“In the early 1950s, the Berkshire Constabulary finally opened its ranks to more women. And WPC Crockford was one of those early pioneers…

When 21-year-old Gwendoline Crockford signed up to join the Berkshire Constabulary in 1951, she had little idea of what she was getting herself into. Whether carrying a human skeleton out of the woods, finding a missing child, investigating thefts, or chasing an escaped zebra, every day brought fresh adventures.

In this nostalgic, tender and honest account of post-war British society, we follow a bright, determined woman navigating a man’s world, serving as many people as she can. From performing traffic duties to unravelling a dark secret at the heart of an impoverished family, WPC Crockford’s career was full of joy, thrills – and heartbreak.”

Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to share my review of Calling WPC Crockford by Ruth D’Alessandro. Calling WPC Crockford was published by Welbeck on 3rd March 2022 and is available in paperback, audio and digital formats. I chose to read a free copy of Calling WPC Crockford but that has in no way influenced my review. My grateful thanks to Ruth D’Alessandro for gifting me a finished copy.

Last year my local library (where I happen to work!) invited Ruth D’Alessandro, author of the WPC Crockford trilogy, to speak about her novels. The books are based on Ruth’s mother’s experience of being a WPC in 1950s Berkshire (which happens to be just down the road!). Ruth spoke with so much love and affection about her trailblazing mother, the stories her mother would tell and the difference she made to the local Wokingham community. I was captivated by Ruth’s words (which probably wasn’t the most ideal situation as I was in charge of changing the slides for Ruth’s talk!! 🙈). So of course, I had to read the first book – Calling WPC Crockford.

I very much enjoyed Calling WPC Crockford. I think it’s the first non-fiction book (narrative non-fiction? biography? memoir?) I’ve read in…years, perhaps? Having heard Ruth speak though, I knew I was in safe hands. The trilogy is clearly a work of love and that absolutely shines through on the page. Life in Wokingham for Gwendoline Crockford isn’t as interesting or exciting as she had hoped. The war has thankfully come to an end, rationing is still in place and Gwen is ready to make some big changes. Looking out of her office window at the police station over the road, she sees Berkshire’s only female police sergeant. She’s smart, she commands respect. And that’s the moment Gwen knows that she’s going to join the police force.

The book covers the first few years of Gwen’s career as a WPC in Wokingham. From the early days of training at Mill Meece, to being a respected member of Wokingham police station, all the way to her senior officers recommending Gwen apply for detective training at Hendon. The first part is almost like a short story collection. Short, thoroughly entertaining vignettes detailing some of the strangest, silliest and saddest experiences in her career. The second part goes into more detail, fleshing out those experiences, adding layers to what the reader already knows. As a female police officer Gwen is the first port of call for any cases involving women and/or children. There was one storyline in particular that I found tough going. And knowing that the cases in the book all happened in real-life only added to that. Utterly heart-breaking.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. Calling WPC Crockford is a fun, entertaining, eye-opening glimpse into the not-so-distant past. I tend to read quite dark crime fiction most of the time so this was a wonderfully refreshing change for me. Fans of Heartbeat (ITV) and Call the Midwife (BBC) will certainly enjoy this trip down memory lane.  I particularly enjoyed the historical aspect of the book, delving into 1950s social history. I thought the characters were all beautifully drawn (not sure how much artistic license the author used but it all felt very authentic) with Gwen being a standout favourite. I love a strong female lead and that’s exactly what Gwendoline Crockford is. All in all, an engaging, heartfelt tribute to the author’s mother. Compelling, nostalgic, laugh out loud funny in parts, heart breaking in others. Pretty much the perfect mix! I would pick up the second and third books in this trilogy without a moment’s hesitation. Recommended.

I chose to read and review a free ARC of Calling WPC Crockford. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

Calling WPC Crockford by Ruth D’Alessandro was published in the UK by Welbeck on 3rd March 2022 and is available in paperback, audio and digital formats (please note, the following links are affiliate links which means I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no extra cost to you): | amazon.co.uk | Waterstones | bookshop.org | Goodreads | damppebbles bookshop.org shop | damppebbles amazon.co.uk shop | damppebbles amazon.com shop |

Ruth D’Alessandro is an author and commercial copywriter (Qualtrics, The Huffington Post, Arabic To Zoology Ltd), with a special interest in post-war social history, especially policing. This fascination comes from being the daughter of police parents; her mother, Gwendoline Crockford, was one of the early 1950s WPCs in the Berkshire Constabulary, and its first woman detective in 1957.

Ruth’s brand new debut, CALLING WPC CROCKFORD, published by Welbeck Publishing on 3rd March 2022, is the first in a memoir trilogy of her mother, to be followed by CALLING DETECTIVE CROCKFORD and CALLING SERGEANT CROCKFORD.

When she can be dragged away from her writing, Ruth loves walking miles with her border collie, growing her own vegetables, dreaming of getting more chickens, visiting strange little museums, and participating in rural village life.