"The List of Suspicious Things" by Jennie Godfrey is a heartwarming tale of growth and discovery, centered around the power of family, friendship, and community. Within the intricately woven plot lies the captivating mystery of a serial killer's identity.

Skillfully addressing themes of discrimination, gender inequality, and violence, the author navigates these sensitive issues with compassion and grace. This tender and poignant coming-of-age narrative resonates with readers of all ages, allowing us to perceive the world through the eyes of a twelve-year-old girl.

Set in the quaint Yorkshire town amidst the gripping presence of the notorious Yorkshire Ripper, the story follows two young girls on the cusp of adolescence as they embark on a mission to uncover the truth and restore safety to their community.

This remarkable debut novel showcases the author's immense talent for storytelling. Delicately depicting the struggles of the main character Miv, who grapples with personal challenges and the complexities of growing up, we witness her steadfast determination to preserve the comforting facets of her childhood. Through its exploration of various social issues, the book masterfully exposes the pervasive dangers present in our society, whether it be racism, domestic violence, or the safety of women.

The novel also pays homage to the victims of the Yorkshire Ripper, treating their memories with utmost respect and dignity, refusing to exploit their tragedy for plot purposes.

"The List of Suspicious Things" is an extraordinary piece of literature that captivates and inspires.

I wholeheartedly recommend it to readers seeking an insightful and evocative story.

This is such a beautifully written book. Reading about the time of the Yorkshire ripper through the eyes of a 12 year old girl. All the taboos that were not talked about in the 70s. I’m amazed that this is a debut novel, it is so very good.

This is one of the best books I have read in a very long time.

The setting is a small, post industrial town in Yorkshire and the Yorkshire Ripper is striking fear into the hearts of the whole community. The main characters are two young girls just heading towards the teens who decide to look more closely at those in their community to see if they can help find the Ripper and help everyone feel safer again.

It's very hard to believe this is a debut novel, it's so beautifully written. The main character is suffering through troubles at home and struggling to cope with growing up, especially as she's maturing at a different rate to her best friend - instead, she's trying hard to hold onto all the parts of her childhood that helped her feel safe. The book deals with so many sensitive issues but they are all handled so carefully. The girls fear the impact the Ripper is having on their lives but as we look more closely at the community we see danger is ever present in many lives, whether through racism, domestic violence or the safety of women in general at all times (women discussing it together in the kitchen "Men. It should be bloody men who shouldn't be out after dark, not women. We're not the bloody murderers.")

The sense of time and place in the novel is absolutely perfect (I was born in the early 1970s) and so many lines really resonated with me e.g. the two girls meeting up in the morning to go to school "We picked up our conversation from the day before almost midsentence, as though it had never been interrupted" or the freedom children enjoyed growing up at the time "At present a serial murderer was routinely killing young women and we walked to school alone. These two facts existed in splendid isolation."

The book is also very respectful - the Yorkshire Ripper is the background but the women he killed are remembered and treated with dignity and never used as just a plot device. Honestly, it's phenomenal and I can't recommend it highly enough,

Thanks to NetGalley for the copy in return for an honest review.

#TheListofSuspiciousThings #NetGalley

A truly wonderful debut that is deceptively simple while serving up a narrative that encompasses racial tensions, a serial killer, mental health, loss and love. Miv is the most engaging protagonist, on a mission to uncover the Yorkshire ripper and on the way discovering herself, her friends and her family. Its no mean feat to have a 12 year old narrator capture your heart and draw you in without being twee. The setting, the decade, the characters - all are conveyed so well you truly believe you are with her throughout. Highly recommend.

I found the start of this book a little childish but persevered and glad I did. Set in the late 1970's in a small town in Yorkshire. Two 12 year old girls who are best friends, decide to try and catch the Yorkshire Ripper by looking closely at anyone fitting the description and acting suspiciously. All written down in their notebook. The story expands to include everybody in their immediate vicinity.
It's a bit like an Enid Blyton book but more adult. Did I enjoy it? Yes definitely.

It's the late 70's and Miv is a preteen growing up in West Yorkshire with her Mum, Dad and Auntie. It's not a happy family situation with her Mum severely depressed and in need of regular hospital stays. She has her friend Sharon and together they decide to find the Yorkshire ripper.
This isn't really what this book is about though. It about friendships, family and growing up, which is never easy and especially hard for Miv. I loved her character she had so much to cope with but she was such a strong character. I had total respect for her. This book was very impressive for a debut and I can see great things in store for the author. I will definitely be reading her next novel.

The List of Suspicious Things is my book of the year so far and it will take some beating. The central characters, Miv and Sharon, set out on a patently absurd quest to catch the Yorkshire Ripper. We know they won’t but their tangled reasoning appears so logical to them that we are carried along with them. They are beautiful counterpoints to one another – Miv, instigator of the harebrained schemes in an effort to stop her family from leaving Yorkshire, and Sharon, beautiful, well-off, more stable than Miv but intensely loyal to her.
It’s a densely populated book with many interwoven issues – racism, sexism, brutality – all deftly handled by the author as the tension slowly builds towards a heartrending conclusion.
I was supplied with an ARC in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Set in Yorkshire in 1979 Miv and Sharon are on the trail of the Yorkshire Ripper ... but are also facing life as school children, the challenges of growing up, and the societal changes and challenges of the time. The characters are vivid and engaging - allowing the story to touch on mental health, racism, domestic abuse and child abuse in ways that flow naturally into the lives of the area (and not shoehorned in). Yet through it all it shows the power of community and relationships.

This is a novel that requires another read - and I rarely do that. After a first read it feels like it's got the possibility to be a powerful text encapsulating its time and place.

Thanks to Netgalley and publishers, Cornerstone, for an advance copy

I’ve just read the last 40% of this book in one go as I literally couldn’t put it down. The setting, in time and place, stood out as a real strength of the book; as a northerner growing up at a similar time to Miv, I really enjoyed the authenticity of the characters and dialogue. The story wrung my emotions, especially the shocking ending which I hadn’t expected. This is one of those delightful ‘quiet’ books that have a huge impact and linger long in the memory. Loved it!

Absolutely superb! Such a unique, beautifully constructed storyline. An undoubted debut success. An author to watch who is definitely places!

This is the story of Miv. Set in the late 70’s Miv’s family is struggling. Miv’s mum spends all her time in her room and doesn’t interact with her family. Miv’s aunt has moved in to help out the family. Miv’s dad Austin is trying to hold everything together. When the Yorkshire Ripper starts murdering girls in the area Miv’s dad and aunt decide it might be time to move out the area altogether. Miv doesn’t want to leave her best friend Sharon so she decides that herself and Sharon are going to do the one thing that the police can’t which is to catch the Yorkshire Ripper.

I found this book really interesting as I was a bit younger at the time and had the same thought about trying to catch him. This book covers the issues of racism, sexism and mental illness.

This was practically the perfect read for me. I'm a similar age to the protagonist and grew up in the north of England (Lancashire, rather than Yorkshire... sorry) so had many of the same reference points - the election of Margaret Thatcher, the reign of terror of the Yorkshire Ripper (which did extend across the border), the casual racism and National Front graffiti. All this was so incredibly relatable for me, right down to the boys playing "Ripper chase".

For twelve year old Miv, life at home has lately taken a considerable turn for the worse, for reasons she can't fully understand - her previously loving mum has, it seems, more or less checked out of normal life.

She's kept afloat by her dad, the gruff affection of Auntie Jean, and most especially by best friend Sharon. And soon Miv develops a passion to be the person who catches the Ripper, observing her neighbours closely for suspicious signs. In the process, we see glimpses into the lives of the people Miv adds at various times to her list - they've all got their own issues and some are indeed suspicious, even if none of them are actually the Ripper.

Nevertheless, it does almost feel as if Miv and Sharon are at least equally, if not more, likely to solve the case than the bungled police investigation, hindered from the outset by differentiating between "innocent" women and the prostitutes who were the Ripper's first victims, and all too ready to believe in hoaxes.

Jennie Godfrey brilliantly renders the atmosphere of this particular time and place - the fear felt by women and girls, and also the impact on innocent men who, for whatever reason, fell under suspicion, such as - for a while - anyone with a Geordie accent. My mother was a student nurse at the time and I remember the anxiety I felt knowing she would be walking home from the bus stop after a late shift.

There's something powerful here about not judging by appearances. Sharon's pretty pink and white exterior belies a simmering rage at the world's injustices. Brian, a young man Miv finds deeply suspicious, has his issues but being a serial killer isn't one of them. The handsome face of another neighbour isn't reflected in his behaviour behind closed doors. And there are many more examples.

Ultimately, the consequences are shocking and devastating. I'm still not sure how I feel about the ending- but this was a marvellous read.

Every so often, you come across a book that you know is going to stay with you for the longest time and this debut novel is one of those . I grew up in Ireland but I remember my parents talking about the murders and how frightening for women in Yorkshire. It’s a brutally honest account of how hard life was and continues to be especially for the people who have left their own countries to make a new life for themselves. Definitely an author to watch out for in the future.

Wow! A fantastic book. Similar to What July Knew. Gorgeous characters and I absolutely shed a tear at the end. Will be highly recommending this one.

I really enjoyed this book - partly for nostalgic reasons - it brought the late 1970s back to mind - but more because I really enjoyed getting to know Mia and her friend, Sharon who decide that they will find out the identity of the Yorkshire Ripper. If she can this will mean that she does not need to move away from Yorkshire. She follows the practice of her Aunt Jean of making lists and starts making lists of the suspicious people she sees and the places where bodies could be hidden.

This is going on while Miv is coping with her mother having had a breakdown, her father not coping and seeking friendship elsewhere and Aunt Jean who is hard to live with. Sharon and she befriend the son of the local shopkeeper and become aware of the effect of racial discrimination. They also get to know the local librarian and her father and become exposed to the issue of domestic abuse.

Miv’s investigations have consequences which make her question herself and cause strains in her friendship with Sharon.

It is a story of unbreakable friendships and a life which is better just for knowing someone who is kind and generous to others.

This is a heartbreaking coming of age story which left me emotionally bereft.

List of suspicious things

Miv is a pre-teen living in Yorkshire at the time of the Yorkshire Ripper murders which are shocking the nation but particularly her community. Coincidentally, Margaret Thatcher has become the first female PM. With the help of her only friend, Sharon, she decides the murders must be solved and they will do it as the police are ‘getting nowhere’.

We see Miv learning life lessons over the course of the novel, some of which are tough. We get to know the stories of an interesting cast of characters but from the perspective of a naive 12 year old. There are interwoven chapters giving us adult characters’ thoughts and this coupled with us being adult readers means we always know more than Miv. As this is in late 1979s there are outdated attitudes of racism, ‘You should stick to your own kind.’ homophobia ‘fairy’ and violence towards women at every level of society, not just with the murders. Miv learns to challenge these attitudes if only to herself.

This is written in an enjoyable flowing style, easy to read and I devoured it over two days of reading. It is uplifting, sad, and truthful. I would certainly read this author again. I recommend this novel. I read a copy provided by NetGalley and the publishers but my views are my own.

A charming and compelling coming of age story involving two young girls growing up in 1970’s Yorkshire at the time of the Yorkshire Ripper killings. The portrayal of working class life during the first few years of the Thatcher government and the local experience of living in an area terrorised by such horrific serial murders felt authentic and believable. Written with charm, humour and sensitivity, the story keeps me fully engaged from start to finish.

With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

This book is astounding. It is so much more than a crime book, and had me experiencing a whole myriad of emotions. Supremely well written, this debut novel has left me wanting more from the author; she['s definitely one to watch out for!

Was a really enjoyable read. Would highly recommend and look forward to reading more by this author.

A book I knew from the start I was going to thoroughly enjoy. If you were around in the 1980’s you would possibly remember where you were around the time of the Yorkshire Ripper murders. They shook the whole country to the core and this elusive serial killer evaded police for a long time. Miv is not yet a teenager but thinks she has a wise head on young shoulders. She and her friend Sharon decide that if the police can’t find him then they may as well have a go themselves and so begins the list. This tells of what childhood and life was like at the time. Children went out to play with no form of communication just “ be back before it's dark”. There was a community around them who cared as well as a few who didn't and as Miv’s friend Ishtiaq knows there was the beginnings of racism brewing. Miv tells things as it is. She lives with her father and Aunt as her mother is ill and goes away to hospital occasionally ,we know not quite why or what. This is the story of a young girl growing up and of friendship and very much more.

I so loved this. One of those reads I wanted to savour and tried not to race through but I wanted more and more of Miv and her adventures and perhaps a stroll back through time. There’s the sweets of the era and the songs,a trip down memory lane for some. Of life with a certain menace in the background and of life lessons which can be tough. Of three rings and caring, of family and of bonds. Stunning, memorable, brilliant.

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