Wonderful book that continues the ongoing story of the Kopp Sisters, a trio of remarkable characters based on real historical figures from the early 1900s. This series continues to be a delight!

Miss Kopp Investigates
By Amy Stewart
Mariner Books, 7 September 2021

“Winter 1919: Norma is summoned home from France, Constance is called back from Washington, and Fleurette puts her own plans on hold as the sisters rally around their recently widowed sister-in-law and her children. How are four women going to support themselves?”

The Kopp sisters are at it again. It was difficult enough for them, trying to adjust to life after World War I, but then their only brother died unexpectedly. Due to circumstance and the wars end, Constance and Fleurette were suddenly unemployed, Norma was still in Europe, and now they had a grieving sister-in-law and two children to support. What could they do?

Well, if you know the Kopp sisters, you know they will find a way to do whatever needs to be done. Norma cancelled her plans to stay in Europe and returned home instead, Constance took an uninspiring sales job, while Fleurette’s new job led to a serious family breach. Could she keep her job and mend the damaged relationships? Of course, the Kopp sisters always find a way.

Amy Stewart has done it again. She’s written another funny, intelligent story about three interesting, real-life women who deserve to be remembered. Stewart has Fleurette take the lead in this seventh installment of the Kopp Sisters series. Of course, mayhem ensues.

You don’t necessarily need to have read the previous six (I’ve only read three so far), to appreciate this one, but some background would help for context. In any case, you won’t want to miss this romp through the post-war lives of the Kopp sisters.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I discovered Amy Stewart’s Kopp Sisters series a few years ago when I was looking for a book set in my home state to fill a prompt in a reading challenge. The books are based on the real-life story of Constance Kopp, the first female deputy in the state of New Jersey. Not only do the books take place in my home state, I’m very familiar with all of the locations mentioned – my husband lived in the same town as the Kopps, and I went to high school in the city where the jail is located. Of course they lived in the early 1900s and things were a lot different back then, with farms and factories that no longer exist.

In addition to Constance, the series includes her sisters, Norma, who is stalwart and steady, and Fleurette, the prettiest and youngest of the 3 who has an affinity for the theater. The first four books focus on Constance, starting with her appointment as deputy, as she works on cases involving young women and works to keep Sheriff Heath in office, then books 5 and 6 switch to their efforts during the war.

In the most recent book, Miss Kopp Investigates, Fleurette takes center stage. Frances, the Kopps’ brother, has died, leaving his widow, two children, and a massive amount of debt. Fleurette agrees to work for a local lawyer in a position her sisters wouldn’t approve of, and finds herself involved in a scheme that may be beyond her abilities.

I really like the direction the books are going in, and it’s clear there will be more books. Each book contains a note at the end explaining how much of the story is based on actual people and events related to the Kopps, as found in newspaper articles and discussion with family members, and Stewart has plenty of material to draw on for the sisters. Fleurette has grown up and is a wonderful character and I’m glad to see she will remain central to the story.

If you like historical fiction based on real people and events, strong female characters who don’t let men boss them around, and a glimpse into life in the early 20th century, check out the Kopp Sisters books. I do recommend starting with the first, Girl Waits With Gun, and reading them in order, to fully appreciate and enjoy the latest installment.

This seventh book in the Kopp sisters series is true winner! The sisters, back home in New Jersey after WWI, are forced to confront financial problems after the sudden death of their brother leaves his widow and young children with no support. In this installment, youngest sister Fleurette is the star and she truly shines. Her unsavory yet lucrative work for an attorney leads her on a hunt for a criminal swindler. Eldest sister, Constance, was the first female sheriff’s deputy do perhaps chasing criminals is in the blood.

The relationship between the sisters rings absolutely true and the historical details and the fact that everything is based on real people and actual events make this a fun series to dive into. I can’t wait to see where things go from here!

Thanks to Amy Stewart and Mariner Books via NetGalley for a digital advance reader copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

This was an entertaining read - if you're just starting out with the Kopp Sisters, after reading this one you'll now want to go back and read the rest, in order if you can. And if this is your 7th, you're in for a treat - as always. I thoroughly enjoyed this Kopp Sisters adventure, which features the youngest sister, Fleurette. Amy Stewart skillfully combines real-life people and places with imagined activities and a well-crafted plot to produce an engaging story of strong women struggling to be independent in the years just after World War I. The dialogue is humorously realistic, with each sister's personality clashing as each one thinks she is correct and can provide the solution to their family's financial difficulties.

I loved the way the Fleurette solves the main mystery, and how ultimately the sisters discover they can pool their skills to work together successfully in a cleverly designed conclusion. The novel ends with promises for another compelling and delightful episode.

It is the winter of 1919 and Norma is summoned home from France, Constance is called back from Washington, and Fleurette puts her own plans on hold as the sisters rally around their recently widowed sister-in-law and her children. How are four women going to support themselves? A chance encounter offers Fleurette a solution: clandestine legal work for a former colleague of Constance’s. She becomes a “professional co-respondent,” posing as the “other woman” in divorce cases so that photographs can be entered as evidence to procure a divorce. While her late-night assignments are both exciting and lucrative, they put her on a collision course with her own family, who would never approve of such disreputable work. One client’s suspicious behavior leads Fleurette to uncover a much larger crime, putting her in the unlikely position of amateur detective.

This is a very interesting series based on the actual Kopp sisters, and Amy Stewart brings them to life along with other supporting characters. This era, the beginning of the 1900's is an era I know little about so have enjoyed learning about the times when the books take place and the role of women. I have read three of the books in the series, this being the newest one, but not in order. Thankfully, the author gives enough of the backstory in the books to not feel like you have missed any other the story. I do plan on going back at some point, though, and filling in the ones that I have not read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting my request for this book for a review. I highly recommend.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

I have read several of the previous books in the series and have really enjoyed them. Amy Stewart does an excellent job of using the Kopp family to tell the story of real historical people in an engaging manner.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed in the first half of the current book. We are brought up to date with what the family has been doing since the end of the World War, but very little happens until the middle of the book. At that point, the action begins and we see the direction that the sisters will be taking. Fleurette comes into her own and becomes a forceful character.

I enjoy following the Kopp sisters and look forward to their future adventures.

I have really enjoyed all of the books in the series. I like it that Fleurette has grown up and is standing up for herself. Great ending that sets up the next adventures for the Kopp sisters!

This latest installment of the Kopp Sisters adventures was worth the wait. The war is over, and the sisters are on very different paths - until they're not. Tragedy strikes and they are pulled back together, whether they like it or not. Fleurette is finally coming into her own, even though I don't think I'll ever REALLY like her much, but she definitely steps up and shows responsibility more than she ever has before. I'm pleasantly surprised that this series hasn't gone off the rails into that unreadable territory - Stewart keeps things fresh and interesting and I'm excited for what comes next as the sisters move forward with their new plans.

Thanks to Mariner Books and NetGalley for the ARC. My review is based on honest opinion and has no influence from either company.

"Miss Kopp Investigates" is a historical novel set in 1919 in America. It's the seventh book in a series, but it works as a stand-alone. The Kopp sisters were real people, and Constance Kopp was New Jersey's first female deputy sheriff. However, the events in this book were largely fictional, loosely based off of snippets of family gossip or moved earlier than the actual date that they happened.

The beginning felt kind of forced: All three sisters were now used to living their own lives rather than acting as a family unit. Norma was always bossy, but she's outright cruel in how she demanded that everyone give up their dreams and follow her orders. I was shocked that they (initially, at least) did so. So not only are they grieving their brother's sudden death but the loss of their dream employment. Happily, the story ended with them finally recognizing what the "family business" really was and with each using her unique skills.

The author worked interesting historical details into the story. The characters reacted realistically to events, were interesting, and I cared about what happened to them. Some suspense came from family relationship tensions as well as the women trying to discover how their brother could have been so badly in debt and how to pay the debt. There were no sex scenes. There was a couple uses of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable story.

Miss Kopp Investigates is the seventh instalment in the Kopp Sisters Mystery Novels set in 1919 Paterson, New Jersey. The three Kopp sisters - Constance, Norma and Fleurette - have returned home to Paterson to attend the funeral of their brother, Francis, who had tragically passed away suddenly and without prior warning in January 1919. He is survived by his pregnant wife, Bessie, and two children, but he has also, unfortunately, left his family with a tonne of unpaid debt putting Bessie in quite the situation. The sisters, helpful as ever, resolve to help Bessie out financially in whatever way they can.

However, they fully comprehend that to earn the same salary as a man, the income previously coming in from Francis’ employment, they will need to work tirelessly and find a way to scrape together as much as humanly possible to rescue a mother in need. Putting their heads together they decide to use Fleurette’s womanly charm as the youngest and prettiest of the group to become a professional co-respondent in which she earns her money by posing for compromising photographs alongside married men which would then be used as evidence of their adulterous and improper relationships with other young women when it came to divorce proceedings in court.

But getting in a little too deep with one particular client leads to Fleurette ending up behind bars. This is a compelling and captivating addition to this series of fine historical mysteries set at the beginning of the twentieth century. Stewart evokes the sense of time and place quite magnificently, and it's always a pleasure to reacquaint myself with the Kopp family. It's an absorbing, richly atmospheric and perfectly plotted mystery novel that depicts beautifully and accurately the zeitgeist of the time including the treatment of women and gender equality in particular. One of the strongest entries of the series to date. I look forward to numero ocho. Highly recommended.

I requested this book without realizing it was a part of a series. That was my first mistake. My second was thinking that it was an historical mystery with the emphasis being on the mystery. It definitely was not that. Partially for those reasons, I did not really enjoy this book very much. Not enough mystery and too much internecine squabbling between characters that I did not find terribly likable. I do, however, accept the blame here. This book was not my cup of tea and I should have realized that.

The writing is good and I know now that this is a well loved series. For those who are into more female power, conquering the odds stories, this is fantastic. The sisters are able to navigate the difficulties of losing a family member and dropping their existing lives to pull together back at the homestead. In that respect, it is a well plotted book, again just not my particular cuppa.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC.

No one deals with adversity better than the Kopp sisters! And after the passing of their brother, they circle the proverbial wagons to help out their sister-in-law and her children. There were several things I really loved about this story. First, it featured Fleurette and as much as I still think Norma might be my favorite Kopp sister, I really enjoyed getting to know more about Fleurette and find that she isn't the vain airhead that I've always viewed her as. Second, I enjoyed the combination of the mystery Fleurette takes on investigating on her own along with the mystery regarding the deceased brother, Francis. It made for a really solid overall read. As always, Ms. Stewart does an incredible job of bringing the time period to life through the interspersing of real events and her fictional take on real people. I strongly recommend reading the entire series and reading them in order! It will only enhance your enjoyment of this latest installment.

MISS KOPP INVESTIGATES takes place nearly a decade after the first in the series. While the Great War has ended, the sisters have all returned home to mourn the sudden death of their brother and find themselves saddled with responsibilities. Their brother left a mountain of debt, two young children and a pregnant wife, all of which the ever-responsible Kopp sisters feel they must shelter and support. Their individual dreams suddenly evaporate in the face of their collective needs, especially since none of them can find especially well compensated employment.

Author Amy Stewart does such an excellent job of establishing time and place for this series. The remarkable coincidences of the early 20th and 21st Centuries are overwhelming: the Flu/Covid Pandemics, the technological changes and the role of foreign wars, all make for fascinating reading. The plot itself is slow moving in comparison and readers looking for more action may be disappointed. The book is built around real people and I find that quite engaging. For lovers of character and world building, the book is a true delight. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

The Kopp sisters series continues to delight!

In “Miss Kopp Investigates”, the youngest sister, Fleurette, moves to center stage. After a bout of strep throat, her singing career is at a standstill, and she has returned to sewing as a means of contributing to the family coffers. The eldest (and only male) Kopp has recently died, leaving his small family in financial straits that will require all of the Kopp’s resourcefulness.

Reading this series is like attending a family reunion with lots of really good storytelling old aunts. The historical details are lively, and the family dynamics are completely true to life.

I wouldn’t recommend reading this book as a stand-alone, but it would be no hardship to recommend starting at the beginning and savoring the entire series.

How did I not know about the Kopp Sisters? Have I been living under a rock? The sisters are characters easy to visualize in the time period with their quirky personalities. Must read all of the series ASAP!

At the end of the previous book I wondered how the author was going to bring the three sisters back together since their lives were going in very separate directions at that point. Well she managed it!

Miss Kopp Investigates begins in 1919 and the war is over. Norma is still overseas and is not planning to come back yet. Constance and Fleurette have plans to follow their careers and move away. All looks good for the sisters and then their brother suddenly dies leaving sister-in-law Bessie alone and penniless, with two children to raise. Of course they all put their plans aside and return home.

Going from the title I expected this book to be about Constance but it is actually Fleurette who takes the main role. She is a smart girl and she finds ways to make the cash they so desperately need. She also cares about people so when she befriends someone who gets into difficulties she turns detective. It obviously runs in the family!

One of the best things about this series is reading the author's notes at the end. These characters are all real people who actually lived and did the things described in the books. Stewart lets us know which parts are fact and which she has changed or added to herself. I love knowing that Norma, Constance, Fleurette and even the pet parrot really lived and breathed these lives.

The ending is clever and has great promise for the next book in the series. I am looking forward to it already.

In the winter of 1919, with the war in Europe over, the Kopp sisters are finally back together again. However, it is the death of their brother Francis from a sudden heart attack that has summoned Norma reluctantly back from France and brought Constance home from Washington, where she was to work for the Bureau of Investigation training female agents. The three sisters rally around their sister-in-law Bessie and her children and try to work out how on earth they are going to manage to support themselves and the children without Francis.

Not only do any of them currently have a job, but Francis has also surprising left behind large debts and, unknown to Bessie, borrowed against the house. Norma immediately decides they need to sell the farm left to them by their parents and all move in with Bessie until they have the funds to buy a house in Hawthorne near Bessie. In her usual pragmatic way, Norma sets about fixing up the house and subdividing the land for sale as building sites. Constance finds a part-time job as a store detective which brings in a little money, but it’s their sister Fleurette who finds a lucrative job. Having lost her singing voice after an illness, Fleurette and her Amazonian parrot Laura are unable to return to their stage act. However, Fleurette is always resourceful and finds unusual employment posing as ‘the other woman’ in photographs for a somewhat unscrupulous lawyer. Needless to say, with her love of dressing up and her acting skills it’s a job she performs splendidly, but one she knows her sisters must never find out about.

As with the earlier books in this series, Amy Stewart brings us a wonderful sense of the place and the time in which the sisters live. Particularly what it was like for unmarried women and widows having to have to support themselves in a time when it was difficult for woman to work or be financially independent. Fortunately, the Kopp women are made of sterner stuff and Bessie is in good hands. It is Fleurette, the youngest of the three sisters who really shines in this episode as she stands up to Norma bossing her around and asserts her independence. Her work with the lawyer inadvertently draws her into uncovering a scam taking place against vulnerable women and for once it’s Fleurette, and not her more famous sister Constance, who is the amateur detective investigating a crime.

I love that Amy Stewart has blended historical facts with fiction in this series of books based on the lives of the real Kopp sisters. In her afternotes she mentions that Francis did die of a heart attack (although a few years later) and the sisters did sell the farm and move to a house near Bessie. Constance did work in a department store for a time and Fleurette did indeed have an Amazonian parrot and lose her singing voice, later acting as ‘the other woman’ for photos needed by men who wanted to make divorce easy for their wives. It’s this successful blending of facts about these interesting sisters with fiction that makes these books so delightful and such a joy to read.

Life looks much different for all three Kopp sisters after the war. Fleurette’s plans to return to the stage are placed on hold, Constance returns from Washington, and Norma returns from Europe when their brother Francis unexpectedly dies in Paterson.
The shock soon turns to dismay when they learn he left his wife and two children in a troubling amount of debt… and a third baby is on the way.

The youngest Miss Kopp, Fleurette, has always been a bit spoiled but she steps up for her family; unfortunately, her career choice wouldn’t be met with approval from her older sisters. With a huge influx of divorce post-WWI, Fleurette is posing as “the other woman” in staged photographs for a lawyer to take to the judge for divorces to be granted.
When a client seeking a divorce from her husband is scammed by a phony lawyer, Fleurette follows in Constance’s footsteps and conducts an investigation of her own.

Meanwhile, the sisters learn the reason Francis was in debt and step up to help his widow and children. With employment hard to find for women, the Kopp sisters take their futures into their own hands and decide to open their own detective agency.

I love this series. The atmosphere of the era, the characters, and the investigations within each story following their lives - it’s all just entertaining and cozy! I’m thrilled the Kopp series will finally have their own agency and cannot wait to see where their adventures lead next!

Thanks to Mariner Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Miss Kopp Investigates is scheduled for release on September 7, 2021.

The Great War is over, and the three Kopp sisters are all set to embark on the next phases of their lives. Norma has decided to remain in war-torn Europe, Constance is all set to move to Washington D.C. to train a class of women for jobs with the Bureau of Investigation, and Fleurette plans to assert her independence as she recovers from a recent illness and prepares for her return to the stage. Their plans are put on hold when their brother, Francis, unexpectedly dies. The Kopp sisters rally around their sister-in-law who has been left with two young children and a baby on the way. Soon after the funeral, Bessie learns that Francis left her with considerable debts all around Paterson, New Jersey. While Constance takes a job as an undercover officer in the women's section of a local department store, Norma tackles the job of figuring out what Francis did with his money and how to keep the family afloat. Unable to return to the stage—or even move away from her sisters like she had a planned—Fleurette takes a job with a local law firm. Posing as a “professional co-respondent,” Fleurette poses for staged photographs alongside married men who are seeking divorces. With infidelity being one of the very few grounds for divorce, these photographs are then submitted as evidence in the divorce cases. Fleurette is making good money and is getting her brother's various debts paid off. But then her sisters find out about her secret job, and Fleurette is forced to quit. Unable to remain with her bossy sisters, Fleurette finally moves out. While getting her footing as an independent woman, Fleurette gets caught up in an investigation into a scam artists who is conning people out of their money. Needing help, Fleurette turns to her sisters to catch the scam artist.

Fleurette takes center stage in MISS KOPP INVESTIGATES. Yes, she remains spoiled and impulsive, but she is also growing into a responsible adult. Constance and Norma remain overbearing, but they are finally starting to see Fleurette as an independent woman instead of their kid sister. Fleurette's clandestine job with the law firm is the catalyst for the Kopp sisters private detective agency. MISS KOPP INVESTIGATES focuses on the relationships between the three sisters and their sister-in-law and sets them up for the next phases of their lives as private detectives. Yes, there is a mystery/suspense plot, but it is not the main plot of the story. I will admit that the story dragged at times since it was not based around a mystery, but I still enjoyed it. Amy Stewart brings the post-WWI era to life, and she shows the lifestyles and how women were regarded during that time. MISS KOPP INVESTIGATES is a great addition to the series, and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.