The Bobby Girls

For a 1st book Johanna Bell certainly knows how to go about it.
It follows the story of the beginnings of Women Police Volunteers.. it follows Maggie, Irene and Annie through their training. Then on the beat, while following their secrets which they have hidden from each other.
A certain 5stars from me and highly recommended. Can’t wait for The Bobby Girls’ Secrets.

A great debut book from a fab new author. Set during WW1 this book tells how the Women’s Police Volunteers got started. Johanna did her research well and put it all into a great book with some lovely characters for us to get to know. Maggie, Annie, and Irene couldn’t have come from more different backgrounds to each other. Joining up at the same time brought three very different girls together in unusual circumstances. It is lovely to see how they grow and mature together bonding into a very special friendship. Book two is due out early next year, and I for one can’t wait to read it, and to catch up with the Bobby Girls. If you like this genre then I highly recommend this book to you.

It was a new read from this author. It caught my attention from the first page as we get to know the 4 girls who are the first to be trained as wpv officers at the start of the war in 1914. Maggie,Irene and Annie deal with prejudice against women doing traditionally what is a man's job and they grew in confidence within there own personal lives and in the force . The girls were not paid, couldn't arrest anyone and were faced with prejudice from the male dominant force and the public.
This is unusual novel in that its story is based around the WPS and there are not many based on this valuable job the women did while the men were at war in circulation.
The style of writing is excellent and created an easy to read novel.
This book is due out in April 2020 and I can thoroughly recommend it.
Thanks to Hodder and Staunton, Netgalley and Johanna Bell for the ARC

It's well documented that I enjoy books set around the domestic scene at the time of both world wars and this is right up there with the best of them!

At the beginning of WWI, women have put aside their suffragette fight to pull together for the good of the country. With so many men called to war, and more taking the King's shilling every day, there are more opportunities arising for women which, they hope, will lead to the better chances they so desperately dream of. A big step towards this is the setting up of the Women's Police Volunteers force, which draws women from all walks of life. This is the story of three such young women.

This is a terrific debut and, I hope, the beginning of a wonderfully warm saga. I admit to knowing nothing about the WPV prior to reading this, and I have learned to much. The author has obviously done some thorough research enabling her to create such a fabulous tale with well-rounded characters. It's a lesson in how people from all classes lived prior to the war, and how things changed as it continued. I'm delighted to see that Johanna Bell is already working on her second book in this series; whilst the first is a good, solid stand-alone read there is so much scope to continue this story and I, for one, will certainly be watching out for the next one! Beautifully crafted and such an attention-grabbing read definitely merits a full five stars.

It’s 1914 London and the men have gone off to war. Three women from different backgrounds have joined the Women’s Police Volunteers (WPV) to make a difference to society and to convince men that they can do so much more than cook, clean and do needlepoint.
The three women, Maggie Smyth, Annie smith and Irene whilst training soon become friends and when they are finishing training, they are delighted to be stationed together because of the bond that they have formed between them.
But first, the male bobbies do not take the girls seriously and think it’s a passing fad and they will go home to their mothers. But the girls are there to prove them wrong except for one PC Frank Bird who is the only ally they have.
Putting their own troubles aside, they start patrolling Bethnal Green where they are all sorts of characters. They are there to help the women not fall astray to prostitution or alcoholism as, the men come home from war.
Thank you NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for a copy of The Bobbie girls. Based on real facts I really enjoyed this book. The book had great characters and a gripping storyline. I learnt so much about the WPV and women’s movement. Women trying to get their voice heard in a man’s world. It shows how far women have come. I can’t wait for the second book in the series.

An interesting story based on an historical theme that shows how women were treated in the early days of WW1. Definitely recommended to those readers who enjoy this type of book.

I was so excited to be able to read The Bobby Girls and get a copy via NetGalley and boy was I in for an exciting read.
This is Johanna's first novel and the first of a series. It is written very well. Clear and easy to follow with depth to create real and rounded characters. I had so many emotions flowing through me as I got to know Maggie, Annie, Irene and Sarah. The idea for the plot is brilliant an it highlights a particular era of history that I wasn't aware of. I knew women stepped up during both of the world wars but as Policewomen was a new idea for me. I am super proud of all women but what women went through back then is unbelievable. Men really did treat women as if they were of no importance.
In The Bobby Girls we follow Maggie and her story about standing up to her father and creating a life for herself and standing up for what she believes in. I loved going through this journey with her from training to becoming a policewomen and facing her fellow male colleagues to being out on patrol. The dramas that unfold are written with such passion and knowledge but handle sensitively, so even though I was upset at what was happening in the story it was still exciting to read what would happen next.
A brilliant read and one not to miss if you love historical fiction set in WW1. It is great to see a novel out their that highlights what women went through to help women in the future.
I cannot wait to be back on the beat with Maggie, Annie and Irene.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It has a great plot, excellent main characters and I read it in one sitting! I would highly recommend this book.

A great book. The first book that I have read about policewomen in wartime
Excellent characters and beautifully written. Pace of book is just perfect.
This book drew me in from page one

Really enjoyed this novel. The writing flowed and the characters were depicted very well. Couldn't wait to find out what happens next.

Fabulous book it was so nice to read of women in the police in war time great characters and a great story well done to the author.It is so nice to find new Authors in the Genre's i love to read,i love when a book draws you in from the first page and The Bobby Girls did just that.5*

Brilliant debut. And a welcome change reading about police instead of nurses based in the War. Great characters, perfectly intertwined stories. The ultimate read about girl power. Cannot wait for the rest of the series.

Maggie and her friends come from very different backgrounds, but they've got one thing in common: they've all signed up for the Women Police Volunteers. They can't wait to show the men just what they're made of. This is a very interesting and lively tale about Maggie and friends and how from strangers they become very close and bond whilst in the WPV. It also highlighted how tough things were for women during that time

I really enjoyed the way their separate lives and backgrounds were entwined and how they helped each other through life I the WPV. I would recommend this book and thank Net Galley for allowing me to read prior to publication.


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A lovely story! The author has researched the era and the theme very well. I liked the characters who stood out on the page and through their eyes you are transported back to a different age. I worthy debut novel from this author.

A read good story that paints the time period really well. I loved all the characters and their stories. I would recommend this to all.