The best-selling author of Girl Waits with Gun and Lady Cop Makes Trouble continues her extraordinary journey into the real lives of the forgotten but fabulous Kopp sisters. Deputy sheriff Constance Kopp is outraged to see young women brought into the Hackensack jail over dubious charges of waywardness, incorrigibility, and moral depravity. The strong-willed, patriotic Edna Heustis, who left … moral depravity. The strong-willed, patriotic Edna Heustis, who left home to work in a munitions factory, certainly doesn’t belong behind bars. And sixteen-year-old runaway Minnie Davis, with few prospects and fewer friends, shouldn’t be publicly shamed and packed off to a state-run reformatory. But such were the laws–and morals–of 1916.
Constance uses her authority as deputy sheriff, and occasionally exceeds it, to investigate and defend these women when no one else will. But it’s her sister Fleurette who puts Constance’s beliefs to the test and forces her to reckon with her own ideas of how a young woman should and shouldn’t behave.
Against the backdrop of World War I, and drawn once again from the true story of the Kopp sisters, Miss Kopp’s Midnight Confessions is a spirited, page-turning story that will delight fans of historical fiction and lighthearted detective fiction alike.
Being the only female deputy-sheriff in the country in 1916 comes with a bushel of issues. From unwanted marriage proposals to people thinking her badge is pretend, Constance Kopp deals with them all with aplomb. In this third book in the highly entertaining series, Constance is taking on the rigid and one-sided moral standards of the era. While men can do pretty much as they please with little more than a slap on the wrist, girls who are seen to be wayward are deemed a threat to society and face years in an institution for nothing more than leaving home without permission or having a boyfriend.
Fighting against these unfair standards, Constance makes her mission to take on the cases of two of these women and save them from imprisonment. At the same time, she’s dealing with how to deal with her sister Fleurette’s desire to leave home and make her own living.
As always with this series, based on the real-life Constance Kopp and her sisters, both the mystery and the history are intriguing. Realizing how restrictive life was for women in the early 20th century, it makes Constance’s achievements all the more remarkable.
law-enforcement, criminal-injustice-system, historical-fiction, historical-research, early-20th-century
I can’t believe that I left this Miss Kopp languish in my TBR pile for so long! I adore the characters , writing style, and historical exploration in this series. In this one, Constance finally gets a badge to accompany her handcuffs and handgun, Fleurette goes off with a vaudeville troupe, Norma gets ready for war by training messenger pigeons, and two young women are rescued by Constance from the idiocy of some misogynistic laws of pre WW1 New Jersey while fending off long distance marriage proposals from clueless idiots. Loved it!
Narrator Christina Moore is excellent in her audio interpretation.
It is 1916, Constance Kopp is still the first female deputy sheriff of New Jersey and matron of the female inmates at the Hackensack jail. Constance is working her dream job. At nearly six foot tall and 180 lbs, she is completely suited to her new carrier. Her sisters, Norma and Fleurette are able to fulfill some of their own dreams now that their household has a regular source of income from Constance—who is paid the same wage as a man, something that was practically unheard of at this time in history.
Women still haven’t gained the right to vote. The morality laws in New Jersey are skewed towards men with very few options for recourse for the ladies caught up in these situations. (Even a “date” would be considered scandalous at this time in history!) But these women now have someone willing to listen to these ladies and act on their behalf—Constance Kopp.
The previous books in this series were written in first-person. This book is written in third-person to follow Constance, her sister Fleurette, and two new characters—Edna and Minnie.
I really enjoyed this book! It’s a coming of age story loosely based on actual women from history. (It might be my favorite of the bunch—besides the first book, of course!) We see a LOT of growth from the women in this story as the characters reevaluate what it is to be a “modern woman” with careers in 1916.
I loved this quote:
Are we prepared to follow Fleurette around for the rest of her life and disapprove of everything she does, or are we going to behave like modern women and let her go her own way?”
“I suppose you’re the expert on how modern women behave.”
“Well, I know I’m expected back at work. Is that modern enough for you?”
I would recommend this book to anyone, from middle school age and older. I think this book would be especially good for young ladies. This book would probably be suitable as a stand-alone novel, but it’s more fun to read within the context of the series.
Fun, fast read. Love the fact that it’s based on an obscure historical figure from N.J.
I have enjoyed the other “Miss Kopp” titles more.
It reads so much like a fictional story that I was really surprised to find out it’s based on a true story. The author’s notes at the end make it even more interesting to think back about what I just read.
Quirky, funny, unexpected characters and situations
interesting viewpoints and surprisingly timely observations about the perceptions of how capable women can be
Based on an historical figure.
An odd little book. But I enjoyed it. Very much based on facts, the author explains precisely how much, what is factual and what isn’t. I like facts.
One should read all 3 books on this series to get full enjoyment. A different kind of heroine and a good yarn too.
Excellent series based a real woman who was a deputy sheriff in New Jersey in the early 20th century. Well written and an enjoyable read.
I enjoy this series and can’t wait for the 4th book to come out. I think this book my least favorite of the series, but it was still a good book. It just left a lot of unanswered questions.