Girl Waits With Gun

This is one of the most innovative detective stories I've read in a long time. Portraying strong women as  protagonists in a decidedly non-feminist setting made for some interesting situations.  I kept seeing early silent film reels running through my mind with Al Capone style gangsters, tin lizzies, fainting flappers, and stereotypical "Little House on the Prairie" homemakers.  But......these women were far from stereotypes.  They were strong (and headstrong), competent, organized, innovative and at times able to be quite stubborn in their quest for justice. 

Several reviewers commented that they were able to guess the outcome from the "spoiler" printed on the book's cover.  Since I read this as an e-galley, I didn't pay attention show more to the cover, and it was only at the end that I realized the story is based on a true but long forgotten adventure. That said, I won't add anything else to spoil the fun.  I will say though that I look forward to more adventures of the Kopp sisters. show less

Source: Review copy provided by the Publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed Girl Waits With Gun. This historical mystery set in 1914, features the Kopp sisters, each one of them a force to be reckoned with all their own. It was hard for me not to set aside my particular interest in this novel because of its roots. It's based on the real life Kopp sisters, one of whom becomes one of the first female sheriff deputies in the country. It made the events that played out in Girl Waits With Gun all the more intriguing to me.

Author Amy Stewart does take some liberties with history, which she spells out at the end of the book. Even so, I am in awe of Constance Kopp and am glad Stewart made her the focus of her novel. show more Much of the events described are taken straight out of the headlines. I would love to have been the author's research assistant for a book like this!

Constance Kopp and her sisters have lived a quiet life. Their mother had never been particularly trusting of the government or the authorities, and as a result. neither had the Kopp children. Their older brother, Francis, lives in a nearby town with his wife and children. He often worries about his sisters, living on the farm all by themselves. They live in a time before women have the right to vote and men are responsible for their women kin. Constance, Norma and Fleurette are all very independent and have been for quite some time. Constance and Norma may not always agree, but they are determined to take care of sixteen year old Fleurette on their own and protect her from the dangers of the world outside.

Their relative obscurity is destroyed when their buggy is hit by the automobile of a factory owner, Henry Kaufman. Constance's simple request for payment got unmet, and when she confronts him in person, he takes offense and decides to make an example of the Kopp sisters. Bricks through windows and threatening notes put the sisters on edge. The local sheriff does what he can to help, knowing what a no good person Kaufman is, but his resources are limited.

During her visit to the silk factory to visit Kaufman, Constance encounters an employee of Kaufman's who begs her for her help. Constance doesn't believe she can help, but eventually she finds herself in the middle of that mystery too, despite her sister Norma's reservations.

I loved Constance's grit--and Norma's too. Both women are forces to be reckoned with. I imagine Fleurette will be too as she grows older. She may like her pretty dresses and putting on a show, but she was raised by two very capable and resourceful women. She's already got a big heart and good eye for right and wrong.

I found this book to be quite entertaining and especially intriguing because of its basis in fact. I hope the author has more adventures planned for the Kopp sisters. I cannot wait to read more about them. show less

The first in the Kopps Sisters Novel Series, Girl Waits with Gun is an enthralling novel based on the forgotten true story of one of the nation’s first female deputy sheriffs.
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 show more does it in a way that few women of 1914 would have dared. show less

This is a great story -- excellent, no nonsense, strong women with eccentric interests fall into a detective story during a really interesting time in US history. It is not, however, hilarious (as some other reviews have said) except in that the sisters zing with personality and don't seem to be willing to let the outside world change them overmuch. I found it fascinating, frightening -- truly the escalation of violence and threats because the main characters are women is extreme and chilling, and all too like the headlines today. At the end of the book we discover that this is based on a true story -- most of the headlines are quotes from newspapers at the time, many of the letters are from the trial. What an astonishing thing -- I did show more not see that coming at all. It makes me even more intrigued about what's next for Constance Kopp. show less

“If I could give something to Fleurette⁠—if I could give her one silent gift from a mother she didn't know she had⁠—it would be this: the realization that we have to be a part of the world in which we live. We don't scurry away when we're in trouble, or when someone else is. We don't run and hide.”

This is the first book in a delightful historical fiction series set in the early 1900s. The story revolves around Constance Kopp and her sisters, who find themselves in the middle of a serious crime after their buggy is hit by a reckless silk factory owner. As the women (mostly Constance) stand up to him, the situation escalates into a series of threats and intimidation. Based on true events, the book follows Constance as she show more navigates her way through this ordeal with determination, eventually becoming one of the first female deputy sheriffs in the U.S.

Constance Kopp and her sisters actually existed, and Stewart stumbled upon their story while researching another project. This added authenticity to the book, knowing that the plot was inspired by true events.

The story is both informative historical fiction and tense crime fiction. Even though it's centered around a serious situation, Stewart brings a lighthearted tone to the narrative. It’s not a heavy or dark crime novel—instead, it feels more playful and fun, with plenty of humor and wit. The sisters, especially Constance, are likable, relatable, and have a small-town charm about them.

One sensitive aspect of the story was some subtle anti-Semitism. Stewart doesn’t shy away from addressing these societal issues, but she does so in a way that feels authentic to the setting without overpowering the main narrative. It's a reminder that, despite the humor and lighthearted tone, the Kopp sisters are living in a harsh time.

While there aren’t any jaw-dropping twists or turns, the story is engaging enough to hold your attention until the end. I’m usually not one for series, but I’m genuinely looking forward to reading more about the Kopp sisters. show less

The fact that this was based on actual events along with her excellent writing made Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart a fun and absorbing read. Constance Kopp and her sisters, Norma and Fleurette are driving in their horse drawn buggy on a summer day in 1914 when an automobile hits them. All three girls are slightly injured and the buggy is completely destroyed. The driver of the car is, Henry Kaufman, the drunken owner of a local silk manufacturing company who believes his position entitles him to ignore Constance’s requests that he pay for the damage.

Not only does he disregard her invoices, he and his gang of ruffians start a campaign of terror against the Kopp sisters. They drive by the isolated farm where the Kopp sisters reside, show more shouting insults, throwing bricks through windows with threatening notes. Constance files a complaint with the local sheriff, Robert Heath, and even with lawmen guarding the farm, the incidents continue and escalate into gunplay.

The story unfolds with plenty of twists that keeps the reader rooting for the sisters. The back story about the sisters is complex and interesting, as is their current situation. All three women are smart and independent but the narrator of the story, Constance, won my admiration for her cool composure, righteous anger and sly humor. The author has gone on and written two more books based on Constance’s life and I am looking forward to reading more about the fabulous Kopp sisters. show less

Book on CD read by Christina Moore.

Based on the true story of one of America’s first female detectives, Stewart gives us a wonderfully atmospheric historical crime novel set in 1914-1915, and with a great cast of characters.

Of course, the Kopp sisters are front and center. Constance is the eldest, and exceedingly tall; she is pragmatic and sensible, hard working and determined to keep the family farm, though everyone else, including their older brother, wonders how “three girls can manage alone out there.” Norma is the prickliest of the three; she prefers to stay away from town, tending to the animals on the farm, especially her carrier pigeons. And yet, she is equally devoted to her sisters, and especially to helping Constance show more as they try to protect their baby sister. Fleurette is that baby – now a young lady in her teens, and eager to go out into the world and experience all it has to offer.

Their nemesis is the rich and powerful owner of the local silk factory: Henry Kaufman, who runs his automobile into the Kopp’s buggy. The sisters demand payment for the damages he caused, which sets off an escalating war of intimidation, revenge and recrimination. Eventually, Constance goes to file a formal complaint, and this introduces her to Sheriff Robert Heath.

I loved Heath. He was principled, ethical, conscientious and straightforward. He never sugarcoated the possibilities and did his best to make certain the Kopp sisters were equipped to handle things on their own. Despite the obvious corruption in the system, and the power held in the hands of the factory owners, he persisted in seeking justice and punishing the wrongdoers, regardless of their wealth.

A side plot involving a factory worker whose child has been abducted, gives Constance a additional chance to prove her abilities as a detective. It also allows Stewart to give the reader a greater sense of the history of the time and the conditions faced by factory workers.

Christina Moore does a marvelous job narrating the audiobook. I particularly liked the way she acted Fleurette; she gave her an excited, breath delivery that really made me believe this was a 16-year-old girl, long sheltered (isolated) on a family farm and eager to experiences the world.

Brava to the Kopp sisters, Ms Stewart and narrator Moore. I’ll keep reading this series. show less