Review of THE HONEYBEE EMERALDS by Amy Tector (New Release)

 3.5 Stars

If you’re looking for a lighter read in these dark times, The Honeybee Emeralds is a good choice.

Alice Ahmadi, 23, is an Iranian Brit interning in Paris at a floundering expat magazine, Bonjour Paris.  She discovers a magnificent diamond and emerald necklace in the basement of the building.  Lily, the editor, sees an opportunity to save the magazine with a cover story about the necklace’s provenance.  They assemble a team to help them:  Luc, the owner of Bonjour Paris; Jacob, a well-known writer and college friend of Lily; Daphne, an art expert and Lily’s best friend; and Alexander, an Icelandic perfumer with a shop next to the magazine’s office.  This Fellowship of the Necklace, as Alice thinks of them, finds connections to several historical figures; their search is complicated by the fact that a rival magazine seems also to be working on a story about the necklace. 

Almost from the beginning, I knew where the solution to the mystery would be found.  A logical source of information is ignored and that’s a big clue.  I found it improbable that six supposedly intelligent people would disregard a source that is so obvious.  Nonetheless, the research that the team members undertake is interesting.  Though I found it unlikely that a necklace could be connected to these “three extraordinary women,” the author clearly did research to try to make the connections credible. 

Several events reveal a contrived plot.  Never in the decades that pass would a person look for the necklace in the most logical place?  Someone would take personal items after the death of a loved one but not look at them?  The gathering of everyone in the basement at the end seems forced.  Yet the character who messages everyone for that meeting wonders “Who else was down here”?

Characters are well-developed.  The focus is on the female characters, each of whom has personal issues with which to contend.  For instance, Lily has unresolved romantic feelings for Jacob; Daphne’s marriage is disintegrating; and Alice suffers from a lack of confidence.  Each of these women proves to be dynamic:  they learn something about themselves as they learn about the necklace.  And the women to whom the necklace belonged are also interesting.  The information provided left me wanting to learn more about them. 

There are some wonderful touches of humour.  Having smelled hákarl on a trip to Iceland, I loved Alexander’s explanation for becoming a perfumer.  Alice’s identifying people as characters in The Lord of the Rings is a great touch:  “She wasn’t Legolas or Frodo or even Samwise Fucking Gamgee – she was Gollum.”  Alice comes to trust one of the men but in a way so in keeping with her personality:  “he was there and present, as immovable as a glacier . . . although the whole point of glaciers was that they moved.  Also, weren’t they melting?”

There is also romance.  Fortunately, for a reader like me who does not enjoy romance novels, the romance is more implied than detailed.  There are hints at possible romantic relationships in the future and chaste kisses rather than steamy loves scenes. 

Though there are weaknesses in plot, there is much to enjoy.  I loved the literary allusions.  Though I couldn’t help but think of Dan Brown novels, this one has more depth.  We all need some escapist literature, and this book is among the best I’ve read recently. 

Note:  I received an ARC from the publisher in return for an honest review.