A young archivist struggling to nail her new job discovers a corpse in the vault and is plunged into a world of murder, art theft, and century-old secrets.
Amy Tector Knihy
Iranian refugee Alice Ahmadi, raised in Northern England, struggles with her sense of belonging. While interning at the struggling expat magazine Bonjour Paris, she stumbles upon a priceless diamond and emerald necklace featuring a golden honeybee pendant. Alice shares her find with the magazine's American editor, Lily Wilkins, who views it as a potential savior for the publication. Together with Lily's best friend, Daphne Smythe-Baird, they embark on a quest to uncover the necklace's history, forming the 'Fellowship of the Necklace' alongside a trio of unlikely men. Their journey takes them from the historic Richelieu Library to a creepy disused theater, high-end jewelers near Place Vendome, and the picturesque home of a Loire Valley winemaker, where they meet intriguing characters. Meanwhile, É lise Boucher, the magazine's cranky office manager, frets about her future. Through diaries, letters, and reminiscences, the romantic history of the necklace unfolds, revealing its commission by Napoléon III for his mistress, its ownership by World War I spy Mata Hari, and its later appearance on the neck of the iconic Josephine Baker. As the Fellowship delves deeper into the necklace’s past, one mystery remains: how did it end up in a Parisian basement?
It's a steamy summer Ottawa day when Cate is called out to the nitrate facility to investigate an apparent suicide. The eerie building is filled with deteriorating nitrate film that could literally spontaneously combust. When Cate's life is threatened by a stray spark, she suspects that the suicide might be murder. Despite pressure from the police to pronounce on cause quickly, Cate is bloody-minded enough to keep investigating. Whether she's looking for answers because of her dedication to justice, or as a distraction from the grief she feels over her brother's recent death, her inquiries plunge her into a world of military secrets, contentious Indigenous protests and a seventy-year-old mystery with deadly implications.
"Honor the Dead picks up a few months after Speak for the Dead (book 2 of the Dominion Archives Mystery series). Dr. Cate Spencer has come to terms with her brother's death and is seeking a fresh start in the bucolic Eastern Townships of Quebec while awaiting a decision on her future. Cate is using the time to build new relationships and find peace. When a man is shot through the eye at her neighbor's farm, Cate investigates. Her inquiries uncover the lies, drugs, and violence hidden beneath the picturesque town, exposing long buried secrets and rocking the tenuous peace Cate has built for herself"--