forgive me as my American is going to SHINE in this feedback...

i found the blurb of this book to be VERY interesting! i started reading immediately but found it hard to fully immerse myself in the book because of the terms used. even with the guide in the front of the book, it was difficult having to go back to the beginning every few sentences. i think this could be a good book for someone familiar with the terms!

this book is more of a YA novel that explores family, friendship and a twinge of mystery. Miv is an interesting (and admirable) character and a perfect amateur sleuth. i felt like issues were thrown at Miv in efforts to make the story more interesting, but they just added an unnecessary layer of unreality to the story.

overall i felt this book was less about solving a mystery and more about.. judging people? making assumptions? and a semi unrealistical portrayal of some important topics (such as mental health)

5 stars

Miv, age 12, lives in West Yorkshire during the late 1970s, after the mills have closed and when the Yorkshire Ripper was running rampant. Miv decides that she and her best friend Sharon should investigate suspicious occurrences and people and find the Ripper themselves and they discover so much along the way, both good and bad.

Oh, book lovers. If you were ever a twelve year old girl (and even if you weren’t) there is so much to love here. The book is told from Miv’s perspective (mostly) and she is so perfectly twelve. There are many characters with compelling stories and they are nearly all well done (if maybe all a little either too good or too bad) and the life of a former mill town in decline in the late 1970s is also rendered well. I couldn’t quite tell if this was a debut, but, either way, wow. I was absolutely charmed by this, and I don’t normally go for the type of books that you would use the word “charmed” about. Highly recommended.

After all the hype about this book I was disappointed. It basically is a YA about Miv growing up in a small community and thinking she can find the Yorkshire Ripper . Her meddling in this and other people’s business causes hardships to others . The book deals with many young adult/ family and community issues . Some being bullying , fitting in, physical abuse , trauma , and racism. The book is slow going until the last fifty pages when various events occur .

Miv is twelve years old. Because of the murders happening her father wants them to move. But Miv doesn’t want to leave Yorkshire or her best friend Sharon. Miv and Sharon decide to make a list of all the suspicious people and things on their street. Will they be able to solve the case?

I loved this book so much. I really enjoyed the authors writing. I liked all the characters, especially Miv and Sharon. They have such a cute friendship.

I’m looking forward to reading more books by Jennie!

Thank you NetGalley, Jennie and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the eARC!

I wanted to love this book, but I fear I may not be clever or intelligent enough to get this book. It just went over my head, it is one
I would consider returning to in the future though. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the E-ARC.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

When I was 10, a young cheerleader was murdered in our small American town. It left me sleepless with fear, aware of death for the first time, and now years later unconsciously drawn to Jennie Godfrey's splendid mystery debut, inspired by her growing up when the Yorkshire Ripper terrorized her own community.

Godfrey's debut is a sort of miracle, a perfect book that captures the coming of age of two young girls, Miv and Sharon, who decide to make a list of who the Yorkshire killer might be and expose him. It also reflects the zeitgeist of 1970s England strangled by Thatcher's strictures.

What Tana French did for Dublin thrillers, Godfrey has now done with greater grace for Yorkshire. The book thrums with dread, grief as Miv's Mom is ill, warmth from keen friendship, and even hope in a dark dark world. It's become one of my favorite reads ever. Don't miss it!