2022 book #28. 2021. The 7th in a series of quasi-historical novels. The 3 Kopp sisters struggle to find a place for themselves in post-WW1 New Jersey. The story focuses on the youngest sister, Fleurette, who comes to grips with the end of her barely started theater career. ( )

I’ve enjoyed this series since day one, but this installment felt like a cumulation of all of the great things in the previous books. I love that Stewart continues to explore multiple points of view, and continues to offer a unique and compelling portrait of New Jersey in the early 20th century— this one set in 1918, I believe, with the war just over and a different domestic disaster suddenly descending on the Kopp sisters. I don’t want to spoil anything, but the developments in this story make me even more eager for the next, not least for the glamour that Fleurette so unapologetically brings to the table.

Advanced readers copy provided by Edelweiss ( )

This book continues the Kopp Sisters series of mystery novels. Although it is not necessary to read the other books in the series, it is helpful to have the backstories of the characters.

Constance, Norma, and Fleurette deal with the aftermath of war in this latest entry in the series. Following the death of their brother Francis, the sisters assist his widow and children as they try to pay off expenses and to survive without his support. Secrets are revealed, and youngest sister Fleurette obtains lucrative employment to assist her family. Intrigue abounds as the sisters try to discover what happened to the family finances. Frictions arise between bossy Norma, commanding Constance, and flighty Fleurette. The twisty ending sets the scene for the next novel in the series.

Readers new to the series will find this latest entry a compelling read. The author provides ample notes at the end of the book, setting the story within its real-life historical context. This is a clean novel, without overt violence or the use of strong language or sexual scenes.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own. ( )

The Great War is over, and the Kopp sisters are reunited. However, their older brother, Francis, has died and left a messy financial situation for his widow. Constance and Norma are no strangers to shouldering the responsibilities of running a household, but Fleurette, the youngest Kopp sister, has always had the others looking after her, so she starts out by at least paying her own expenses. Then she discovers a lucrative but potentially dangerous (and morally hazardous, if Constance got wind of it) job as an “other woman for hire”, posing as the other woman in photographs made to facilitate divorces. This job then leads Fleurette to put her skills to work as an amateur detective, cracking a much bigger case.

If you like the Kopp sisters, you like them, and this book delivers what you’d expect. I liked that Fleurette developed as a character and solved the crime in her own way, and that Bessie (Francis’s widow) got more page time. The book is set at a turning point in American society, just after the Great War and right before the Roaring Twenties, when there seems to be a lot of potential ready to be let loose. I will also always appreciate Amy Stewart’s notes about the historical record and where she had to invent things, and what resources she consulted. They add so much enjoyment to this immensely enjoyable series. ( )

I knew it! After World War I, the Kopp sisters come back even stronger. Surprise, it’s not Constance doing the investigating, its Fleurette who steals the show and bossy Norma who backs her up. The buildup is slow before getting to the mystery, but Stewart has done a masterful job of showing what life was like for women in the early 20th century. The ending is perfect, with a clear way forward into future Kopp books that use the strengths of all the sisters. ( )