The List of Suspicious Things

The instant Sunday Times bestsellerSUNDAY TIMES NUMBER 1 BESTSELLERTHE BIGGEST DEBUT LAUNCH OF 2024'Such a fresh and interesting voice. You'll cry and you won't be able to stop reading'MARIAN KEYES'Such a beautiful story about friendship, community and family and secrets and what's going on underneath'ZOE BALL'Gripping and moving'GUARDIAN'To read it is to feel that little bit better about life'ELIZABETH DAY'A touching paean to lost innocence and the comfort of friendships'THE TIMES'A beautiful mystery with heart'ROB RINDER'This is a heart-warming book'EMMA HEALEY'A gorgeous, page-turning book'I PAPER'A wonderful story'FEARNE COTTONYorkshire, 1979Maggie 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?SHORTLISTED FOR BOOK OF THE YEAR - DEBUT FICTION AT THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS 2025The perfect debut novel to discuss in book clubsREADER REVIEWS'Left a lump in my throat and a hole in my heart''A book I won't forget for a while''A beautiful and emotional debut that I know will stay with me for a long time''A superb look at childhood, at growing up, at starting to see the world around you'Sunday Times bestseller, April 2024

A touching paean to lost innocence and the comfort of friendships, its dark undertow leavened by stout Yorkshire humour The Times
I absolutely adore it! -- Marian Keyes
Godfrey succeeds brilliantly in fitting a gripping and moving story in the interstices of a horrific episode in recent history, without ever trivialising, taking focus from, or minimising the lasting impact of the original crimes. Guardian
There's been buzz around this novel - for good reason. Endearing characters and nostalgic details make this a must-read Good Housekeeping
One of the buzziest debuts of 2024, and deservedly so….prepare to have all the feelings Red
Fabulous. I loved Miv’s spirit Prima
I can't believe this is a debut. Heavy themes handled with such tenderness and care, a moving, memorable tale of community, connection and curiosity. I loved it -- Emma Gannon
A heartwarming tale about the power of human connection, written with empathy, warmth and care. To read it is to feel that little bit better about life -- Elizabeth Day
[THE LIST OF SUSPICIOUS THINGS] was such a joyous read . . . the story spoke to me on so many levels. The characters are adorable and we all need an Aunty Jean in our lives . . . a beautiful story of friendship, community and family. Heartwarming -- Zoe Ball
Funny, poignant and drawn with real compassion. This is a heart-warming book -- Emma Healey, author of ELIZABETH IS MISSING

Jennie Godfrey was raised in West Yorkshire and her debut novel, The List of Suspicious Things, is inspired by her childhood there in the 1970s. Jennie is from a mill-working family, but as the first of the generation born after the mills closed, she went to university and built a career in the corporate world. In 2020 she left and began to write. She is now a writer and part-time Waterstones bookseller and lives in the Somerset countryside.

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