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Kopp Sisters #7
Miss Kopp Investigates
Life after the war takes an unexpected turn for the Kopp sisters, but soon enough, they are putting their unique detective skills to use in new and daring ways.
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?
A chance encounter offers Fleurette a 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.
In Miss Kopp Investigates, Amy Stewart once again brilliantly captures the women of this era—their ambitions for the future as well as the ties that bind—at the start of a promising new decade.
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?
A chance encounter offers Fleurette a 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.
In Miss Kopp Investigates, Amy Stewart once again brilliantly captures the women of this era—their ambitions for the future as well as the ties that bind—at the start of a promising new decade.
304 pages, Paperback
First published September 7, 2021
50 people are currently reading
1198 people want to read
About the author
Amy Stewart
25 books2,529 followersAmy Stewart is the New York Times bestselling author of over a dozen books, including Girl Waits with Gun, Lady Cop Makes Trouble, The Drunken Botanist, and Wicked Plants.
She lives in Portland with her husband Scott Brown, a rare book dealer.
Stay connected with Amy via her newsletter , where she offers cocktail recipes, creative inspiration, book recommendations, and more!
She lives in Portland with her husband Scott Brown, a rare book dealer.
Stay connected with Amy via her newsletter , where she offers cocktail recipes, creative inspiration, book recommendations, and more!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 367 reviews
September 4, 2021
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.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
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.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
November 4, 2021
4★
“It was tawdry, Fleurette knew that. It was illicit. It might’ve even been illegal, despite his assurances to the contrary. (Did he actually tell her that what he was proposing was legal, or had he merely said, in response to her question, that he was a lawyer? That was just the sort of verbal sleight of hand that a lawyer would get up to.) There was also the question of . . . ”
The question of what? One might well ask. The youngest Kopp sister comes into her own in this one. She’s been a singer and performer around the country during the war, but she is still barely recovered from illness and unable to sing. It hasn't affected her acting ability and her artfulness with disguises though, so she risks the chance to use her talents for some quick cash to help the family.
Their brother died suddenly, far too young and not at war, so sister-in-law Bessie and her two children need support. Constance gave up her proposed FBI position and Norma raced home from Europe, where she had planned to stay. It’s a house full of grief. To top it off, there’s no life insurance and some debts are emerging.
Fleurette is over it. She’s always been a carefree spirit whom Constance and Norma have tried hard to rein in. Now they need money, and she really can’t bear the thought of being stuck living with her boring family. Norma reminds her of her proficient sewing skills and suggests she starts helping by mending the curtains.
“‘I’ll look at the curtains later,’Fleurette said. ‘It’s time I went out to pick up some seamstressing.’ That was how Norma put it, as if seamstressing had been left alongside the road and she had merely to go along with a bag and a sharp stick to collect it all.”
What she loves is fashion and designing, not fixing up grubby curtains. She is struggling. They all are. Norma is as commanding as ever. She’s trying to clean up the family farm, which is out in the country, and she still follows all the farm news.
“Norma was paging noisily through a magazine on farm management, and issuing her opinions as though anyone in the house wanted to hear them. (‘You’ll never keep goats in a pen like that, and I ought to write and tell them.’)”
Constance is itching to get back to FBI work, and I must say I expected “Miss Kopp Investigates” to be more about Constance than the others. I am delighted with the change of direction.
I found the first part a bit slow, with the domestic situation colouring everything, but as Fleurette broke away and began her questionable career as a “model” in divorce photos, the pace picked up. Eventually, it became a cat-and-mouse mystery, and surprisingly, it was not Constance who was chasing criminals!
The girls are getting a bit older, and scarlet fever left Fleurette with some issues she keeps hoping will disappear.
“She had not yet reached the age when injuries became permanent, when an unreliable knee or a stiff shoulder could be expected to stay on as a long-term tenant, not a visitor who stops briefly on the front porch and moves on.”
It is obvious she will live to fight another day, and so will the older two. This is another entertaining instalment in the series, which I recommend you read in order. These were real people with plenty of artistic licence added by the author, and I enjoyed it. This one ended in such a way, and was followed by such interesting Historical Notes, that I think the next one is bound to be good, too.
Thanks to #NetGalley and Mariner Books for the copy for review from which I’ve quoted.
“It was tawdry, Fleurette knew that. It was illicit. It might’ve even been illegal, despite his assurances to the contrary. (Did he actually tell her that what he was proposing was legal, or had he merely said, in response to her question, that he was a lawyer? That was just the sort of verbal sleight of hand that a lawyer would get up to.) There was also the question of . . . ”
The question of what? One might well ask. The youngest Kopp sister comes into her own in this one. She’s been a singer and performer around the country during the war, but she is still barely recovered from illness and unable to sing. It hasn't affected her acting ability and her artfulness with disguises though, so she risks the chance to use her talents for some quick cash to help the family.
Their brother died suddenly, far too young and not at war, so sister-in-law Bessie and her two children need support. Constance gave up her proposed FBI position and Norma raced home from Europe, where she had planned to stay. It’s a house full of grief. To top it off, there’s no life insurance and some debts are emerging.
Fleurette is over it. She’s always been a carefree spirit whom Constance and Norma have tried hard to rein in. Now they need money, and she really can’t bear the thought of being stuck living with her boring family. Norma reminds her of her proficient sewing skills and suggests she starts helping by mending the curtains.
“‘I’ll look at the curtains later,’Fleurette said. ‘It’s time I went out to pick up some seamstressing.’ That was how Norma put it, as if seamstressing had been left alongside the road and she had merely to go along with a bag and a sharp stick to collect it all.”
What she loves is fashion and designing, not fixing up grubby curtains. She is struggling. They all are. Norma is as commanding as ever. She’s trying to clean up the family farm, which is out in the country, and she still follows all the farm news.
“Norma was paging noisily through a magazine on farm management, and issuing her opinions as though anyone in the house wanted to hear them. (‘You’ll never keep goats in a pen like that, and I ought to write and tell them.’)”
Constance is itching to get back to FBI work, and I must say I expected “Miss Kopp Investigates” to be more about Constance than the others. I am delighted with the change of direction.
I found the first part a bit slow, with the domestic situation colouring everything, but as Fleurette broke away and began her questionable career as a “model” in divorce photos, the pace picked up. Eventually, it became a cat-and-mouse mystery, and surprisingly, it was not Constance who was chasing criminals!
The girls are getting a bit older, and scarlet fever left Fleurette with some issues she keeps hoping will disappear.
“She had not yet reached the age when injuries became permanent, when an unreliable knee or a stiff shoulder could be expected to stay on as a long-term tenant, not a visitor who stops briefly on the front porch and moves on.”
It is obvious she will live to fight another day, and so will the older two. This is another entertaining instalment in the series, which I recommend you read in order. These were real people with plenty of artistic licence added by the author, and I enjoyed it. This one ended in such a way, and was followed by such interesting Historical Notes, that I think the next one is bound to be good, too.
Thanks to #NetGalley and Mariner Books for the copy for review from which I’ve quoted.
September 8, 2021
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.
With thanks to Mariner Books and Netgalley for a copy to read. Expected publication 7th September 2021. Original review first published in Mystery and Suspense magazine https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/mi...
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.
With thanks to Mariner Books and Netgalley for a copy to read. Expected publication 7th September 2021. Original review first published in Mystery and Suspense magazine https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/mi...
August 27, 2021
Ya can't cry over spilled milk. It's happened. So.....where's the mop?
Amy Stewart takes our famous Kopp Sisters into the aftermath years of World War I. America and the world are making adjustments on the homefront to the chaos and uncertainty of the troops being shipped home and the position of families readjusting to roles being realigned.
Constance is mulling over a new job prospect with the Bureau of Investigations in Washington, D.C.. Norma has found a niche of potential in Paris, France after the war. Fleurette is in a quandry as to where her stage career will take her after a severe bout with strep throat and the potential loss of her singing voice. But all of that will be hit with a tidal wave of emotions.....
Their beloved brother, Francis, died of a heart attack at his office desk. The shock riveted through them with disbelief. But no one was hit more profoundly than Bess, his widow, and their two children, Lorraine and Frankie. Women of the time period were usually kept in the dark about family financial matters. And things couldn't get any darker for Bess without a candle in sight. Francis failed to tell her that debts were owed all around town, including a second mortgage on their home. It's here that the Kopp Sisters circle the wagons in order to provide stability for Bess and the children. Any career plans were put on hold.
Amy Stewart gives an elbow nudge to Fleurette, the youngest sister, to step it up. Spoiled and often impulsive, Fleurette knows that she has to place family first. What shakes out is an unexpected career move. There's a wave of divorces happening after the war. Paterson, New Jersey is in the mix of it. By chance, Fleurette finds herself in photo shoots of men needing proof of "the other woman". Her stage presence helps with disguises and the back of her head in the photos. Fleurette has money that's jingling in her pocket......until Constance finds out. And she and Constance will have it out. And that's just the beginning......
I applaud Amy Stewart for the parallels she creates to the real-life sisters. If you read the Acknowledgements at the end, you'll find some fascinating facts. Stewart has quite the following in her Kopp Sisters Series and for good reason. The novels are thoughtful, well-designed, true to the era, and often hilarious with sharp-witted dialogue and situations. As this novel concludes, we'll find that an exceptionally wide door has been opened to Adventure Land in the next. And we're all packed and ready to gallop in that direction with them.
I received a copy of this novel through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and to the talented Amy Stewart for the opportunity.
Amy Stewart takes our famous Kopp Sisters into the aftermath years of World War I. America and the world are making adjustments on the homefront to the chaos and uncertainty of the troops being shipped home and the position of families readjusting to roles being realigned.
Constance is mulling over a new job prospect with the Bureau of Investigations in Washington, D.C.. Norma has found a niche of potential in Paris, France after the war. Fleurette is in a quandry as to where her stage career will take her after a severe bout with strep throat and the potential loss of her singing voice. But all of that will be hit with a tidal wave of emotions.....
Their beloved brother, Francis, died of a heart attack at his office desk. The shock riveted through them with disbelief. But no one was hit more profoundly than Bess, his widow, and their two children, Lorraine and Frankie. Women of the time period were usually kept in the dark about family financial matters. And things couldn't get any darker for Bess without a candle in sight. Francis failed to tell her that debts were owed all around town, including a second mortgage on their home. It's here that the Kopp Sisters circle the wagons in order to provide stability for Bess and the children. Any career plans were put on hold.
Amy Stewart gives an elbow nudge to Fleurette, the youngest sister, to step it up. Spoiled and often impulsive, Fleurette knows that she has to place family first. What shakes out is an unexpected career move. There's a wave of divorces happening after the war. Paterson, New Jersey is in the mix of it. By chance, Fleurette finds herself in photo shoots of men needing proof of "the other woman". Her stage presence helps with disguises and the back of her head in the photos. Fleurette has money that's jingling in her pocket......until Constance finds out. And she and Constance will have it out. And that's just the beginning......
I applaud Amy Stewart for the parallels she creates to the real-life sisters. If you read the Acknowledgements at the end, you'll find some fascinating facts. Stewart has quite the following in her Kopp Sisters Series and for good reason. The novels are thoughtful, well-designed, true to the era, and often hilarious with sharp-witted dialogue and situations. As this novel concludes, we'll find that an exceptionally wide door has been opened to Adventure Land in the next. And we're all packed and ready to gallop in that direction with them.
I received a copy of this novel through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and to the talented Amy Stewart for the opportunity.
August 31, 2021
I hadn't read the previous books in this series, so this was my first meeting with the Kopp sisters. I didn't quite know what to expect. But since the title of this book is Miss Kopp Investigates, I was expecting a historical mystery. The blurb also suggested that. And I didn't quite get it.
The beginning of this book is rather slow. The mystery only begins well after half the book. It doesn't mean that the first half of the book is boring, but due to the lack of some distinguished storyline, I wasn't that interested in it and kept waiting for mystery to begin. If you've read the previous books and are already familiar with the Kopp sisters, you'll be much more interested in their lives in the first half of this book.
Somewhere around the middle of the book, I stopped expecting that there would be any more elaborate suspense plot at all. And while suspense did appear in the end, it is hard to say that it is the dominant part of this book. I didn't mind watching the Kopp sisters solve their little problems, it was also interesting. But I didn't expect it to be the main part of this book.
The main character of this book is the youngest of the Kopp sisters - Fleurette. I like her as the main character, she is interesting and complicated. Just like her sisters and sister-in-law. Although I'm not sure if I like her sisters. They were depicted in quite a bad light, especially Norma. But I think they are characters that you can easily build the whole series around.
This is a book more for those who have read the previous books in this series and are already familiar with the Kopp sisters. You will then be more interested in their daily lives, problems, and relationships that make up a large part of this book. And although I admit that I read this part quite easily and with some interest, I think that if I had already had an emotional attachment to the sisters, it would be even better. You can read this book as an introduction to this series, but I think you will have more fun if you start with the first book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The beginning of this book is rather slow. The mystery only begins well after half the book. It doesn't mean that the first half of the book is boring, but due to the lack of some distinguished storyline, I wasn't that interested in it and kept waiting for mystery to begin. If you've read the previous books and are already familiar with the Kopp sisters, you'll be much more interested in their lives in the first half of this book.
Somewhere around the middle of the book, I stopped expecting that there would be any more elaborate suspense plot at all. And while suspense did appear in the end, it is hard to say that it is the dominant part of this book. I didn't mind watching the Kopp sisters solve their little problems, it was also interesting. But I didn't expect it to be the main part of this book.
The main character of this book is the youngest of the Kopp sisters - Fleurette. I like her as the main character, she is interesting and complicated. Just like her sisters and sister-in-law. Although I'm not sure if I like her sisters. They were depicted in quite a bad light, especially Norma. But I think they are characters that you can easily build the whole series around.
This is a book more for those who have read the previous books in this series and are already familiar with the Kopp sisters. You will then be more interested in their daily lives, problems, and relationships that make up a large part of this book. And although I admit that I read this part quite easily and with some interest, I think that if I had already had an emotional attachment to the sisters, it would be even better. You can read this book as an introduction to this series, but I think you will have more fun if you start with the first book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 27, 2023
The story starts in 1919. Bessie is widowed and the three Kopp sisters, Constance, Norma and Fleurette, return home from the various places they have been to support their sister in law. The death of their brother Francis is hard and made harder for his widow when she learns of the debt he has incurred. How are these four women going to support themselves and Bessie’s children? A chance encounter offers Fleurette a chance to use her acting skills but not in a way her sisters would approve of. Still, she figures the end result is what counts. But then one client leads Fleurette to uncover a large crime that sees her investigating the situation.
This was an entertaining romp and although it is book 7 about the Kopp family, it was my first introduction to them. I enjoyed it, A good bit of fun that ends up leading to hassles and an interesting change of direction for Fleurette and her older sisters and their sister in law. It gives an interesting look at the times and conditions of society after the war.
A light read but kept me interested, so I’d be interested to read more in the series. Since this was a real historical family, I liked the way at the end the author’s notes tell the reader what is fact and what is fiction regarding the Kopps. I recommend this engaging book.
This was an entertaining romp and although it is book 7 about the Kopp family, it was my first introduction to them. I enjoyed it, A good bit of fun that ends up leading to hassles and an interesting change of direction for Fleurette and her older sisters and their sister in law. It gives an interesting look at the times and conditions of society after the war.
A light read but kept me interested, so I’d be interested to read more in the series. Since this was a real historical family, I liked the way at the end the author’s notes tell the reader what is fact and what is fiction regarding the Kopps. I recommend this engaging book.
October 14, 2021
WWI is over, but tragedy has struck the family.
Their brother, Francis, has died suddenly leaving his wife Bessie and two children.
The three sisters have had to alter their plans drastically.
Norma has had to rush back from France; Constance is supposed to start a job with the FBI in Washington but has had to give it up and Fleurette has lost her singing voice after a bout of streptococci so no more theatre work for her.
It is with some shock that they discover that Frances has left Bessie in serious debt. He owes money all over town and he has mortgaged his house. The sisters have to find a way out of this fix.
The title “Miss Kopp Investigates” is only a teaser when we find out which Miss Kopp is doing the investigating.
A fun read as usual.
Being #7 in a series I would strongly suggest reading the earlier books first otherwise this one won’t be as entertaining if you don’t know the Kopp sister’s history.
Their brother, Francis, has died suddenly leaving his wife Bessie and two children.
The three sisters have had to alter their plans drastically.
Norma has had to rush back from France; Constance is supposed to start a job with the FBI in Washington but has had to give it up and Fleurette has lost her singing voice after a bout of streptococci so no more theatre work for her.
It is with some shock that they discover that Frances has left Bessie in serious debt. He owes money all over town and he has mortgaged his house. The sisters have to find a way out of this fix.
The title “Miss Kopp Investigates” is only a teaser when we find out which Miss Kopp is doing the investigating.
A fun read as usual.
Being #7 in a series I would strongly suggest reading the earlier books first otherwise this one won’t be as entertaining if you don’t know the Kopp sister’s history.
September 20, 2023
3.5
This is the seventh book in the Kopp Sisters series. I truly love these sisters and knowing that Stewart works in a lot of true to life detail, I think I would have truly enjoyed living in their era and spending time with them. Having not yet seen any indication of an 8th novel in this series I was extremely happy to read the Authors Notes. Stewart says she has an abundance of material to continue this series, so it is only a waiting game until the 8th book is revealed.
In this edition of the Kopp sisters more attention is given to the youngest, Fleuette. All the sisters are home again from previous escapades to rally around their widowed sister-in-law. Times are hard and money is in very short supply. All who can are expected to work and bring in money to support everyone. This is where things go arduous. It goes without saying that the family is not happy with the position that Fleuette takes - once they find out!
Stewart has become one of my favorite authors. With a wide stroke of her pen against pages she is able to create enjoyable works in both fiction and nonfiction. She is now one of my favorite authors to turn to when my reading either bogs down or I need relief from a string of in-depth books. And now I am impatiently awaiting the next novel in this series.
This is the seventh book in the Kopp Sisters series. I truly love these sisters and knowing that Stewart works in a lot of true to life detail, I think I would have truly enjoyed living in their era and spending time with them. Having not yet seen any indication of an 8th novel in this series I was extremely happy to read the Authors Notes. Stewart says she has an abundance of material to continue this series, so it is only a waiting game until the 8th book is revealed.
In this edition of the Kopp sisters more attention is given to the youngest, Fleuette. All the sisters are home again from previous escapades to rally around their widowed sister-in-law. Times are hard and money is in very short supply. All who can are expected to work and bring in money to support everyone. This is where things go arduous. It goes without saying that the family is not happy with the position that Fleuette takes - once they find out!
Stewart has become one of my favorite authors. With a wide stroke of her pen against pages she is able to create enjoyable works in both fiction and nonfiction. She is now one of my favorite authors to turn to when my reading either bogs down or I need relief from a string of in-depth books. And now I am impatiently awaiting the next novel in this series.
August 16, 2021
“Her family looked, to Norma, like the inside of a train station, with everyone rushing off in a different direction on separate timetables. Even with a hammer in hand and a mouthful of nails, she couldn’t fix them into place.”
Miss Kopp Investigates is the seventh book in the Kopp Sisters series by NYT best-selling American author, Amy Stewart. It’s early 1919, and each of the Kopp sisters has plans: Norma intends to join her friend Aggie Bell to act as interpreter and do relief work for refugees in Belgium; Constance will be in Washington, training female recruits for the Bureau of Investigation; and Fleurette has a lucrative singing contract for herself and her green Amazonian parrot with Freeman Bernstein.
But those grand plans have to be put on hold, indefinitely, when their brother, Francis dies suddenly, leaving a wife, two young children and, it turns out, another on the way. And, apparently, a string of debts around the town of Hawthorne.
Norma immediately takes charge, coordinating the sale of their farm, the purchase of a house and the running of two households. Constance takes a position as a store detective. Under the cover of seamstressing jobs, Fleurette, without compromising her virtue or revealing her identity, regularly poses for photographs in the arms of men seeking a divorce, for a Paterson law firm.
If they knew, her sisters would not approve. Her earnings, Fleurette unobtrusively and efficiently applies to those debts her brother has accrued with the town’s retailers. During the course of this scheme, Fleurette encounters a client she believes is the victim of a scam, and she can’t resist investigating.
In this instalment, Norma and Constance are very much in the background although, together with their sister-in-aw, Bessie, they do manage to uncover the source of the massive debt with which Francis has unintentionally saddled his family. It’s very much a team effort: where Norma’s forcefulness fails, Constance’s flattery or Bessie’s quiet tenacity win out.
But Fleurette is undeniably the star of this book, having blossomed from the self-centred teenager we met in 1914 to a resourceful, considerate and much more mature, if still occasionally wilful, young woman. She flexes her independence muscles by quitting the family home; her investigations see her consulting a fortune teller, parting with an emerald pendant and ultimately, lead to her arrest.
Era and plot give Stewart plenty of opportunities to remind us of just how powerless women were then: “The police won’t take her complaint unless Mr. Martin comes in as well. If she went to them by herself, the first thing they’d do is go around and talk to the husband and make sure the missus isn’t just hysterical. They’re not going to go running off to chase after an imaginary swindler on her word alone.”
Stewart’s Historical Notes 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. Fans will be pleased to read that Stewart has plenty more up her literary sleeve for the Kopp sisters. Delightful!!
This unbiased review is from a copy provided by NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Miss Kopp Investigates is the seventh book in the Kopp Sisters series by NYT best-selling American author, Amy Stewart. It’s early 1919, and each of the Kopp sisters has plans: Norma intends to join her friend Aggie Bell to act as interpreter and do relief work for refugees in Belgium; Constance will be in Washington, training female recruits for the Bureau of Investigation; and Fleurette has a lucrative singing contract for herself and her green Amazonian parrot with Freeman Bernstein.
But those grand plans have to be put on hold, indefinitely, when their brother, Francis dies suddenly, leaving a wife, two young children and, it turns out, another on the way. And, apparently, a string of debts around the town of Hawthorne.
Norma immediately takes charge, coordinating the sale of their farm, the purchase of a house and the running of two households. Constance takes a position as a store detective. Under the cover of seamstressing jobs, Fleurette, without compromising her virtue or revealing her identity, regularly poses for photographs in the arms of men seeking a divorce, for a Paterson law firm.
If they knew, her sisters would not approve. Her earnings, Fleurette unobtrusively and efficiently applies to those debts her brother has accrued with the town’s retailers. During the course of this scheme, Fleurette encounters a client she believes is the victim of a scam, and she can’t resist investigating.
In this instalment, Norma and Constance are very much in the background although, together with their sister-in-aw, Bessie, they do manage to uncover the source of the massive debt with which Francis has unintentionally saddled his family. It’s very much a team effort: where Norma’s forcefulness fails, Constance’s flattery or Bessie’s quiet tenacity win out.
But Fleurette is undeniably the star of this book, having blossomed from the self-centred teenager we met in 1914 to a resourceful, considerate and much more mature, if still occasionally wilful, young woman. She flexes her independence muscles by quitting the family home; her investigations see her consulting a fortune teller, parting with an emerald pendant and ultimately, lead to her arrest.
Era and plot give Stewart plenty of opportunities to remind us of just how powerless women were then: “The police won’t take her complaint unless Mr. Martin comes in as well. If she went to them by herself, the first thing they’d do is go around and talk to the husband and make sure the missus isn’t just hysterical. They’re not going to go running off to chase after an imaginary swindler on her word alone.”
Stewart’s Historical Notes 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. Fans will be pleased to read that Stewart has plenty more up her literary sleeve for the Kopp sisters. Delightful!!
This unbiased review is from a copy provided by NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
December 19, 2021
I have been enjoying this historical fiction series about the Kopp sisters, their life, and through them, the life of many women in 1919. As usual, Amy Stewart is thorough in her historical research as she writes the fictionalized version of these actual historical women. The Kopp sisters indeed lived in Patterson in the 1910s, and the characters of Constance, Norma and Fleurette is based on interviews with family, the events on actual newspaper accounts and other documents. I very much appreciate a historical setting with woman protagonists with zero romance and plenty of female initiative and self-reliance.
This is the first in the series that focuses mostly on Fleurette, who has grown up and is finding her own way in her life and her employment. Constance, however, still sees her as a child that needs protection - which leads to an open conflict between the two. The timing could not be worse as the sisters struggle to cope with the emotional and financial fallout from their brother Francis’s death. His wife, Bessie is left with two children and another on the way, and with a deep debt she had no idea her husband owed. The sisters step in - but just how many women’s income can substitute a man’s salary?
In the post-war environment prices are high and employment is scarce, especially for women. This leads Fleurette to take a somewhat morally and legally questionable but well-paying job… which leads to the mentioned break with Constance, but also Fleurette’s first own investigation. To everybody’s surprise, it is Norma who takes Fleurette’s side…
I am thoroghly enjoying the books and this one might be my favorite so far. Or perhaps I was just in the mood for it after listening to the macho and bloody (albeit fascinating) long saga of Uhtred of Babbenberg (The Last Kingdom series). I also feel that Amy Stewart’s writing has improved. The plot seemed smoother, the writing flowed better, and I think she is just really getting the hang of this fiction writing.
Amy has hinted at future developments that she has plenty of material from 1920ies sources. I am eagerly awaiting the sequels.
This is the first in the series that focuses mostly on Fleurette, who has grown up and is finding her own way in her life and her employment. Constance, however, still sees her as a child that needs protection - which leads to an open conflict between the two. The timing could not be worse as the sisters struggle to cope with the emotional and financial fallout from their brother Francis’s death. His wife, Bessie is left with two children and another on the way, and with a deep debt she had no idea her husband owed. The sisters step in - but just how many women’s income can substitute a man’s salary?
In the post-war environment prices are high and employment is scarce, especially for women. This leads Fleurette to take a somewhat morally and legally questionable but well-paying job… which leads to the mentioned break with Constance, but also Fleurette’s first own investigation. To everybody’s surprise, it is Norma who takes Fleurette’s side…
I am thoroghly enjoying the books and this one might be my favorite so far. Or perhaps I was just in the mood for it after listening to the macho and bloody (albeit fascinating) long saga of Uhtred of Babbenberg (The Last Kingdom series). I also feel that Amy Stewart’s writing has improved. The plot seemed smoother, the writing flowed better, and I think she is just really getting the hang of this fiction writing.
Amy has hinted at future developments that she has plenty of material from 1920ies sources. I am eagerly awaiting the sequels.
Read
January 20, 2022Are you ever afraid to read a book? I was. Let me explain. I've followed Amy Stewart's Miss Kopp books from book 1. I loved them all but knew as the years rolled by and time swiftly flew by that changes would be made. Would Stewart be able to deliver while keeping her characters and plot from becoming stagnant.
Have no fear my faithful followers. Amy Stewart delivers. All the Kopp sisters are at odds as their former jobs seem over. Yes, World War I has ended and Constance needs to find a new career. Norma's homing pigeons are no longer needed. Strep throat causing loss of her voice has put Fluerette's dream of the stage on hold. To make life decisions even harder, Francis, their brother, has died. He leaves his widow, Bess and their children in a home they can't support and almost penniless. Whatever plans the sisters had, Bess and the children need them more, both for emotional and financial support.
Those of you who have followed The Kopps, have no fear. You will not be disappointed. It's a smooth transition of lives continuing to be led. If you haven't read any of the series, start with Girl Waits With Gun, the first in this superior series. You're in for a treat. I have to wait until the next book is published.
I read this book as an ARC in 2021 due to the generosity of Marinier Books, Amy Stewart and Edelweiss. Thank you for this privilege.
September 8, 2021
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.
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.
September 3, 2021
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.
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
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.
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
September 21, 2021
Amy Stewart, after her first book (IMO) has been a consistent 4 star read for me in her series, which is not something that normally happens to me in series books especially when there is no incredible narrator reading this to help even things out (the first was a 3 star like, which for the debut of the series is not a bad rating from me.)
I just loved where Fleurette, now 21, is heading in this installment, but all three sisters are still fabulous. I can say no more without any spoilers. What's more, I enjoyed starting to get to know their newly widowed sister-in-law. True, Stewart has, as she points out in her notes, moved their brothers death 4 years earlier, but this is fiction based on real life people and I am okay with that in this series.
The blurb will tell you more, of course, but I am in a bit of a rush today and might not remember to come back and write more. All I will say now is that I am only sorry that I have to wait until next year to read the next installment.
I just loved where Fleurette, now 21, is heading in this installment, but all three sisters are still fabulous. I can say no more without any spoilers. What's more, I enjoyed starting to get to know their newly widowed sister-in-law. True, Stewart has, as she points out in her notes, moved their brothers death 4 years earlier, but this is fiction based on real life people and I am okay with that in this series.
The blurb will tell you more, of course, but I am in a bit of a rush today and might not remember to come back and write more. All I will say now is that I am only sorry that I have to wait until next year to read the next installment.
November 2, 2021
I wanted to read a historical mystery, so I'd have at least one for November. I'd read and liked the third in the Kopp Sisters series,Miss Kopp's Midnight Confessions. I liked this one too, but not as much. The crime thriller element existed, but was more marginal than I expected.
The lives of all the sisters changed after the sudden unmysterious death of their brother. The main protagonist is Fleurette who wants to be independent of her family. In her efforts to earn money to pay back their brother's debts, Fleurette engages in some dubious activities.
The lives of all the sisters changed after the sudden unmysterious death of their brother. The main protagonist is Fleurette who wants to be independent of her family. In her efforts to earn money to pay back their brother's debts, Fleurette engages in some dubious activities.
November 1, 2021
The war is over and Norma is considering staying in Europe and working with her friend. Constance has an opportunity for a job in Washington and Fleurette is home recovering from scarlet fever. Then their beloved brother, Francis, dies suddenly leaving behind his pregnant wife, Bessie. Back then wives were kept in the dark about family finances and she finds out the house is mortgaged and they owe money to shops in town. Norma and Constance return home to help and move in next door. In this case, though, the Miss Kopp in the title refers to Fleurette. While working on divorce cases with a lawyer she stumbles on a case involving a woman being swindled by a con artist.
I loved that Fleurette was in the middle of this story and seeing her character be more developed and grow from the spoiled little girl into a woman who accepts her part in helping her sister-in-law and at the same time trying to figure out what to do with the rest of her life. Norma is a hoot, always barreling in and taking charge. Constance wasn't a big presence in this book having taken a job as security in a department store. The ending was perfect to set the stage for future books. I am so looking forward to more adventures with the Kopp sisters.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Mariner books for providing me with this delightful romp with the Kopp sisters.
I loved that Fleurette was in the middle of this story and seeing her character be more developed and grow from the spoiled little girl into a woman who accepts her part in helping her sister-in-law and at the same time trying to figure out what to do with the rest of her life. Norma is a hoot, always barreling in and taking charge. Constance wasn't a big presence in this book having taken a job as security in a department store. The ending was perfect to set the stage for future books. I am so looking forward to more adventures with the Kopp sisters.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Mariner books for providing me with this delightful romp with the Kopp sisters.
September 29, 2021
RATING: 4.5 STARS
I really enjoyed Miss Kopp Investigates! Miss Kopp in this case refers more to Florette, the youngest of the sisters. Returning home after the war ends, Francis has died leaving his widow, two children and another on the way. The Kopp sisters move in to help Bessie and the kids. Constance gets a job as a security guard for a store. Nora is missing France, but takes over the farm and how to make money. Florette, has lost her singing voice, movies are moving to California, and tailoring is more of luxury. She decides to take a job her sisters would not approve of, and when they find out she leave the homestead to make it on her own. She soon finds herself involved in a case. I loved the way the book ended and am looking forward to more books. Amy Stewart does a great job weaving fact and fiction, and providing you information on what is actually true.
I really enjoyed Miss Kopp Investigates! Miss Kopp in this case refers more to Florette, the youngest of the sisters. Returning home after the war ends, Francis has died leaving his widow, two children and another on the way. The Kopp sisters move in to help Bessie and the kids. Constance gets a job as a security guard for a store. Nora is missing France, but takes over the farm and how to make money. Florette, has lost her singing voice, movies are moving to California, and tailoring is more of luxury. She decides to take a job her sisters would not approve of, and when they find out she leave the homestead to make it on her own. She soon finds herself involved in a case. I loved the way the book ended and am looking forward to more books. Amy Stewart does a great job weaving fact and fiction, and providing you information on what is actually true.
May 12, 2025
And so we come full circle. These were fabulous. I’m sad to have finished this series.
October 9, 2023
This is the seventh book in this historical fiction series. This one focuses on the youngest "sister," Fleurette. One thing I really appreciate is that at the end of each book, the author tells us what is historical fact and what she changed or made up. I love that these sisters are real historical figures.
World War I has ended. Significantly, Francis, the eldest Kopp sibling and the only male, has died, leaving his wife Bessie and their two children, Lorraine and Francis Jr. Although Constance has plans to move to Washington work for the FBI, Fleurette has plans to go back on the stage after recovering from strep throat, and Norma had plans to stay in Europe, all three converge on the family home to help Bessie and the children, knowing that their lives have been changed.
It appears that Francis has left the family in terrible financial shape. Fleurette finds interesting work with a law firm that specializes in divorce that leads to adventures both on the job and off, and she manages to help financially in ways her sisters can't.
A fun read (as all of the books in this series have been).
World War I has ended. Significantly, Francis, the eldest Kopp sibling and the only male, has died, leaving his wife Bessie and their two children, Lorraine and Francis Jr. Although Constance has plans to move to Washington work for the FBI, Fleurette has plans to go back on the stage after recovering from strep throat, and Norma had plans to stay in Europe, all three converge on the family home to help Bessie and the children, knowing that their lives have been changed.
It appears that Francis has left the family in terrible financial shape. Fleurette finds interesting work with a law firm that specializes in divorce that leads to adventures both on the job and off, and she manages to help financially in ways her sisters can't.
A fun read (as all of the books in this series have been).
March 30, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
I always look forward to the next book in this series. I think it's the only series I have ever stuck with and thoroughly enjoyed.
This book was every bit as good as the previous ones. Each book have such different storylines that weave all the familiar characters together so they flow from one to the next.
This is definitely my favorite historical fiction author I've read and I am super excited that she said there will be more books in this series.
I always look forward to the next book in this series. I think it's the only series I have ever stuck with and thoroughly enjoyed.
This book was every bit as good as the previous ones. Each book have such different storylines that weave all the familiar characters together so they flow from one to the next.
This is definitely my favorite historical fiction author I've read and I am super excited that she said there will be more books in this series.
December 18, 2022
I enjoyed this series so much. I read them all fairly close together and loved every book. I can’t recommend them enough. I was a bit nervous about this installment because Fleurette was my least favorite family member and she is the focus of this book. But Stewart managed to make her more likable and let the reader into her thoughts to understand her motivations and personality more. I really enjoyed Fleurette’s growth. While this is the last book in the series currently out, it does set up for further installments in the most exciting way. I will try to patiently wait for more to come out.
April 13, 2022
I loved this one....featuring Fleurette! This series started strong and continues calling me back. I'm already excited for #8 in the series.
October 21, 2021
What a delight. Fleurette is the star of this episode in the Kopp sisters series. There is a set up for future books that really has me hooked.
September 14, 2021
This could be subtitled Fleurette Grows Up. She has become, to my surprise, my favorite Kopp sister. She is the POV character in this novel and carries a number of themes and the plot very well, though the whole family is present and together in this novel.
This series gets better all the time.
This series gets better all the time.
August 31, 2021
Many mystery authors choose to write series because doing so gives a longer story arc over which to develop plot and characters. Often books in a series also function as stand-alone novels, and the reader is free to start where she likes. Two fall 2021 titles are series books that unfortunately don't stand alone: Amy Stewart's Miss Kopp Investigates, a historical mystery, and Andrew Mayne's Mastermind, a contemporary FBI thriller featuring agent of the weird Jessica Blackwood. I had not read either series before, and don't recommend that anyone else start either of these series with either of these two books. There is simply too much backstory in the previous books in the series for these two titles to be easily read as one's first introduction to the characters.
That is not to say the Miss Kopp Investigates and Mastermind are not worth reading. Both are , in fact, fine books. Those who have read and enjoyed other books in these two series will definitely want to catch up with the sisters (Miss Kopp,) and Jessica and her supporting cast of unusual characters (Mastermind.). Miss Kopp Investigates moves a bit slowly at first, but fans of historical fiction will appreciate Stewart's treatment of women's issues in post-World War I America. Mastermind, on the other hand, starts with a bang, and the suspense continues to build throughout the book. Highly recommended for fans of each series. Not recommended for readers who haven't read either series--these readers should start with an earlier book in each series.
Thanks to Amy Stewart, Andrews Mayne, Mariner Books, Houghton Mifflin, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the ARCs of these books. The opinions expressed are my own.
That is not to say the Miss Kopp Investigates and Mastermind are not worth reading. Both are , in fact, fine books. Those who have read and enjoyed other books in these two series will definitely want to catch up with the sisters (Miss Kopp,) and Jessica and her supporting cast of unusual characters (Mastermind.). Miss Kopp Investigates moves a bit slowly at first, but fans of historical fiction will appreciate Stewart's treatment of women's issues in post-World War I America. Mastermind, on the other hand, starts with a bang, and the suspense continues to build throughout the book. Highly recommended for fans of each series. Not recommended for readers who haven't read either series--these readers should start with an earlier book in each series.
Thanks to Amy Stewart, Andrews Mayne, Mariner Books, Houghton Mifflin, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the ARCs of these books. The opinions expressed are my own.
November 3, 2021
At the end of Amy Stewart's last Kopp sisters book, World War I was almost over. The Kopp sisters had big plans. Norma was planning to stay in Europe and go to Belgium with a wartime buddy. Constance had been called to Washington to run a school for female agents for the FBI. Fleurette was on the brink of a lucrative theatrical tour with her singing parrot, Laura.
All their lovely schemes came crashing down with the death of their older brother Francis, leaving his wife Bessie, whom they all loved, and their two children virtually penniless. Everyone pitched in to help Bessie and the children.
Norma came back from Europe, Constance came back from Washington, and Fleurette was already in New Jersey, recovering from a bad illness. Constance was hired as a store detective in a department store in Patterson and Norma went to work seeing if they could sell the family farm to raise some money. Fleurette went to see her old manager who delivered dispiriting news. Her voice had been damaged by her illness. The tour was off. The only job left for Fleurette was sewing.
Until.... one day, she bumped into Mr. Ward, a lawyer who knew Constance from her lady cop days. He offered Fleurette a job that made use of her acting skills and and love of dressing up. Suddenly, she was able to contribute to the household, and slip Bessie money to pay off the funeral. The job was exciting and somewhat glamorous, just up Fleurette's alley.
One day, a woman with an odd request comes to Mr. Ward's office. This sets off a chain of events that results in Fleurette, not Constance, doing the investigating. Amy Stewart does a great job of sketching postwar life in New Jersey and inventing the sketchy characters the Kopp sisters encounter along the way.
All their lovely schemes came crashing down with the death of their older brother Francis, leaving his wife Bessie, whom they all loved, and their two children virtually penniless. Everyone pitched in to help Bessie and the children.
Norma came back from Europe, Constance came back from Washington, and Fleurette was already in New Jersey, recovering from a bad illness. Constance was hired as a store detective in a department store in Patterson and Norma went to work seeing if they could sell the family farm to raise some money. Fleurette went to see her old manager who delivered dispiriting news. Her voice had been damaged by her illness. The tour was off. The only job left for Fleurette was sewing.
Until.... one day, she bumped into Mr. Ward, a lawyer who knew Constance from her lady cop days. He offered Fleurette a job that made use of her acting skills and and love of dressing up. Suddenly, she was able to contribute to the household, and slip Bessie money to pay off the funeral. The job was exciting and somewhat glamorous, just up Fleurette's alley.
One day, a woman with an odd request comes to Mr. Ward's office. This sets off a chain of events that results in Fleurette, not Constance, doing the investigating. Amy Stewart does a great job of sketching postwar life in New Jersey and inventing the sketchy characters the Kopp sisters encounter along the way.
March 16, 2022
This new adventure of the Kopp sisters was engaging and easy to read as usual, but somehow, it was also a bit all over the place. Though I suppose this comes with following the real life of real people.
This series is, in fact, inspired by the real life of the three Kopp sisters. There are indeed invented episodes, but the majority of the story follows real-life events.
This story is the first entirely devoted to Fleurette, the younger of the three sisters. We get to see how she starts finding her way in life, even going against their sisters while fighting for her independence and getting in trouble, even with the law. Almost by chance, Fleurette starts to work for a detective, and she discovers that – like her older sister Constance – she has a way with mysteries and wants to see them solved.
I suppose this is the point of the story, but it is built in pieces and episodes, and until Fleurette comes to the mystery she works to solve alone – which is well into the second part of the book – I had a feeling the story was going in circles, without a true point.
It is a complex story. Many things happen at the same time because this is how life happens, and I appreciate the author’s ability to turn it into a story, yet I did feel a sense of aimlessness for most of it.
But apart from this, it was enjoyable as usual. The characters are fantastic and life-like. I really care for all of them. And I like the way it ended, with the three sisters setting up their investigative agency.
This series is, in fact, inspired by the real life of the three Kopp sisters. There are indeed invented episodes, but the majority of the story follows real-life events.
This story is the first entirely devoted to Fleurette, the younger of the three sisters. We get to see how she starts finding her way in life, even going against their sisters while fighting for her independence and getting in trouble, even with the law. Almost by chance, Fleurette starts to work for a detective, and she discovers that – like her older sister Constance – she has a way with mysteries and wants to see them solved.
I suppose this is the point of the story, but it is built in pieces and episodes, and until Fleurette comes to the mystery she works to solve alone – which is well into the second part of the book – I had a feeling the story was going in circles, without a true point.
It is a complex story. Many things happen at the same time because this is how life happens, and I appreciate the author’s ability to turn it into a story, yet I did feel a sense of aimlessness for most of it.
But apart from this, it was enjoyable as usual. The characters are fantastic and life-like. I really care for all of them. And I like the way it ended, with the three sisters setting up their investigative agency.
September 7, 2021
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.
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.
September 12, 2021
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.
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.
May 31, 2021
WWI is over, and the Kopp sisters have plans. Constance has a job opportunity in Washington D.C. Norma misses her dear friend, still in Europe as a nurse, and thinks about returning to join her. Fleurette is recovering from an illness that has left her voice in ruins, so her plans for going back on stage is on hold. But she has arranged for an room rental and an independent life.
Their plans come to a halt with the death of their brother, Francis; his wife Bessie is pregnant with their third child. Norma takes leadership and decides the sisters will sell the farm, buy the house next door to Bessie, and support her family.
The sisters find drudge work, but Fleurette discovers her brother owed money all over town. And, it appears he took out a mortgage on the house and they don’t know where the money went.
In 1919, there were few choices for women on their own. Fleurette accepts work for a lawyer, posing in photographs with men seeking divorces. The pay is good, but it puts her in peril.
In Miss Kopp Investigates, Fleurette get top billing. The girl is grown up and longs to be out from under the control of her elder sisters. She has a flare for disguises, but more than that, she has an inquisitive mind and a good heart. She follows a hunch and unearths a scam and, yes, saves the day! Hooray for Fleurette!
Amy Stewart has gifted her readers another fun historical fiction mystery based on the lives of the real Kopp sisters and their world. I love these characters. And I enjoy how Stewart uses their stories to bring us into the lives of women a hundred years ago.
I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.
Their plans come to a halt with the death of their brother, Francis; his wife Bessie is pregnant with their third child. Norma takes leadership and decides the sisters will sell the farm, buy the house next door to Bessie, and support her family.
The sisters find drudge work, but Fleurette discovers her brother owed money all over town. And, it appears he took out a mortgage on the house and they don’t know where the money went.
In 1919, there were few choices for women on their own. Fleurette accepts work for a lawyer, posing in photographs with men seeking divorces. The pay is good, but it puts her in peril.
In Miss Kopp Investigates, Fleurette get top billing. The girl is grown up and longs to be out from under the control of her elder sisters. She has a flare for disguises, but more than that, she has an inquisitive mind and a good heart. She follows a hunch and unearths a scam and, yes, saves the day! Hooray for Fleurette!
Amy Stewart has gifted her readers another fun historical fiction mystery based on the lives of the real Kopp sisters and their world. I love these characters. And I enjoy how Stewart uses their stories to bring us into the lives of women a hundred years ago.
I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.
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