The Telephone Girls

by Jenny Holmes

**Don't miss Jenny Holmes's latest wartime series, The Air Raid Girls. Part 3 - The Air Raid Wartime Brides - is available now!**----------------------------1936. George Street, West Yorkshire, houses a gleaming, brand-new telephone exchange where a group of capable girls works the complicated electrical switchboards. Among them are Cynthia, Norma and Millicent, who relish the busy, efficient atmosphere and the independence and friendship their jobs have given them.But when Millicent connects a telephone call for an old friend, and listens in to the conversation - breaking one of the telephonists' main rules - she, and then Norma and Cynthia too, become caught up in a story of scandal, corruption and murder.Soon, the jobs of all three girls are on the line.Norma's romance is in ruins. And Millicent has entered a world of vice . . . In tough times, the telephone girls will need to call on their friends more than ever.A wonderful story of camaraderie, friendship and triumph over adversity that fans of Daisy Styles, Donna Douglas and Call the Midwife will adore.---------------------------- Readers love Jenny 'There wasn't anything I didn't like about this book' 5 star review 'I couldn't put this book down' 5 star review 'Loved the whole story' 5 star review 'This is a totally absorbing book' 5 star review 'An excellent read put together in fine style' 5 star review

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

443 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 10, 2017

About the author

Jenny Holmes lives in a beautiful part of Yorkshire and sets her sagas in the industrial heartland nearby. She enjoys horse riding, gardening and walking her dog in the dales. She also writes children's books as Jenny Oldfield.

Reviews

[Thebooktrail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Travel to the locations in the book: Saga set in Yorkshire


I’d not read a Jenny Holmes book before this one, but I really enjoyed this one. The cover might suggest a book for the older lady but this is a really interesting story into 1930s life in Yorkshire. I visited a telephone exchange once back in the 1980s – yes they existed then – and this brought it all back although not in exactly the same way. It makes you realise how quickly times change and that some people will read this on their iphones – how weird is that!

It starts off as a saga but gets into some quite gritty issues. All of the characters were well drawn and described and they each told their story which was woven into the central mystery. It reminded me of Call the Midwife and The Bletchley Circle – female friendship in some very tricky situations. A good story, with a fascinating sense of time and place. Really enjoyed this one.

[Ayny · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 quick read with some interesting characters. I felt it would have been nice to read more about the other characters than the mundane work and buses. good friendship story

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is quite deceiving, it starts of very slowly introducing the reader to the characters and their roles in the telephone exchange, by a third of the way through I was beginning to question as to whether there would be any excitement at all. However, the tension slowly rose as the story developed and the book became quite a page turner toward the end. I really liked how the characters were of their time, with 1930s attitudes, it really made the reader feel part of that era and have trust in the writing.
An enjoyable read, which I would happily recommend to other readers.

[Cesca · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well to be honest I have very little positive to say about this book.
The positives were that the description of the scenery and the generally feeling of the environment did transport you to another time.

However why bother....the book was so slow when you finally meet the characters there all a bit blah! even the one having an affair. Once the book finally gets moving your still waiting for something to happen... at one point I wouldn't have minded if the three main women were all bumped off. At the very last 20 to 30 pages there's a very quick dash to complete the book which is unnecessarily long in the first place. So after trudging through the book a hop skip and jump later in a rather unsatisfying finish. It felt totally unbalanced, like at the end even the writer had given up.

I read this as part of a book club and none of us had much positive to say about it... never mind.

[Fiona Brodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light quick read - enjoyed it over the long weekend

1938. George Street in Bradford houses a gleaming, brand-new telephone exchange where fifteen girls work the complicated electrical switchboards. Among them are Cynthia, Norma and Millicent, who relish the busy, efficient atmosphere and the independence and friendship their jobs have given them.

But when Millicent connects a telephone call for an old friend, and listens in to the conversation - breaking one of the telephonists' main rules - she, and then Norma and Cynthia too, become caught up in a story of scandal, corruption and murder.

Soon, the jobs of all three girls are on the line.
Norma’s romance is in ruins.
And Millicent has entered a world of vice . . .

[Joy Margetts · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a sucker for historical fiction, and the setting of this book in a Telephone Exchange in the 1930's was well done. Lots of period detail, well researched. But I found the book hard to get into to begin with, with lots of characters being introduced too quickly, and a rather slow start to the story. The mystery story was good if a little predictable, but I did want to read to the end to see how it finished. The friendship between the three main characters developed believably. As did their relationships with their individual romantic interests. Most off -putting for me was the way the text kept changing from one character's point of view to another. You had to keep checking who was thinking what! I did enjoy the read however, and will try other books by this author.

[Bev Walkling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in West Yorkshire in 1936, this novel gives an intriguing look into what life was like when making a phone call always involved an operator and girls were hired to manage the complicated electronic switchboards. The temptation to listen in to calls was ever present and sometimes what could be heard meant someone was in danger. How the girls worked together to solve a mystery and help a friend in need makes for a fascinating story.

[gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

I purchased the telephone girls thinking it was my usual kind of reading matter, but it wasn't. However, I'm so pleased with my mistake as I could not put it down, it kept me riveted from the very beginning right till the end. Well done Jenny Holmes for an excellent read, I'm off to buy some more of your books now.

[Daisy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title of this book caught my eye as my Granny was a telephone girl just after the war and into the mid fifties. I loved the mix of vintage details and modern storyline, though it is sad that the story is still relevant today. Nice gentle read albeit with a grittier story than most of this genre.

[Sarah Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three friends working at the telephone exchange take it on themselves to investigate & clear a suspect’s name when she’s accused of murder. This book concentrates on the theme rather than the historical aspects of the story, but it’s a pleasant & easy read.

[chlorinda naish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best friends

The three girls, we're all working at the exchange, now and again listening in, through this they heard awful things , murder was one of them but between them they solved the murder, by being close friends

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bargain bin find that I’ll donate to Friends of the Library. Far too many tertiary characters in this story that didn’t really take off until page 166. But then the shocking discovery kept me hooked until the very last page - 438.

[Mae Leveson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Telephone Girls is a story of friendship in 1930s Yorkshire. I struggled to get into this book, as lots of characters were introduced too quickly, but I’m glad I persevered. I particularly enjoyed the history of the time and learning about a job that has become obsolete in modern times.

[Kathy E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not put this book down, the story was full of surprises, it was well worth staying awake half the night to read it.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this book as much as the others I have read in the series. It took me a long time to connect with the characters and the pace was rather slow.

[Colette · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice easy read.

[Trudie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know why but I struggled to get into this and found it a bit slow, not one of my favourites but glad I finished it

[Anna Falcucci · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slow start

It took some time to get into the story, but once the story started to unfold then I wanted to keep reading to see what happens.

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really slow to get into, actually restarted about 3 times because I hate not finishing a book and kept losing interest. Not a great story.

[Atena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read, cute story but it lacks substance in some parts. Still, it really gave me an overview of how young women behaved and what society expected of them in those times.

[Denita · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable story about the friendship of three girls who work in the telephone exchange in West Yorkshire in 1936. There is a murder involved which added to the story.

[elizabeth kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting read

Well what an interesting read the telephone girls was, I would like know what happens next, is there a book two

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely great book! It was so hard to put down, it has it all, romance, murder, intrigue, would recommend this book.

[Tiffany Johnstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book from start to finish. You can actually visually picture the story in your head. It kept me in suspense from beginning to end. It’s a brilliant book.

[Daisy Mawdsley-hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

[Nicola Ebbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slowish start but got juicier as it went on and couldn't put it down for last 5 chapters

[Gaynor Mckinnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay but not the best book

[Tiina · Rating 3 out of 5]

These girls were fearless, deciding to get to the bottom of a murder. At the same time, they were afraid of their supervisors. Some romance, some intrigue - and that murder. A good mix in a book.

[Keren Lilley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this novel as my Mum was a telephone girl of this era!

[Theresa Dudley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this. Plenty going on with out it being overwhelming