The Bobby Girls’ War

The Bobby Girls #4

by Johanna Bell

Curl up with Book Four in the gorgeous Bobby Girls series now!1916. Poppy is being transferred to an enormous new munitions complex in Gretna, on the Scottish border. Even though it means moving far away from her best friends Maggie and Annie, she is excited for the challenge.As a member of the Women's Police Service, it's her job to maintain law and order so that the factory workers can safely carry out their vital war work. She soon makes friends, and even starts to open herself up to the possibility of love.But then she sees something in the dead of night, and suddenly the dangers of the war are no longer far away on distant shores. With the enemy hot on her heels and no idea who to trust, can Poppy save herself - and avert disaster for her country?Praise for the Bobby Girls Filled with richly drawn characters that leap from the page, and a plot that's so well researched and well written you will believe you are in the thick of wartime policing, The Bobby Girls is a must-read for all saga fans.' - Fiona Ford, bestselling author of Christmas at Liberty's'I really enjoyed reading about Britain's first female police officers. A lot of research has gone into this book and it's all the richer and more readable for it. An exciting new voice in women's fiction.' - Kate Thompson, bestselling author of Secrets of the Singer Girls'I really did enjoy The Bobby Girls. It has a lovely warm feeling about it and is excellently written.' - Maureen Lee, RNA award-winning author of Dancing in the Dark'A well-researched and interesting story giving a great insight into early women's policing.' - Anna Jacobs, bestselling author of the Ellindale series'Written with warmth and compassion, the novel gives fascinating insights into the lives of three courageous young women.' - Margaret Kaine, RNA award-winning author of Ring of Clay'Johanna Bell has hit the jackpot with this striking WW1 crime story. The author places the focus firmly on the girls' growth into independent members of society in a rapidly changing world. It's a heartening central message conveyed with verve and empathy and remains relevant to today's readers, both young and old.' - Jenny Holmes, author of The Spitfire Girls'This is a story that needed to be told. As a former Special Constable, I love Johanna Bell from the bottom of my heart for giving a voice to the women who first made a way for me and countless others like me - to work as real police officers in the service of our communities.' - Penny Thorpe, author of The Quality Street Girls'A lovely story! The author has researched the era and the theme very well. The characters stood out on the page and through their eyes you are transported back to a different age.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical

326 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 14, 2021

Reviews

[Louise Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bobby Girls Book 4

1916: Poppy is transferred to an enormous new munitions complex in Gretna, on the Scottish borders. Even though it means moving away from her best friends Maggie and Annie, she is excited for the challenge. As a member of the Women's Police Service, it's it's her job to maintain law and order so that the factory workers can safely carry out their vital war work. Soon she makes friends and even starts to open herself up to the possibility of love. But then she sees something in the dead of night and suddenly the dangers of the war are no longer far away on distant shores.

I'm a big fan of this well written series. Poppy is transferred to Gretna on the Scottish borders. She is now patrolling a large munitions factory and trying to keep the women in check. There's a few times I held my breath at the situations Poppy found herself in. There's some wonderful new characters in this story but can Poppy trust any of them? Some of the characters from the other books are in there too. This is another great addition to the series.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #HodderStaughton and the author #JohannaBell for my ARC of #TheBobbyGirlsWar in exchange for an honest review.

[Booklover BEV · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book four Bobby Girls the world for women, WW1 Holborn London 1916.
Poppy Davis along with Maggie Smyth, Annie Beckett who is now running the baby home in Hampstead, the women's police service patrolling streets doing an amazing job at Hunter Street Police Station, Poppy gets to know a lot of the locals on her beat especially the prostitutes, suddenly finds she is been posted right up to Gretna Scotland at the HM factory she is off for a new adventure and will miss Maggie so its an emotional goodbye but its not forever, her John would have been so proud of her as she sets off she is such an inspirational character throughout this read I grasp every single moment as we read how Poppy copes with all the tasks and makes new friends. Such heart warming moments from all the characters in the factory women doing the men's work is very hard going.
I love all this series but this book took to my heart the author has a way of drawing you in chapter after chapter, and booklovers will love it. very worthy stars from me and left a happy contented booklover.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poppy starts work keeping a munitions complex secure. One of my favourite eras- wartime drama on home soil. We catch up with old friends and encounter some tense moments. A real page turner. which kept me gripped.

[Glenys · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have followed the story of the Bobby Girls by Johanna Bell and was pleased to receive a copy of this book from #NetGalley.

The story continues from the previous books of Polly, a WPC in London and in this book, it tells the story of how she was transferred in WW 1 to Gretna to work at the munitions factory, which hosted 12,000 women making explosives. The WPCs were responsible for keeping law and order amongst the workers in the factory and in the huts were they lived. Poppy is alerted to the fact that their is a mole in the factory and goes on to uncover the culprit.

For further information on the Gretna factory, see the Devil's Porridge Museum webpage.

https://www.devilsporridge.org.uk/

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good installment of The Bobby Girls series

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read from Johanna. It was nice to get Poppy’s story this time. As well as all that was going on in the book, I loved the amount of detail that Johanna went into with the Gretna Munitions Factory. It was very interesting to find out how the women of Britain threw themselves into helping with the war effort. Johanna must have done a lot of research for this book, and I have to say it definitely pays off. A well deserved five stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Kylie Dowers · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most gripping book of the series. I throughly enjoyable read. I fell in love with the Bobby girls. I will miss them. That's the mark of a talented writer. When their books are detailed enough (but far from boring) that you can easily imagine it all and the characters are so well written your mind can bring them to life. You grow very find of them and attached to them. They are like a friend. By the end of their stories you are sad that you must part with them forever. Poppy became my favorite and I can relate to her. I also very short, petite height in fact but strong like her mentally and physically. Even I couldn't work out who the spy was and I'm usually good at solving mysterys, usually very early on. My brain spoils it for me. I did feel sadness and empathy when I learnt the spies back story and could understand how it would lead to driving someone to become a spy, a 'traitor'. This series is excellent for a debut of the author and I am extremely exited for and looking forward to her next series. I wish Johanna all the best and luck in the future. She is a lovely lady who very kindly tok time out of her busy schedule to reply to a message I sent her. Thank you for such a wonderful series Johanna.

[StinaStaffymum · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have followed Maggie, Irene and then Annie on their respective journeys from the beginning. Now in this fourth installment THE BOBBY GIRLS WAR focuses on Poppy, the more recent recruit to join Maggie and Annie when Irene was seconded to Grantham in the second book. And I must say, it was a delight to have Poppy shine this time around...and shine, she did.

1916: After Annie's little Christmas surprise the previous year, which therefore lead her to refrain from patrolling and taking over the running of the WPS Mother and Baby home she help set up at the end of Christmas with the Bobby Girls" , Maggie and Poppy took to patrolling the Holborn beat on their own. They had fashioned out a routine that worked for them in and around Kings Cross Station and the areas thereabouts and worked well together.

When Poppy is informed that she is required to see their commandant at WPS headquarters the following morning prior to her shift, she begins to worry that she may have inadvertently done something wrong and was about to be punished for it. Little did she know that Frosty had called her in to make her an offer to good to refuse. She has been recommended to the huge munitions complex in Gretna on the the Scottish border and, although she is saddened to leave her two best friends behind, she is excited at the new challenge that awaits her.

She is met at Carlisle by a somewhat stern looking sergeant who takes her to the complex and gives her a brief rundown before delivering her to the trusted hands of Grace and Ruth for Poppy to shadow for this shift to enable her to learn all she can about the job before her own shift begins the following morning. She feels somewhat thrown in at the deep end in some ways but she welcomes this new challenge and soon makes herself some new friends in Edith, Marie and Bessie.

However, Poppy soon discovers that there is more to learn than she had initially been shown by Grace and is faced with the many dangers the workers encounter on a daily basis. There are explosive chemicals which could be easily triggered with one wrong move and could be deadly. But along with the searches of the factory workers, the patrols, the safety of the township, workers and soldiers comes a different kind of threat...a spy is in the midst. Poppy has never had to deal with anything like this before but can she uncover the spy and keep the women safe? And in the shadow of the grief she carries, can Poppy find love again where she least expects it?

Like each of the previous books, THE BOBBY GIRLS WAR is a different story again as we shift from London to the Scottish border of Gretna. And it was refreshing to get Poppy's backstory as well as a new one going forward. I love how Johanna Bell has focused on each of the girls respectively with each book so that they have all had a chance to shine. Do I have a favourite? It's hard to say. I really enjoyed the first one probably because it was the introduction to the women and everything that they do. But I would have to say Annie's story ( "Christmas with the Bobby Girls" ) was a personal favourite with Poppy's running a close second.

But now that each of the womens' stories have been told, I have to wonder where do the Bobby Girls go from here?

Overall, THE BOBBY GIRLS WAR is another fabulous addition to this heartwarming series and if it is to be the last then it has come to a heartwarming end, particularly showing how far the WPS has come in just a few short years. Incredibly well-researched, another wonderful read in this delightful series.

I would like to thank #JohannaBell, #NetGalley and #HodderAndStoughton for an ARC of #TheBobbyGirlsWar in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

[Louise (Bookmarks and Stages blog) Cannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A series that makes you want to stay with from beginning and each new book that is published. The Bobby Girls War is the latest in the series. Even if this isn't your normal genre or era to read, I highly recommend giving them a try as there's so much to them at a fast-pace, and yet they are a good read to relax with in these increasingly colder days. Thanks to Hodder & Staughton for gifting me the book to review. Discover more in the blurb and then my review below.

It is often a delight to read and review from The Bobby Girls series. These are books that are  great for curling up with in the wintry months to find out what the girls are up to next. This one concentrates more on Poppy Davis as she has moved away from being around, her now established, newest friends in London, England, to Gretna, Scotland. There is also still much enjoyment to catch up with her friends Maggie and Annie too, who are also very busy with the Foundling Hospital which is feeling the pressure of increasing intakes of "doorstep" abandoned babies, which Poppy also helps with before she leaves. Maggie and Annie are also busy with the WPS setting up places they can go too.

There are some changes with Alice in munitions and also a new Chief Constable - Chief Constable Jackson, who has a lot to catch up on of what has been happening, particularly in Holborn with continuing work to further reduce prostitutes around the area and abandoned babies.

 The book gives insight to the war through the soldiers and also from what it was like being home, as shown through an emotional, yet beautifully composed letter for Poppy. When Poppy does arrive in Scotland, there's more to learn than she seems to initially thought from Grace as well as many dangers so many workers face each day, especially with explosive chemicals in the factories where one wrong move could be deadly, which adds some suspense, as does the possibility of a spy.... Once again, the writing is enthralling and as the chapters go on, you just want to know more. There's more than meets the eye for Poppy to manage, who starts to have her doubts whether she can manage or not, even with Grace's positivity. Nightshifts bring more dangers, more than she could ever know until there is a highly perilous position with not much time to waste! There are some gaspable moments to say the least and all is riveting.

The book is refreshing as it shows a different side to some males in the force who Poppy meets as it shows that they can (and many were) supportive. This book also shows the developing relationships between the different characters, including one from Christmas, which is so heartwarming. Even though there's dangers and hardships, there is warmth and some really lovely moments and a bit of romance. She also hasn't left her London friends completely behind either. It shows that distance doesn't mean friendships end.

[Shreedevi Gurumurty · Rating 5 out of 5]

1916. Poppy is being transferred to an enormous new munitions complex in Gretna, on the Scottish border. Even though it means moving far away from her best friends Maggie and Annie, she is excited for the challenge.
As a member of the Women's Police Service, it's her job to maintain law and order so that the factory workers can safely carry out their vital war work. She soon makes friends, and even starts to open herself up to the possibility of love.
But then she sees something in the dead of night, and suddenly the dangers of the war are no longer far away on distant shores. With the enemy hot on her heels and no idea who to trust, can Poppy save herself - and avert disaster for her country?
H.M. Factory, Gretna was the UK's largest cordite factory in WWI.The government-owned facility was adjacent to the Solway Firth,near Gretna, Dumfries and Galloway.The factory stretched from Mossband near Longtown in the east,to Dornock/Eastriggs in the west straddling the Scottish-English border.The facility consisted of 4 large production sites and 2 purpose-built townships.The facility had its own independent transport network,power source,and water supply system.Cordite was colloquially known as the "Devil's Porridge";the name comes from the writings of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,who visited the factory as a war correspondent in 1916.The Gretna Girls were mainly drawn from the surrounding areas of Scotland and Northern England.The majority were working class women-a large proportion was under 18yrs.They primarily lived in group hostels,which were staffed by matrons.These temporary buildings were bitterly cold in winter and there was little to no privacy.The factory was patrolled by the newly formed Women's Police Service. The women police's duties involved the searching of munitions workers for contraband items, and the maintaining of their morals.The WPS members were typically older,better educated middle class women.At the war's end,some women remained in the police service while others returned to their families or other employment.Navvies were labourers employed in the excavation and construction of a road, railway or canal.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bobby’s girls war is the fourth instalment in the series by Johanna Bell.
Poppy and Maggie are still members of The Women’s Police Service patrolling the streets of London. After Having her daughter Charlotte Annie is now running the mother and baby home in Hampstead
Poppy is summoned by her Superintendent, to see her and she thinks that she is in trouble. But it is further from the truth when she is told that she has been recommended to a factory in Gretna in Scotland to maintain law and order and keep an eye on the young girls working there, that they are not led astray. But Poppy gets more than she has bargained for when she patrols the factory. One night she tries to apprehend a spy who is trying to get secrets of weapons at the factory.
This is another great episode in the series based on real events 1916. It is richly researched, likeable characters and plot. I really liked the photos at the end of the book it really made the story more believable and more relatable to the characters. 5 stars from me.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have followed this series of books since the start. After the first one the books mainly told the story of one of the group. I must admit that this was my favourite. This book focussed on widow Poppy who is sent to Gretna to help police the large munitions factory. Although reluctant to leave her friends she decides she must begin to re-start her life as her husband would have wanted. All the books show a great deal of research into the era & the early women in the police. I enjoyed this book although at times I felt like shaking Poppy as she shilly-shallied about the men in her life, but perhaps that was just her being true to a woman of her time! This whole series has been enjoyable. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

[Lucy Dunphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like of I didn't love the previous book in the series so much I'd have rated this one higher. I just felt like it lacked the drama and grittiness that Christmas with the Bobby Girls had. It was still a decent read that did have me guessing who the spy was up until it was revealed. I did like Poppy but her constant turmoil on who she liked more between Lawrence and Geoffrey did start to wear thin after a while.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the opportunity to read this Advance Reader's Copy.

[Miriam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this interesting as honestly I didn’t know about this factories and what the women working there had to do. What l loved about the other books was the friendship between Poppy,Maggie and Annie which apart from bits here and there was missing from this story and it felt a bit flat in places for me.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, I've missed the girls from this brilliant series, Johanna Bell just goes from strength to strength with this series.
Thoroughly enjoyed every page and so hoping we will have a book 5 (pleaseeeee)
I'm not one for giving the story away like some reviewers. It's excellent, just read it! 😍

[Wendy Wilchinsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

BRILlIANT !

Having read all four books now, I'm sad that they are finished. These books have given you an invite of all of the first policewoman. Glad to say we have a great police force to be grateful for. What we need now is more police officers to protect us all.

[Kathy E · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading and enjoying the previous three books in this series, I must say how disappointed I was with this particular book. I found it hard going and quite boring most of the time. I must say I did like the ending.

[Samantha Neal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was really gripping me once again.
I didn't know what to expect from the final story of the bobby girls.
What a amazing moment to read about this character and how life has changed.
I have enjoyed reading the series.

[Kylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always love The Bobby Girls stories and adventures. Can’t wait for a next one

[Vikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the characters in this series!! :-) Please write more!! :)

[M.W. Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great characters, situations and issues. Always love a well told First World War book about the women who did, more than their bit. More please

[Linda Porter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good read

[Lisa Carlile · Rating 5 out of 5]

The bobby girls war by Johanna Bell is book 4 in this series and it did not disappoint. When Poppy is sent to Gretna to patrol the factory that was used to make weapons and ammunition she falls in to trying to solve a spy in the midst. Add to that some romance and you have the perfect story. It is great to read more about the women's police service in 1916 as opposed to the usual type of story in this genre... Excellent. Thanks to#NetGalley for the advance copy in return for an honest review.

[Kat Garside · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed Book 4 in the series. The storyline in this one took a lot more twists and turns and wasn't as predictable as the others. Great series of books 🙂