The Barbecue at No.9

From the very first page I was in awe. I LOVED it. Jennie Godfrey has such an incredible gift for characterisation. – Marian KeyesA beautiful story about secrets, lies and community. This is a gorgeous novel that will steal your heart. – Graham NortonSet against the backdrop of Live Aid, and covering everything from Jammy Dodgers to Queen, this is a delicious and irresistibly good-hearted story about ordinary lives and the dark secrets that lie behind the net curtains. What emerges is a plea for facing the things of which we are most afraid, even if it requires the help of a bowl of Twiglets. An utter treat. – Rachel JoyceGripping, suspenseful, moving, perfectly constructed - and every bit as good as, if not better than, its stonkingly successful predecessor, The List of Suspicious Things. – Sophie HannahBrilliantly evocative and deliciously addictive. I couldn’t stop reading until all the characters’ secrets were revealed. – Claire FullerWHAT a book! Jennie Godfrey is such a tremendous storyteller. She writes characters who seem to have existed forever - they move into your heart straight away and stay there. This book is so real, human and hope-filled, and it doesn’t shy away from the dark, while encouraging us all to embrace the light. Hanna is already one of my all time favourite heroines. – Daisy BuchananI could smell the musky Impulse body spray, taste the cremated sausages, and hear the Live Aid concert. The Barbecue at No.9 sizzles with secrets, suspense, superbly drawn characters, and so much heart. Jennie has done it again. I loved it! – Nikki MayI absolutely loved it! What a joy. Great characters and just so absorbing and funny and intriguing. – Jane FallonA brilliantly absorbing and satisfying novel full of heart and humanity. I laughed, cried and felt better for having read it. – Cathy RentzenbrinkA gorgeous novel, I adored it, Jennie Godfrey’s writing is pure joy, she is such a gifted storyteller. – Clare Leslie Hall

Jennie Godfrey was raised in West Yorkshire in a mill-working family and her debut novel, The List of Suspicious Things, was inspired by her childhood there in the 1970s. In 2020, Jennie gave up her corporate career to build a life around books. She is now a writer and part-time bookseller who lives, and writes, in the Somerset countryside.