Hey, it's Empire's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbong. Today, we've got a pair of British

murder mysteries for you to cozy up with. Up ahead, Chris Chibnall, the creator of the crime

drama Broadchurches on the pod to talk about his latest novel. But first, Jenny Goughrey's

debut, the list of suspicious things, is a murder mystery novel, but it's also a coming-of-age story.

Because she grew up in the midst of the Yorkshire Ripper, the English serial killer,

who killed 13 women in the 70s. His story was all over the news when she was growing up,

and it turns out she had a personal connection to the guy. She explains it to NPR Scott Simon after the break.

It's 1979 and the news in Yorkshire is grim.

Mills are closing.

Families are struggling and a killer called

the Yorkshire Ripper in news accounts has murdered women and is still at large. Miv and Sharon are

12-year-old, local girls who get an idea. Miv tells Sharon. We'll make a list, I said. A list of

the people and things we see that are suspicious. And then we'll investigate them. And why exactly would we do this?

Well, if we catch him, we might get the reward the police are offering, I said.

Think of all the things we could buy, all the books and lip glosses and sweets we could want.

Sharon's reflection was now smiling at me. But even if we didn't think about all

the prostitutes we would save. Even though neither of us knew what prostitutes were, I thought

the idea of saving others would appeal to Sharon, who was the kindest person I knew. And everyone

would know who I, I mean who we were, I said.

That is Jenny Godfrey reading from her debut novel, The List of Suspicious Things.

Jenny Godfrey joins us now from Somerset in the UK. Thanks so much for being with us.

Thank you so much for having me, Scott. It's an absolute privilege.

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