Debut author Jennie Godfrey has written a singular serial killer novel. Told from the point of view of an adolescent trying to discover the identity of the Yorkshire Ripper, The List of Suspicious Things is part thriller, part coming-of-age story, and part historical fiction.
Godfrey was a young girl when the real Yorkshire Ripper was active between 1975 and 1980; the then-unidentified murderer killed 13 women and attempted to murder at least seven others. "Everyone in Yorkshire knew we had our very own bogeyman, one with a hammer and a hatred of women." This experience clearly shapes Godfrey's writing of Miv, 12 years old at the start of the novel and convinced that if she can solve the Yorkshire Ripper case, she and her family won't have to move away from their hometown.
This childhood logic is prevalent throughout The List of Suspicious Things, told primarily from Miv's point of view, as Miv recruits her best friend, Sharon, to help her in the search. "We'll make a list," Miv says to Sharon. "A list of the people and things we see that are suspicious. And then... we'll investigate them." But in a small town with a powerful gossip mill, anything and everything can seem suspicious: the immigrant who owns the local convenience store; the grieving widower too sad to sleep in his marital bed; even Miv's own father, taking secret calls and sneaking out late at night when her mother is asleep.
The stakes grow ever higher, and the truth ever murkier, as the girls encounter situations well beyond their understanding of the world. Miv and Sharon turn up depressed parents, extramarital affairs, xenophobia and racism, alcoholism, men out of work, and more. "I don't know if any of the people we know are suspicious," Sharon muses, "or whether they're just trying to live their lives." This youthful perspective could make The List of Suspicious Things feel immature, but Godfrey succeeds in handling serious, adult themes through the eyes of a young girl without infantilizing or oversimplifying. The result is a stand-out mystery in a genre crowded with whodunit thrillers. This captivating tale of a young girl coming of age in 1979 Yorkshire, set against a backdrop of secrets and violence and hardships, carries glimmers of the joy that can be found and felt in family, friendships, and community. --Kerry McHugh, freelance writer
Shelf Talker: A 12-year-old girl and her best friend investigate a serial killer in 1979 Britain in this heartfelt, compelling debut.