Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart, a Mysterious Review.

Review: In 1914, women were expected to get married, have children, stay at home, and take care of their families. The Kopp sisters — Constance, Norma and Fleurette — did not, however, quite fit into that mold. Fifteen years ago, after an ill-fated involvement with Constance, the sisters and their mother moved to a remote large farm outside the city of Paterson, New Jersey. The sisters were self-confident and, on the face of it, unladylike, especially Constance, who at almost six feet tall towered over most men. She was ready to take on hurdles lesser women would not attempt to tackle. Her polar opposite was Fleurette, who always dressed and acted like a lady. When their mother died, their older brother, Francis, suggested they move back into the city, into his home, inasmuch as it probably wasn't safe for three women to be living alone in the country. They, however, believed they could do quite well for themselves. And so they did … until one morning when they went into town for supplies in their horse drawn buggy and were run into by a man in his motorcar, in Girl Waits With Gun, a novel of suspense by Amy Stewart.

Fleurette was slightly hurt but the buggy was damaged almost beyond repair. Constance estimated the cost of having the buggy repaired to be $50 and requested a payment from the man who ran into them. The man, Henry Kaufman, owner and manager of the local silk factory, together with his two friends just laughed at her and drove away. Her simple request for payment of damages escalated into threatening letters from Kaufman, trips to the police station, and visits from the sheriff's department. Kaufman and his men acted on their threats. They threw bricks through the farmhouse's windows with more threats attached. They at first threatened to take Fleurette, either for themselves, or to sell her. More threats followed: Kill all three; Burn the house down; etc. The sheriff taught the sisters how to use revolvers, giving each one for self-defense. Despite the danger the sisters faced they insisted on remaining in their home on the farm. The question remained: Would the sheriff and his men be able to protect the sisters long enough that they will be paid the $50 for the damages done to their buggy?

Girl Waits With Gun is a delightful story, loosely based on an historical account of actual events, showing how one sister does everything in her power to stand up to a man, who dares to be crossed. She is not a woman to be toyed with, and she proves it. The characters are all well drawn and developed, and there is a real sense of time and place. The story has elements of humor and tragedy, and tracks the highs and lows experienced by this most resilient trio of women. A compelling, truly entertaining book.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Girl Waits With Gun.

Acknowledgment: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt provided a copy of Girl Waits With Gun for this review.

Lady Cop Makes Trouble
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (Hardcover), September 2016
ISBN-13: 9780544409941; ISBN-10: 0544409949

Girl Waits With Gun

A Kopp Sisters Mystery by Amy Stewart