Funny, sad, poignant and oh so clever, The List of Suspicious Things is a brilliant piece of writing.
Right from the very first meeting with Miv, I felt transported to my 10 year old self in the late 1970’s and childhood memories of sherbet fountains, playing Operation and hearing on the news about the Yorkshire Ripper came flooding back.
Full of heart, I loved the friendship between Sharon and Miv. Unlikely friends initially, their bond was unbreakable. The importance of this friendship was brought home time and time again as Miv and Sharon devise the list and assess their community with opened eyes. Each of the characters introduced to the story add such depth and the relationships between them and Miv are so cleverly described. Miv has broken my heart and mended it again with her unfailingly need to do good.
This book will make you cry and laugh in equal measures and is well deserved of all the accolades- it’s certainly a contender for one of my favourites of the year.

YA story but suitable for adults. It's 1979. Margaret Thatcher is just won a general election, and the country is obsessed with finding the Yorkshire Ripper who has been attacking young women in Yorkshire.
12 year old Miv hears a broadcast where the police say that the Ripper is hiding in plain sight and decides that she is going to investigate suspicious people, and finds that things are not always as they seem.
The book really evokes the times and the area and the characters are superb. Took a little while to get into it but do persevere. It's worth it.

What a way to make a debut! Jennie Godfrey’s The List of Suspicious Things is such a special book: I laughed, I cried (quite a bit to be honest, but I think hormones may be partly to blame 🤷🏼‍♀️), and I mainly worried about our main character, Miv.

Miv has decided that she and her friend Sharon will be the ones to solve the case of the Yorkshire Ripper. She and Sharon will make a list of all the suspicious things in their neighbourhood, and in doing so, the Rippers identity will be revealed to them. Along the way, the list actually means that they get to know a lot more about their neighbours, and they make friends in unexpected places.

And that’s all I want to say, because I don’t think I should spoil the book that you’ll all need to go out and buy! I think it’s better that you meet Miv, Sharon and the whole cast of characters through reading the book instead of my review. This will undoubtedly be on my list of favourite books this year, without a doubt.

Many thanks to Random House for my e-copy of this wonderful book through NetGalley.

I’m about the same age as Miv and this story of a girl growing up is set in the time of Margaret Thatcher, milk snatcher, rollerball lipgloss and telephones attached by a cord is so well written and evocative. Behind this is the darker world of the Yorkshire Ripper, the National Front plus domestic abuse and child sexual abuse simmering just below the surface. Dealing with the sadness of her own traumatised mother, Miv sets out to find the Ripper, working through her list of suspicious things. As she works through her suspects, she makes connections and she makes friends. Her relationship with Sharon, Ish and Paul, as well as the older characters is heart warming and authentic..

This book got off to a strong start capturing the young female protagonist and setting the scene for an interesting look at small town Northern life. Miv’s character was written really well and her anxieties and awkwardness as she straddled the gap between child and teen were easy to feel.

The area I struggled with was the Ripper storyline. It increasingly felt forced as a device to examine the other inhabitants of the town. The characters were interesting enough on their own and the topics sufficiently meaty; racism, domestic violence, being in a small town where everyone knows everyone’s business but stays out of it even when it’s dangerous. To me the Ripper was a distraction.

Overall a pleasant read that could have been great but didn’t quite get there.

Thanks to NetGalley for my proof copy.

A book I will remember.

Based in Yorkshire in the 1970’s until 1980, during a time of the Margaret Thatcher government, this book is based around the Yorkshire Ripper in the background of the storyline.

Twelve year old Miv and her best friend Sharon, embark on a mission to find the Yorkshire Ripper.
An eclectic mixture of characters both young and old make up this story.
It covers sensitive issues.
Poignant, a very touching testimony of growing up, making the baby steps of being a child, evolving into a teenager and preparing for adulthood, in all its complexities. Emotions and emotional, a reminder of how I felt at that age. A blast from the past with some of the descriptions of life in those times for me.
It covers secrets, value, worth, caring and tenderness, loyalty, compassion, understanding, living a life in difficult delicate situations, dealing with life in a small community.
Certainly a book I will remember.
An excellent read for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for an advanced e-book copy. Opinions about the book are entirely my own.

The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey
I remember only too well the feeling of fear engendered by The Yorkshire Ripper that is the backdrop for this novel. I love the way in which 11 year old Miv works out that if she solves the mystery of the Yorkshire Ripper she will not have to leave her home and her best friend. She ropes Sharon in to assist in her investigations and Miv begins to list all of the “suspicious things” she notes about everyone with whom she comes into contact. This continues over a period of 3 years and at the beginning she is very naïve but gradually becomes more aware.
This is a brilliant debut novel and it is hard to imagine that a new author has begun on such a high. The period is well researched and the characters leap off the page. There are themes which will challenge our 21st century sensibilities - there is racism, bullying, misogyny and domestic violence but it is an accurate picture of the late 1970’s early 1980’s. I will definitely be recommending this book at all of my book clubs and would like to thank the author, the publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read the book in return for an honest review.

The List of Suspicious Things whisks readers back to Margaret Thatcher's 1970's Britain and the bleak time of the Yorkshire Ripper, when women were terrified, and rightly so.

The List of Suspicious Things is told through the eyes of Miv. She's a kid on a mission to solve the murders.  She and great friend, Sharon decide to make a list of people they find suspicious. They're typical kids who know the news, taken it to heart and curiosity gets to them as they try, in their own wee way to help to solve the case. As time passes by, as shown in the chapters, you can see her begin to grow-up.

The strength of friendships and community binds this book tightly together in an uplifting way that weaves through the darker themes as the 1970's rumbles on and Sutcliffe is on the loose. I read it with an understanding of how the 1970's was and I feel that's the best way to read it as there are of course a number of things that aren't so easily acceptable these days. It keeps it real and that's a great quality for this particular book. For many, there will be an air of nostalgia, some of which continued through to the 80's and 90's like fruity lipgloss/balms, styles of jeans etc.

The author, Jennie Godfrey makes the 1970's come to life, whether you lived through them or not. I did not and that did not matter. I felt transported there, through her thorough and beautiful way of writing as you navigate your way through twists and turns, discovering secrets, a pulling together of community, friendship and trends.

Jennie Godfrey has produced a stunning debut in ‘The List of Suspicious Things’. I must admit, I was anxious to read it due to the subject matter, but I trusted that Jennie would handle it with care and sensitivity and she has. The book brought back so many vivid memories of living in Thatcher's Britain. The nostalgia is strong with this one, and I relished every reference to my 1980s childhood. I love that we get to see little snapshots of the lives of the cast of characters throughout, whilst the book is essentially an ensemble piece about the power of community. It really evokes the atmosphere (and indeed fear) of the era. I was thoroughly invested in Miv, her family and friends and I'm sad to leave them. Surely the sign of a great book and a skilled writer. Well done, Jennie Godfrey! I'm so excited to see what you do next.

The adventures of Miv and Sharon didn't start well for me but I warmed to it. The book is set in the late 1970s when two young girls from Yorkshire are caught up in the hunt for the serial killer known as the Yorkshire Ripper. There's a kind of local hysteria at the time and Miv is drawn into it and begins to make lists of likely suspects from the local community, ticking them off one by one. Sharon who is slightly older follows but without quite the same conviction.

At the start of the book, the setting is described as overtly 'Yorkshire' and because the narrative is seen through the eyes of an 11 year old girl it is all a bit simplistic and as childish as you might expect. At times, the way she behaves and the way members of the community behave is not really convincing but it gets better.

The way the two girls are growing up is well portrayed as are the difficulties of making sense of an adult world. In the end, Miv finds out more about herself and her family even as the Ripper is arrested. It's a good story but needs a certain willingness to suspend belief and to enjoy the ride.

Junior sleuths have always been a mainstay in children’s fiction, from the crime-busting gang in all-time German classic “Emil And The Detectives”(1929) to Enid Blyton’s “Famous Five” who are referenced in this novel. They are also a significant force in adult fiction from Mark Haddon’s modern classic “The Curious Incident Of The Dog At Nightime” (2003), Joanna Cannon’s “Trouble With Goats And Sheep” (2014), Alan Bradleys’ Flavia De Luce series, the impressive urban Indian tale “Djinn Patrol On The Purple Line” by Deepa Anaparra (2020) and certainly not forgetting Catherine O’Flynn’s ten year old detective Kate in the outstanding “What Was Lost” (2007) for me pretty much a benchmark for this type of novel. There’s countless others I could add to this list because there is much appeal in the adolescent viewpoint of the adult world and adding to that list meet Miv, the twelve year old main character in this solid debut novel.
This sparky heroine is pitched against real life crime, the Yorkshire Ripper, and it begins in 1979. Seeing the concerns of adults and worried if the events will drive her family from her home environment and away from best friend Sharon the girls hatch a plan to discover the identity of the Yorkshire Ripper themselves and use a notebook to record individuals who arouse their suspicions in their neighbourhood. This is a fascinating premise- the reader can see the potential in this plot immediately.
And it is done well. Miv’s first person narrative is interspersed with third-person viewpoints of characters who at some point appear on Miv’s list. I must admit these switches from first to third person jar a little but it gives a valuable perspective on the youngster’s misconstruing of events. As a character, Miv is great, on the cusp of entry into the adult world of secrets and things that should not be talked about exemplified by the difficult situation within her own family. Early on, there’s some incidental moments which really get the feel of the times, the school playground Kiss Chase is replaced by a dark playground chase game because of the Ripper killings. For me, it is when the novel settles into the sleuthing that it comes to feel a little one-note and I’m not sure I totally bought into the Yorkshire depicted by the author and there were a couple of questionable motives behind actions. The darker territory the novel hovers around -the Ripper’s crimes, racial tensions and mental health issues didn’t always meld smoothly with Miv’s tale and I am aware that we are seeing much from the child’s viewpoint but I think if the darkness was a little darker and the lightness lighter we would have had something outstanding.
I certainly enjoyed this and it will win many fans and I think it would be a splendid book group choice as the setting and premise of the novel will provide much discussion. I’m not sure, despite twists towards the end which I certainly didn’t see coming if this will continue to resonate in the way that some of the young detective novels I mentioned at the top of this review do.
The List Of Suspicious Things is published by Hutchinson Heinemann on 15th February 2024. Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the advance review copy.

The story is set in Yorkshire in the 70s at the time of the Yorkshire Ripper killings. Miv is worried her father might want to move away because of this, so she decides to try to solve the mystery herself by making a list of anyone who is acting suspiciously.
It’s related from her point of view as an 11 year old and draws you, convincingly, into her friendships and how she sees the world.
The author gets the descriptions of the era just right even describing a brown carpet with orange swirls and some yellow, which sounds just the same as the one we (and lots of others) had at that time.

I thought this book would be a harrowing read, but although there were some emotional parts, it is very well written. Thank you for the ARC,

An absolutely superb debut from Jennie Godfrey, from the perspective of a you g girl Miv, growing up in Yoirkshire during the murders of the Yorkshire Ripper. Miv becomes obsessed with discovering the culprit and manages to unearth sinister secrets in her neighbourhood. There is innocence in her perspective touched with a lightness and humour, despite some of the dark experiences touching her life, like the rampant racism directed at her friend Ishtiaq and hus father, and the uncomfortable tickling forced on her fellow choir friends from an "uncle" serving squash, her mum's mental health decline, and witnessing domestic violence, and aggressiveness. A wonderfully woven story that sees justice to the historical accuracy of the original crimes. #thelistofsuspiciousthings #jenniegodfrey #penguin #netgalley

Lovely book. Truly great read on so many levels, back to Yorkshire in the 70's/80's, childhood friendships, the Yorkshire ripper, the rise of the national front and the affect that had on people as well as complex relationships.
Miv and Sharon make a list of suspicious things and people to try and solve the mystery of the Ripper which takes them in many directions, making new friendships as well as tragedy. It really is a multi layered book and well worth a read. Astonishing that this is a debut novel, I'll definitely be looking out for Jennie Godfrey's next books.

I’ll admit that I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. I’m not one for reading grisly crime stories, but the synopsis suggested that there was much more to this book than that. I’m so glad I decided to give it a try.

Set in the late 1970’s, the story follows young Miv and her best friend Sharon as they navigate growing up under the shadow of the Yorkshire Ripper and the rise of the National Front. Wanting to help her local community, Miv decides to start looking for clues about who around them could be the Ripper. She starts to notice things hiding in plain sight that point to other problems people are living with in their day to day lives. Through these ‘investigatations’ we slowly uncover a cast of characters that will play a pivotal role in Miv and Sharon’s live, bringing together a community cowered by fear of a serial killer in their midst,

Essentially a story about the power of friendship, love and compassion, there is a definitely a dark side to this ambitious debut novel. Exploring themes of sexual abuse, domestic abuse and racism, there’s plenty in here that makes this as less than easy read. But Godfrey does a brilliant job of telling the story in a sensitive and honest way. The characters are all so well written that they feel like real people, and their reactions to the situations that they find themselves in are all wholly believable.

It might seem like an odd thing to say given the subject matter, but there’s a real heart to this book. I felt so deeply the things the characters experience that it’s quite a moving book. I thoroughly enjoyed The List of Suspicious Things and would definitely recommend it.

Heartwrenching, brave and unexpected. I'll be recommending this to everyone I know! It's such a unique look at the Yorkshire Ripper case, harrowing and dark in places but with an ultimately uplifting theme. I'll be looking out for more titles from such a talented writer.

Set in Yorkshire when the Yorkshire Ripper was at large, racial tensions high , Miv a young girl and her friend Sharon try to track down the Ripper, using a list of suspicious things about individuals.

They befriend a young boy from Bradford who lives with his Pakistani father running a corner shop after his mother died.

The book reminds us of how things were in the 1970's a less tolerant society, the scary news of the Ripper and how we relied on the TV and newspapers for our knowledge of what was happening around us.

A heartwarming story of growing up during those times, with humour, love and sadly tragic consequences.

A coming of age story during a time of political upheaval and the hunt for a serial killer. I was a teenager at the time so remember vividly the culture, Mrs Thatchers rise to power and the terrible crimes of the Yorkshire Ripper The author evokes very well the atmosphere of the period.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. Set in the 1970's in Yorkshire this is the story of friendship and family, it had such wonderful characters and a great story, it will stay with me for a long time and I will be recommending it to everyone I know.