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.

For more reviews please follow me on Twitter or Threads @nickisbookblog (rest of links on publication)

The year is 1979. In London, Margaret Thatcher has taken office as Britain's new Prime Minister. Meanwhile, in northern England, a whole county lives in a state of fear as the Yorkshire Ripper continues his horrendous killing spree.
It is against this backdrop that we meet Miv, an ordinary 12-year-old schoolgirl who is as appalled and fascinated by the news of the murders as anyone else. But Miv has her own problems too. Without warning, her mother has collapsed in on herself following some form of mental breakdown. With her father seemingly unable to cope and spending more and more time down the pub, Miv's Aunty Jean (not an easy person) moves in to help out. But much to Miv's alarm, there is soon talk of the family moving away from Yorkshire entirely and going 'down south'.
This is when Miv persuades her friend, Sharon to help her launch their own investigation into the Ripper case.. Soon everyone become a potential suspect, as the two girls uncover a wealth of dark secrets about their local area, which it emerges is a hotbed of unhappy marriages, domestic violence and simmering racial tensions. But as things get more and more serious for the girls, it soon becomes clear, this is not a game any more.
This impressive debut novel from Jennie Godfrey is an endlessly compelling read.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This is a fantastic debut novel, and definitely worthy of five stars. Hard to put down and definitely a "just one more chapter" read!

A beautiful, nostalgic coming of age book, following Miv and her friend Sharon as they decide to track down the Yorkshire Ripper.
They start to become aware and curious of the people in their community and make a list of suspicious things in a little notebook.
With a host of wonderful characters, Jennie Godfrey brings Yorkshire to life in the late 70’s early 80’s. A tale of friendship, love and loss, I laughed and cried in equal measures.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Everyone has their own story, their own secrets, and their own pain even if it's not always obvious to outside observers.

Miv is a thoughtful, imaginative 12-year-old girl living in late 1970s/early 80s Yorkshire. She fantasizes about going on adventures like the heroes of her favourite book: The Famous Five. The people living in her small, very close-knit community see her as somewhat of a sad case, because her mother had a nervous breakdown several years previously. The brightest spot in Miv's life is her best friend Sharon. Sharon is pretty and extroverted, where Miv is shy and feels that no one notices her, but they have a close and loving friendship.

In the background are the real life murders of the Yorkshire Ripper. Miv decides that she and Sharon are going to catch him. Thus The List of Suspicious Things comes about. Miv focuses on one member of her community after another, following and investigating anyone who doesn't seem quite right. Sharon is reluctant, but goes along with the plan to keep Miv happy.

Miv is a sympathetic protagonist, even when she's making terrible choices that make you want to shout at her. She's an adolescent on the cusp of becoming a teenager, torn between those two states of being, and the writer does a great job of showing that mindset in a believable way.

The writer also brings the period setting brightly to life with language, culture, and many specific details that feel organically woven into the storytelling. She has a knack for including a single detail that makes the rest of the scene flood into your imagination: purple wallpaper, brown furniture, a swirl patterned carpet. I could feel and smell every room described.

I thought the way the plot was ostensibly focussed on catching the Yorkshire Ripper, but included numerous examples of everyday violence towards women that was seen yet accepted by the community very cleverly handled. A young wife abused by her husband. A schoolboy tormenting his female classmates with games of "Ripper chase". The story also pulls in the horrible reality of the rise of the BNP and how the movement indoctrinated young men. There's a Muslim family at the core of the story and the bigotry they endure was horribly believable.

I really enjoyed the multiple povs. There was a bit of a Rashomon quality to the storytelling, with the reader knowing more than many of the narrators, and that was fun. It did a fantastic job of portraying a small community in which everyone knows too much about everyone else. It showed how assumptions about others, a little bit of knowledge, can be toxic and even deadly. Everyone was concentrating on the sensational news story, and not paying enough attention to the abuse between friends and neighbours going on under their noses. It's not a cynical story, though, as it ultimately showed people coming together to support each other during hard times and giving each other the strength to go on.

The basic prose varies from vivid and involving to quite basic and on the nose. While I enjoyed the book, I think it would have benefited from a more literary flavour as occasionally I wasn't sure if it was meant for an adult or YA audience. It works as YA, but less so as a book for adults. Ultimately, the prose was nothing special and too often defaulted to explanatory description as if the writer couldn't quite find some of the characters' voices.

While I enjoyed my read, I did feel that the story began to drag about a third of the way in. There was a lack of tension as we know that the girls won't catch the ripper and know he's not amongst their suspects. Despite the lack of narrative momentum, my enjoyment of the characters themselves kept me reading. And the story picked up again once the various characters' stories started to converge.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

Set in 1970s Yorkshire when the Yorkshire Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe, was ensuring that all women felt vulnerable when out and about, this novel is a coming-of-age portrayal of Miv, an intelligent and brave young girl who is dealing with dysfunctional family life by ensuring that her interests are firmly focused on catching the Ripper. Together with her best friend, Sharon, she puts together lists of ‘Suspicious Things’ about any number of men in her community, after which the girls play detective. Whilst this provides a useful distraction from her unhappy home life, over time the Miv and Sharon being to appreciate that what they are doing is at best morally suspect and, possibly, downright dangerous.
Jennie Godfrey’s novel is a memorable depiction of a working class community, of racism, domestic abuse, and paedophilia. Whilst these topics make for grim reading, she also imbues her narrative with the strength of familial love, with the importance of resilience, and the warmth of friendship. This is an unusual and impressive debut. ‘The List of Suspicious Things’ explores the, sadly, still relevant subject of violence towards women whilst also celebrating imagination and loyalty, and reminding us of the awkwardness of navigating teenage emotions.
My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

Reminded me too strongly of a similar territory first novel from 2016 3.5 rating raised

I struggled to really surrender and engage with this one, for some time, before eventually fully yielding to it.

This was because, on first reading the publisher’s blurb, I thought “But I’ve read this before, this must be a reprint”, so I nearly didn’t request it, as I was so sure I had read something very similar, some years ago, which was also a lauded first novel, and I’d read it prepublication as an ARC.

That prior first novel, which I remembered was set in the mid to late 70’s (1976) had involved the fierceness of childhood friendships, and was told from the childrens’ viewpoint, and was about a detective investigation they instigated which uncovered the adult darkness and dysfunction in their small community, was of course Joanna Cannon’s first novel, The Trouble With Goats and Sheep. Which I had adored from the off, and surrendered to.

Dealing with slightly younger children, and with a fictitious crime, this has stayed in my memory, so that inevitably, this one seemed, rightly or wrongly, derivative.

The inhabitation of child voices here did not seem fully from the child’s point of view, unlike Cannon’s book. In fact, there were valid reasons for this. Had I read this without having read Cannon’s I know I would have liked it more.

I don’t think I would have fully adored it though, since, as we neared the end, it felt like plot had taken over a bit, and some coincidences were driving the high and searing finish.

I certainly would like to see where Godfrey goes though, with her next novel. This is an assured and well-written debut novel

Loved this book, the characters were so real you could relate to them and their problems. Also a look at life not that long ago that is hopefully miles away from now

Wow I loved this debut novel! Set in Yorkshire in the early 80s ( my era) so completely relatable , this book told the story of Miv and her family and friends! It was an easy, quick read, well written and the characters were very real! Would highly recommend.