Lady Cop Makes Trouble by Amy Stewart

Constance likes being a deputy.  It's not a traditional post for a woman but she likes the challenges and the chance to make things right.  She likes helping the victims and seeks justice for the wrongdoer.  So she's very disappointed when the Sheriff has to demote her to jail matron because of politics.  He's working to get her reinstated but she's bored being a matron.  She learns some things there, too.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published September 6th.  

I really like this character.  She's proud, determined and willing to put her life on the line to accomplish her goals and succeed on the job.  I didn't do anything that dangerous but I worked as hard as she did when I was working.  It made me able to relate to Constance, even her weaknesses.

Constance has the ability to speak several foreign languages, so the Sheriff takes her with him to pick up a female suspect.  From the very beginning, Constance has the feeling she didn't murder the man that's the victim.  But the suspect lies a bit.  One of the deputies says the gunshot was heard at a different time.  It takes until the end of the book before that gets squared away.

What really devastates Constance and makes her unsure she will keep her job is when she's at the hospital watching over a sick prisoner.  There was a disaster and the hospital is very busy.  When the lights go out the nurses start dropping trays.  She leaves the room for a short period of time and returns to hold the doorknob and secure the prisoner.  When the Sheriff arrives, she opens the door and finds she's guarding the wrong room, it's one door down.  And that room is empty, too.

If that wasn't bad enough, now it appears the Sheriff might be jailed for the prisoner escape.  All Constance can do is try to find the missing man.  The Sheriff and his deputies haven't had any success.  It's good thing that Constance has her sisters to talk to.  They give her some ideas on what to check and she starts her own hunt.

Ms. Stewart writes a fast paced story with a very interesting character.  I really enjoyed this story and will be anxious to read the next Constance story.  She got me hooked.