Miss Kopp's Midnight Confessions

Written by Amy Stewart

Narrated by Christina Moore

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 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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Sep 5, 2017
• ISBN: 9781501965579

Amy Stewart

AMY STEWART is the New York Times best-selling author of the acclaimed Kopp Sisters series, which began with Girl Waits with Gun. Her seven nonfiction books include The Drunken Botanist and Wicked Plants. She lives in Portland, Oregon. 

Reviews for Miss Kopp's Midnight Confessions

[jennybeast · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Oh, I love this series. Constance Kopp and her sisters continue their wayward, stubborn adventures, flying in the teeth of local convention. Hopeful, thoughtful -- I love that Constance sort of falls into becoming a probation officer and finds ways to set her prisoners on better, less incarcerated tracks. Compellingly illustrates the lack of choices for so many at the time -- factory work and marriage or "falling into sin" -- lives that are high on drudgery or danger, with a narrow path in between.

[mpensack_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Constance Kopp, Hackensack N.J.'s first female deputy, has completely settled into her new job at the prison. She takes a personal interest in the female inmates and believes her positive influence can change their lives. She also has her hands full keeping up with her two head strong sisters and their hilarious escapades. Like the two prior "Kopp Sisters" novels, the adventures of Constance Kopp is historical fiction based on a true story, complete with bibliographic references. A fun, entertaining and historically accurate read.

[murderbydeath · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was my favorite of the three thus far, and oddly, it's because there really wasn't any single plot that stretched from beginning to end. In fact, it's a stretch to call it a mystery. Some background for those unfamiliar with the books: This series is based on the life of Constance Kopp, one of the first female deputy sheriffs in the United States, and the first to be granted a shield, gun, authority to apprehend, and be paid the same wage as her male counterparts (likely the last one too, on that score). Amy Stewart uses historically accurate events and characters, with as many details as she can find, then fictionalises the spaces in between. At the end of each book, she includes a detailed accounting of what is factual and what is fictional, along with a detailed list of notes and sources. While the first two books had, more or less, a single story line as the focus, ...Midnight Confessions is more a collection of smaller stories, each centered on a real person and event, that Stewart has woven together into a cohesive narrative. All of these smaller stories have a single theme: the very real vulnerabilities women had, and the rights they didn't. We're all vaguely aware that society really frowned upon "loose morals" – a state unique to women, as men weren't expected to have any morals – and we've all made jokes about the "morality police", but when you read about a woman over 18 who is arrested because she left home to move into a strict, all-female boarding house to work in a powder factory so she could contribute to the war effort...well we've certainly come a long way in 100 years. Waywardness this was called - and guess who brought the charges against her? Her mother. Anyway, there are a few characters in this book that all have to face this lack of agency, whether they deserve the charges against them or not. (Deserve, as in guilty or innocent of the charges, not morally deserving.) All of their stories play out over the course of the book, but there's no sense of tension or climax. Some might find that disappointing, but it worked really well for me; it kept the pace snappy, and I didn't feel like Stewart was manufacturing drama for the sake of drama. I was able to enjoy and appreciate these women's stories on their own merit; if she'd tried to twist them and manipulate them to create some fictional plot, I doubt I'd have liked the book half as much. She ends the book with an election year just beginning and an inevitable shake-up in the local politics. I'm looking forward to the next book, scheduled for September, to see what happens to Constance and Sheriff Heath.

[caitz-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another great installment in this series. Constance Kopp, who is based on a real person, is a likable, strong character. Her sisters also are well fleshed out in this third book. This story takes place right before World War II and involves runaway girls and morality laws. A historical fiction/mystery at its finest.

[ashleytylerjohn · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

As in my scale below, a perfectly decent read, but my least favourite of these books thus far. The stakes seemed awfully low. The author introduced situations that were posed on the precipice of excitement, and then very little happened of interest. I think the marketing of this series as somehow mystery/suspense/thriller (at least that's the section of the bookstore I see them in, plus that's the general appearance of the cover) is undermining their effectiveness, as I'm judging them as mystery/suspense/thriller instead of as a gentle domestic drama of three sisters.

So go in with the right mindset, and you might enjoy it more. But I kept expecting the narrative to swerve into something dramatic, and that failed to happen. (I suspect if the author gave herself freedom to extrapolate even more, it would solve the problem—she made May Ward a lush without any evidence to support it, surely she could have tossed in an actual white slavery ring rather than several non-rings)!

(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s).

[hardlyhardy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As the first female deputy sheriff in Bergen County, New Jersey, Constance Kopp has responsibility for the female prisoners. And she thinks there are way too many of them. In Amy Stewart's “Miss Kopp's Midnight Confessions” (2017), the third novel in this excellent series, Constance is troubled by the fact that a runaway boy is just a runaway boy, while a runaway girl is a criminal, or at least treated as one.Her prisoners include Edna, a young woman who believes the United States will be pulled into the war in Europe (the year is 1916) and, wanting to make a contribution, runs away from home to work in a munitions plant. Minnie, 16, runs away from home with a man who promises to marry her but doesn't. Her parents don't want her back, and now she faces years in a reformatory until she reaches adulthood.Constance must really put her convictions to the test, however, when 18-year-old Fleurette, her youngest sister (actually her own daughter from being seduced as a teenager), runs away from home to join a vaudeville troupe. Her other sister, Norma, wants to bring Fleurette back by force, if necessary. Constance is torn.Stewart bases her novels not just on a real person but on actual newspaper accounts from the period. Much of what takes place in Miss Kopp's “Midnight Confessions” actually happened, as Stewart shows at the end of the book. Her fiction fills in the blanks with remarkable success.I have been impressed by each of the Constance Kopp adventures so far and look forward to reading the next one.

[jetangen4571 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.

[kathy89_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Constance finally got her badge and part of her duty is matron at the jail for the women. This book centers around three different young women, Edna, Minnie and Fleurette Kopp. Times were changing in 1915 with WWI approaching but there were still strict morality laws for young women and these women were naïve in their assumptions of how things worked. I felt badly for Edna and Minnie because of the gloomy drudgery that was their life at home and what awaited their escape. Fleurette, spoiled and indulged, walks away and joins a vaudeville company even though her dreams of a life on the stage don’t turn out the way she hoped, still spins the fantasy. Have to read the next one.

[gwendydd · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another fun installment in this fantastic series! Constance Kopp is as charming as ever. In this book, there are parallels between Constance's police work and her home life with Florette which make for some interesting dilemmas. Just like the other books, this one is full of warmth, compassion, and humor. I hope there will be more!The audiobook narrator is wonderful.

[debkrenzer · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love these books about the Kopp sisters by Amy Stewart. The three sisters are such a trip to read about. Constance, being the first female deputy, Norma, always incorrigible, and Fleurette, the youngest with stars in her eyes.This book deals with families, mothers, fathers, husbands, whoever, having girls put in jail because they are "out of control". One mother had her daughter arrested who was over 18, had a job and a place to live, because she needed her back at the house. There was just too much work for her to do by herself. SMHWhile there are some serious issues going on and being dealt with in this book, I had a lot of laughs as well. Constance is forever getting marriage proposals when the papers write about this "new woman deputy". Some of the letters are downright hilarious.A fun, interesting and highly entertaining read for me.Thanks to Houghton, Mifflin, Harcourt and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

[bookappeal · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amy Stewart's latest installment in a series about three real-life women who lived in New Jersey in the early 1900s is even better than the previous tales of the Kopp sisters. Constance Kopp is now "Under Sheriff" and in charge of the female inmates of the local jail. The prosecutor, running for sheriff, is all too happy to stretch morality laws to send wayward young ladies to reformatories and set them on the right path. Constance, a woman not afraid of bucking norms, cannot stand this kind of prejudicial law enforcement. Where is the punishment for the men involved in these immoral schemes? Furthermore, some of the young women have left homes because of poverty or danger - and at least one young lady under her care simply wants to work in a factory to support the war effort. The only "crime" committed was leaving her mother lonely at home. But a different case leaves Constance stymied. Minnie may be an innocent young girl who fell for the phony marriage proposal of a handsome young man. Or she may be lying to Constance and already well on her way to a life of debauchery. Complicating matters, the youngest Kopp has her heart set on an entertainment career and is old enough to do something about it, much to the chagrin of stern middle sister, Norma. Amy Stewart continues the story of the distinctive women, using tidbits from history and a flair for humor to fill in the missing details. Though there is no real mystery to solve, watching Constance at work is sheer pleasure. Stewart's storylines set up a nice conflict for Constance that causes her to question her own judgment. Fleurette's coming of age story is equally enlightening and Norma is always good for a head-shaking laugh. Great fun and a thought-provoking look at life for women in the 1916.