Jaffareadstoo....: Review ~ Miss Kopp's Midnight Confessions by Amy Stewart

Scribe
11 January 2018

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

When Deputy Sheriff, Constance Kopp is called upon to imprison eighteen year old, Edna Heustis on charge of waywardness, she is determined to discover why young girls, like Edna, are being wrongfully accused and incarcerated for nothing more wayward than leaving home without their parents permission. Constance, with all her customary zeal, sets out on a crusade to defend these unfortunate young women who don't seem to have anyone to act as their champion. Once on a mission to help, Constance never lets anyone, man or woman, stand in her way.

As with the previous books in the series, the author has drawn upon documented historical evidence about the real Constance Kopp, and has used this to great effect to give us a rather dark story about the plight of young women in the early part of the twentieth century. On a lighter note, I especially enjoyed the interaction between Constance and her sister, Norma and their dilemma when their younger sister, Fleurette runs away from home to join a vaudeville dance act.

The stories are beautifully reminiscent of a bygone time and the author's ability to give life to such strong female characters whilst still keeping the historical integrity of the story is to her credit. Even though this is the third book in the series, it can be read entirely as a standalone and yet, the two previous books paint such a glorious picture of Constance and her sisters that it would be a real shame not to read those first.