The List of Suspicious Things

Product Information

The juxtaposition of Miv's innocence and her schoolgirl-diary delivery and the truths that she uncovers about the lives around lie at the bruised heart of this book. Soon, Miv and her best friend Sharon discover more than they bargained for – not about the Yorkshire Ripper, but about the grown-ups around them, who are troubled in all sorts of ways. As they scratch the surface of everyday life, brutal racism, domestic abuse, alcoholism, infidelity and misunderstood mental health issues emerge.

So on the book, I had already seen a bit of a buzz on social media surrounding this novel, and when I found it the setting and timeline, I knew it would interest me, but I didn’t realise HOW much I would LOVE it! The List of Suspicious Things is about so much more than this quest though. It takes Miv, and her friend Sharon’s search for the Yorkshire Ripper as the canvas for a study of some wonderful characters all living in Miv’s neighbourhood and who all find themselves at some point on The List of Suspicious Things. I felt so much nostalgia from my own childhood growing up in Britain in the 80s (you don’t hear words like ‘cagoule’ anymore), and the perfectly captured bittersweet immigrant experience made me feel seen in my Britishness, too. First. I must give huge huge thanks to Isabella Ralphs at Penguin Random House for sending me a proof copy of The List Of Suspicious Things, It will be treasured! Miv has other worries, however – such as keeping a hold of her best friend Sharon, who seems to be floating away from her, and the ever-present worry about Miv’s mum, who stopped speaking one day and hasn’t started since. And then, in the wake of the murders, Miv’s dad and Aunty Jean suggest moving ‘Down South’ where it’s safer. All of a sudden, Miv has to come up with an idea to ensure they stay in Yorkshire, so she can stay friends with Sharon.I could probably write a list of why I thoroughly enjoyed this book: I'm from Yorkshire (not far from Dewsbury), I was around the same age as Miv when the Ripper terrorised the streets, I too had a pretty friend who boys were attracted but she wasn't as nice as Sharon so there the similarity ends. However the main reasons are the plot, the characters and the dialogue of this great first novel. In terms of pacing, i almost DNF'd the book around a third of the way through because it was dull. Then in the last 20% of the book suddenly no end of crazy shit starts happening. Perhaps if some of these events had happened earlier it would have got me invested. It would also have prevented the climax of the book feeling somewhat unrealistic, with a huge amount of stuff suddenly happening concurrently. It was exciting, but also felt a bit silly. 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 loved the cast of characters, particularly eleven-year-old Miv. Jennie Godfrey captured Miv's young voice and mannerisms perfectly. Being a proud Yorkshire lass mi'sen, I loved seeing the regional words and expressions used, which made the dialogue between the characters even more authentic. The List of Suspicious Things had some good things going for it but ultimately seemed suspiciously like a list of melodramatic YA events, which felt uncomfortable alongside the very serious subject matter. It wouldn't have been surprised to find out the postman was a Nazi war criminal in hiding. I certainly hope Miv's following few months were a little more chilled. 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.

Featured Reviews

Throughout the course of the book, the many characters Miv encounters become like family to her, and to us as the reader too. She finds parental figures in so many wonderful characters, becomes friends with people she never would have thought to ‘laik out’ with, and experiences a first crush and relationship.

Jennie Godfrey is such a talented new voice in fiction, her writing is brave and unexpected and reminded me of Joanna Cannon. whose work I adore. A beautiful and emotional debut that I know will stay with me for a long time. Highly recommended. Set in West Yorkshire in 1979, I felt a real sense of time and place from Godfrey’s descriptions, and her attention to detail brought the era to life. Little does Miv know though, is that those people, and even those close to her, are harbouring other secrets, and that there are other mysteries between the people she meets and comes across, that threaten to have much deeper, darker consequences. This remarkable debut novel showcases the author's immense talent for storytelling. Delicately depicting the struggles of the main character Miv, who grapples with personal challenges and the complexities of growing up, we witness her steadfast determination to preserve the comforting facets of her childhood. Through its exploration of various social issues, the book masterfully exposes the pervasive dangers present in our society, whether it be racism, domestic violence, or the safety of women.

This is exclusive content.

The dialogue was authentic and the story had a lot of heart, hence I believe it will appeal to those who enjoy real-life family dramas. The List of Suspicious Things is a tender and moving coming of age story about family, friendship and community. Sometimes the strongest connections are found in the most unlikely of places. It's a coming-of-age story set in Yorkshire around the time of the Ripper murders. A young girl called Miv decides to try to solve the mystery of the murderer. The hunt for the evil Yorkshire Ripper inevitably means there are some dark themes and the storyline also includes racism, bullying and some domestic violence too. It captures West Yorkshire to perfection especially in the context of the late 70’s and early ‘80’s with its derelict satanic mills of Blake’s poem, with its ghosts of the past, the attitudes and gossip of a small town with firmly entrenched views. You definitely feel the tension and fear of the hunt for Peter Sutcliffe, I was in Yorkshire at the time though not the West, but we all felt the fear. Yet, despite all the obvious darkness, there’s Miv, wonderful Miv. You watch her grow up and you just know she’s going to be a fine young woman and one you’d most certainly want to know.

The period in which it was set. I made so many connections here because of the many references throughout the book. Definitely my era! Miv lives with her Dad, her Mum (when she’s not having one of her regular spells in hospital, having completely withdrawn from life) and auntie Jean. She caught her Dad and auntie Jean talking about moving away from Yorkshire, citing the Ripper as one of the reasons, so if Miv can discover the identity of the killer, maybe she won’t have to move away from her dear friend Sharon, and so it is that 11 year old Miv decides she’s going to catch The Yorkshire Ripper, and persuades her best friend Sharon to help her. That said, I believe this book will have wide appeal and be very popular. I probably would have enjoyed it more twenty years ago, but I now prefer something more challenging/thought provoking. 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. 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.A book so full of heart that your own will explode with the sheer joy of the goodness of humans, even when faced with pure evil in its many guises. And on top of all that, it carries a message to women that we should remember every day. Miv's family life is troubled, her mum has had a nervous breakdown and hasn't spoken for sometime. Her aunt has moved in to help take care of them, but with the ripper still out there, Yorkshire isn't what it used to be and there is talk of moving away. This is devastating to Miv, who would then lose her best friend, Sharon, the one stable thing in her life. Her solution is to catch the ripper, so she starts the list of suspicious things and sets out with Sharon to investigate. Along the way, the pair meet a strong cast of characters and form a pretty tight group of friends. The List of Suspicious seems to be getting 5 stars from one and all but I'm an outlier on this one.