The List of Suspicious Things by Jenny Godfrey is a story of a community in Yorkshire, at the time of the Yorkshire Ripper murders and the era of Margaret Thatcher in government. Miv and Sharon are friends and walk together to school, they are young naive girls on the brink of puberty. Miv decides she wants to find the Yorkshire Ripper and enlists Sharon’s assistance.
The events that follow are mesmerising to read and wonder at how young both girls really were. So whilst they don’t track down the Yorkshire Ripper, they do get involved in other serious incidents and one tragedy. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, the characters were very believable and the storyline was at times very funny and entertaining and other times incredibly sad.
Highly recommended

What an absolutely terrific debut, I'll definitely be looking out for future Jennie Godfrey books. It shows the fear and uncertainity of the Yorkshire Ripper time through the eyes of two kids who think they can get to the bottom of it. That made me go into it feeling like it was more of a mystery angle. In fact it has much to say about community, friendship, racism, abuse, mental health and more.

Through each of the people Miv and Sharon investigate, we build a picture of a frightened community trying to get by. A heartwrenching looking at childhood and starting to become aware of the world around you.

I loved this book-the writer has perfectly captured the voice of an 11 year old,girl,growing up in Yorkshire in 1979, when the Yorkshire Ripper murders terrified everyone living there.It’s hard now to remember the effect this had on women,but the writer has written an original ,captivating story about Miv and her best friend Sharon,who decide that they should try to find the Ripper by listing all the suspicious events and people in their local community and trying to investigate them.
This leads them into all sorts of situations ,some funny but many less so ,and the book covers racism ,domestic abuse and violence as well as more lighthearted moments.
There are moments of real tragedy and it’s a thought provoking read,but I loved it and I look forward to the author’s next book.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review which reflects my own opinion.

I really loved this book which is nothing short of brilliant. I literally could not put it down. It focuses on a Yorkshire community and two girls whose friendship is at the heart of the story. Put all this together with a backdrop of the Yorkshire Ripper murders and racist events and you just have to keep reading to find out what's going to happen next. Can't wait to read more by this author.

This was an interesting story, fictional characters based around actual occurences. Some good characters and an fascinating storyline, identifying suprising naivety of the girls and how dangerous was what they were doing, could have been. A very emotive story with a good conclusion.

Pulls you in immediately. A difficult subject. Set in the time when the Yorkshire Ripper was at large.
The characters are great.
Terrific debut novel.

I enjoyed this so much - it was just the right about of lighthearted and dramatic. Not an easy subject to tackle, but very clever to show the concern about the Ripper through a young girl's eyes. The author's depiction of the community really brought its characters to life and made me care about them.

Gauche 11-year-old Miv and her angelic-looking bezzie Sharon decide to track down the Yorkshire Ripper.
It’s grim up north, early Thatcher era, all rain-soaked dour landscape of abandoned mills and cobbles.
This story packs a lot in: grief, bullying, mental health, death, domestic violence, divorce, alcoholism, prostitution, murder, xenophobia, suicide, and paedophilia. Normally, I would scoff at “topic sardines” books, but this is different. Miv, whilst being her 11-year-old naïve self and often getting the wrong end of the stick or not graspng the full impact of what she witnesses, is an excellent narrator. Against the foil of her pretty friend and with a cast of neighbours, this plot becomes a well-rounded, engrossing story that brings the 70s to life.

The List of Suspicious Things is a brilliantly engaging, character-driven novel set in Yorkshire in the late 1970s, when the Yorkshire Ripper was terrorising the area. Miv is a young, shy girl living with her aunt and father, as her mother has died, and worrying that her father wants them to move away from her hometown and, more importantly, away from her best friend Sharon. She decides that this can be avoided if the Yorkshire Ripper, who she’s seen dominating the news, is caught. So she persuades Sharon to start making a list of people they know who could be the serial killer, and in doing so finds out a lot about people in their local community.

I loved the characters in this novel – it really took this book to another level. They all felt realistic and the fact we move between different characters’ perspectives added an extra element that I really enjoyed. I was rooting for lovely shopkeeper Mr Bashir and his son, and I felt SUCH anger reading about the abuse they and other characters suffered. Seeing some of the story through Miv’s eyes is charming and gives us an insight into what things must have been like for a young girl, though sometimes it could be a little fustrating – especially we recognise things for what they are but she doesn’t.

The book addresses a range of issues, many of which are serious, but all are handled very well. I found the racist and physical abuse of some characters particularly hard to read about, and some emotional bits caught me off guard – but also light relief in some of Miv’s outlook on life.

I’m finding it hard to properly review this book because it is hard to sum up – it’s a brilliant debut with fresh, enjoyable writing. I would read anything else released by this author.

This is a really lovely coming of age story about 11-year-old Miv, which is skilfully told. Her home life is not the best, with a mother who seems to have lost interest in life and occasionally has to spend time in hospital, and a father who is struggling to cope.

To make matters worse, her mother's inexplicable illness has resulted in Miv's Auntie Jean moving in with them. And Auntie Jean comes with a lot of baggage - not least her ideas about "a woman's place". At a time when Margaret Thatcher has recently come into power, there are clearly radical differences of opinion in Britain about where a woman's place actually lies!

In fact, the only two things that the Yorkshire folk who make up Miv's social surroundings seem to be in agreement on is that Thatcher (subsequently known as the "milk snatcher") coming to power will likely lead to problems in the Yorkshire mills and mines, and also that the emergence of the Yorkshire Ripper is bad news for everyone - even if it is primarily young women that he's targeting with his murderous attentions.

When Miv overhears her father and aunt talking about the possibility of leaving Yorkshire in a conversation where they also discuss the killings committed by the Ripper, she is terrified at the prospect of losing her friend Sharon, who makes up the other half of their fondly named duo, the "Terrible Twosome".

Obviously, the only thing to be done is for Miv and Sharon to catch the Ripper themselves so that there will be no more talk of Miv's family moving South.

How? Well, they could start by making a list of suspicious things...

This is an evocative and often tender framing of the late seventies in the north of Britain, which will have great resonance for those who have lived through that era. I was a student at the London School of Economics nearly a decade later, and remember how shocking the social changes that followed Thatcher's ascension in 1979 felt to me.

Miv is as endearing as an MC as she is relatable, and her friendship with Sharon and with the newsagent's family is beautifully rendered. There is also a very clever and rather unexpected tie-in at the end which addresses her mother's health issues.

Among the issues covered in the book are social change, racism, sexism, and the search for a serial killer. This is a novel I highly recommend as an absorbing read, especially for those who enjoy coming of age stories.

An interesting concept. Having lived through the era worrying about my best friend at Uni in Yorkshire, I was uncomfortable with the story line. Well written, but not for me.

Wow what an outstanding debut book by the author , you need to read this book and wish the author all the best with this book and can see this book being on bestsellers list

This book st in 1970 in Yorkshire whilst the Yorkshire ripper murders are carried out

This book will keep you on your seat but also about family and friends and community

Many thanks to Netgalley and Publisher for sending me arc of this book in exchange for this review

A vivid description of the 70's, both from the swirling bright colours of clothing, carpets and furniture and the deprivation, racism and politics.
The friendships between Miv, Sharon and Ishtiaq are lovely and depict the utter boredom of the long summer holidays and the desperation to find something to do- in this case to solve the mystery of the Yorkshire ripper!

Uncovering many secrets of the street and surrounding area the girls and their list of suspicious things takes them into danger more than once.
A great read.

The List of Suspicious things had me straight away, pulling me into the lives of young people in the 70s. It isn't a story that leaves you unsettled, you only experience the second hand concern and general community worry. The landscape of 1970s northern Britain is done so well I felt as if I had stepped back in time, so much so that I felt a sense of loss when I turned the last page. Take me back to this book, I would like to live inside it for a time, despite the social attitudes surrounding the good people contained inside its pages.

Miv and Sharon are growing and changing and the world around them is unfair and wrong yet they keep going, especially Miv, her determination to uncover the truth helping reveal the stories of many of the other locals for us. Great book, I felt nestled comfortably within its pages. Gosh I did not expect that at the end. I felt a growing sense of concern as the pace picked up and I felt a definite unease but a sudden twist had my heart wrenched from me.

The message that it's absolutely possible to go through the worst thing possible and re-emerge from it was a powerful one.

Not long after that, as the story drew to a close, a wonderful balance happened and I was brought to tears.

I felt the addition of the very final section was respectful also.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the copy of this book, I leave my honest and content review for The List of Suspicious Things - so much nostalgia in this landscape that I could sink happily in and resent my inevitable re-emergence!

Living in Yorkshire at the height of jack the rippers killing spree 12 year old miv and her friend Sharon decide to investigate.
Without any arrests by the police they look at people in their own neighbourhood.
Making friends, blurring class and racial lines we as the reader meet the people behind the stereotypes. Mental illness, discrimination, spousal abuse and family breakup are all seen in the community but through the young girls eyes and perceptions.
A very real and honest book. Certainly made me think. I enjoyed it

The most heartwarming and gorgeous story about what it means to be kind and good in this world. I adored every page. Will be recommending forever.

It’s 1979 and the Yorkshire Ripper is still at large. Miv, a child living in the local community, decides to investigate herself and with the help from best friend, Sharon, starts a list of all the suspicious things that could be linked to him.

This was such an incredible debut. The narrative, although bleak in parts, was captivating and compelling. The story explores dark themes and issues faced in local communities and manages to do so in such an expert way, really allowing the reader to feel as though they are a part of these scenes and feel real emotion and empathy. The characters are all so well written and the relationships between them feel authentic. I actually found myself crying at some parts, which does not happen often. I enjoyed how everything threads together and the nostalgia the story evokes. This is definitely a book that will stay with me and that I will recommend. If the author’s debut is this astounding, I can’t wait to see what she writes next. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this copy in return for an honest review.

This book is different from anything I’ve read recently and I really loved it. I really enjoyed the nostalgic feel to this book. The setting and time period are described perfectly to really immerse you in the story and transport you away when reading this. This book is a beautifully written debut and is sure to be a popular one with lots of different readers.

I enjoyed this so much!
I enjoy reading stories where the main character is slightly different and Miv is definitely this.
Set within the backdrop of the Yorkshire ripper murders, 12 year old Miv and her friend Sharon set about trying to find the ripper by writing their ‘list of suspicious things’. Whilst writing it they accidentally find out other comings and goings of their town.

It turns into a story about communities (the good and the bad), friendships and love, whilst naming and remembering the victims of the Yorkshire Ripper.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers Cornerstone Penguin Random House for my eARC

A beautifully written debut about a young girl growing up in Yorkshire a few years before I did. Loved the historical details alongside the story. This was an emotional read in so many ways and one I’ve seen many glowing reviews for. Not an easy read in places but thought provoking and interesting