Jennie Godfrey has produced a stunning debut in ‘The List of Suspicious Things’. I must admit, I was anxious to read it due to the subject matter, but I trusted that Jennie would handle it with care and sensitivity and she has. The book brought back so many vivid memories of living in Thatcher's Britain. The nostalgia is strong with this one, and I relished every reference to my 1980s childhood. I love that we get to see little snapshots of the lives of the cast of characters throughout, whilst the book is essentially an ensemble piece about the power of community. It really evokes the atmosphere (and indeed fear) of the era. I was thoroughly invested in Miv, her family and friends and I'm sad to leave them. Surely the sign of a great book and a skilled writer. Well done, Jennie Godfrey! I'm so excited to see what you do next.

The adventures of Miv and Sharon didn't start well for me but I warmed to it. The book is set in the late 1970s when two young girls from Yorkshire are caught up in the hunt for the serial killer known as the Yorkshire Ripper. There's a kind of local hysteria at the time and Miv is drawn into it and begins to make lists of likely suspects from the local community, ticking them off one by one. Sharon who is slightly older follows but without quite the same conviction.

At the start of the book, the setting is described as overtly 'Yorkshire' and because the narrative is seen through the eyes of an 11 year old girl it is all a bit simplistic and as childish as you might expect. At times, the way she behaves and the way members of the community behave is not really convincing but it gets better.

The way the two girls are growing up is well portrayed as are the difficulties of making sense of an adult world. In the end, Miv finds out more about herself and her family even as the Ripper is arrested. It's a good story but needs a certain willingness to suspend belief and to enjoy the ride.

Junior sleuths have always been a mainstay in children’s fiction, from the crime-busting gang in all-time German classic “Emil And The Detectives”(1929) to Enid Blyton’s “Famous Five” who are referenced in this novel. They are also a significant force in adult fiction from Mark Haddon’s modern classic “The Curious Incident Of The Dog At Nightime” (2003), Joanna Cannon’s “Trouble With Goats And Sheep” (2014), Alan Bradleys’ Flavia De Luce series, the impressive urban Indian tale “Djinn Patrol On The Purple Line” by Deepa Anaparra (2020) and certainly not forgetting Catherine O’Flynn’s ten year old detective Kate in the outstanding “What Was Lost” (2007) for me pretty much a benchmark for this type of novel. There’s countless others I could add to this list because there is much appeal in the adolescent viewpoint of the adult world and adding to that list meet Miv, the twelve year old main character in this solid debut novel.
This sparky heroine is pitched against real life crime, the Yorkshire Ripper, and it begins in 1979. Seeing the concerns of adults and worried if the events will drive her family from her home environment and away from best friend Sharon the girls hatch a plan to discover the identity of the Yorkshire Ripper themselves and use a notebook to record individuals who arouse their suspicions in their neighbourhood. This is a fascinating premise- the reader can see the potential in this plot immediately.
And it is done well. Miv’s first person narrative is interspersed with third-person viewpoints of characters who at some point appear on Miv’s list. I must admit these switches from first to third person jar a little but it gives a valuable perspective on the youngster’s misconstruing of events. As a character, Miv is great, on the cusp of entry into the adult world of secrets and things that should not be talked about exemplified by the difficult situation within her own family. Early on, there’s some incidental moments which really get the feel of the times, the school playground Kiss Chase is replaced by a dark playground chase game because of the Ripper killings. For me, it is when the novel settles into the sleuthing that it comes to feel a little one-note and I’m not sure I totally bought into the Yorkshire depicted by the author and there were a couple of questionable motives behind actions. The darker territory the novel hovers around -the Ripper’s crimes, racial tensions and mental health issues didn’t always meld smoothly with Miv’s tale and I am aware that we are seeing much from the child’s viewpoint but I think if the darkness was a little darker and the lightness lighter we would have had something outstanding.
I certainly enjoyed this and it will win many fans and I think it would be a splendid book group choice as the setting and premise of the novel will provide much discussion. I’m not sure, despite twists towards the end which I certainly didn’t see coming if this will continue to resonate in the way that some of the young detective novels I mentioned at the top of this review do.
The List Of Suspicious Things is published by Hutchinson Heinemann on 15th February 2024. Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the advance review copy.

The story is set in Yorkshire in the 70s at the time of the Yorkshire Ripper killings. Miv is worried her father might want to move away because of this, so she decides to try to solve the mystery herself by making a list of anyone who is acting suspiciously.
It’s related from her point of view as an 11 year old and draws you, convincingly, into her friendships and how she sees the world.
The author gets the descriptions of the era just right even describing a brown carpet with orange swirls and some yellow, which sounds just the same as the one we (and lots of others) had at that time.

I thought this book would be a harrowing read, but although there were some emotional parts, it is very well written. Thank you for the ARC,

An absolutely superb debut from Jennie Godfrey, from the perspective of a you g girl Miv, growing up in Yoirkshire during the murders of the Yorkshire Ripper. Miv becomes obsessed with discovering the culprit and manages to unearth sinister secrets in her neighbourhood. There is innocence in her perspective touched with a lightness and humour, despite some of the dark experiences touching her life, like the rampant racism directed at her friend Ishtiaq and hus father, and the uncomfortable tickling forced on her fellow choir friends from an "uncle" serving squash, her mum's mental health decline, and witnessing domestic violence, and aggressiveness. A wonderfully woven story that sees justice to the historical accuracy of the original crimes. #thelistofsuspiciousthings #jenniegodfrey #penguin #netgalley

Lovely book. Truly great read on so many levels, back to Yorkshire in the 70's/80's, childhood friendships, the Yorkshire ripper, the rise of the national front and the affect that had on people as well as complex relationships.
Miv and Sharon make a list of suspicious things and people to try and solve the mystery of the Ripper which takes them in many directions, making new friendships as well as tragedy. It really is a multi layered book and well worth a read. Astonishing that this is a debut novel, I'll definitely be looking out for Jennie Godfrey's next books.

I’ll admit that I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. I’m not one for reading grisly crime stories, but the synopsis suggested that there was much more to this book than that. I’m so glad I decided to give it a try.

Set in the late 1970’s, the story follows young Miv and her best friend Sharon as they navigate growing up under the shadow of the Yorkshire Ripper and the rise of the National Front. Wanting to help her local community, Miv decides to start looking for clues about who around them could be the Ripper. She starts to notice things hiding in plain sight that point to other problems people are living with in their day to day lives. Through these ‘investigatations’ we slowly uncover a cast of characters that will play a pivotal role in Miv and Sharon’s live, bringing together a community cowered by fear of a serial killer in their midst,

Essentially a story about the power of friendship, love and compassion, there is a definitely a dark side to this ambitious debut novel. Exploring themes of sexual abuse, domestic abuse and racism, there’s plenty in here that makes this as less than easy read. But Godfrey does a brilliant job of telling the story in a sensitive and honest way. The characters are all so well written that they feel like real people, and their reactions to the situations that they find themselves in are all wholly believable.

It might seem like an odd thing to say given the subject matter, but there’s a real heart to this book. I felt so deeply the things the characters experience that it’s quite a moving book. I thoroughly enjoyed The List of Suspicious Things and would definitely recommend it.

Heartwrenching, brave and unexpected. I'll be recommending this to everyone I know! It's such a unique look at the Yorkshire Ripper case, harrowing and dark in places but with an ultimately uplifting theme. I'll be looking out for more titles from such a talented writer.

Set in Yorkshire when the Yorkshire Ripper was at large, racial tensions high , Miv a young girl and her friend Sharon try to track down the Ripper, using a list of suspicious things about individuals.

They befriend a young boy from Bradford who lives with his Pakistani father running a corner shop after his mother died.

The book reminds us of how things were in the 1970's a less tolerant society, the scary news of the Ripper and how we relied on the TV and newspapers for our knowledge of what was happening around us.

A heartwarming story of growing up during those times, with humour, love and sadly tragic consequences.

A coming of age story during a time of political upheaval and the hunt for a serial killer. I was a teenager at the time so remember vividly the culture, Mrs Thatchers rise to power and the terrible crimes of the Yorkshire Ripper The author evokes very well the atmosphere of the period.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. Set in the 1970's in Yorkshire this is the story of friendship and family, it had such wonderful characters and a great story, it will stay with me for a long time and I will be recommending it to everyone I know.

This book has just transported me back in time to my preteens and early teens growing up in Stanningley, Pudsey, West Yorkshire. It felt like in many ways I was literally in the pages of the book with Miv and Sharon. I was the mousy brown haired skinny girl and my best friend the blonde Sharon. I was obsessed with mysteries and The Secret Seven, always suspecting our neighbours were up to something and spying from our garden shed, our club house. But we were never as brave as Miv. Just like Miv I remember not really fully understanding the gravity of the situation at first and all the hushed talking around us. Then school closing early and my neighbour who was at high school having to walk a girl home so she’d get home safe, all the boys had to. Then starting high school at 13 having much more understanding and all us us carrying our rape alarms in our school bags and walking home on the white lines in the middle of the road in the dark after netball. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end just typing this.
Jennie Godfrey has absolutely nailed this story. The innocence and naivety of Miv and Sharon at the start of their investigations is absolutely how we were back then. The way they matured is such an accurate portrayal of how we did, gradually picking up on things we overheard and piecing everything together until it started to become clear. And not just the Ripper storyline, but all the other threads and issues running through the book. Everyone knew what was happening around them and yet nobody addressed it head on like they would today. That was just how it was back then. Such a powerful way to convey all of this through the eyes of Miv. I sobbed my heart out at the end and felt totally bereft leaving Miv.
This truly is an incredible debut novel and it deserves all the praise and all the stars. I think it’s set to be the book that stays with me this year and takes my number one spot.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Cornerstone, Penguin Random House UK for an arc in exchange for a review.

Wow. I loved this book so much. Set in the 1970’s in Yorkshire, the Ripper murders provide the background for an utterly engrossing story about a young girl named Miv. In order to avoid being uprooted and moved down south, away from her beloved best friend Sharon, Miv decides to find the Ripper so she can stay.
Firstly the Ripper murders while important and well handled, are only a part of this novel. The novel is really a masterclass in family, friendship, community, tolerance (or lack thereof) and growing up. The perspective of Miv, a young girl trying to understand an increasingly adult world is really well done. The nostalgia is strong, as the 1970’s are brought to life so well. Anyone that attended an average secondary school in the 70’s, 80’s or 90’s will relate to a lot here! I loved how the viewpoints were mixed so we heard from the adults in Miv’s life as well. The story builds cleverly and I loved how the characters lives overlapped. It’s quite a long book and yet it seemed to fly by, I really couldn’t put it down. I’ll recommend it to everyone I can. If you love writers like Joanna Cannon, you’ll enjoy this one. Thank you to the Publisher for the chance to read this one early. It’ll take some beating as my book of the year.

The List of Suspicious Things - Jennie Godfrey

What does a 11 year old do when the news of a serial killer on the loose threatens to displace her family? Try to catch the perp of course!
This is a brilliant debut novel set in the times of the Yorkshire ripper. Miv starts a list of suspicious things in an attempt to catch the killer. What she does come across is fault lines in her closely knit community papered over and over again because heaven forbid someone chooses to not confide to the societal norms. Topics like Racism, domestic violence and mental health are handled with such care and all the characters seem so well fleshed out with their own convincing imperfections. The author does a brilliant job of switching the tone of the narrative between the 11 year olds and the adults and you feel like she could’ve written this book from anyone’s perspective.
Though the Yorkshire rippers sets the perfect backdrop to this story, what it really is about is the lives of ordinary folk in small towns and how everyone has their own demons to conquer and find the strength to carry on. An absolute soul warmer, I highly recommend you get yourself a copy when its out in two weeks.
Thank you to Netgalley and Hutchinson for the ARC.

I’ve been seeing this book everywhere so while I initially thought it wasn’t for me I thought I’d better give it a go! I was quickly drawn into 11 year old Miv’s world and realised that all the good reviews were right. It’s got such warmth and heart, despite the serious topics covered and will leave me thinking about it for some time.

Thank you to netgalley for the arc.

This was a cute story about horrible things, I saw some of myself in Miv. But while it's not totally unbelievable, the amount of horrible things that happen to the same tiny group of people in such a short time was a little bit Hollyoaks at times?

This book is beautiful written and drew me in straight away. I was born in the 70's and was too young to remember the Yorkshire Ripper but have watched many documentaries about this time and the dear of women in particular at that time. A truly magnificent debut novel that deals with serious issues in a sensitive way . A truly nostalgic read about a difficult part in Yorkshire's history. This definitely is at the top of my best books read so far this year.

This book will stay with me forever. Emotions that I did not even know that I had surfaced. A brilliant well written book.

Wow wow wow. All the rave reviews are worth it, Jennie Godfrey has written something so wonderfully captivating and real.

The 1970s childhood feel is perfectly pitched, Miv’s childhood felt familiar and real. The nastier 1970s elements- the racism, the domestic violence, the vicious teachers doling out beatings with no comeback- note perfect.

Miv’s obsession with the Yorkshire Ripper - again, spot on. The pre-teenage fixation with an issue - and the feeling that Miv might be the one to crack it, with no thought of any consequences, was skilfully written and utterly understandable.

There are already 100s of reviews telling you to read this book - here’s one more! It’s going to be massive and you don’t want to miss it.