The Barbecue at No.9

From the very first page I was in awe. I LOVED it. Jennie Godfrey has such an incredible gift for characterisation.

Marian Keyes

Set against the backdrop of Live Aid, and covering everything from Jammy Dodgers to Queen, this is a delicious and irresistibly good-hearted story about ordinary lives and the dark secrets that lie behind the net curtains. What emerges is a plea for facing the things of which we are most afraid, even if it requires the help of a bowl of Twiglets. An utter treat.

Rachel Joyce

Gripping, suspenseful, moving, perfectly constructed - and every bit as good as, if not better than, its stonkingly successful predecessor, The List of Suspicious Things.

Sophie Hannah

A beautiful story about secrets, lies and community. This is a gorgeous novel that will steal your heart.

Graham Norton

I could smell the musky Impulse body spray, taste the cremated sausages, and hear the Live Aid concert. The Barbecue at No.9 sizzles with secrets, suspense, superbly drawn characters, and so much heart. Jennie has done it again. I loved it!

Nikki May

Brilliantly evocative and deliciously addictive. I couldn't stop reading until all the characters' secrets were revealed.

Claire Fuller

WHAT a book! Jennie Godfrey is such a tremendous storyteller. She writes characters who seem to have existed forever - they move into your heart straight away and stay there. This book is so real, human and hope-filled, and it doesn't shy away from the dark, while encouraging us all to embrace the light. Hanna is already one of my all time favourite heroines.

Daisy Buchanan

I absolutely loved it! What a joy. Great characters and just so absorbing and funny and intriguing.

Jane Fallon

A brilliantly absorbing and satisfying novel full of heart and humanity. I laughed, cried and felt better for having read it.

Cathy Rentzenbrink

A gorgeous novel, I adored it, Jennie Godfrey’s writing is pure joy, she is such a gifted storyteller.

Clare Leslie Hall

Another injection of nostalgia. It's 1985 and the residents of Delmont Close gather to watch Live Aid. It all seems harmless, but everyone has secrets.

The Times

This is only Jennie Godfrey’s second novel but her voice was instantly recognisable to me from the very first page. Another brilliantly, Britishly, bittersweet look at secrets and lies in a close community.

Erin Kelly

A gorgeous follow-up to Jennie Godfrey’s brilliant The List Of Suspicious Things — packed with beautifully drawn characters, hidden secrets, page-turning reveals and richly evocative period detail. Make sure you accept your invitation to The Barbecue at No.9!

Chris Chibnall

A moving, character-driven story. Shimmering summer heat, simmering secrets and big feelings are paired with Eighties nostalgia and emotional truthfulness.

Mail on Sunday

Acutely observed...with wit, warmth and insight…Perfectly paced, it's an engrossing fly-on-the-wall portrait of community life and a nostalgic visit to a bygone decade.

Woman & Home Magazine

If you loved Godfrey's first novel, The List of Suspicious Things, her second follows a similar formula of gathering an eclectic cast of characters around a huge cultural moment in recent British history. The 80s nostalgia is pretty irresistible.

Red Magazine

Godfrey has perfectly captured the dynamics of a small community through wit, warmth, and drama. With believable characters, suspense woven throughout, and a nostalgic backdrop, this book explores the importance of human connection and that, under the surface, nobody is perfect.

Yorkshire Life

While they don't tiptoe around difficult themes, Godfrey's stories are ultimately uplifting and compassionately told meditations on connection and community.

i Paper

‘Such a fresh and interesting voice. You'll cry and you won't be able to stop reading’

MARIAN KEYES on The List of Suspicious Things