Member Review

Jennie Godfrey’s “List Of Suspicious Things” was one of my “books of the year” when it was published so I was beyond excited to get hold of her new one- “The Barbecue At Number 9”.
It covers a similar time period but focuses on one day - July12th 1985- the day of the Live Aid concert.
It examines a number of characters all living in a small close, invited to a Live Aid barbecue at number 9. Arranged by Lydia and her husband Peter with teenager Hanna and her brother David. However Hanna and Peter have secrets that they don’t want anyone to know about. The story is told from Hanna’s point of view as well as that of Steve, a Falklands veteran suffering from post traumatic stress and Rita who has her own secrets which are gradually revealed during the course of the novel.
The characters were all well drawn and their lives reflected the times they lived in, the prejudices which were inherent in a society which existed 40 years ago. It made me think how much life has moved on in the twenty first century although some things do not change and people still have the same concerns they had then- fear of being different and worry about hurting loved ones to name but two.
I remember the day of Live Aid very well and I felt that the author succeeded in capturing the day and the love of the music which brought people together. The hot Summer of 1985 created the perfect setting for the book and even more apt was the fact it was the 40th anniversary of this event in 2025 and it has been in the news a lot - there has even been a musical written about it.
I definitely recommend this book as an atmospheric and well written novel which succeeds in capturing a particular moment in time.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.