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The Penguin Podcast: episode 9 – how to get published

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‘The day that Peter Sutcliffe was caught is etched on my memory’: How I wrote The List of Suspicious Things

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Debuts 2024 Hero image

Reading lists

12 of the most anticipated debut books of 2024

The List of Suspicious Things

A touching paean to lost innocence and the comfort of friendships, its dark undertow leavened by stout Yorkshire humour

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.

There's been buzz around this novel - for good reason. Endearing characters and nostalgic details make this a must-read

One of the buzziest debuts of 2024, and deservedly so….prepare to have all the feelings

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

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

[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

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

A beautiful story of friendship, community and family . . . heart-warming

A book full of heart that drops you vividly into a time and place. Superb

This is such a tender coming of age story with unforgettable characters. Exquisite storytelling that's full of heart

Absolutely loved it - it is so engrossing, utterly heart-breaking (made me cry!) but also redemptive and hopeful at the same time

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

Pretty sure this will be the book of 2024. Bring tissues

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

An astonishing debut written with much talent and tenderness. It sings with humanity

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

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

Endearing characters, nostalgic period details and a warmth that rises from the page make this a must-read

A mystery wrapped up in a story of community and family, The List of Suspicious Things is a gorgeous, page-turning book

Heartbreaking [&hellip;] a superlative coming-of-age story

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

Thoroughly enjoyable, charming and singular . . . What a debut!

Well, this is such a wonderful story. It&rsquo;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&rsquo;s just a beautiful tale of friendship and also the secrets that you discover in your own local community. It&rsquo;s such a brilliant book

It brought me so much joy . . . just phenomenal . . . a wonderful book

This book will live in my heart forever. It's so tender, warm, real and evocative

I'd heard a rumour that this was a brilliant book. And my goodness, it is. Fully immersing you in 1970s Yorkshire ... the book is unflinching but written in such a gentle way that it's also incredibly readable and touching.

Heartbreaking yet heartwarming, with compassionate characters you can't help but root for, The List of Suspicious Things is an unforgettable book on friendship and the power of human connection. I felt like I was in 1970s Yorkshire, investigating with Miv and Sharon, unearthing the secrets of their neighbourhood. A splendid debut.

I absolutely adored this book. A highly enjoyable pageturner full of wisdom and kindness. I laughed and cried.

Captures the nostalgia of 1970s Yorkshire while confronting the difficult circumstances

HAPPY PLACE BOOK CLUB FOR APRIL 
 
 A BEST DEBUT OF THE YEAR BY BBC, RED, GOOD HOUSEKEEPING 
 
‘Profoundly original and dazzlingly written' ROB RINDER 
 
 'Will live in my heart forever. It's so tender, warm, real and evocative’ DAISY BUCHANAN 
'A gorgeous, page-turning book' I PAPER

***SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER 1 BESTSELLER*** 
 
THE 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 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? 
 
*SHORTLISTED FOR BOOK OF THE YEAR - DEBUT FICTION AT THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS 2025* 
 
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' 
 
Sunday Times bestseller, April 2024

Jennie Godfrey

From the very first page I was in awe. I LOVED it. Jennie Godfrey has such an incredible gift for characterisation

A beautiful story about secrets, lies and community. This is a gorgeous novel that will steal your heart

Set against the backdrop of Live Aid, and covering everything from Jammy Dodgers to Queen, this is a delicious and irresistibly good-hearted story about ordinary lives and the dark secrets that lie behind the net curtains. What emerges is a plea for facing the things of which we are most afraid, even if it requires the help of a bowl of Twiglets. An utter treat.

Gripping, suspenseful, moving, perfectly constructed - and every bit as good as, if not better than, its stonkingly successful predecessor, The List of Suspicious Things

Brilliantly evocative and deliciously addictive. I couldn't stop reading until all the characters' secrets were revealed.

WHAT a book! Jennie Godfrey is such a tremendous storyteller. She writes characters who seem to have existed forever - they move into your heart straight away and stay there. This book is so real, human and hope-filled, and it doesn't shy away from the dark, while encouraging us all to embrace the light. Hanna is already one of my all time favourite heroines.

I could smell the musky Impulse body spray, taste the cremated sausages, and hear the Live Aid concert. The Barbecue at No.9 sizzles with secrets, suspense, superbly drawn characters, and so much heart. Jennie has done it again. I loved it!

I absolutely loved it! What a joy. Great characters and just so absorbing and funny and intriguing.

A brilliantly absorbing and satisfying novel full of heart and humanity. I laughed, cried and felt better for having read it.

A gorgeous novel, I adored it, Jennie Godfrey’s writing if pure joy, she is such a gifted storyteller.

'From the very first page I was in awe. I LOVED it.' MARIAN KEYES 
 
‘A beautiful story about secrets, lies and community.’ GRAHAM NORTON 
 
'A delicious and irresistible story. An utter treat.' RACHEL JOYCE 
 
'Gripping, suspenseful, moving, perfectly constructed.' SOPHIE HANNAH 
 
FROM THE NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE LIST OF SUSPICIOUS THINGS . . . 
It's the summer of 1985 and the residents of Delmont Close are preparing a neighbourhood barbecue to watch the biggest music event in history: Live Aid. A day like no other that will end having reached millions and changing the lives of all who attend. 
 
House-proud Lydia Gordon, whose idols are Princess Di and Delia Smith, is determined to put on a show that will impress everyone - with her posh garden and state-of-the-art television, and her sweet husband and two children, Hanna and David. 
 
But as the guests flood into number nine, so do all of the secrets that have been kept in the close. 
 
Rita, a new neighbour from Australia, is hoping for a fresh start but harbours a shocking event in her past; Steve, a young Falklands veteran, battles his own demons; and Mr Wilson is surely too good-looking to ever be trusted. 
 
But as the hours count down to the last performance of the night, it's Lydia who faces the heart-breaking truth that her immaculate home and flawless family might not be so perfect after all. 
 
And if each of their neighbours is guilty of hiding something, so are the Gordons at number nine ... 
 
'Brilliantly evocative and deliciously addictive. I couldn't stop reading until all the characters' secrets were revealed.' CLAIRE FULLER 
 
'Jennie Godfrey is such a tremendous storyteller. This book doesn't shy away from the dark, while encouraging us all to embrace the light.' DAISY BUCHANAN 
 
'Sizzles with secrets, suspense, superbly drawn characters, and so much heart.' NIKKI MAY 
 
'I absolutely loved it! What a joy. Great characters and just so absorbing, funny and intriguing.' JANE FALLON 
 
'A brilliantly absorbing and satisfying novel full of heart and humanity.' CATHY RENTZENBRINK

Jennie Godfrey

Praise for The Barbecue at No.9

From the very first page I was in awe. I LOVED it. Jennie Godfrey has such an incredible gift for characterisation

A beautiful story about secrets, lies and community. This is a gorgeous novel that will steal your heart

Set against the backdrop of Live Aid, and covering everything from Jammy Dodgers to Queen, this is a delicious and irresistibly good-hearted story about ordinary lives and the dark secrets that lie behind the net cu ...

From the very first page I was in awe. I LOVED it. Jennie Godfrey has such an incredible gift for characterisation

A beautiful story about secrets, lies and community. This is a gorgeous novel that will steal your heart

Set against the backdrop of Live Aid, and covering everything from Jammy Dodgers to Queen, this is a delicious and irresistibly good-hearted story about ordinary lives and the dark secrets that lie behind the net cu ...

From the very first page I was in awe. I LOVED it. Jennie Godfrey has such an incredible gift for characterisation

A beautiful story about secrets, lies and community. This is a gorgeous novel that will steal your heart

Set against the backdrop of Live Aid, and covering everything from Jammy Dodgers to Queen, this is a delicious and irresistibly good-hearted story about ordinary lives and the dark secrets that lie behind the net cu ...

Books by Jennie Godfrey

Articles featuring Jennie Godfrey

A day in the life of a Publicist with Alison Barrow

The Penguin Podcast: episode 9 – how to get published

‘The day that Peter Sutcliffe was caught is etched on my memory’: How I wrote The List of Suspicious Things

12 of the most anticipated debut books of 2024

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