books (which I will now go back and read).

Here’s my goodreads review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5007374312

I gave this three out of five stars because I’m giving it the benefit of the doubt that if I read the entire series I might think it holds together better.

I hadn't heard of this series before, nor read any of the first few books but that didn't entirely matter as this book was fine as a stand alone read. To be honest, at first it was very overwhelming. The amount of talk about spies and heists made you wonder what type of book this was and the slang that Daisy used took a bit to get used to. Having read the earlier books may have helped with that. I kept going though, and I'm glad that I did as it turned out to be a delightful read. The host of characters were heartwarming and the book was humourous. The genre lends itself to be a bit far fetched at times but the moral of the story was always there to fall back on. The sheer amount of French took a bit to read but it was entertaining as well and I wish I had known about the glossary at the back to begin with. Overall, it was something that I would read the next books of and I'm sure that young adults would be delighted with it too. Thanks to the author and Netgalley for the temporary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

What worked:
The author deftly paints pictures of France and captures its uniqueness as Daisy moves about Paris and other parts of the country. She’s able to understand most of the language spoken there and enjoys the variety of foods offered. Narrow streets near her aunt’s apartment twist and intersect like a maze but life at Felix’s chateau is quite different. His castle-like home, surrounded by a moat, sits amid beautiful countryside where internet and cellphone service are lacking. Serene walks into town are a stark contrast to crowded excursions through Paris, including jam-packed visitors waiting to see the Mona Lisa at the Louvre. Daisy’s best friend Lizzie is a newly-discovered model and her presence and activities promote the fashion culture associated with Paris.
The first half of the book doesn’t present a conflict for Daisy to resolve but ample clues are given to indicate something is happening behind the scenes. Daisy senses she’s being followed during one of her visits to the town near Felix’s chateau. She finds a gate open and pigs outside the walls even though she’s certain the gate was closed when she left. She thinks she sees a ghost in a mirror while stepping into the hall during the night. Felix goes through boxes and boxes of papers, burning much of what is found, but giving Daisy vague responses when she wonders why they’re doing it. He tells of spies during World War II and how Resistance fighters and secret Hitler supporters lived beside each other as neighbors, sometimes within the same family. Daisy hears her aunt arguing on the phone with Felix about getting Daisy involved. Involved in what?
A mystery surrounds the famous Mona Lisa painting, known worldwide and perhaps worth a billion dollars. Hitler was known to steal famous artwork during WWII so countries commissioned fake replicas to be created to help the real paintings remain hidden from the Nazis. The plot includes interesting anecdotes about these efforts and it focuses on the existence of “The Three Sisters”. Two nearly perfect copies of the Mona Lisa were carefully and meticulously crafted, including cracks in the picture and canvas. Daisy’s aunt and Felix were spies for the Resistance so general tales of covert operations are included in the plot with the main focus being on the Mona Lisa.
What didn’t work as well:
The story is set in Paris so the author blends French words and sentences into the narrative. Most of the French can be understood through explanations or context but sometimes the meaning is not as clear. French vocabulary helps enhance the setting’s atmosphere, but it might have been used less since all the main characters speak English. A glossary of French terms can be found at the back of the book but that’s only helpful if readers know it exists. The story can still be easily understood and enjoyed so don’t let my thoughts deter you from reading.
The Final Verdict:
Despite being the third book in the series, this one can be read independently of the previous two, as I’ve done. Daisy has obviously had past experience solving mysteries and this one develops quite slowly. There are tense moments but the plot doesn’t reach a suspenseful climax. Overall, it’s still an entertaining mystery and I recommend you give it a shot.