The Barbecue at No.9

*THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER* 'A wonderful slow-burn story about friendship, community, and secrets within families.' GUARDIAN 'Gentle, wryly humorous ... a breezily entertaining read.' THE TIMES 'Uplifting and compassionately told' i PAPER 'From the very first page I was in awe. I LOVED it.' MARIAN KEYES 'A beautiful story about secrets, lies and community.' GRAHAM NORTON From the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling author of The List of Suspicious Things ... It's the summer of 1985 and the residents of Delmont Close are preparing a neighbourhood barbecue to watch the biggest music event in history: Live Aid. A day like no other that will end having reached millions and changing the lives of all who attend. House-proud Lydia Gordon, whose idols are Princess Di and Delia Smith, is determined to put on a show that will impress everyone - with her posh garden and state-of-the-art television, and her sweet husband and two children, Hanna and David. But as the guests flood into number nine, so do all of the secrets that have been kept in the close. Rita, a new neighbour from Australia, is hoping for a fresh start but harbours a shocking event in her past; Steve, a young Falklands veteran, battles his own demons; and Mr Wilson is surely too good-looking to ever be trusted. But as the hours count down to the last performance of the night, it's Lydia who faces the heart-breaking truth that her immaculate home and flawless family might not be so perfect after all. And if each of their neighbours is guilty of hiding something, so are the Gordons at number nine ... 'Meets every expectation. A glorious read. Jennie Godfrey's second novel is every bit as compelling a read as her first - this will be seen on all the best sun loungers.' Velvet Magazine Praise for The List of Suspicious Things 'Gripping and moving' GUARDIAN 'To read it is to feel that little bit better about life' ELIZABETH DAY 'A beautiful mystery with heart' ROB RINDER 'A heart-warming book' EMMA HEALEY 'A wonderful story' FEARNE COTTON

Jennie Godfrey was raised in West Yorkshire in a mill-working family and her debut novel, The List of Suspicious Things, was inspired by her childhood there in the 1970s. In 2020, Jennie gave up her corporate career to build a life around books. She is now a writer and part-time bookseller who lives, and writes, in the Somerset countryside.