The Honeybee Emeralds

Tector imagines a necklace with connections to two notable women in her nuanced if contrived debut. After Alice, a young Iranian British woman interning in Paris at a floundering expat magazine, discovers a stunning necklace in the office’s basement, American editor Lily sees a chance to save the magazine with a splashy cover story. Lily recruits a motley group to research the jewelry’s history, among them Luc Seguin, who inherited the magazine from his mother; wunderkind writer Jacob, Lily’s college friend; Lily’s best friend, Daphne, director of the International Art Registry; and next-door neighbor Alexander, a laconic Icelandic perfumer. They find ties to Louis Napoleon III’s mistress and American singer Josephine Baker. The team takes to calling themselves the “Fellowship of the Necklace,” and after they learn the editor of their swankier rival magazine is onto the story, they rush to put the pieces together. Conveniently, they tend to find more clues at just the right time. Though the intrigue feels manufactured, Tector adds some texture by delving into personal issues among the “Fellowship,” including Alice’s lack of confidence, Daphne’s faltering marriage, and Lily’s unresolved feelings for Jacob. There’s also a surprisingly tender portrayal of the magazine’s stern business manager, who endures a life of quiet disappointment. The story doesn’t impress, but the author does a great job developing her characters. (Mar.)