Awards

• Long-listed for HWA Debut Crown 2017 (UK)

Overview

From the New York Times best-selling author of The Drunken Botanist comes an enthralling novel based on the forgotten, true story of one of the US's first female deputy sheriffs. Constance Kopp doesn’t quite fit the mould. She towers over most men, has no interest in marriage or domestic affairs, and has been isolated from the world since a family secret sent her and her sisters from the city to the country fifteen years before. When a powerful, ruthless factory owner runs down their buggy, a dispute over damages turns into a war of bricks, bullets, and threats as he unleashes his gang on their farm. The sheriff enlists her help, and it turns out that Constance has a knack for outwitting (and disarming) the criminal element, which might just take her back out into the world and onto a new path in life. Through Amy Stewart’s exuberant storytelling, Constance Kopp catapults from a forgotten historical anecdote to an unforgettable historical-fiction heroine — an outsized woman not only ahead of her time, but sometimes even ahead of ours.

Full Product Details

9781925228571

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Reviews

'A smart, romping adventure, featuring some of the most memorable and powerful female characters I've seen in print for a long time. I loved every page as I followed the Kopp sisters through a too-good-to-be-true (but mostly true!) tale of violence, courage, stubbornness, and resourcefulness.' -- Elizabeth Gilbert 'A sheer delight to read and based on actual events, this debut historical mystery packs the unexpected, the unconventional, and a serendipitous humor into every chapter. Details from the historical record are accurately portrayed by villains and good guys alike, and readers will cross their fingers for the further adventures of Constance and Sheriff Heath. For fans of the Phryne Fisher series by Kerry Greenwood, and the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes mysteries by Laurie R. King.' Booklist, starred 'Hardened criminals are no match for pistol-packing spinster Constance Kopp and her redoubtable sisters in this hilarious and exciting period drama by bestseller Stewart (The Drunken Botanist). This is an elegant tale of suspense, mystery, and wry humor ... A surprising Kopp family secret, a kidnapped baby, and other twists consistently ratchet up the stakes throughout, resulting in an exhilarating yarn.' Publishers Weekly, starred 'Stewart crafts a solid, absorbing novel based on real-life events - though they're unusual enough to seem invented. Stewart deftly tangles and then unwinds a complicated plot with nice period detail ... More adventures involving gutsy Constance, quietly determined Sheriff Heath, and a lively cast of supporting characters would be most welcome.' Kirkus, starred 'In her engaging first novel, Stewart (The Drunken Botanist) draws from the true story of the Kopp sisters (Constance became one of the country's first female deputy sheriffs) and creates a welcome addition to the genre of the unconventional female sleuth. Colorful, well-drawn characters come to life on the page, and historical details are woven tightly into the narrative. The satisfying conclusion sets up an opening for future Constance Kopp novels. VERDICT: Historical fiction fans and followers of Rhys Bowen's 'Molly Murphy' mysteries and Victoria Thompson's 'Gaslight Mystery' series will delight in the eccentric and feisty Kopp women.' Library Journal, starred 'A period thriller that rivals any other historical-based suspense novel. Stewart weaves an amazingly delightful tale, one I was hard pressed to put down. This novel should be listed for debut novel awards.' Suspense Magazine 'How could you not fall in love with a book about one of the first female deputy sheriffs and her sisters - especially when it's written by the enthralling Amy Stewart? Full of long-held secrets, kicked-up dust, simmering danger, and oh yes, that gun - this gritty romp illuminates one of history's strongest women with a hold-your-breath panache.' -- Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Is This Tomorrow and Pictures of You 'Girl Waits With Gun makes excellent use of history to put a fresh spin on classic cop-and-crook types. Amy Stewart's true-life protagonist is a 'rough and tumble' version of the early 20th century's New Woman. She is witty, sharply-drawn, and suffers no fools!' -- Suzanne Rindell, author of The Other Typist 'Yowza! Amy Stewart's debut boasts pomaded gangsters, pistol-packin' dames, kidnappings, shots in the dark, and everything from Girls Gone Wrong to carrier pigeons finding their way home. You might want to stay up all night reading, you might want to lie down on your fainting couch with a cool cloth on your forehead. Either way, you'll have the time of your life.' -- Robert Goolrick, New York Times bestselling author of A Reliable Wife 'Girl Waits With Gun is fresh, funny and utterly compelling - and Constance Kopp and her sisters are not just great investigators, but completely original women. It was a blast from start to finish and I can't wait to see what Deputy Kopp gets up to next.' -- Lisa Lutz, author of The Spellman Files, How to Start a Fire, and others 'Amy Stewart has crafted the best kind of historical novel; she uncovers an intriguing, all-but-forgotten historical nugget and spins it into a wildly entertaining tale with an engaging, tough-minded heroine. Girl Waits With Gun hits the bulls-eye.' -- Daniel Stashower, author of The Hour of Peril: The Secret Plot to Murder Lincoln Before the Civil War 'Amy Stewart's debut novel Girl Waits With Gun is an irresistible and thoroughly enjoyable book, a suspenseful historical mystery spiced with marvelous characters, wit, and humor. Is it too soon to beg for a sequel?' -- Jennifer Chiaverini, author of Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule 'Engaging, lively, and substantive, Girl Waits With Gun is a perfect mystery, and the Kopp sisters are my new best friends. Amy Stewart writes about crime as well as she writes about plants and poisons. I loved this book, and will be first in line for the next installment.' -- Sara Gran, author of Claire DeWitt and the Bohemian Highway '[Girl Waits With Gun] stars an unforgettable, not-to-be-messed-with heroine - one of the nation's first female deputy sheriff's ... A kick-ass history.' Marie Claire US 'One hundred years ago, Constance Kopp was well on her way to becoming the baddest chick in the West.' Cosmopolitan US 'Constance must defend her sisters from a thug (who doesn't go quietly) in this funny tale set in 1914 New Jersey.' Good Housekeeping US '[Girl Waits With Gun is] set in 1914, but its heroine, Constance Kopp, feels about 100 years more modern as she boldly takes on a gang hellbent on destroying her family.' Glamour US 'A fine, historically astute novel ... The sisters' personalities flower under Stewart's pen, contributing happy notes of comedy to a terrifying situation ... Stewart integrates the beliefs and conditions of a vanished way of life into the story, enriching it without playing the intrusive docent. Transportation, domestic arrangements, dress, food, the place of women and the lot of the worker are neatly stitched in, as are the isolation of the country and the public glare of the city, and, most entertainingly, sensational, inaccurate newspaper accounts of events ... Sequestered for years in the country and cowed by life, [Constance Kopp] develops believably into a woman who comes into herself, discovering powers long smothered under shame and resignation. I, for one, would like to see her return to wield them again in further instalments.' -- Katherine A. Powers New York Times Book Review 'A marvellous romp ... Stewart's declarative, efficient sentences successfully convey an early 20th-century style without ladling florid prose on to the plot's high drama.' -- Sarah Weinman The Guardian 'A captivating romp of a novel ... inspired by the real-life adventures of sisters Constance, Norma and Fleurette Kopp ... With its well-developed characters as well as its evocative conjuration of what 1900s America felt and looked like for women, Girl Waits With Gun is a thrilling yet substantive read for any feminist. It's the assured work of an author who wanted to do justice to the headstrong pioneer who came before her.' Ms Magazine

Author Information

Amy Stewart is the New York Times bestselling author of nine books, including Girl Waits with Gun and the rest of the Kopp Sisters series, which are based on the true story of one of America’s first female deputy sheriffs and her two rambunctious sisters. Her popular non-fiction titles include The Drunken Botanist, Wicked Plants, and Flower Confidential. She lives in Portland with her husband Scott Brown, a rare book dealer. They own an independent bookstore called Eureka Books, which is so independent that it lives in California while they live in Oregon.

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