***THE NUMBER 3 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER***

HAPPY PLACE BOOK CLUB FOR APRIL

A BEST DEBUT OF 2024 BY BBC, RED, GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

'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 COTTON

Yorkshire, 1979

Maggie 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?

THE PERFECT DEBUT NOVEL TO DISCUSS IN BOOK CLUBS

***READER 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'

About the Author
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.

Reviews
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
Profoundly original and dazzlingly written. A beautiful mystery with heart -- Rob Rinder
A beautiful story of friendship, community and family . . . heart-warming -- Zoe Ball
A book full of heart that drops you vividly into a time and place. Superb -- Kate Hamer
An extraordinary achievement -- Clare Pooley
This is such a tender coming of age story with unforgettable characters. Exquisite storytelling that's full of heart -- Julie Owen-Moylan
Absolutely loved it - it is so engrossing, utterly heart-breaking (made me cry!) but also redemptive and hopeful at the same time -- Sophie Hannah
I am so sad it has ended because it is a GORGEOUS TRIUMPH. Jennie is an easy and natural storyteller. Beautifully crafted, moving, funny heart-warming, it has all the feels -- Georgina Moore
Pretty sure this will be the book of 2024. Bring tissues -- Joanna Nadin
The characters completely burrowed into my heart. It's a warm, funny, huge-hearted book without any twee - it's truthful, carrying a sadness too -- Chloe Timms
An astonishing debut written with much talent and tenderness. It sings with humanity -- Amy Twigg
Brimming with what is means to be human, this is a book to be savoured and cherished. A book that should be required reading for current and future generations. A once in a lifetime kind of book -- Awais Khan
What could be more magical than a writer who can flip from hilarity to darkness and back on the same page? Jennie Godfrey does this and more in THE LIST OF SUSPICIOUS THINGS, all told in a voice that is as authentic as it is unforgettable -- Jenny Jackson
Endearing characters, nostalgic period details and a warmth that rises from the page make this a must-read * Good Housekeeping *
A mystery wrapped up in a story of community and family, The List of Suspicious Things is a gorgeous, page-turning book * i Paper *
A standout debut full of heart * The Sun, Fabulous Magazine *
Heartbreaking [...] a superlative coming-of-age story * Mail on Sunday *
A beautifully written story about friendship, family and the untold secrets hidden beneath the surface...a touching novel that will have you in tears, shock, laughter and horror * Press Association *
Thoroughly enjoyable, charming and singular . . . What a debut! -- Milly Johnson
Well, this is such a wonderful story. It's seen through the eyes of a 13-year-old girl called Miv, in the 1970s in Yorkshire. Miv is on the search with her friend Sharon for the Yorkshire Ripper. Now, although that is a very serious subject matter and a dark one, this book is so warm and cosy and light and funny in parts. It's just a beautiful tale of friendship and also the secrets that you discover in your own local community. It's such a brilliant book -- Fearne Cotton



Book Information
ISBN 9781529153293
Author Jennie Godfrey
Format Hardback
Page Count 464
Imprint Hutchinson Heinemann
Publisher Cornerstone
Weight(grams) 567g
Dimensions(mm) 223mm * 144mm * 39mm