Member Reviews

The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey

In 1970s Yorkshire, twelve year old Miv and her best friend Sharon compile a list of suspicious things in their community to investigate and try to uncover the Yorkshire Ripper. Along the way they uncover many secrets closer to home.

Oh this book is FABULOUS! Loved Miv and the whole cast of characters. Loved the 1970s detail and it brought back so many memories. And I really loved how the author dealt with serious issues - mental illness, racism, domestic violence, suicide and others - in such a poignant but never mawkish way. Seeing the world through Miv's eyes was wonderful and I couldn't put the book down. Stunning debut - can't wait to see what the author writes next! Very VERY highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

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Set in 1979, The List of Suspicious Things is an easy to read and heartwarming coming-of-age tale, set against the grisly backdrop of the Yorkshire Ripper murders, which left 13 women dead across Yorkshire in the late 70s. But the Ripper is just one thing 12 year old Miv has to contend with - her mum isn't talking, her dad wants them to move away from home. Scary skinhead men and boys are making the world feel left safe, especially for Miv's Brown friend, Ish. So Miv thinks: what if she could s9lve the case of the Yorkshire Ripper? She could keep everyone safe, and her family wouldn't have to leave. Simple right?

The List of Suspicious Things is Jennie Godfrey's debut novel and seems to have been inspired by her own childhood. She's a Yorkshire woman, and it shows in the richly evoked towns of the region, as well as the charming and unusual dialect deployed by the characters. I listened to this one on audio, so the accents added an extra dimension to my enjoyment. Ey up!

Outside of the setting, though, Godfrey does a fantastic job spinning a yarn about a young woman on the edge of adolsence. Together with her best friend, Sharon, Miv beccomes an amateur detective, investigating people around her neighbourhood on suspicion of being the Yorkshire Ripper. None of them are (of course), but Miv does unearth plenty of truths for the people of her community - some of which the townspeople would prefer to staty buried.

With each secret divulged, Godfrey is given the opportunity to work through a Big Issue, be that domestic violence, sexual assault, or racism. She does so largely with finesse, but - perhaps because we're learning through a small child - sometimes the execution of this exploration feels a little clunky.

That said, that's my only criticism of this lovely little book. Godfrey's well-built world is populated by a sweet and belieavble cast of characters, especially Miv, our main POV character. She's awkward and clever and desperate for love, and my heart ached for her as she found herself in more and more morally tricky situations thanks to her investigative work.

The plot zips along, with the shadow of the Ripper never far from the reader's thoughts. It's not one I got a sense of nostalgia from, being born a solid 14 years later the events of the book, but nevertheless there's a quaint cosiness that I enjoyed - high praise given that I normally steer far, far away from cosy English novels.

A lovely book, not without it's faults but well worth picking up.

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Taken from Amazon…
What an incredible debut novel. Despite looking a bit daunting at over 400 pages long, I finished reading this book in a few days. For those brought up in the 1970's and 80's, this book will resonate. Margaret Thatcher has just come into power and The Yorkshire Ripper is striking fear into woman all over the country. This book cleverly talks in various points of view but mostly concentrates on 12 year old Miv - who decides she wants to make a list of suspects and find the Yorkshire Ripper. In the process of doing so, she actually finds out a lot about herself and others.

The author tackles a lot of social issues from the era - many of which seem just as relevant today - women fearing men, domestic violence. racism, mental health struggles and the cover up of childhood sexual abuse. These are weighty issues and handled with much care and sensitivity.

The flip side to all of this are characters who grow before our eyes - the fierce but wonderfully loving Aunty Jean for example. Kindness may not change the world but it changes lives..and makes the other stuff a bit more bearable.

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Miv (Mavis) was such a sweet, curious ( sometimes stupidly irresponsible) character. Her curiosity sometimes got the better of her.
I loved the multiple POV's and learning about the various characters.
Every time Miv introduced a new suspect, I was on edge, wondering if that person would be it!
There were do many lovely characters, and at the same time, really terrible ones - the kind you love to hate.
I would describe this as a page Turner, I simply couldn't stop reading.

* Don't Google the Yorkshire ripper before reading this book. It may spoil things for you. I didn't Google, and I'm glad I didn't.

* check trigger warnings. There are a few

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Many thanks to Net Galley and Random House UK for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
The story is set in Yorkshire during the time of the Yorkshire Ripper murders.
A young girl, Miv, who just turns 13 during the story and her friend Sharon decide to catch the ripper, a very tall order for two very young girls.
Whilst trying to solve the murders, methodically working through her lists of mysterious things, MIv has other challenges to deal with, her mum has a severe mental health illness, racism towards her friends, her dad has been having an affair, arson, suicide, domestic abuse, a death, a wayward vicar and possible paedophilia. Lots of separate stories going on
There is a lot going on, however the start of the story is slow and I did at one point consider giving up. I am glad I persevered, I liked Miv and her friend, for me the plot is a little far fetched, There are some great characters in particular Omar and Arthur.
I was unaware this was a YA book so perhaps that is why I didn’t really enjoy the read though I seem to be in the minority.
Apologies for late review.

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Wow, for a debut novel, this is brilliant. It’s set in 1979 Yorkshire, where the only conversation everywhere is about “The Yorkshire Ripper” it’s a wonderfully written story which at its heart is a coming of age tale.
Miv is a young girl on the cusp of her teenage years, she, along with her best friend Sharon decide to try and hunt out the ripper. So they start by making a list of suspicious things. Onto the list go some of the locals who for some reason or another manage to draw attention to themselves. This is where the book opens up and introduces a cast of characters that all have their own backstories.
This is an absolute gem of a book and I loved every word of it. For me it’s without doubt a 5⭐️story and deserves all the accolades that I’ve no doubt will come its way.

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The List of Suspicious Things is a heartwarming coming of age novel and debut from author Jennie Godfrey.

Set in Yorkshire in the 1970's and 80's, Margaret Thatcher is the first woman prime minister and the hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper is in full force. Miv and Sharon are 12 year old girls who want to be the ones to catch the Ripper and so they buy a notebook and start the list of suspicious things. Through the list we meet a host of well drawn characters who become integral to the story.

This is a well written and compelling read that touches on many subjects including domestic violence, racism, mental health, family, friendship and love.

It is a super debut novel and an enjoyable read and I look forward to more books from this author.

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A wonderful debut, Jennie Godfrey has managed to spin a yarn linked to the awful crimes of Yorkshire Ripper and turn it into a wonderfully layered story of community, love and loss.

Young girl Miv is having a bit of rough time of it. Her Dad’s sister, stern Aunty Jean, has moved in. Her Dad has mentioned potentially moving down south. The Yorkshire ripper is all over the news, causing anxiety and tension all over town.Her mom, previously a joyful woman full of song, has fallen strangely silent.

Miv decides that if she can solve the mystery of these missing women, perhapd she won’t have to move. So, Miv and her best friend Sharon decide to write a list of all the suspicious people they know.

However, their list throws many secrets into the light, and perhaps Miv needs to concentrate her efforts a little closer to home…

Usually I read fairly quickly, but this novel made me slow right down and savour the richness of Godfrey’s storytelling. Being a Midlander born in the late 80s, I don’t have much knowledge of Yorkshire during the ripper’s reign, but Godfrey paints a very vivid picture.

The sense of community truly shines out of the pages, with everyone appearing to know one another. Although Miv’s list uncovers some dark secrets, it also plays a part in forging strong bonds between unlikely individuals and probaby saves some lives.

There are also strong themes of racism and ‘other-ism’ reinforced by the hunt for the ripper; anyone seen as ‘not from round ‘ere’ was seen as suspect. Whilst some characters are blatant in their racism, others are guilty of more subtle microaggressions that we sadly still see today.

It’s interesting to read about this from Miv’s young perspective. I felt immense pride as she learns to make her own mind up on how she treats people, despite louder and more volatile voices trying to tell her otherwise.

In some ways it is a coming of age novel; Miv is growing up before our eyes. She learns the grim reality of the world in several ways through her list, she has to be on her guard and she also deals with her mother’s emotional state. These are all huge things for anyone to deal with, never mind a 12 year old girl. At the end of the novel I felt as though Miv had blossomed in a way; she had found an inner confidence and had made peace with what had come before.

This is an outstanding debut, and I am sad to leave these warm and fully-rounded characters behind.

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This really wasn’t my thing; I didn’t really engage with the setting (historical or geographical) and I’m not a massive fan of child perspective, narration. However, I appreciate that the writing is strong and it will certainly appeal to many people who aren’t as oddly finicky as me!
I like things to be set either in the present, the future or the far distant past so this 80s tale, set in a very specific time in Yorkshire just didn’t resonate with me, because I wasn’t familiar with any of the cultural context.

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Thank you Netgalley but I’ve tried and this is just not for me. 20% in and can’t do it - struggling.
May try again another time.

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The biggest plus of this book is the very accurate way the viewpoint of Miv the pre-teen heroine was written. So often authors fail to convince when the pov is a child. The plot is interesting if a little too much drama for one small community. The back story of the Ripper reminded me of what it was like in the ‘70’s before he had been caught.

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Picked this up and put it down a couple of times but I’m really glad that I gave it another chance. Loved this book, it’s a great little story.

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This book is heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. A great insight into the life and atmosphere of the era of Yorkshire Ripper.

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This is a well written coming of age novel. It's set in the eighties, so I could easily relate to it. The main character Miv is awkward and intelligent but doesn't have an easy life. She and her best friend Sharon, one of the popular girls, get the idea they can catch the Yorkshire ripper and start a list of suspicious people and things. The story draws you in straight away and it's easy to empathise with Miv and what she goes through. A heartbreaking end that made me a little sad, but overall well worth reading.

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I've seen lots of hype around this on social media over the last few months and was delighted to get my hands on a copy to read myself.

Jennie Godfrey has a wonderful way of writing with real empathy and sensitivity for her characters, dealing with some pretty big themes (mental health, racism, domestic and child abuse) and in an accessible way with a lightness of touch that never feels too heavy.

Miv and her best friend Sharon start their list to try to solve the Yorkshire Ripper case, and through their investigations we get to meet their local community and the impact the case has throughout the area. We get to see the good where the community pulls together in crises, and also bad where the case amplifies underlying negative attitudes.

So much of this story was about the little details and growing awareness of Miv and her surroundings, the realisation that grown-ups dont know it all or have everything all figured out.

Although the story is mainly told from Miv's POV I did like the chapters from other character's perspectives to help build the story and drive it forward. I found all the characters to be really well developed and easy to picture.

This is an incredible debut, and a story that will linger with me for a long time. I am excited to see what Jennie's next book is about!

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Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC. This beautifully written debut is both charming and bittersweet. Miv is a relatable narrator with an engaging voice and I loved the attention to detail.

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📚📖 Book Review 📖📚

📖 Book - The List of Suspicious Things
✍️ Author - Jennie Godfrey
📕 Publisher - Random House Uk
📆 Publication - 15th Feb 2024. 📕📕📕📕📕📕📕📕📕📕📕📕📕📕📕. Righty I’m going to hold my hands up, when I started this book, I wasn’t sure if it was for me (I’m very much a mood reader!) BUT I’m so glad I did. I was born in 1971, so felt like I was back there, recognising things from the era of my childhood ! 📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚 Miv & Sharon have a very important list! a suspicions list of people. Things/people who could be the Yorkshire ripper. This got the girls in all sorts of predicaments lol! This book makes you think back to your own childhood, wondering if you would make the same decisions as these girls. “🥛 Maggie Thatcher,
The milk snatcher” came to mind! A bit of an unexpected event near the end. Be prepared to go through some emotions reading this ❤️📕 #likes #like #follow #likeforlikes #love #instagood #instagram #followforfollowback #followme #photooftheday #photography #bhfyp #instalike #l #instadaily #likeforfollow #picoftheday #fashion #beautiful #me #followers #smile #likeforlike #myself #followback #f #comment #followforfollow #likesforlikes #art

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Realism, terror and adolescent friendships/games immerse the reader in the Yorkshire Ripper era.

Born just after the events of this story, and not living in Yorkshire at the time, this really brought home to me just how frightened whole counties were about the murderer attacking suddenly and brutally.

This comes through very strongly in Godfrey's writing, as does Miv's world, a grey and brown world of old-fashioned values, unemployment, hidden family secrets, hard workers and stiff Yorkshire lips.

Deciding to try and keep her friend Sharon interested (as one grows up faster than the other) by making a list of suspicious locals who COULD be the Yorkshire Ripper, 12-year-old Miv becomes our portal to a small town world, where reverends, husbands, wives, parents, shopkeepers, even lorry drivers all have their secrets. And Miv and Sharon may unwittingly uncover some of them.

Miv's a lovely creation. With a mother who's not spoken for months - she doesn't know why - cared for harshly by her aunt, given some freedom to explore and investigate, she's in that sliver of time between childhood and adolescence, trying desperately to keep her life to one she can comprehend. But also not blind in many ways to what's going on around her. Even when it comes to boys her own age shaving their heads and showing definite National Front tendencies. Scary times.

This is part growing-up story, part detective, with snippets of narration from other characters Miv is watching, shining the spotlight on their lives, the hidden one we don't see until we look hard enough. And Miv does, even if she doesn't always understand what she's seeing.

This fits quite a lot in, with several plots about various characters in Miv's town all having their moments, and all fitting together by the end, even if their conclusions are explained quickly.

I enjoyed the narration, mostly by Miv, and the expose of a whole little town. It did bring the era to life, the values and just what was going on, in both society at large and in this one little corner of it.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

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🎧Audiobook Review🎧

#adprproduct

I want to thank NetGalley for approving me for an ARC of this book. Special thank you to my fellow buddy reader @wendyreadsbooks, as usual, I loved our chat along the way.

🏘️Community
🥰Family
🫱🏻‍🫲🏻Friendship
🤫Secrets

Wow, what a book! I did not know what to expect going into this one, but I was pleasantly surprised. Jennie Godfrey has written a beautiful story that captures the rawness of a community at its worst. These characters and their stories will stay with me for a long time.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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The List of Suspicious Things is that rare novel that balances sweetness with gritty authenticity. It is a dark time in the 70s, when everyone lives in fear of the Yorkshire Ripper. Miv, a school-aged girl decides she is going to catch him with the help of her pretty friend, Sharon. Naive, she may be, but full of heart as her search for a killer leads her to learn a vast amount about the people around her. The good, the bad and the ugly is revealed to her in ways she will not expect but makes her more aware of her community and the true nature most try to keep hidden.

A really lovely book that will touch your heart, The List of Suspicious Things is a joyous execution from this talented debut author.

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