| Title | : | Lady Cop Makes Trouble (Kopp Sisters, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0544409949 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780544409941 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 310 |
| Publication | : | First published September 6, 2016 |
Lady Cop Makes Trouble sets Constance loose on the streets of New York City and New Jersey--tracking down victims, trailing leads, and making friends with girl reporters and lawyers at a hotel for women. Cheering her on, and goading her, are her sisters Norma and Fleurette--that is, when they aren't training pigeons for the war effort or fanning dreams of a life on the stage.
Based on a true story, Girl Waits with Gun introduced Constance Kopp and her charming and steadfast sisters to an army of enthusiastic readers. Those readers will be thrilled by this second installment--also ripped from the headlines--in the romping, wildly readable life of a woman forging her own path, tackling crime and nefarious criminals along the way.
Lady Cop Makes Trouble (Kopp Sisters, #2) Reviews
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"Lots to love...lots of fun! Immediately I was back home with with
Constance, Norma, and Fleurette Kopp on their farm outside New Jersey.
Constance and Norma, were satisfied - living out in the country. They were past the age of needing to be with lots of other friends. Fleurette, being much younger...( 18 years of age), was restless. She had dreams of going to New York to perform on stage, but Constance and Norma convince her to stay home for safety reasons. So, they enrolled her in a music and dance program.
Norma started an organization for the Deployment of Messenger Pigeons to Aid in Civic Affairs which she could do from home....but it was Constance who earned the money to pay for Fleurette's music/dance lessons. ----and much of that paycheck took her leaving the farm for periods of time - into New York. She was 'almost' a deputy sheriff. She's racing after criminals - even without a deputy official badge.
Sheriff Heath offered Constance a job- with all intentions of her being the first female deputy. A few higher-up problems -lead to the position of "matron at the jail". Constance was compassionate to the woman that were under her care. When she was at the jail she was in charge of women's duties....( cooking, cleaning, laundry,). There was a belief that women committed less crimes because their days in jail were filled doing domestic work. Constance didn't believe this train of thought...she'd rather had seen them learn a trade, or take a course.
The year was only 1915.....Constance was always a forward thinker. And, she wasn't always a 'brash-ass-ballsy' woman, but could be when when appropriate.
The story follows two crimes...Constance being at the center of them both. - ( one out in the field in New York where you'll be introduce to several more interesting characters that Constance interacts with - the other back at the jail. Both of the suspects are at the same jail.
The outcome of the storytelling is somewhat predictable...but the journey is fun.
The characters feel like your friends, and the actual history is fascinating. ( great author notes at the end).
I actually wanted 'more' sister bonding -( some challenge drawing them together more)
I wished for more story development for Norma. ( the oldest sister). Plus...I'm still curious if Fleurette will ever learn some information about herself that readers know. We've one more book to find out. Basically....I'm still looking forward to the next book.
I think this series could make a very entertaining TV series.
Thank You Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Netgalley, and Amy Stewart -
I read this right before the pandemic started. (Not sure if there was a causal effect.) At the time, I mistakingly thought this was the first book in the series. Now I can't decide if I should go back and read the number one book or go ahead and read the number three book. (I hate to think what might happen if I make the wrong decision.)
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I received a copy of Lady Cop Makes Trouble through Goodreads Giveaways. My thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and to Amy Stewart.
Just sayin': Don't mess with a determined woman breakin' through a suspendered man's world in 1915.....or any time for that matter.
Constance Kopp has the bruises to prove that she is more than capable to be appointed as one of the nation's first female deputies in New Jersey. But the same laws that fight to keep criminals in jail also fight to keep women out of the force. Just when Constance has her hand extended to receive her badge, she is told that she must tread water as a jail matron until things are sorted out.
Sheriff Heath believes in Constance and has assigned her to watch over a smarmy con-man who has set up a fake hospital that bilks innocent people out of their money. The man is a German immigrant and Constance does speak the language. Von Matthesius is taken prisoner and lays at death's door with what appears to be internal bleeding. When he skips out as Constance goes to get him water, Constance is hang-dogged to tell the sheriff that she's been fooled. Not the best way to showcase your deputy skills.
It's do or die for Constance now. Re-capture this snake or be labeled as a has-been deputy. So our girl puts on her big girl pantaloons and hits the streets of New York where Von Matthesius is headed. Constance uses some very clever means in which to trail this elusive rascal. Amy Stewart presents a full-blown diorama of life here in the big city with dialogue and storyline crisp with adventure. She also infuses some eye opening situations for women caught up on the edges of crime.
I must say that I will be searching out the first book in the series, Girl Waits with Gun, which serves as a backdrop for Constance and her feisty sisters. This is definitely a lively romp into historical fiction as well with vivid descriptions of this era. Very entertaining for sure. I'm looking forward to the next in this well done series. -
Constance Kopp is back in full force: headstrong, determined, dedicated.
It turned out that society and the laws of 1915 did not quite provide for women to become deputy sheriffs. What started out exciting, turned out to hang in the balance, when Sheriff Heath told her that she cannot be officially appointed, but that she can work as a matron at the jailhouse until it can happen within the next month.
Constance was disappointed, but determined to succeed. Well, it did not quite play out as she planned:IF I’D BEEN TOLD, only a month or two earlier, that I would be responsible for an escaped prisoner, criminal charges being filed against the sheriff, the dissolution of his marriage, and several guards and deputies at risk of losing their places, I might never have left the house again. In one careless moment I had set into motion a carnival of disasters, each more spectacular than the last.
And what a carnival it was! With a magnificent cliffhanger ending to lead us to the next installment.
Interesting and entertaining. Historical fiction with a detective murder mystery twist based on a real life character. -
4.5★
“She made it sound disgraceful to be the kind of woman known to reporters. In my case, she might have been rights. Some people aspired to the society page, but I’d only ever been found among the crime reports.”
Ah, yes, the crime reports! Constance Kopp seems always to be in the thick of it. This series is based on real people, although liberties have been taken with some of the characters and stories. The historical background is a lot of fun – New Jersey, US during WW1.
Miss Kopp is now working with the Sheriff’s office – first as a deputy and then demoted to a sort of assistant while the powers that be protest having a woman with a deputy’s badge. She is allowed to be the matron of the ladies in the jail and sleeps in a cell herself often rather than walk home in the dark at night.
The sheriff’s wife is not at all pleased about this. She and their family live in an apartment that is attached to the jail.
“‘Couldn’t we have someone else guard the ladies at night? I recall something about you having a home to go to. I’ve never been myself, but I understand my husband spent quite a bit of time there last year when you had your troubles with those men.’
She had the kind of fine, aristocratic face that one sees on porcelain cameos, and she knew how to arrange her features in such a way as to belie the meaning behind her words. I had to remember that I was on duty and should conduct myself as a member of the sheriff’s staff.”
Miss Kopp is a sizeable woman, as big as many men, and a formidable presence. She’s not the sort of femme fatale who is accustomed to be considered an “other woman” threat to anyone. In fact, she uses her size to her advantage. She is after a criminal she unwittingly let escape from the hospital and is absolutely desperate to make good and get him back.
“The door was still stuck. There must have been another lock inside. I gave it a good hard shake and nothing happened. Having no other way to gain entry, I stood back, lifted my skirts, and put everything I had into one hard kick. There came a splintering sound and I feared I’d taken it right off its hinges, but in fact I’d only torn the inside latch away from the door jamb. As I stepped down into the cellar, the rusted screws caught on my coat.”
She wants that deputy badge, and she’d really rather be out investigating and breaking down doors than keeping her prisoners company. She does, however, seem to have a knack for gaining their confidence, especially of the older ones
“The understanding that they were in jail – and therefore not obligated to cook dinner – dawned on them with a kind of muted relief. They were philosophical at that time and more willing to talk, unlike the younger girls, who preferred to come to me at midnight, when their fears and secrets kept them awake and aflame. The older women didn’t let their lies and treachery deprive them of sleep. They took their secrets to bed like hot-water bottles and snored on top of them all night long.”
She’s actually quite sympathetic, but she does see the worst of the worst, and in 1915, conditions were pretty rough on the streets. It’s challenge I’d not have been up to!
“Our prisoners came to us with all their horrors in tow: their dyspepsia and weak livers, their gout and catarrh, their boils and fevers, their scabies and lice. Some of it could be scrubbed away or banished with pills. A infected tooth could be pullet, a scrape bandaged. But when they brought in their lies, their devilish intentions, their wickedness and treachery – nothing could scrub that away. It gave me a diseased feeling to be too near to it. As soon as I was out of sight of him I scratched and my neck and brushed down my skirts to banish the sensation that the old man’s wrongdoing had taken bodily for and leapt through the bars at me.”
The other Kopp Sisters are here, but Norma plays a much more subsidiary role. Pretty 18-year-old Fleur is as colourful and theatrical as ever, plus she’s singing and performing a bit. I can see she’s going to blossom and soon outgrow the older women who are trying so hard to keep her cloistered at home.
The plot moves right along, interspersed with some Kopp sisters family doings, and the whole thing has a wonderful sense of time and place, when horses and carriages are still a main means of transport. On to the next one!
p.s. I've been asked whether to read the first one first. Yes. It's about the family. Here's my review.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... -
The second book in the series and poor Constance has already lost her badge and her position as deputy sheriff. It seems a losing battle for women trying to make it in a man's world. However if anyome can make it then Constance Kopp will.
There's a lot of action in this story as Constance loses a prisoner and then attempts to redeem herself by getting him back again. I love the support she receives from the sheriff and from her sisters. Actually some of the best bits in the book involve what her sisters are up to and I am looking forward to where we go from here!
Make sure to read the last few pages where the author discusses where she obtains her information. It is amazing that some of the outrageous newspaper headlines used in the book are real! They were much simpler times. -
In
Girl Waits with Gun, Amy Stewart introduced us to Constance Kopp, a real life character who became New Jersey's first Deputy Sheriff after she stood up to a ruthless gang targeting her and her sisters. It's great to see that Stewart has followed this up with the next episode in Constance's real life career, where she was responsible for the re-capture of an escaped prisoner in 1915.
Although, much of the story and the characters are re-imagined, I love the way Stewart has used real news reports to illustrate the events. She also adds to the historical accuracy by referencing the politics of the time - including that Constance's appointment had not yet been affirmed because only those eligible to vote could be appointed as Deputy Sheriffs and women were not yet allowed to vote. In the meantime the Sheriff has appointed Constance as Matron of the women's prison which gives us an insight to the lives of prisoners at the time and the responsibilities of the Sheriff.
As well as being historically interesting, the books are well written and entertaining, particularly the depiction of the lives of Constance's sisters in this era. I really glad there are two more episodes to read and a fifth in the pipeline. -
Pure fun is what I call this entertaining series of lighter-fare historical fiction mysteries set in the early 1900's. Amy Stewart breathes true life into her characters be they male or female and Constance Kopp (not a cleverly created name, but the actual name of this true-to-life woman with the courage of ten men and the determination to live a life on her terms) defied expectations for women of her time to create her share of sensational headlines in New York and New Jersey.
Amy Stewart, who has written many NF books with tantalizing titles such as The Drunken Botanist: The Plants that Create the World's Great Drinks, stumbled upon the newspaper stories of the three Kopp sisters and saw a great story waiting to be told.
As her titles might reveal, Stewart had an ear for language, an appreciation of humorous situations, and a fabulous ability to bring that 1915 period of time to vibrant life. These are not by any means, however tongue-in-cheek humorous mysteries. They are character driven and portray many of the social ills of that time w a tip of her pen to Dickens. Delightful and satisfying to read as the many enthusiastic reviews confirm! -
This entertaining historical mystery is a sequel to
Girl Waits with Gun. Sheriff Heath appoints Constance Kopp as a deputy sheriff, but the law is a bit ambiguous about women qualifying for that position in 1915. Constance is a tall, sturdy woman who loves the challenge of her new career. When the imprisoned con man Baron von Matthesius escapes, the jobs of both Sheriff Heath and Constance are threatened. Constance can be tough when she's on von Matthesius' trail, but she also has a softer side when she encounters the less fortunate.
Constance's two sisters, Norma and Fleurette, are kept more in the background than in the previous book. The sisters worry about teenager Fleurette who loves singing, dancing, and the theater. Her creativity leads to a job designing costumes. Norma continues with her hobby of raising carrier pigeons.
Author Amy Stewart again took some New Jersey newspaper headlines from around 1915, and incorporated them into her fictional story. She wrote a mystery that's engaging and fun. Historically, that era is a pivotal time for women so I'm hoping that the author continues her series about the remarkable lady cop and her sisters.
Thank you to Goodreads First Reads, Amy Stewart, and Houghton Mifflin for a copy of the ARC in return for a honest review.
3/2/17 I just reread this book for an upcoming book club meeting. Since I was not reading it so much for plot, I noticed how the author paid attention to historical details like transportation or dress in 1915. Amy Stewart has a third book about Constance Kopp in the works. -
3.5 stars. Lady Cop Makes Trouble is a sequel to Girl Waits With Gun. I read both books back to back. This time, I read Lady Cop knowing that these books are based on a true story. Constance Kopp -- real name -- became a police officer in rural New Jersey in 1917, when it first became legal for women to become police officers. The book focuses on a couple of cases Kopp was involved in and the dynamics of trying to be taken seriously as a female police officer in the early 20th century. As with the previous book, the tone is light but there is a serious undercurrent. I liked the first book a bit more, but this one was still definitely entertaining and interesting. Lady Cop had a bit more of a slapstick feel, which is entertaining but makes it harder to get a good feel for the real challenges of being a "lady cop" one hundred years ago. Or maybe it was a case of too much of a good thing -- I should have read a book or two in between both both books. This was still very much worth reading, and again it's hard not to be intrigued and awed at the fact that the story is based on real events. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.
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Blending brains with a bit of brawn and fiction with a bit of fact, Amy Stewart’s The Kopp Sisters Series #2 is #1 in my book.
The Hook After reading Girl Waits With Gun I would beg, borrow and steal to read Lady Cop Makes Trouble. Thank heavens Edelweiss and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt kept me an honest woman by allowing me access to read the e-galley due to be published September 6, 2016
The Line Due to the publisher’s request I must forgo any great lines from the e-galley/ Fear not there are worthy lines.
The Sinker – With this continuation of the Kopp Sisters adventures, the US now has its own delightful heroines to compete with some of the best British female mysteries going.
As with the first in the series, Girl Waits With Gun, the sinister deeds are secondary to character development and setting the scene. Though I would not classify The Kopp Sisters as cozies, they are not horribly violent and should be able to be read by a large audience without complaint. Constance is the star of the show once again but Norma and Fluerette make their presence known.
Constance Kopp truly has grit. Hope you’ll join me in becoming a fan. I can’t wait to read the next in this entertaining series.
For a behind the scenes look at the real characters visit
http://www.amystewart.com/characters/ -
3.5 Stars
This is a fun and entertaining book that takes you on another adventure with Constance Kopp, New Jersey’s first female deputy. This book is the second in the series following “Girl Waits with Gun", and has a return appearance of Constance’s sisters, Norma and Fleurette, as well as Sheriff Heath. I felt this book was not as strong as the first in the series, and at times even seemed to drag a bit. I still found myself rooting for Constance as she tries to establish herself as a deputy in a society that is not very accepting of a woman in law enforcement. Fans of historical fiction would enjoy that this book is inspired by the real person of the same name, and Amy Stewart has used newspaper reports from that time period to incorporate into the story. -
Lady Cop Makes Trouble is the second book in the Kopp Sisters series by NYT best-selling American author, Amy Stewart. While she has been a very active Deputy for Sheriff Robert Heath at Hackensack for two months, Constance Kopp learns that her job is not as secure as she had hoped. Two months later, Constance is filling the role of jail matron for the female prisoners while she waits for her badge: as an elected official, Heath has found obtaining approval for employing the first female deputy is challenging.
One of her charges perplexingly admits to murder despite evidence to the contrary. Then a prisoner escapes under Constance’s watch, putting both her job and the Sheriff’s freedom in jeopardy. As her sisters keep themselves busy with their preferred pursuits (carrier pigeons, dressmaking and acting), Constance decides she must track down the escapee herself.
Constance does some excellent detective work and, being a well-built lady, does not eschew chase and tackle when required. In this instalment, Constance and Sheriff Heath prove that they make a very capable team, holding matching ideas about law enforcement and criminal detention, and affording each other respect for their intelligence and abilities.
Stewart’s Historical Notes and Sources are interesting and informative, revealing that Constance Kopp and her sisters were real people, much as described, as are quite a few of the other characters. Many of the events that form the plot also occurred, if not always when stated. Stewart takes the known historical facts and fleshes them out into a marvellous tale.
Stewart effortlessly portrays the characteristics of everyday life of the early twentieth century and clearly demonstrates how different life was over a hundred years ago. The (often humorous) print column headlines to which, in the first book, the sisters continuously drew each other’s attention, or occasionally invented to suit their particular situation, are noticeably absent in this book, but there is still humour in their dialogue. Excellent historical crime fiction that will have readers seeking out the third book, Miss Kopp’s Midnight Confessions. -
Enter to win a copy of
Lady Cop Makes Trouble!
“‘Lady Cop Makes Trouble.’ That’s our headline.”
“Am I making trouble for the sheriff or the criminals?” I asked.
“Both, at the moment. You’ll be famous either way.”
The year is 1915 and Constance Kopp couldn’t be more pleased with her new role as the first female deputy in Bergen County, New Jersey. Her happiness comes to a crashing halt when Sheriff Heath advises her that the law allowing women to be police officers doesn’t necessarily apply to women deputies, and that there must be a legal precedent in order for her to keep her job. Until that precedent can be found (or until Sheriff Heath decides to set his own precedent) Constance is given the role of jail matron in charge of the female prisoners. To make matters worse, a prisoner escapes from her watch and not only is she facing serious trouble but due to a law of the time, the Sheriff may actually be jailed in the escaped prisoners place. Constance admits full blame for her error but instead of wallowing in the loss of the future she dreamed for herself, she decides to get out there and find the prisoner and right a wrong.
Lady Cop Makes Trouble was yet another captivating and enticing story and Constance is even more of a charismatic character. Fascinating and incredibly memorable, Constance Amelie Kopp was a real woman in history that was credited as being one of America’s first female deputy sheriffs. The story has been embellished making this a work of fiction, however much of it still remains true. She really did go after an escaped prisoner by the name of Dr. von Matthesius, she was responsible for a major arrest during the investigation, and the three boys which brought Dr. von Matthesius to the attention of the authorities were also real individuals from history. The blending of both fact and fiction emphasizes what a thorough amount of historical research was conducted to bring such an enigmatic character to life.
What was most enticing about this installment was how realistic the story portrays detective work. It showed the long nights standing on cold streets waiting for suspects to make an appearance, the time spent waiting for trial, and running out of leads and being unsure of what to do next. Sure, that may seem boring and tedious especially when it comes to having to actually read about it, but it was all just so refreshingly genuine feeling compared to mysteries where everything goes perfectly. I for one had many childhood aspirations of someday being a detective and solving crimes (this can be mostly blamed on Nancy Drew and X-Files) and while Nancy Drew and Dana Scully are perfectly acceptable role models, Constance Kopp is the real deal. I anxiously await future adventures from the inspirational Constance Kopp.
I received this book free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. -
Girl Waits with Gun was one of my favorite books I read last year - I thought it was a fun and delightful story with vibrant characters that I found unexpectedly moving.
Lady Cop Makes Trouble is a formidable attempt at continuing Constance Kopp's story, but for me, it just lacked the magic of
Girl Waits with Gun.
My main problem is that I think this actually would have been much better suited to a short story than a novel. The overarching plot - prisoner escapes, Constance tracks him down - is somehow stretched out to span 300 pages, in a narrative that gets bogged down by a lot of filler, which includes some cases in the background that end up being ultimately inconsequential.
One element from
Girl Waits with Gun that I was really hoping would be explored in more detail here is Constance's relationship with Fleurette (I won't say why, in case you haven't read
Girl Waits with Gun, because you should). But Norma and Fleurette actually took a backseat for the most part of
Lady Cop Makes Trouble. Sheriff Heath had a much bigger role than the two of them, and while I found his dynamic with Constance compelling, I would have liked to have seen much more of Constance's sisters. After all, that was my favorite thing about
Girl Waits with Gun - over a year later, a lot of details of that plot escape me, but what really stands out when I think about that book is the fascinating relationship between Constance and her sisters.
Lady Cop Makes Trouble is somehow more focused on plot than characters, even though its plot is weaker. It's not a good combination.
As always, Amy Stewart's research is impeccable. I highly recommend reading her afterword about which elements of this book were real and which were fictionalized - it's fascinating reading.
Bottom line - I didn't dislike this at all. But where I found
Girl Waits with Gun to be fun, enthralling, and a real page-turner, I was always lukewarm about
Lady Cop Makes Trouble - at some points I got engrossed in the narrative, but at others, I really had to push myself to keep reading. Maybe I wasn't in the right mood for it, maybe it's suffering from Second Book Syndrome, I don't know. I enjoyed it, but I didn't love it the way I'd wanted to. At any rate, I have the third installment,
Miss Kopp's Midnight Confessions, from Netgalley, and I'm hoping this series continues (concludes? I'm not sure if Stewart intends to write more) on a stronger note. -
After besting Henry Kaufman and his band of thugs, Constance Kopp is named the first female deputy. Her appointment, however, is not praised by everyone and sheriff Heath is under constant criticism and thus can not confirm her new role. Matters further complicate when a convict escapes under Constance´s watch and both her and sheriff Heath´s jobs are in jeopardy. It is up to Miss Kopp to clear up the sheriff´s name as well as her own.
Fairly recently I read ´Girl Waits with Gun´ and loved it. The sequel preserved the same essence and feisty spirit and I quite like it. Just like the first installment, this work features characters and events based on real people and happenings. When Doctor Reverend Baron Herman von Matthesius (yes, that is his real name) escapes under Miss Kopp´s watch, her badge as deputy is put on hold. What ensues is a chase through New York and New Jersey, as Constance attempts to track down Matthesius. At her side is sheriff Heath, her biggest ally on the police force. I will say that the mystery aspect was a touch predictable but the journey of tracking down Matthesius was fun and enjoyable none-the-less.
At home, Constance can count on the support of her sisters, Norma and Fleurette, who are just as bold. In 1915, when it was considered ludicrous for a woman to be anything other than a wife and homemaker, the Kopp sisters defied tradition by being unmarried, living on their own and pursuing other occupations (Norma trains carrier pigeons, Fleurette acts and sews and Constance is on the police force). Personally, I would love to have more of Norma and Fleurette in the narrative. What makes this series amazing is the fact that most of the events and characters are real and Stewart does a great job at mixing fact with fiction. Looking forward to the next in the series. -
The second book of this series does not disappoint. It’s a bit more serious in tone, making it a richer read. Not a mystery really, but a cat and mouse police procedural —sort of— set in the early twentieth century in New Jersey and New York. The plot was good enough and a story well told. The character development was even more interesting, and I like it that way.
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The second book in the series. After the first books Constance Kopp is starting her new career as the first deputy sheriff but everything don't go as smoothly as she wishes. A German speaking con man is threatening her new position and endanger Sheriff Heath. This is smart, witty, engaging and a lot of fun. Inspired by real people and events, this doesn't have a dull moment. I'm happy I still have a bit to go before I'm finished with the series as I'm really enjoying listening to the audio books.
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Having not read the first in this series, I was unsure what it would be like to jump into this book without the backstory. I am happy to say I thoroughly enjoyed Lady Cop Makes Trouble and didn’t feel the story was hard to follow at all. Constance Kopp, who is based on a real woman of the same name, has proven herself in the previous installment and become a deputy sheriff, albeit without a badge yet. As Lady Cop Makes Trouble opens in the year 1915, Constance finds out that her position may be in jeopardy based on the current New Jersey law. Already stressed by this news, Constance manages to let a German con man escape from a hospital where she is guarding him, further compromising her position as a deputy sheriff. In hot pursuit of Dr. von Matthesius, Constance travels all over New Jersey and New York City trying to locate him to return him to jail and also attempting to piece together his original crime in hopes that will lead her to him.
Stewart vividly portrays her characters, and I felt like I knew Constance, her sisters, and Sheriff Heath. Constance faced so many issues as a female law enforcement officer; some issues that I think people would argue are still faced today. Stewart was so on point with individual’s reactions to Constance as a female deputy during this time period – sadly even some women were skeptical.
The covers for this series are absolutely phenomenal. The graphics are outstanding and unique and so cleverly capture the spirit of the story. I also enjoyed Amy Stewart’s Historical Notes, Sources, and Acknowledgements section at the end of the book. As a lover of historical fiction, I am always thrilled to find such a section from the author providing information about the real life characters about which the story is based. Stewart provides incredible detail and explains what really occurred and what she added to the story. I love this because it really helps me put her story in context and understand what truly happened and what she created to make such a fun novel. Authors don’t always take the time and effort to write such a section, and I so appreciate when an author like Stewart does.
I highly recommend this clever, insightful novel about events I knew very little about. Thanks to Edelweiss and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review. -
*3,5
En este segundo libro nos volvemos a reencontrar con Constance Kopp, que representa a esas mujeres que a principios del siglo XX querían trabajar como policía.
Una vez más, la autora, se basa en artículos de la época para escribir la trama de esta novela.
Esta vez Constance ayuda al sheriff Heath a seguir el rastro de un fugitivo.
Una lectura entretenida, fácil de leer y amena. Una aventura policíaca que la autora aprovecha para describir la situación de la mujer a inicios del siglo XX -
4.5 stars
I am so glad to have stumbled upon this book. It's just a great book based on a real life person, Constance Kopp, who was New Jersey's first female deputy sheriff in 1915. Kopp worked for the very progressive Sheriff Heath as they both struggled to make the situation work. Unfortunately Kopp was guarding a prisoner in a stressful situation who escaped. She was demoted to jail matron and Heath was put in a bad position.
For reasons I don't quite understand, the sheriff is held personally responsible for the escape and is legally charged for a crime as the result of this. Horror struck, Kopp goes single handled searching for the escapee. It is so engrossing and captures the spirit of the time perfectly. The manipulation of not hiring women was truly inventive. It became legal to hire women as deputies but some jurisdictions required the women be registered to vote. The catch? It was not legal to vote in New Jersey until 1917 and nationally in 1920. Women couldn't register to vote so they couldn't be deputies.
This is the American version of Maisie Dobbs although Kopp's back story is more believable that Maisie's. Kopp lives with her sisters on a farm so she often has to stay in a jail cell because of the commute. Motorized cars are just now making an appearance and sometimes she has to saddle the donkey, Dolly, to the buggy to get around.
This is really delightful and I am going back to rad the first one. This one stood up fine as a stand alone and I was captivated the moment I started it. This is going to be a good series -
This second book in the series was good fun, although I preferred the first book. I love Constance for her tenacity and grit. But there were a few times I had more empathy for her boss, Sheriff Heath. Amy Stewart blends fact, fiction, and social commentary once again. It’s well worth a read or listen!
Full review at
TheBibliophage. -
Segundo libro protagonizado por Constance Kopp, que existió realmente y fue la primera mujer nombrada ayudante de sheriff. Mientras que la primera novela describe lo que realmente le sucedió a Constance y como llegó a ser ayudante de sheriff; este segundo libro (según explica la propia autora) atribuye a Constance algunos hechos publicados en los periódicos de la época y protagonizados por mujeres policía, entre ellas la misma Constance.
Como en el anterior, seguimos conociendo todos los obstáculos que tenían las mujeres que deseaban ejercer algún trabajo considerado masculino... incluso el rechazo y la crítica de la mayoría de las mujeres.
El libro es ameno, con un tipo de narración que no se hace pesada ni repetitiva y personajes que se hacen querer. Los diferentes casos que se describen no son en absoluto escabrosos, sino lo que era de esperar de la época (robos, desfalcos, fugas...)
Una serie muy recomendable!!! -
RATING: 4 STARS
Constance is now a lady cop, the first female Deputy Sheriffs. She has shown that she is not afraid of danger and wants to do the right thing. Constance then gets Sheriff Heath in hot water, and must try to and make things right. Cheering her on are her sisters, when they are involved in their own passions.
Another fun instalment of the Kopp sisters. If you enjoyed the first book, you will love this one. Amy Stewart captures the time, like a radio play, light but realistic. -
Loved this book! I adore the main characters. This sequel was just as good as the first book and I can't wait to read the 3rd installment when it comes out later this year.
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In the second installment of the Kopp Sisters series, Constance is frustrated that her job as a deputy may not be considered legitimate by the government. She ends up overseeing the women held in lock-up until Sheriff Heath can get the situation squared away and get her the badge he knows she deserves. Determined to prove herself, she offers to stand guard at the hospital room of a prisoner during an emergency.
Unfortunately, the prisoner escapes in the chaos and Constance will stop at nothing to apprehend the criminal and prove she has what it takes to be a deputy.
Through the streets of NYC and Jersey Constance follows a trail of victims and clues, acting as both detective and outlaw on the streets, ignoring the orders of Sheriff Heath in a stubborn attempt to redeem his reputation by bringing the escaped convict to justice in Bergen County.
Along the way she suffers under the scrutiny of Heath's wife who is unhappy about a female deputy running around town with her husband at all hours and becomes involved in the case of a female prisoner brought in on a murder charge. The prisoner has confessed but the timeline doesn't quite add up, leading Constance to test a theory in order to learn the truth, which is always stranger than perception.
Young Fleurette is growing distant after taking a job for the theater as a seamstress and actress, and no-nonsense Norma is busy training her carrier pigeons for the war effort but both sisters are there to keep Constance on her toes.
Once again the fiery Constance Kopp is hellbent on catching the criminal, taking care of her family, and proving her worth! I loved this second book in the series even more than the first and can't wait to start the third!
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www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com -
2.5 stars. Objectively better-written and more exciting than the first book, but I found it rather a downer. Especially since the Sheriff seemed so unlikable for most of the story.
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In this second book about Constance Kopp, following Girl Waits With Gun, we again are greeted with not only Constance, but her sisters, Norma and Fleurette, and the rugged Sheriff Robert Heath - Constance's boss. Constance has been unofficially named as the first female deputy sheriff of Hackensack, Bergen County New Jersey.
Constance inadvertently lets a criminal, Dr Herman Von Matthesius, escape from his hospital room during a power outage. Knowing that Sheriff Heath can be jailed for losing a prisoner, Constance is determined to recapture this man, single-handedly if need be - no holds barred.
This character, Constance Kopp, is based on a real person, who held newspaper headlines in 1912. Although the Kopp Sisters novels are fiction, they are based on the real first female sheriff in New Jersey. Many facts are taken from the newspapers printed at that time.
The character development is good. The teasing, abuse and ignorance of the male population, especially the male deputies of that time, is very well portrayed. The antics of Constance may be a bit frivolous at times, but very entertaining. That is not to say that Constance has it easy, or that she does not have her own difficult secrets, or a great responsibility in being the first woman in the deputy sheriffs office. She is defiantly a woman ahead of her time and doing her best to lay the road for those that follow her, both in the field of law enforcement and womans rights.
ARC received from BookBrowse for an honest opinion and review ~~ -
I loved reading more about Constance and her sisters! Charming and funny, this one kept me reading to find out if and when Constance would become a deputy. Highly recommend!
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Ratings:
Writing 4
Story line 4
Characters 3
Emotional impact 4
Overall rating 3.75
