MISS KOPP INVESTIGATES (Kopp Sisters #7) by Amy Stewart will be published on September 7th 2021 by Mariner Books.
The Great War is over, and the three Kopp sisters are all set to embark on the next phases of their lives. Norma has decided to remain in war-torn Europe, Constance is all set to move to Washington D.C. to train a class of women for jobs with the Bureau of Investigation, and Fleurette plans to assert her independence as she recovers from a recent illness and prepares for her return to the stage. Their plans are put on hold when their brother, Francis, unexpectedly dies. The Kopp sisters rally around their sister-in-law who has been left with two young children and a baby on the way. Soon after the funeral, Bessie learns that Francis left her with considerable debts all around Paterson, New Jersey. While Constance takes a job as an undercover officer in the women's section of a local department store, Norma tackles the job of figuring out what Francis did with his money and how to keep the family afloat. Unable to return to the stage—or even move away from her sisters like she had a planned—Fleurette takes a job with a local law firm. Posing as a “professional co-respondent,” Fleurette poses for staged photographs alongside married men who are seeking divorces. With infidelity being one of the very few grounds for divorce, these photographs are then submitted as evidence in the divorce cases. Fleurette is making good money and is getting her brother's various debts paid off. But then her sisters find out about her secret job, and Fleurette is forced to quit. Unable to remain with her bossy sisters, Fleurette finally moves out. While getting her footing as an independent woman, Fleurette gets caught up in an investigation into a scam artists who is conning people out of their money. Needing help, Fleurette turns to her sisters to catch the scam artist.
Fleurette takes center stage in MISS KOPP INVESTIGATES. Yes, she remains spoiled and impulsive, but she is also growing into a responsible adult. Constance and Norma remain overbearing, but they are finally starting to see Fleurette as an independent woman instead of their kid sister. Fleurette's clandestine job with the law firm is the catalyst for the Kopp sisters private detective agency. MISS KOPP INVESTIGATES focuses on the relationships between the three sisters and their sister-in-law and sets them up for the next phases of their lives as private detectives. Yes, there is a mystery/suspense plot, but it is not the main plot of the story. I will admit that the story dragged at times since it was not based around a mystery, but I still enjoyed it. Amy Stewart brings the post-WWI era to life, and she shows the lifestyles and how women were regarded during that time. MISS KOPP INVESTIGATES is a great addition to the series, and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.