Full of poignant coming of age moments with just enough mystery to keep you guessing. From the perspective of a very perceptive but innocent child, you'll experience some dark moments.

'What on earth are you on about?' she said. 'How are we going to catch the Yorkshire Ripper, when the police haven't even managed to?'

Oh but I loved this story.
Our hero is struggling, and life seems very out of control. So she and her friend create a list of people in their local community who could be the Yorkshire Ripper.
This list leads them to meet and interact with different people. Sometimes this ends well, other times not at all.
This is a story of young people, growing up, of sadness, of terrible terrible violence but also of love and friendship.
Like nothing I have ever read before.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC

This book is set during the Yorkshire Ripper’s reign of terror and follows Miv as she compiles a list of suspects with her friend Sharon.

This book has an interesting mix of childhood innocence and the dark side of real-world horrors, and also an atmospheric and poignant mystery that touches on some tough themes like racism, domestic violence, and mental health. (Check your TWs)

Overall, it’s a really engaging read with great writing and storytelling.

Who doesn’t know about the ripper and the terror he reigned over Yorkshire in 1979. Well Miv wants to discover who the ripper is so begins to make her lists is suspicious things. She would never have believed how much making the list would change her life.
The story is told through the eyes on teenager Miv and the adults around her. A real eye opener into what life would have been like. Story focuses on important issues such as domestic violence, racism, mental health and divorce. A real insight into how these and how the ripper effected both young and old. I really enjoyed this story.

I read this book in a day so compelled was I by Miv's investigation. I loved the writing style with the list interspersed throughout the text and each item being investigated.

I also loved the cast of characters were got chapters from the perspective of and wanted to see how each storyline tied up at the end.

Although I expected this book to tackle difficult subjects the way the story was told with so much implied based on a child's interpretation was extremely well done. There were many heavy topics dealt with throughout the story with Miv uncovering far more than she expected with her list of Suspicious Things.

I would highly recommend this book to readers who like mysteries but recommend checking the trigger warnings before beginning.

Jennie Godfrey’s debut novel, “The List of Suspicious Things,” is a captivating coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of 1979 Yorkshire. The narrative follows 12-year-old Miv as she and her best friend Sharon embark on a mission to catch the Yorkshire Ripper, hoping to prevent Miv’s family from moving away.
Godfrey masterfully weaves together themes of friendship, family, and community, creating a rich tapestry of life in a small Yorkshire town. The author’s vivid prose and attention to period details transport readers back to the late 1970s, evoking a strong sense of nostalgia.
What starts as an innocent investigation soon uncovers deeper truths about the adults in their lives, leading to a poignant exploration of loss of innocence. Godfrey handles sensitive subjects with compassion and honesty, making this novel both heartwarming and thought-provoking.
“The List of Suspicious Things” is a remarkable debut that will leave readers reflecting long after the final page.

One of the best books I have read in years. The story of Miv is emotional, intriguing, humorous at times - literally everything you child want in a novel. This is a big book, but not one to be afraid of.

Miv's family seems to be falling apart. Her dad wants to move the family *down south*, partly due to the Yorkshire Ripper murders. Miv convinces her best friend that they need to solve the mystery themselves so that they can stay in Yorkshire.

This tale covers everything - racism, murder, mental health issues, you name it, it's in here. However, it is such a beautifully written and emotional novel. Do yourself a favour. Read it now

I enjoyed this book to a degree, but did find it very slow to progress..I thought the writing and plot development of the last third of the book was brilliant.

What a totally wonderfully brilliant book. I loved it from start to finish and was drawn in to the story and the lives of the characters straight away. Beautifully written with wit and humour and greatly observed characters. Totally recommend.

This was a page-turning read! As an adult that grew up in the period that it is set I could totally imagine the world that Miv and Sharon grew up in. Luckily, I was further south, so the Yorkshire Ripper fever of this book was more removed for me - it was just a newspaper story; however, I loved how Godfrey uses it as a device to explore secrets, dangers and relationships of those growing up.

The relationships between the characters and their development are compelling to follow. I admired the innocence and naivety traced in these stories which leaves the girls in several difficult and vulnerable situations. Miv’s own family are struggling with personal relationship difficulties and it is clear that her dad does not know whether to shield his daughter from the truth or share some unpleasant secrets with her.

Miv thinks she is worldly and can solve a terrible crime more efficiently that the police - but actually this is more of a metaphor for growing up into adulthood.

This is a thought provoking read, which I enjoyed.

The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey immediately captivated me. Miv, a pre-teen navigating a difficult family life in 1979 Yorkshire, is an endearing character whose determination to catch the Yorkshire Ripper captivated me. What unfolds is a poignant coming-of-age story, exploring the power of friendship and community amidst the backdrop of fear and uncertainty.
Godfrey masterfully portrays a community grappling with social issues like domestic abuse, racism, and mental health, weaving a story that is both heartwarming and heartbreaking. I found myself drawn to the diverse cast of characters, each with their own compelling story. Miv's investigation, while central to the plot, takes a backseat to the exploration of these characters and their struggles.
The approach of giving multiple points of view can be a challenge for the reader, however I appreciated the insights they offered into the lives of the townspeople. This is a moving and evocative novel that will stay with me long after I finished the last page. I highly recommend it.

The List of Suspicious Things was not at all what I expected and I was utterly hooked and emotional reading it. It is hard to believe it is a debut novel. The theme of friendship was really well done and I really cared about the characters. I highly recommend this book and I can't wait to read what Jennie writes next. Thank you to netgalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Miv was a heart-warming narrator of a story that was both dark and heart-breaking, and yet warm and fuzzy at the same time. Miv and Sharon's innocent attempts to hunt down the Yorkshire Ripper is used to explore a community that is fractured, but through the cracks come streams of love and light as the community comes together to support each other. The realist portrayal of family and a community wrapped in a pseudo-mystery was a refreshing read. What genre to put it in apart from fiction is a little complicated, as it acts as both a tale of a community and a crime, but also of one girl's journey to understanding the world around her.

This was a compelling but unsettling coming of age novel which celebrates Yorkshire, friendship and the love of families, in all their messy forms. Miv is a pre-teen girl with a sad and fractured home life, just one friend and an obsession with finding the Yorkshire Ripper. His spectre looms over every part of the novel, but other plot events cover less sensational but equally disturbing situations: domestic and sexual abuse, suicide, racial prejudice, infidelity, alcoholism. All this creates a realistic but somewhat horrifying portrayal of childhood in the early 1980s, yet there's also a fond nostalgia and I loved the references to Hollie Hobbie and sticky sweet lip glosses, among others!

I do recommend this novel, but though nothing is explicit it is certainly unsettling.

Such a lovely book about friendship and relationships , intriguing and thrilling too.
I absolutely loved this book and have give. It to many friends as a gift.

I loved this book. Such relatable characters, I was completely absorbed with Miv and her world. Beautifully written, I loved how the various characters stories overlapped and weaved together. Some difficult themes very sensitively handled. A wonderful debut, certainly an author to look out for. Highly recommend.

This is such a beautiful and moving novel following a girl on the cusp of becoming a teenager against the backdrop of living in Yorkshire in 1979, with the looming terror of the Yorkshire Ripper. Miv is a great character, she's so kind and caring but being that she is young she doesn't always understand exactly what is going on, and the adults in her life keep things from her. Her mum is unwell but it's not made clear to Miv until later in the novel what is wrong with her and why her aunt is staying with them. Miv decides she, along with the help of her best friend, to try and figure out who the Ripper is. They find out lots of things along the way, and also have to deal with heartbreaks of their own. It feels like Miv is desperately trying to have control over something in her life whilst doing something good at the same time. I loved reading her story, she is a character that felt so real to me and she's one who will stay with me for a very long time to come. This is one of my favourite books of the year and I'll be recommending it to everyone!

I was lucky enough to meet the author when she visited the shop I was working in one day. We had a great chat especially about the Margaret Thatcher rhyme. I am slightly younger than the protagonist so wasn't really so aware of the Yorkshire ripper. I loved the layout of the story, the characters and the ending. Written in a very natural way I found it a gripping read.

A surprisingly heartfelt coming of age story set amongst the darker times of the killing spree of the Yorkshire Ripper.

At it's core The List of Suspicious Things is a story about an young girl navigating hard life changes (with her family, friends and community at large). Godfrey has created such a wonderfully endearing character in Miv, who's plucky attitude carries the main plot. As well as a diverse array of side characters. Each of which could have their own spin-off novel as well.

An impressive debut!

I absolutely loved The List of Suspicious Things! What a heartwarming and moving tale from start to finish. The characters were brilliantly drawn, the setting and time period was rich and well-wrought, and the story was intriguing. I'll definitely recommend this