The hunt for the evil Yorkshire Ripper inevitably means there are some dark themes and the storyline also includes racism, bullying and some domestic violence too. It captures West Yorkshire to perfection especially in the context of the late 70’s and early ‘80’s with its derelict satanic mills of Blake’s poem, with its ghosts of the past, the attitudes and gossip of a small town with firmly entrenched views. You definitely feel the tension and fear of the hunt for Peter Sutcliffe, I was in Yorkshire at the time though not the West, but we all felt the fear. Yet, despite all the obvious darkness, there’s Miv, wonderful Miv. You watch her grow up and you just know she’s going to be a fine young woman and one you’d most certainly want to know.

The deep, reverberating wounds caused by The Yorkshire Ripper were relayed in Miv’s story, with victims’ real names interwoven with the main work of fiction. It was believable and suitably honoured the memories of those who died, with Sharon’s emotionally mature outlook (which saw the victims as women) complimenting Miv’s more determined and factual perspective as she sought to catch The Ripper. It was a wonderful example of how two different outlooks and personalities can both create friction, but still manage to work together, with the bonds of friendship ultimately winning out. I grew up in a small town and there were so many of the ‘personalities’ I could identify with. Miv really stands out and is a character that will stay with me. Jennie perfectly captures the uncertainty and awkwardness of adolescence when you start to discover that adults are less than perfect and begin to understand a bit more about the world while still trying to figure out who you are and how to be. Set in the quaint Yorkshire town amidst the gripping presence of the notorious Yorkshire Ripper, the story follows two young girls on the cusp of adolescence as they embark on a mission to uncover the truth and restore safety to their community.You took our three-month online Writing Your Novel course in 2020. How did your time studying with us impact your approach to writing? The only character who won’t be suspicious is your main character. And you should follow the same steps you would for character creation for any other protagonist. Your protagonist must have: What a comp should do instead is give an agent a shortcut to the feel of your book in the most accurate and positive way possible. It’s a way to shine the best light on your work and I hate to go all Gen Z on you, but a comp is more about ‘vibes’ than it is about direct comparisons, and those ‘vibes’ can be about any aspect of the book, with some ideas/examples below.

The List of Suspicious Things had some good things going for it but ultimately seemed suspiciously like a list of melodramatic YA events, which felt uncomfortable alongside the very serious subject matter.

The List of Suspicious seems to be getting 5 stars from one and all but I'm an outlier on this one.