On the list of books that made me cry. I loved Miv and the chorus and community. Thought of them when I wasn't reading.

Ended with a wish that more current books were as emotional and everything as this.

Impatiently waiting for Jennie Godfrey's next book.

Miv and Sharon are two best friends, aged 12 or so, in Yorkshire when Margaret Thatcher becomes Prime Minister. More prominent in the news for them is the Yorkshire Ripper. Miv becomes obsessed with the hunt and thinks she could do a better job than the police. So begins a list of everyone acting at all suspiciously and any places that may need investigating. At one point her own dad makes the list. Sharon goes along with it to some extent. This is a social commentary of its time- more poignant to me as I was only a year or two older than they girls at that time. Miv is looking for a connection that's been lost at home and as they investigate they make a difference to people's lives. I was not expecting what happened and found it quite shocking. A great read. #netgalley #thelistofsuspiciousthings

As usual in my reviews, I will not rehash the plot - there are other reviews like that out there already!

This is an amazing debut novel - the writing is very accomplished, with a well thought out plot and believable characters. I loved Miv, her insecurities about herself, her friendships, and her future reminded me a little of myself (and probably most working-class lasses of my generation) at that age. Her determination - perhaps even obsession - with the Yorkshire Ripper - uncovered more than she expected, and had unexpected consequences too.

Frienship is at the heart of this story - along with the bittersweet realisation that hits you when you start to realise that there is a lot more to the world than you think - and how much "grown ups" keep some things under wraps to protect the youngsters in their family.

I was a student at the time of the Yorkshire Ripper, and remember all too well the fear we young women felt at being out alone after dark while he was still at large. I hadn't really considered until now how men must also have felt - not only fearing for their women, but being considered as possible suspects until they were ruled out! This novel captures those feelings extremely well for both men and women.

I was in tears more than once whilst reading this book - as well as a great plot and chunks of fabulous observational humour, there are layers of sadness, loss, loneliness, and the bittersweet sorrow of leaving childhood behind. Always a sign of great writing if the author makes you care for their characters - so well done to Jennie Godfrey!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

I loved this. I read it all in a weekend. It was really atmospheric. Miv was a neglected Yorkshire lass whose Mum is suffering from crippling depression and takes to her bed for months on end. Her Dad is useless and has passed the buck to his sister. Auntie Jean has moved in and taken over the role of Matriarch begrudgingly bus is trying her best to do a role she’s not good at and also doesn’t really want to undertake. This book is set in Yorkshire at he time the ripper murders are occurring and Miv is obsessed with finding the Ripper. She sets about this with her friend Sharon by assessing the locals around her. This story was so good and I was gripped. It’s a coming of age story and is very sad in parts along the way.
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I'm going to make a huge statement here and say the List of Suspicious Things is probably going to be one of my top books of the year! And I think anyone who reads it will probably feel the same!
The story drags you in with its humour but also the emotion and fear that you can see in the characters. It's written in such a way that you get a full, rounded picture of most of the main characters and with the alternative perspectives it really adds to the overall atmosphere of the story and the uncertainty of people. I don't want to say too much .. because spoilers but I will say this, this book packs a real punch, it was unexpected and I'm definitely going to be buying a few copies for friends!

This has to be one of the best books I have read. A book I won't forget for a while. not only was it a homage to the women and girls who died in the hands of Jack the Ripper but it was also a book about friendship, culture and being kind. How when others care it makes a huge impact on others. Five stars from me.

Although the story is based around the horrific murders committed by the Yorkshire ripper, this book was a joy to read. It brought to light that even though there can be great evil in the world, there is much more light and love.
The characters of this book I believe will stay with me, this is one of those stories you need to take a minute to recover from before moving onto the next book. This is simply a wonderful story and one which should be read.

I'd heard so much about this book but sadly I found myself unable to connect with it. The child's eye view on the story was well executed but, for such a weighty topic I found the novel somewhat slight.

This has got to be one of the best books that I have read in a very long time. The story is set in a Yorkshire mill town at the time when the Yorkshire Ripper was still roaming the streets and fear in the older generation was palpable, it is about the love that only best friends can share, it is about the heartache when that love is fractured, it is about racial hatred, abuse, infidelity, all these subjects the author has written about with great sensitivity, it is about the awakening awareness of two pre teen girls to the opposite sex and the jealousy that it can evoke.
The author has created wonderful characters and has set the scene of a Yorkshire mill town with it's rows of terraced houses, of washing lines strung across the streets, of neighbours gossiping as they scrub their front door steps, there are so many detailed observations that I was transported right back to that era, the era when Britain had its first female Prime Minister.
Miv and Sharon came from different backgrounds but it didn't matter that their home lives were so different, they were best friends, they shared everything, even the idea that they may be able to catch the Yorkshire Ripper, with notebook and pen they started making their list of suspects.
This book had me gripped from the first page to the last, it made me laugh, it made me sad, it is one of the very few books that I will most likely read again.
Thank you Net Gallery for my free book, my review is voluntary.

As a kid growing up in the 70s I was emotionally connected to this book straightaway
Set during the time of the Yorkshire Ripper murders - Miv and her friend Sharon start their own investigation, keeping a ‘list of suspicious things’ especially if that person ‘isn’t from round here’
The feelings of familiarity and recognition were so pleasantly intense - donkey jackets, giving sugar cubes to the rag n bone man’s horse, women cleaning the front steps of their houses with a scrubbing brush
Loved all the Yorkshire sayings - ‘laik out’ ‘nowt’ ‘dyed in the wool Yorkshire man’
It was heart warming, tender and funny, with a strong sense of place and time, while dealing with some heavyweight topics, capturing the racial tensions and economic struggles and fear the people were feeling.
But ultimately the book is about community, friendship and coming of age - it perfectly captures the awkwardness, angst and uncertainty of the teenage years, realising that adults are only human and not perfect.
And that ending, not what I expected.
Well done Jennie Godfrey for a lovely nostalgic romp of what if was like to be a kid in the 70s - it’s gonna be one of my top reads of 2024 for all the happy memories it brought back.
Thanks @jennie,godfrey @hutchheinemann & @netgalley for the lovely nostalgic read

A quintessentially wonderfully British book, considering this is a debut I am beyond excited to read more from Jennie Godfrey! What a read!!

My heart is full and breaking. What a brilliant novel. Twelve-year-old Miv and her story of growing up in times of trouble, when the Yorkshire Ripper was at large, terrorising the area, while her home life was imploding under the weight of her mum's nervous breakdown, will stay with me for ever. It's a story of growing up, of falling in love, of family and of friendship - Miv's friend Sharon is a glorious study of character and strength.
As the narrative progesses, and Miv makes her list of suspicious things which she hopes will help her and sharon track down the Ripper, the story shows how life goes on for people in a community where awful things are happening, as they tackle their own life issues of loneliness, racism domestic violence and sorrow and in their various ways.
Problems big and small - twelve year old Miv can't sort them all, but she does her best in a scary world.
This book is peopled with honest-to-goodness true to life characters, whose lives will resonate with you. You'll laugh and cry for them all, but it's Miv who will steal the lion's share of your heart.
A superb plot, a cracking narrative and people you'll grow to love makes for a book that is difficult to put down, and a story that will stay with you forever.

This is a charming, poignant story set in the midst of Peter Sutcliffe's terrible crimes. Our heroine is at that awful age when she's no longer the child she once was but still nowhere near to being an adult. I found her navigation of life, family relationships, racism and everything beyond compelling.

I heard Jennie Godfrey on the Radio 2 Book Club podcast and she came across so lovely and enthusiastic about her book. I discovered I had been fortunate enough to receive an advance copy so decided to put it to the top of my reading list.

The book is a coming of age story, set in the late 70s in Yorkshire. It follows Miv and her best friend Sharon as they navigate the challenges of life. The Yorkshire Ripper is dominating the headlines and women are fearful. Miv’s dad has suggested they move ‘down south’ which fills her with dread, so she sets about making a list of suspicious things, in a bid to find the identity of the killer and hopefully not have to move away.

I was a bit concerned that the book would be doom and gloom and almost make a mockery of the situation, however I was wrong. There’s so much to the story than the ripper. The characters are so well done, I could picture them all and really grew to like Miv. Despite her struggles at home and feeling like she doesn’t fit in at school, she carries on with her list and has a heart of gold, just wanting the best for others. Miv is a child, and at times this is very apparent, but she also shows insight and maturity beyond her years.

The book sensitively deals with many serious themes including racism, mental illness, abuse and bullying. Despite this, there are a lot of uplifting and heartwarming moments and I wouldn’t describe it as a sad read. There are some sad and poignant moments yet the community rallies together to support each other.

Despite not being from the area and not even being alive in the 70s, I still enjoyed the story a lot and could relate to some of the characters. For a debut novel this is brilliant and I would really recommend it. Miv will stay with me for a while yet.

Published on 15th February 2024. Thanks to Penguin Random House UK, Cornerstone, and NetGalley for the chance to read an advance copy.

This is EXCEPTIONAL. I loved every page. I’m a nostalgia junky at the best of times, but this novel made it all the more enjoyable. What an incredible debut. Read it now. Not a moment to waste.

The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey

Wow! This book. I think this may be my top read of the year. It’s a debut and I’m pretty sure everyone is going to adore this book.

I thought this book was about the Yorkshire Ripper but it is only a small part of the story. It’s set in Yorkshire in the late 1970s when the Ripper is at large and Margaret Thatcher has become the first female prime minister.

Miv, the main character, and her best friend Sharon are school girls. Miv overhears her Dad talking and believes they are going to move away from Yorkshire because it is too dangerous for young women with the Ripper at large. Miv and Sharon decide to take matters into their own hands to try and catch the murderer so that Miv and her family will stay in Yorshire. The girls begin to investigate and draw up a list of suspicious things, covering people within their community and strange happenings, but their hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper leads them to uncover dark secrets within their own town.

This is a beautiful coming of age story about two girls, their friendship, their families and the importance of community. The book is nostalgic, yet at the same time exposes the inherent racism and prejudice, the lack of understanding of mental health, and the blind eye many turned to domestic violence. This book was both heartwarming and also heartbreaking, with twists I really didn’t see coming. This is a stunning book that I will reread very soon as I didn’t want it to end and I’m already missing the main characters.

Such an insightful book! I’d class it as a family drama. It’s written in the first person for Miv’s chapters and the third person for the chapters about other people in the story. I really liked the writing style and it definitely makes you think. Definitely recommend this one. Thank you #netgalley

I’ll start by saying that this is the authors debut book and wow what an a brilliant debut it was, I actually had to double check that it actually was a debut it was that good. This book completely and utterly hooked me from the very start. It’s 1979 and Margaret Thatcher had just become Prime Minister in the U.K. Whilst all this politics is going on there is also the serious problem of a serial killer in the Yorkshire area who is murdering women and has been nicknamed the Yorkshire Ripper. Two young friends Miv and Sharon decide they will try and find the killer and make a ‘List’ of suspicious things and people and the reasons they suspect them. There is lots more going on in this wonderful coming of age book but I don’t want to say too much more for fear of saying too much and giving away spoilers. All I will say is everyone needs to read this book it truly is amazing. A definite contender for one of my top ten reads for 2024.

With thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

An assured first novel, this story is narrated by Miv, about to turn 12 at the start. It is 1978 and the small Yorkshire town where she lives with her father, heavily depressed mother and aunt is preoccupied with one thing - the Yorkshire Ripper’s murders. Well, not just that; there is also near-universal scorn for Margaret Thatcher’s election as Prime Minister, and the National Front is gaining a foothold amongst restless teenagers looking for trouble.

As unrest grows locally with each new Ripper killing, and Miv’s father starts making noises about moving ‘down south’ to make a fresh start, Miv decides that this must be because of the Ripper’s proximity, and she and her friend decide that the only thing for it is to catch him themselves. So they start a List of Suspicious Things, and investigate each in turn, with ultimately devastating consequences. Over the course of the next few months Miv grows from a child into a young woman. Her growing awareness of the ways of the adult world - half-truths, racism, gossip, domestic violence - is portrayed beautifully and completely realistically. As someone born only a handful of years later than Miv, I could completely relate to her confusion and resistance to real adult troubles.

This debut is absolutely pitch perfect. It is a celebration of friendship, an acknowledgement of the violence against women that has gone too long unchecked in society, and a beautiful coming of age story. It is compellingly readable and moving, without sentiment or triteness. My first five star review of the year.

Oh my goodness, what an amazing book. Despite dealing with racism, The Yorkshire Ripper, mental health and suicide, this still manages to be such an uplifting book. It speaks so well of the time it was set in; buttoned up attitudes and women still doing all the household tasks. The musings of the main protagonist, a 12 year old girl, are perfectly portrayed. This will be a massive bestseller.