In 1915, lady cops were not expected to chase down fugitives on the streets of New York City. But Constance Kopp never did what anyone expected.
Bergen County’s Sheriff Heath has appointed Constance as one of the nation’s first female deputies. He knows she’s a powerful addition to his force, and she knows she can do the job, but when the wiles of a German-speaking con man threaten her position and her hopes for this new life — and risk the honourable sheriff being thrown into his own jail — Constance is forced to prove herself again.
'Lady Cop Makes Trouble' sees Constance on the trail of a fugitive, helping runaway girls taken in by unscrupulous men, and sorting out why an old woman is taking the fall for a murder she couldn’t have committed. Cheering her on are her sisters Norma and Fleurette — that is, when they aren’t, respectively, training pigeons for the war effort or fanning dreams of a life on the stage.
I was really excited to pick up and check out ‘Lady Cop Makes Trouble’, author Amy Stewart’s sequel to her fantastic read ‘Girl Waits with Gun’, which I had the pleasure of reviewing a few weeks ago (click here to read my review). I loved the mix of historical fiction, women’s fiction and detective/mystery novel, and was really curious to read more about the Kopp sisters. I was lucky enough to have also received a review copy of the second part of this book series, which was released in 2016, and I already had a good feeling I was hopefully going to enjoy it as much as the first part…!
Set in the 1910s, Constance Kopp finds herself making history when she is appointed as one of the country’s first female deputies. Constance is determined to do a good job, especially since she loves what she does, but not everyone supports her and sheriff Heath’s decision to appoint a woman as deputy. When Constance accidentally lets a German immigrant criminal escape on her watch, she not only brings her own career at risk, but also sheriff Heath, who has always supported her. There is only one thing that can save both of them and that’s tracking down the German criminal and putting him behind bars once again, but Constance has quite a job ahead of her…
After having read Amy Stewart’s novel ‘Girl Waits with Gun’ I promised myself I’d keep an eye out for any other books by this author, and I’m really glad to say the sequel in the series, ‘Lady Cop Makes Trouble’, managed to live up to my expectations; it’s definitely another engaging and well-written detective read I couldn’t get enough of. The oldest of the Kopp sisters, Constance, has managed to be appointed as deputy and she takes her job very seriously. When something unexpected happens, she is suddenly forced to prove her worth, no matter the stakes. I really liked how we not only follow Constance, but we also learn more about her sisters Norma and Fleurette. I love the three different female characters, and wouldn’t have minded if perhaps even more attention had been paid to Norma and Fleurette and their activities.
Just like with the first part of this series, I really enjoyed how the author tackles various genres (women’s fiction, historical fiction, a detective element) and both fiction and non-fiction (the storyline is based on actual events). Amy Stewart has a great and comfortable writing style and I am counting the Kopp sisters novels to some of my favourite reads of this year so far, and I sincerely hope there will be more adventures to come. All in all, another stunning and convincing read by author Amy Stewart; ‘Lady Cop Makes Trouble’ is an entertaining and original work of fiction that I loved from start to finish.
Rating:
9/10
For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Constance Kopp doesn’t quite fit the mold. She towers over most men, has no interest in marriage or domestic affairs, and has been isolated from the world since a family secret sent her and her sisters into hiding fifteen years ago. One day a belligerent and powerful silk factory owner runs down their buggy, and a dispute over damages turns into a war of bricks, bullets, and threats as he unleashes his gang on their family farm. When the sheriff enlists her help in convicting the men, Constance is forced to confront her past and defend her family — and she does it in a way that few women of 1914 would have dared.
Amy Stewart’s novel ‘Girls Waits with Gun’ was first released in 2015, but I have to admit I hadn’t heard or read anything about it until I was contacted about the second part of this book series, ‘Lady Cop Makes Trouble’, by the publisher several months ago. I was straight away intrigued by the description of the book, and I was incredibly lucky to be sent copies of both books for review (a big thanks to the publisher!). I really like the original look of the book cover and am always up to try some historical fiction reads, so I was definitely curious to check this out (and the to me still unfamiliar author, Amy Stewart) and hoped I’d end up enjoying it as much as I hoped I would!
Set in the early 1900s, ‘Girls Waits with Gun’ tells the story of the three Kopp sisters: Constance, Norma and Fleurette, who live together on a farm in Paterson, New Jersey. One day when travelling to the city in their horse-driven wagon, the sisters are hit by a motor vehicle. Luckily they all manage to get away with just a few bruises and some damage to their buggy, but Constance is determined to at least get some money as compensation from the driver, business man Henry Kaufman. However, no matter how determined Constance might be, Mr. Kaufman is a man who you don’t want to mess with, and before the Kopp sisters know it they find themselves in the middle of a rather dangerous situation even the local Sheriff is having difficulty getting them out of…
This was actually my first Amy Stewart read, but I’m definitely going to keep an eye on this author’s name from now on because I absolutely loved ‘Girl Waits with Gun’ from start to finish. The novel was first published in 2015 and re-released in 2016 and received many positive reviews and comments, which I completely agree with. Set around 1914 and with a main focus on three female characters, the book not only provides readers with an entertaining story, but also centres around some fascinating issues such as the position of women in that particular day and age. Constance, Norma and Fleurette are sisters, but three different female characters with their own personality traits and all of them added their own something to the story as a whole. I was intrigued by Constance as the protagonist, and loved how brave and determined she is.
The book has a touch of several genres to it, from women’s fiction to historical fiction to a detective/mystery element, and is actually based on a true story. One of the things I personally enjoyed most about the book is the author’s writing style; the story moved along at a steady pace and really managed to keep my attention throughout. With many books you just need a break from reading every now and again, but I could have finished this one in one sitting, if I had had the time. On the whole I think ‘Girl Waits with Gun’ is a simply delightful, impressively well-written and witty novel; a great combination of historical fact and fiction and I can’t wait to pick up the second part in this series, ‘Lady Cop in Trouble’!
Rating:9,5/10
For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
