The List of Suspicious Things

The List of Suspicious Things left a lump in my throat and a hole in my heart. I struggle to believe it’s a debut. It’s about so much more than the devastating time of the Yorkshire Ripper. It’s about friendship in the unlikeliest of places. It’s about the effects of racism and domestic abuse during the closed off world of the 1970s. It’s about two young girls trying to help catch a dangerous man.

I won’t be forgetting inquisitive Miv and her pals. It’s a touching tale, told beautifully.

I am pretty much the same age as Miv and grew up in the North during The Ripper (and Thatcher) era so a lot of the background information did bring back memories, this is a book I won’t forget for a while

I'd heard a lot about The List of Suspicious Things on social media and so was thrilled to get the opportunity to read it. It's set in Yorkshire in 1979, Margaret Thatcher is Prime Minister and women are living in fear of the Yorkshire Ripper. When 12 year old Miv's family begin to talk of moving down south, Miv, with the help of her best friend Sharon, is determined to find the Yorkshire Ripper so her family can remain in Yorkshire.

This is a beautifully written novel and the author brings the 1970s and the characters to life. Miv is a wonderful character and all the supporting characters are so well drawn. It covers topics such as mental health and racism with sensitivity and from the point of a view of a 12 year old in the 1970s. I was about the same age as Miv in the 1970s and even though I lived in the South West of the UK I can remember the sense of fear felt amongst myself and my friends when we heard the news coverage of the Yorkshire Ripper.

Jennie Godfrey is such a talented new voice in fiction, her writing is brave and unexpected and reminded me of Joanna Cannon. whose work I adore. A beautiful and emotional debut that I know will stay with me for a long time. Highly recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

In 1970s Yorkshire, when the actions of the Ripper brought fear into the lives of women, the police urged civilians to take a look at their neighbours and note down anything suspicious.

Something which 12 year old Miv embraces all too readily. Together with her best friend Sharon, they star taking a good, hard look at the lives of the people around them.

A superb look at childhood, at growing up, at starting to see the world around you. These characters really draw you into their world

A deceptively light book, "The List of Suspicious Things" by Jennie Godfrey is giving off serious Joanna Canon vibes, along with "Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine" and "What July Knew". If you like this style then I'd strongly recommend this stunning debut. Set in the late 1970s, Miv sets about trying to solve the Yorkshire Ripper case. A wonderful story about friendship with background hits of racism, abuse (child and domestic) and more. Don't let this put you off, it's told in such a great way. One to remember for years to come.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House for a copy of “ The List Of Suspicious Things” by Jennie Godfrey.

I’m roughly the same age as “Miv” the main character in this book , so this was a really nostalgic read for me , from small things such as the roll -on strawberry lip gloss to the terror that The Yorkshire Ripper brought to the nation.
Although I loved the book , it was not an easy read at times , dealing with the themes of racism, suicide and abuse. Alongside this it was heartwarming to see how different individuals came together as a community at times of crisis.
This was an amazing debut novel by Jennie Godfrey . It was so accomplished a book , with well written and believable characters , that you really grow to care for . I can’t wait to see what her second book will be.

This book is just fantastic. Most definitely in the running for my book of the year. Very nostalgic and brought a smile to my face with some of the remarks. The imagination of Miv and her friends is just so sweet. The story deals with some really serious issues but doesn't feel depressing in the slightest.

I have just finished The List of Suspicious Things and I just have one word - wonderful.
A beautiful story of friendship and coming of age, set during a time of apprehension and fear, and yet this always had love at its heart..
I cried sad and happy tears and happy tears reading to the end..
Some characters you will remember forever and Miv is right up there with Scout, Duchess Day Radley and Cassandra Mortmain for me.
Thank you to Hutchinson Henneman and Netgally for letting me read this - it was an absolute joy.

A really wonderful read. Beautifully written and very well constructed. I loved how the story unfolded. The two young girls trying to find the Yorkshire Ripper by keeping a list of their suspicions was a little scary at times.. It was a beautiful story of true friendship, love and a dreadful loss. The twists and turns made this a real page turner. I loved all the characters and liked how their stories unfolded. It just got better as I read it.

‘There’ll be trouble at t’mill’, there sure will Aunty Jean. It’s 1979 and Aunty Jean is in full flow about Margaret Thatcher being elected Prime Minister, she’s not happy about the “milk snatcher“, it’ll spell the end for Yorkshire that is if the Ripper doesn’t do that first, our own homegrown West Yorkshire bogeyman. Not that Miv entirely understands what’s going on, especially about his victims, after all, she’s only eleven but when 19-year-old building society clerk Josephine Whitaker from Halifax is killed, she takes more notice as she’s not that many years older than her. The dark cloud of the Ripper looms large over Yorkshire, especially to the west. When it’s mooted that Miv’s family may leave Yorkshire, cricket and all, she is determined to stay especially for her best friend Sharon. What if …. what if… she could solve the murders? So she starts to make a list of the suspicious things she notices around her and ropes Sharon into her investigation. This stunning debut is told over a period of about 2 to 3 years by Miv with alternating chapters from the adults around her, offering some illumination of sharp eyed Miv’s observations.

You know when you just know a book is going to be huge, that a talented new author has burst on the scene?? Well, here we have it. First of all, the characterisation is exemplary. I love Miv and she’s an unforgettable character and yes, you could say she’s obsessive but she’s only looking for distraction from difficulties at home. Miv has good instincts even if she doesn’t entirely understand what she sees which is certainly true at the start when her naivety is clear to see but not at the end. Her friendships are a thing of beauty especially with the lovely Sharon, the “Terrible Twosome” and their friendship is wonderful. It isn’t all plain sailing by any stretch as they witness some cruelty and meanness that beggars belief but sadly is all too believable. All the characters spring to life, even the ones you’d rather didn’t.

The hunt for the evil Yorkshire Ripper inevitably means there are some dark themes and the storyline also includes racism, bullying and some domestic violence too. It captures West Yorkshire to perfection especially in the context of the late 70’s and early ‘80’s with its derelict satanic mills of Blake’s poem, with its ghosts of the past, the attitudes and gossip of a small town with firmly entrenched views. You definitely feel the tension and fear of the hunt for Peter Sutcliffe, I was in Yorkshire at the time though not the West, but we all felt the fear. Yet, despite all the obvious darkness, there’s Miv, wonderful Miv. You watch her grow up and you just know she’s going to be a fine young woman and one you’d most certainly want to know.

This is a superb coming of age story cleverly entwined with the mystery of the identity of a serial killer, it’s a story of unbreakable friendships, a life that is better just for knowing that person and the strength we derive from them. It’s beautifully written and I will not deny I have tears rolling down my face at times, this book is truly an experience and one to savour. It isn’t hard to imagine this will be one of the smash hits of 2024. Highly recommended, obviously!!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House U.K., Hutchinson for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

There was something very special about this book which I can't quite put my finger on. Was it the juxtiposition of the naive voice of Miv, at 12 years old not quite understanding what the adults around her are all hiding? Was it the delightful, if slightly fraught, friendship with Sharon, Miv's anchor that kept the reader from falling knee deep into the horrors of the Yorkshire Ripper killings setting for this story? Was it for me, a child of the late 70s and early 80s, a reminiscence trip into territory that should have been a time of playing and joy and innocence but which was tarnished by the knowledge of how evil adults could be? Suddenly no longer allowed out after dark, adults reminding you that you must stay with friends at all times, tell people where you are going, The curtailing of freedoms, as some characters initially trapped, relinquish their shackles in the story is a piece of genius. Ultimately it is a story of community, empathy, growing up, and learning that nobody is quite what they seem, for better or for worse. I bloody loved it.

This is a wonderful book and I loved every line of it. The depiction of childhood love, friendship and growing up was beautifully and cleverly done by giving Miv's childish point of view (PoV) in one chapter followed by a chapter giving the PoV of the adult that she's been musing about. This was such an excellent way of progressing the story and giving a background to the violence, sexism and racism of the times which were hidden under the surface of family lives. All of this under the shadow of the Yorkshire ripper who was dominating the news with his horrific murders.

Miv's coming of age is beautifully described as she grows up gradually over the course of the book, her friendship with Sharon is beautiful, and the whole background of the late 70s and 80s is very accurately portrayed. It is a stunning book and perfect for a book club as there's so much to talk about, so many things to discuss. I couldn't recommend it more highly and it's five stars without a doubt.

I’ve wanted to read this book for a long time and was lucky enough to receive a copy from the publishers. Where do you start? First I’d like to say to the author, Jennie Godfrey that she written a book which is sure in years the years to come be a classic. A text used for schools as it covers so many subjects that children don’t fully understand, but are so aware of the grown ups and their reactions – In The List of Suspicious Things we have racial tension, mental health, alcoholism and child abuse, serious strands written from the perspective of Miv as she approaches her teens.

Jennie weaves the central theme, Miv and her best friend Sharon and their quest to find The Yorkshire Ripper, with beautiful language and an ease that lets you settle back and read. A born storyteller, Jennie introduces the reader to the central characters, all deftly drawn and as real as people in your own life. I loved so many of them, especially Helen the librarian, and Omar who ran the corner shop. The setting of a small industrial Yorkshire town is perhaps the biggest character of all, wrapping its inhabitants into pride in living there, and as the ripper’s crime toll grew, so did the fear. Familiar but long forgotten gems make you smile. Fruity lipgloss, phone boxes and coins, board games and food.

There are a multitude of emotions in this book, happy and sad. I felt myself smiling and wiping a tear (always the sign of a fantastic book), and all of it told with such authenticity and authority, a superb coming of age story.

This book is a total gem!

Set in Yorskhire during the late 70s/early 80s 12 year old Miv isn’t having an easy time. Not only is the Yorkshire Ripper on the loose but closer to home her mum is suffering from depression and is absent from her life & her dad is thinking of moving them away. To distract from her troubles and to feel useful and grown up, Miv and her friend Sharon embark on a quest to catch the Ripper and start to investigate people in the local community.

I thought this was such such a clever premise and it really is brilliantly executed. Through Miv & Sharons investigation, we meet the characters that make up the local community and learn of their troubles and secrets.

Jennie really can write characters and there are so many great ones in this book. From the main character Miv to Omar at the local shop to Yorkshire itself it was a pleasure to spend time with them all.

I grew up in a small town and there were so many of the ‘personalities’ I could identify with. Miv really stands out and is a character that will stay with me. Jennie perfectly captures the uncertainty and awkwardness of adolescence when you start to discover that adults are less than perfect and begin to understand a bit more about the world while still trying to figure out who you are and how to be.

There is a strong sense of place and time in the book and although I grew up a few years later than the setting, much of it was nostalgic - the games of Bulldog, the excitement of a new lip gloss and the anti Thatcher sentiment definitely very familiar. Also a time of innocence when children played freely in the streets but also an era where adults didn’t quite want to grasp just how dangerous characters like ‘Uncle’ Derek were.

TLOST is a truly wonderful read and one that I will be recommending far and wide.

Huge thanks to Hutchinson Heinemann & Netgalley for the chance to read an early copy.

I loved this book, such a wonderfully gentle look at the 80s through the eyes of people living through the rise of the National Front and the terrible fear of the Yorkshire Ripper. I was in my twenties and in London at this time, miles away from Sutcliffe, but I can still remember the terror women everywhere had that he would never be caught.
The storyline was ace, taking in teenage angst, and the many kinds of violence that surround us, some of it invisible until we are in the middle of it ourselves. The ending... oh, what an ending. Tears at bedtime.
Go read it if you can, so recommended.

Twelve-year-old Miv is poised on the brink of adolescence – a precarious and worrisome place for any girl to to be. But in the 1970s, when the Yorkshire Ripper haunts her dreams and her family life is fracturing around her, Miv's position feels particularly insecure. To bring some certainty back into her life – and ensure her family can stay in Yorkshire – she sets about compiling a list of suspects, determined to track down the Yorkshire Ripper. But beneath this Children's Film Foundation-worthy tale of a plucky daring-do, darkness lurks. And it's closer to home and more complicated than Miv realises.
The juxtaposition of Miv's innocence and her schoolgirl-diary delivery and the truths that she uncovers about the lives around lie at the bruised heart of this book. Soon, Miv and her best friend Sharon discover more than they bargained for – not about the Yorkshire Ripper, but about the grown-ups around them, who are troubled in all sorts of ways. As they scratch the surface of everyday life, brutal racism, domestic abuse, alcoholism, infidelity and misunderstood mental health issues emerge.
This is a beautifully written story of lost innocence that recalls the 1970s in all its grubby glory, yet still manages to evoke a poignant and fragile hope. Bravo.

This is a wonderful and complex story of two young girls living in Yorkshire at a time when the Ripper was tearing the county apart.
When they decide to investigate the Ripper themselves they end up finding out more than they'd anticipated about the people in their neighbourhood.

Told with empathy, tenderness and spectacular plotting, this story is a clever social study of a time that feels so different from our modern world, and yet spotlights issues that still trouble society now.

I cannot tell you how much I loved this book and how in awe I am of how cleverly and seamlessly it has been stitched together.

If this is a debut I can't wait to read more by this author.

I could probably write a list of why I thoroughly enjoyed this book: I'm from Yorkshire (not far from Dewsbury), I was around the same age as Miv when the Ripper terrorised the streets, I too had a pretty friend who boys were attracted but she wasn't as nice as Sharon so there the similarity ends. However the main reasons are the plot, the characters and the dialogue of this great first novel.

Jennie Godfrey has drawn on her own life to produce Miv, an immature, nervous little girl who is trying to deal with the unexplained withdrawal of her mother from her life, her father's increasingly worrying behaviour and having a best friend who she is desperate to keep (without knowing she doesn't have to try at all). But Miv is not the only totally believable character - from Mr Bashir who has lost his wide, moved from Bradford and is trying to deal with the NF element that is threatening his life and livelihood or Mrs Andrews whose charming and handsome husband, Gary, is not quite all he seems to much lesser characters like Jim whose Newcastle accent makes him a target for a while after the Wearside Jack tapes.

All of these events were blurry in my mind but as the book unfolds they came back to me with startling clarity. But this is not a book about The Yorkshire Ripper it is about the people in a small Yorkshire town dealing with their own demons be they the National Front, racism, the changing nature of the streets, alcoholism, domestic violence, mental health. Lift the rooves of any street and you'd find the same problems but Jennie Godfrey has given them a voice, made them real through the eyes of Miv, whose desire to catch the Ripper is sometimes funny, sometimes ridiculous and sometimes somewhat terrifying as she tries harder and harder to keep Sharon close and her family together.

I don't think I've done this book justice with this review. It us seldom dark despite the issues revealed. Miv is a wonderful vibrant character who positively bursts off the pages as do so many of Ms Godfrey's characters. I mentioned the dialogue earlier and that too rings true. It's an art writing believable dialogue and Ms Godfrey pulls it off with aplomb.

Highly recommended. It'll keep you spellbound to the end.

What a phenomenal piece of work. I loved Miv, Sharon, Ish, Austin, Aunty Jean and Mic’s mum.
Whilst this book is set around the toe of the Yorkshire Ripper, his crimes aren’t glorified, his victims are remembered.
Yorkshire is a character all by itself and lends itself really well to the story.
There’s something infinitely soothing and special about the Yorkshire accent and people.
I think Miv was my favourite character though, I too, love chip scraps - the first place I ever tried them was in Filey in 2017. We don’t tend to have chip scraps in the land locked East Midlands.
Jennie has written a fantastic book and I was gripped from the start. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers #Netgalley

Set against the story of the Yorkshire Ripper, The List of Suspicious Things is an absorbing and emotional read that manages a perfect balance of quirky and tender. I absolutely loved it

Thank you for the advanced copy.

OMG what can I say, where do I start. This is one of the best books I have read in a long time, it has left it's mark and truly touched me.
Set in the 1970s - Yorkshire Ripper and Margaret Thatcher and is about two young girls, one is called Miv and you are drawn into their world.

Well written, what an amazing debut.

Cannot recommend this highly enough