The List of Suspicious Things
63 pages • 2-hour read
Jennie GodfreyThe List of Suspicious Things
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Themes
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual violence, rape, graphic violence, racism, anti-immigrant bias, child abuse, and child sexual abuse.
The Impact of Violence on Innocence and Coming of Age
The List of Suspicious Things explores how growing up in a climate of fear accelerates the loss of childhood innocence. The murders of the Yorkshire Ripper provide the backdrop to Miv’s coming-of-age as she transitions from a child to a teenager, aware of the notorious serial killer’s brutal crimes. However, Miv’s arc involves encounters with multiple other forms of violence—sexual, domestic, and racial—embedded in everyday life. The protagonist’s loss of innocence is shaped by the emotional cost of learning that violence is pervasive, frequently gendered, and often hidden in plain sight.
The racist harassment of the Bashir family and Stephen’s near-drowning both expand Miv’s understanding of violence beyond the singular figure of the Yorkshire Ripper. When Omar’s shop is vandalized and later firebombed, Miv begins to see how prejudice can escalate from words and graffiti into real physical danger. This challenges Miv’s earlier tendency to place suspicion on outsiders and forces her to recognize racism as a form of communal violence. Similarly, Stephen’s near-drowning at the hands of Richard Collier and Neil Callaghan reveals how cruelty operates among children, particularly toward those seen as weak or vulnerable. Together, these incidents make Miv conscious of the undercurrent of violence in everyday life.
At the beginning of the novel, Miv has only a partial understanding of adult brutality. She knows the Yorkshire Ripper is killing women, but she does not fully grasp the sexualized nature of the crimes or the misogyny underpinning public responses. Her early confusion around the word “prostitute” and why some victims are described as more “respectable” than others reflects her limited but growing awareness of misogynistic assumptions around a woman’s supposed “value.” Violence initially feels abstract, something she can control through curiosity and logic by making the list. This investigative impulse allows her to avoid confronting pain within her own home, particularly her mother’s silence and emotional absence.
As the novel progresses, Miv becomes increasingly aware that gendered violence is widespread. The Yorkshire Ripper represents the most extreme form of predatory male violence, but he is not alone. Gary Andrews embodies domestic abuse hidden behind charm and respectability. His violence toward Helen exposes the insidious threat posed by individuals whom society considers “normal.” Similarly, “Uncle Raymond’s” abduction of Alison illustrates how dangerous predators can be embedded within apparently benign institutions such as the church. Miv experiences intense anxiety as she realizes that threats cannot be identified by appearance alone. Her sense of impotence is captured in the outburst: “It’s not fair. It’s not fair if you can’t tell […] How are we supposed to keep safe?” (202). The childlike language underscores her liminal state—caught between childhood expectations of fairness and the adult reality of unpredictability.
Ultimately, Sharon’s death marks the culmination of violence in the novel, as Richard Collier’s bullying escalates into fatal sexualized aggression. The novel presents Miv’s loss of innocence as a process shaped by exposure to brutality and by the realization that the world is deeply unsafe.
Otherness as a Container for Collective Fear
In The List of Suspicious Things, Godfrey explores how communities under pressure often channel fear toward those perceived as “other.” Against the backdrop of the Yorkshire Ripper murders and economic decline in West Yorkshire, this suspicion is presented as an illogical coping mechanism. Rather than confronting the randomness and proximity of danger, the characters repeatedly project anxiety onto outsiders—people who look, sound, or behave differently. Through Miv’s evolving list of suspects, the novel demonstrates how otherness becomes a container for collective fear, revealing both the psychological comfort and moral cost of scapegoating.
From the outset, Miv’s criteria for adding names to her list reflect this pattern. She is drawn to those who are “not from round our way” (45) or who, from her perspective, seem unusual. Her suspicion of Omar Bashir initially rests more on his ethnicity, appearance, and status as an immigrant than on evidence. Although she does not consciously frame her reasoning as racist, it mirrors the prejudices circulating in her community. The same logic applies to Brian Lockwood as Miv observes, “There was something unsettling about his lack of eye contact and shuffling walk” (316). Miv interprets the discomfort she feels at Brian’s social awkwardness as a sign of his possible guilt. In both cases, difference is interpreted as a threat.
The novel’s wider social context reinforces this dynamic, as National Front activity in the town illustrates how economic and social instability often fuels xenophobia and the rise of racist sentiment. The distribution of National Front leaflets and the harassment of the Bashir family show how fear of the Ripper merges with resentment toward immigrants. Racism becomes a means of asserting control in a town that feels increasingly powerless.
The hoax “Ripper tape,” featuring a man with a north-eastern accent, intensifies paranoia directed toward otherness. Miv observes how the police distribution of the recording “only strengthened the general distrust in our town of anyone not from round our way […] [W]e had all the excuses we never even knew we needed to hold strangers at arm’s length, reluctant to let them in” (149). The Geordie accent provides a convenient marker of difference for the community, leading to the persecution of Jim Jameson. The graffiti on Jim’s truck and his physical injuries demonstrate how quickly collective anxiety transforms into aggressive hostility.
Importantly, the novel gradually exposes the flaws in this pattern of thinking. Those most visibly “other,” such as Omar, Jim, and Brian, are proven innocent. Meanwhile, danger emanates from individuals who are an accepted part of the community (Gary Andrews, “Uncle Raymond,” and Richard Collier). By the novel’s end, Miv begins to understand that outward-directed fear can obscure more complex realities. By locating danger in those who seem different, the community avoids confronting uncomfortable truths about violence, prejudice, and complicity.
The Value of Community and the Importance of Challenging Injustice
The List of Suspicious Things presents community as both a source of strength and a mechanism of harm. The close-knit setting of the working-class Yorkshire town shows how communal bonds can provide comfort, solidarity, and practical support. At the same time, it exposes how tightly bound communities can foster collective cruelty. Through Miv’s evolving understanding, the narrative suggests that community has value only when individuals are willing to challenge injustice rather than participate in it.
Miv’s experiences in the novel illustrate how relationships deepen when suspicion gives way to empathy. As Miv investigates those on her list, she begins to appreciate them as complex individuals rather than potential threats. For instance, her curiosity about Arthur turns into genuine care as she and Sharon visit him regularly, alleviating his loneliness. Similarly, Jim Jameson—initially suspected because of his Geordie accent—becomes a trusted friend. Godfrey illustrates how a single friendship can multiply into a web of positive communal links. For example, Arthur and Jim, who are initially strangers, meet through Miv and Sharon, creating a new household together built on shared loss and companionship. The narrative emphasizes the transformative power of small acts of kindness, such as Omar’s gesture of leaving food at the scrapyard gates for Arthur, without seeking recognition. These examples demonstrate how solidarity and compassion can counter hostility and violence.
While portraying the benefits of communal life, the novel also explores how group dynamics can reinforce injustice. Miv reflects on her own complicity in a racist, bullying culture at junior school when she participated in cruel chants targeting Shazia Mir. Her discomfort and shame over this memory highlight the power of pack mentality, as individuals act against their consciences to secure social belonging. This pattern repeats when Miv snubs Ishtiaq at school after befriending him during the holidays, prioritizing social safety over loyalty. The behavior is also mirrored in Austin’s initial taunting of Jim Jameson at work, suggesting that conformity is often still prioritized even in adulthood. In each case, injustice persists because ordinary people choose silence or complicity.
The importance of challenging injustice is most clearly embodied in Sharon. Miv’s best friend consistently demonstrates moral courage, whether defending Ishtiaq from racist remarks, helping Stephen Crowther after the swimming incident, or questioning the ethics of the list when it harms people. Sharon’s actions stem from her understanding that communal fairness requires action. Her willingness to stand apart from the crowd contrasts with Miv’s early tendency to follow or observe.
Ultimately, the novel suggests that a community’s inherent value depends on its members’ choices. When individuals prioritize empathy, accountability, and courage, community becomes a source of comfort and resilience. However, succumbing to fear and conformity turns community into a source of exclusion and cruelty. Through Miv’s growth—from participant in collective suspicion to someone who recognizes the need for justice—the novel affirms that true belonging requires the willingness to challenge wrongdoing, even when it is uncomfortable.
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