The List of Suspicious Things

Pick it up: If you are looking for a coming-of-age novel, or a novel about friendship.

The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey is a poignant and evocative coming-of-age story set in Yorkshire in 1979, against the unsettling backdrop of the Yorkshire Ripper murders and Margaret Thatcher's rise to power.  

Twelve-year-old Miv (Mavis) is a bright and imaginative girl whose life is changing. Her mother is unwell and rarely speaks, her father is acting strangely, and her outspoken Auntie Jean has moved in. The one constant in Miv's world is her best friend, Sharon. However, even their childhood innocence is overshadowed by the pervasive fear and anxiety caused by the ongoing murders.  

When Miv overhears her father and aunt discussing moving away from Yorkshire because of the Ripper, she is determined to find a way to stay with Sharon. Inspired by her love of adventure stories, Miv comes up with a plan: she and Sharon will create a list of all the suspicious people and things in their community and try to catch the killer themselves.  

Through their determined and often naive investigations, the novel explores the impact of the shocking real-world events on an ordinary community and the impact on their children. As Miv and Sharon dig deeper, they uncover not only potential suspects but also hidden secrets and complexities within their own families and neighborhood.  

The novel beautifully balances the innocence and humor of childhood with the darker realities of the time, touching on themes of friendship, family, community, loss of innocence, and the social anxieties of the era. Told through the fresh and often astute perspective of a young girl who is trying to make sense of a world that suddenly feels much more dangerous and complicated.