Hutchinson Heinemann lands Godfrey’s ‘extraordinary’ debut in overnight pre-empt

Hutchinson Heinemann has signed Jennie Godfrey’s “funny, clever and emotional coming-of-age story” The List of Suspicious Things in an overnight pre-empt.

Venetia Butterfield, managing director of Cornerstone, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to the debut novel from Nelle Andrew of the Rachel Mills Literary Agency.  The novel will be published as the lead Hutchinson Heinemann hardback in 2024. Translation deals were also struck in fast pre-empts by Germany’s dtv Verlag, PRH in Spain, Brazil’s Companhia das Letras and Israel’s Tamir. 

The List of Suspicious Things is billed as both a mystery novel and a remarkable exploration of childhood. "But most of all it is a story about the heart, with unforgettable characters, as it peels back the layers of what binds us as much as what may divide us," the publisher said.

The synopsis explains: "In 1970s Yorkshire, women are afraid of the serial killer known as the Yorkshire Ripper. His actions have yet to permeate the world of 12-year-old Miv. That is, until the Ripper’s attacks grow more frequent, and her family begin to talk about the unthinkable: moving down south. So when the police urge civilians to note down anything suspicious and take a closer look at their neighbours, Miv begins her own investigation.

"Together with her best friend Sharon, Miv introduces us to a remarkable cast of characters in her local town: Omar, the shopkeeper who is raising his son Ishtiaq while battling the grief of losing his wife; Mr Ware, the teacher whose life and sense of self is slowly crumbling; and Helen, the young librarian who harbours dark secrets of her own. As the girls’ lives become intertwined with the subjects of their investigation, Miv begins to realise the complexity of the adult world around her—from the good to the bad. But as the risks grow greater, ripples start to shatter the fragile illusions that hold their world, and their community, together."

Butterfield said: “Jennie’s extraordinarily moving, accomplished and beautifully written novel kept me awake until 3 a.m. I was transported back to being 12, back to navigating an adult world that was at once confusing, exciting and mystifying. This is that very rare thing, a novel that is unputdownable, thoughtful, profoundly moving and genuinely universal in its appeal.”

Godfrey was born and raised in Yorkshire and the novel was partly inspired by her father having worked alongside Peter Sutcliffe, the man eventually charged with the crimes of the Yorkshire Ripper. She is a former HR director of a FTSE100 company who left her career to write and is now a creative writing PhD student at Bristol University.

She said: “My own childhood was haunted by the Yorkshire Ripper and I wanted to write a novel that captured the atmosphere of the time and the shadow he cast over the community, while also celebrating human resilience and the power of connection. 

“I was completely blown away by the reaction of Venetia and her team to the novel. I feel so honoured to get to work with this incredible group of people to bring Miv and her family to readers—it truly feels as though she’s found her home. I cannot thank my agent Nelle Andrew enough for her incredible commitment and insight in getting me here.”