Published in 2024, The List of Suspicious Things is the wonderful debut novel from Jennie Godfrey. It’s a story uncovering a mystery, filled with heartwarming characters, but also violence against women; hearing the story through Miv, a teenage girl, allows you to follow the story through innocent yet inquisitive eyes.
The story is set during the late 1970s in West Yorkshire, during the time the Yorkshire Ripper murdered 13 women and attacked another 8. The book so importantly names the women who were murdered, highlighting their unjust and shortened lives at the hands of a man. Miv, who lives with her Mum, Dad and Auntie Jean, starts a quest to find the Ripper, determined to uncover them so she doesn’t have to move away: away from the murders. Along with best friend Sharon, they start a list of suspicious things, focusing on one suspect at a time. On many occasions, they had misunderstood their suspect’s character, often uncovering a new friendship. However, there are instances in which they don’t uncover the Ripper, but were right in uncovering a man conducting violence against women. The story follows their friendship, their development into teenagers, and their discoveries throughout their community.
The story is also told through the first-person voice of key characters, helping to develop the full picture and intertwining several touching and heart-warming relationships. Two of these characters are Omar and his son Ishtiaq, who Godfrey skillfully captures the racism towards in this Yorkshire community: using the young voice of Miv so eloquently describes the misunderstanding of cultures outside 1970s white-Christian Britain, and the huge and unjust impact of their mistreatment.
Even with this tough narrative, there’s an uplifting theme of friendship, of community support and the strong Yorkshire spirit (no bias here!). The detailing brought me back to my own childhood, small things like going to try makeup on at Boots and how you gradually progress through the hangout spots, which drew me into the characters and the stages of their lives.
I would 1000% recommend this book – there is warmness to it, to guide you through the tough times.
C