Wow!
Set in Yorkshire in the late 1970’s when the Yorkshire Ripper was in everyones thoughts, this amazing story goes behind the doors of ordinary people as they go about their seemingly ordinary lives. But sometimes it takes a child to see what is in plain sight and Miv , an impressionable imaginative near teenager is determined to do what the police cannot - identify the Ripper..
Although a little slow to start, I soon became engrossed with the characters , the sense of community, and the simmering dark undertones . So many issues re covered and it is difficult to say more without giving too much of the story away.
Be prepared for twists, shocks and even heartbreak.
This book has so much to say about the time , place and language. It certainly got under my skin and I shall be recommending it to my friends..

I’m a few years younger than Miv, the main character in this book, but the period feel of this story really struck a chord with me. The late seventies and the dawn of the eighties are perfectly captured. The characterisation and the quality of the writing were equally good, and I can see why there’s been such a buzz about this book on social media. It’s an excellent, heart-rending read about friendship, grief and growing up in a world where violence against women and racism are commonplace.
While there was a lightness to much of the storytelling, there was always a simmering sense of threat in the background, and the climax of the story was powerful.
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this book to others and would like to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an ARC.

I had a good time reading this - the characters were fun to follow and I really enjoyed being inside Miv’s brain. Unfortunately though I only read this a couple of weeks ago and have already forgotten most of what happens more specifically - while I could give a rough summary of the setting and vibes the actual contents of the book haven’t stuck with me.

This is a coming of age story which would be good for all fans of The Trouble with Goats and Sheep.

As someone who grew up in the 1980s myself I felt Godfrey did a great job of evoking the time and the differences in the attitudes that adults had towards children and in the way they were treated. It also did really well at reflecting the changing attitudes towards women coinciding with the first British prime minister, the racism that was rife at the time and the workers issues leaving many families in near poverty.

At first I felt that this book felt familiar with a writing style and trope that I felt we had seen many times before. However, this book grew on me and had many layers which I felt were handled sensitively and movingly. The ending was tenderly done and I felt genuinely touched.

This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

I loved this! Following 12 year old Miv as she attempts to uncover who the Yorkshire ripper is in 1970s Yorkshire, accompanied by her best friend. Desperate not to move south as her Dad is so worried for their safety, they set out to uncover the Yorkshire ripper themselves. A brilliant book.

So this book is based in 1979 Yorkshire with Maggie Thatcher as PM of GB. I wanted to step out of my comfort zone a bit with this one knowing Thatcher just makes me angry in general. This was an overall good book, nice coming of age story. I can see it's merits so will give it 4 but it just wasn't for me.

Yorkshire in the late 70's was a tough place to grow up with the constant fear of the Yorkshire Ripper. Miv and her family have enough issues to deal with and when her Dad mentions the possibility of moving away, she enlists the help of best friend Sharon to make a list of suspicious goings-on in the area. She hopes that if they find the Ripper, her Dad will see that it is safe now and let them stay. In the process of making their list, they uncover a lot of things about their neighbourhood and its residents than bargained for, and a few thing that probably should have stayed hidden.

This was a brilliant, entertaining read. I can't imagine how scary it must have been to be a young woman in the area at that time, but this story portrays it well. With a brilliant cast of realistic characters, it made for a great read.

The List Of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey, a NetGalley review. This is the authors debut novel and I’m not sure what I felt about it to be honest, for me the last 15% of the book was the best part. The author is brave in the issues she tackles within this book, mental health, abuse, racism and grief and she does so with strength and conviction. However despite this I didn’t feel i connected with this book, i what I mean by this is that, I wasn’t dying to read what happened next, the narrative didn’t always feel like it flowed, feeling repetitive in parts. Miv has this morbid fascination with finding out who the Yorkshire Ripper is and in places this makes me feel quite uncomfortable, her family seem unconcerned and unaware of everything concerning their daughter and there are reasons behind this and again times were very different. As I read on its very apparent that Miv’s action have a lot to do with a life of secrets and hushed conversations; a life where she feels largely unnoticed. Miv especially has this curiosity into something so much bigger than her, something that she can’t begin to understand and at the beginning the naivety of youth is loud and clear as she doesn’t even know what the word prostitute mean. Along the way they make mistakes, get into situations they shouldn’t but they also help bring people together, if sometimes this wasn’t the outcome they expected. As I read on I started to understand why Miv was so intent and determined with finding the Yorkshire Ripper, it was an escape from those whispered conversations at home, the unknown environment at home, it got her out of the front door, something to focus on. As I’ve said it was the ending that redeemed the book for me, it felt more structured, more real, warmer and it seemed to have found its flow. I felt quite emotional at the end which I did not expect and it helped that it had a twist I didn’t see coming but I wished this had happened soon, it felt like the story had finally hit its stride only to end. I don’t know if I would recommend this book going forward, it was a ⭐️⭐️⭐️ it only gets that purely for the end, a marmite kind of book.📚📚

Miv and her best friend Sharon are living in Yorkshire in the time of the Yorkshire Ripper. They decide that they can track him down where the police are failing. They start to make lists of suspicious things in their surroundings, people and places. They uncover all sorts of secrets but will they catch the ripper?

A story of friendship, family secrets and coming of age, a delight.

I’m overwhelmed by this book, it is such a moving tale of friendship and other relationships. Set against the horrors of the Yorkshire Ripper, the details of life during the 1970s are perfectly described.. I am so glad we no longer live with such racism, domestic violence and other injustices. Details such as sherbet lemons, dandelion and burdock and fish and chips for tea brought those days right back to me, The many characters and brilliantly portrayed and I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

I can see why so many people are talking about this book and giving it high ratings. For the longest time, I loved the book - until The Thing That Happens Near The End (IFYKYK), when I was so angry. It’s a measure of Godfrey’s writing, that she managed to not only create characters you care about deeply, but also that she then managed to wrap the book up such that I calmed down and forgave things. The book tackles a lot of topics, from a pre-teen’s point of view mostly, as Miv is the main narrator (with other characters sometimes taking turns)… there’s of course the Yorkshire Ripper’s attacks on women, racism, arson, domestic abuse, child abuse, mental health… but the underlying hope shines through so you don’t feel bogged down in misery.

Definitely recommend reading this.

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and publishers, in return for an unbiased review, many thanks.

This book is so much more than a tale about life in Yorkshire during the time of The Ripper. It is a book that isn't afraid to broach tough subjects, like racism, infidelity, mental health issues, domestic abuse and tragedy. The multiple voices in this book breathe life into the simplification we have all uttered, "You never know what goes on behind closed doors." It left me in tears but hopeful.

Many thanks to the author and publisher for this ARC.

Miv is a a pre-teen girl in Yorkshire in the 1980s when her life is disrupted and reconfigured by the presence of the Yorkshire Ripper. Knowing the damage he’s causing, with her best friend Sharon, they set about creating a list of suspicious things, determined to play their part in catching the murderer.

But this book is about more than a horrific crime. It’s about friendship, race, speaking up, grief and rebuilding your life after terrible things. It’s about the female psyche and how women are conditioned to react when terrible things are happening to women.

This book made me laugh and cry as the author draws on her own experiences of growing up in Yorkshire during these horrific murders. I can’t believe it’s a debut and I’m looking forward to reading more of Godfrey’s nuanced and moving writing.

From the cover, I initially thought this would be a cosy crime, perhaps populated by older ladies, but no. Instead, it's a coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of the Yorkshire Ripper killings.

Miv is our main character, who lives in a small Yorkshire town. Together with friend Sharon, she wants to create a list of suspicious things - looking into people who might potentially be the Yorkshire Ripper. But the story is really about so much more than that, about people and the issues they were facing at the time - Thatcher, domestic abuse, racism, mental health. It's about growing into the kind of adult you're going to be.

I must admit, it did take me a little while to get into the story; I didn't immediately feel that pull to get to the end. Instead, I took the book in a little bit at a time until the characters and the relationships between me won them over. Then it's really quite a sweet tale of friendship and hope amidst the darkness.

A good read.

Book Review:
The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey
Published by Hutchinson Heinemann, 15th Feb 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis:
Yorkshire, 1979

Maggie Thatcher is prime minister, drainpipe jeans are in, and Miv is convinced that her dad wants to move their family Down South.

Because of the murders.

Leaving Yorkshire and her best friend Sharon simply isn't an option, no matter the dangers lurking round their way; or the strangeness at home that started the day Miv's mum stopped talking.
Perhaps if she could solve the case of the disappearing women, they could stay after all?

So, Miv and Sharon decide to make a list: a list of all the suspicious people and things down their street. People they know. People they don't.

But their search for the truth reveals more secrets in their neighbourhood, within their families - and between each other - than they ever thought possible.

What if the real mystery Miv needs to solve is the one that lies much closer to home?

Review:
I'd seen much talk about this book across social media, but nothing could have prepared me for its sheer brilliance.

Jennie Godfrey's perfectly crafted characters and breathtaking plot, combined with her deftly executed sense of timing, add up to a huge WOW!

There is so much to adore about this book, which is bound to appeal across a range of genre readers. I'll be eagerly awaiting Jennie's second novel.

#BookReview #TheListOfSuspiciousThings #JennieGodfrey #NetGalley #Bookstagram

It’s the late 1970’s in Yorkshire. Miv is approaching her teens and because life is difficult at home, she becomes obsessed with finding the Ripper. She has a notebook in which she records suspicious things, which she, and her best friend Sharon, go on to investigate.
The list of suspicious things takes the two girls on adventures and more.
It was an enjoyable and engaging read, looking at that period of fear through the eyes of a 12-13 year old, the innocence of some things and the danger of others. Her imagination and her investigative actions. Seeing life from her perspective was fascinating.

Miv and Sharon want to catch the Yorkshire Ripper.
They start to make a list of suspicious things and people. By doing this they get to know more about their neighbourhood. However, some of their actions have consequences and not all good.
What effect will this have on their families and friends?

I thoroughly enjoyed this cosy crime novel. Told from Miv's perspective - I think she is about 10 or 12 years old. A brilliant coming-of-age story set in the time of the Yorkshire Ripper. Full of nostalgic references. Loved the mention of the rollerball lip gloss.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The List of Suspicious Things

This is a book about friendship and loss but also about love and tolerance and finding out who you truly are.

12 year old Miv is growing up in West Yorkshire with the fear and mistrust of the Yorkshire Ripper surrounding her. She decides to enlist the help of her best friend and together they set about trying to solve the mystery, with Miv creating a list of suspicious things.

This is a terrific read, heartbreaking at times.

Never before have I had such an eerie feeling while reading a book; the setting, language and actual events of West Yorkshire in 1979 and 1980 have been captured with such precision and skill it was as if I was re-living my childhood having grown up in the county during those years.

At the start of 1979, the UK was at the cusp of political change with the election of the first-ever female Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. Closer to the book’s main character’s home county a serial murderer, dubbed the Yorkshire Ripper, continued to terrorise women in the area; the victims brutally attacked with a hammer. Between 1975 to 1980 thirteen women were murdered by Peter Sutcliffe and he tried to kill seven more. The fear was all-pervasive and the sense of danger was in everyone’s psyche.

To this background, Jennie Godfrey has set an enthralling narrative and one that drew me in before I even started. Like the character of the book I was a young girl growing up in Yorkshire at the time of the Yorkshire Ripper murders, experiencing the dark fearful clouds of his existence, the worry of parents, avidly following the news. Unlike the character of the book I at no time thought to try and capture the murderer. This is exactly what young Miv sets out to do, with the aid of her friend.

In ‘The List of Suspicious Things’ twelve-year-old Miv instantly catches the reader’s attention and never lets it go. Her family life, described with wonderful and memorable ‘70s detail, is askew after her mother suddenly stopped talking and her Aunt Jean moved into the home. Aunt Jean is a typical no -fuss-no-frills woman, outspoken, only to be listened to, she is never afraid to give her opinion on everything and everyone! It is not long before her aunt starts whispering to her father that they need to move away to safety - away from the Yorkshire Ripper.

Overhearing this, Miv, who is a determined and clever girl yet full of self-doubt, comes up with the idea for her and her best friend, Sharon, to discover the identity of the Yorkshire Ripper and ensure she does not have to move away. The idea of ‘The List of Suspicious Things’ is born. After all, Miv has a huge interest in detective stories, TV shows and films!

Above all else, it is the grit and determination of the main characters and those around who sweep the reader up and take us into the mindset of their lives.

The girls slowly add names to the list and it weaves an incredibly moving and dramatic cycle of secrets of those in the community and it touches upon themes far-reaching at the time. A recently bereaved Pakistani father, Omar, opens a shop in the area and his young son, in the same year as Miv and Sharon soon become friends and they see exactly the racial hatred that the father and son endure daily, a hatred that later plays a key role in the novel. A young librarian, Helen, helping the girls source documents for their research becomes a friend and they worry at her ‘accident-prone’ nature and ‘over-protective’ husband. A young girl comes to them for help as she is frightened by the choir teacher and his fondness for tickling.

These are but a few of the characters and themes explored in the book. The characters feature in their own right with sections in the third person of some of them while the first-person narrative from Miv runs throughout the book. The combination is a powerful, warm and fully immersive novel which gripped my attention, the various aspects becoming intertwined. Ultimately Miv and Sharon can help with some of the people on the list, others sadly not.

All the time, the biggest secret of all, remains unmentioned - why did Miv’s mother fall silent? Will Miv ever learn the reason for her mother’s withdrawal into herself?

As one name of a suspect is added to the list, and then crossed off, Miv becomes closer to finding the Yorkshire Ripper than she ever imagined.

The final chapters of the book are riveting, heart-wrenching and heart-warming. Jennie Godfrey writes with a deft and exact touch, ensuring the voice of young Miv is a driving force, allowing us to see her grow through the months as her understanding of the adult world deepens and reminding the reader of the depth of emotions and knowledge of young people.

Although I am aware that I could be slightly biased towards the book owing to my experience of this era I honestly believe this is a superbly crafted novel with characters galore to win your heart (or to detest in some cases!) as well as an engaging and unique story. A book that reminds us all of the secret lives of all those around us, even of those closest to us and the pain these secrets can cause oneself and loved ones.

This is a book not to be missed and one I highly recommend.

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley in exchange for an honest and impartial review.