The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey

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?

A quirky story, a cast of fabulous characters with masses of relatable, nostalgic detail about a time that many of us will remember. A story that covers a lot of ground with a light and comforting touch – friendship, family, the things that matter, sadness, loneliness, tragedy and hope. The things adults don’t tell us as children and the, often more alarming, thoughts we insert into those spaces. And the things children notice that no-one ever imagines they will. And it’s all infused with the author’s clear affection for Yorkshire and a warmth that made me smile. If you enjoyed Joanna Cannon’s The Trouble with Goats and Sheep, you will love this.