I really wanted to like ‘Guilty by Definition’ by Susie Dent. The idea of it being set in the world of lexicographers in the Clarendon English Dictionary (CED) was great. However, perhaps I am not the target audience for it as a lot of the clues went over my head.
Martha has returned to Oxford to take up the post of Senior Editor at the CED. The ghosts of the past come back to taunt her as her older sister Charlie went missing before she went away. Now Martha, Alex, Zoe and Simon (amongst others) start receiving postcards with mysterious messages, relating to the works of Shakespeare and digging up the past. Who knows more than they let on when Charlie went missing?
It was a slow burner for the first 50% and had a strangely soporific effect on me every time I settled down to read it. The second half picked up and I finished that in less than half the time it took me to read the first half.
I liked learning new/unused words; the start of each chapter beginning with one was fun, but I think they could have related to the chapter a little better. Perhaps given an example of using it in the title or within the chapter.
It’s probably more suited to someone who does cryptic crosswords and can figure out the clues, though I did guess who was sending the messages.
With thanks to Netgalley and Bonnier Books for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Guilty by definition is a well written 1st novel. The descriptions of Oxford are obviously written by someone who loves the place. Each chapter heading is an 'olde world' word and it's definition which worked well.

The staff at the Clarendon English Dictionary start receiving anonymous letters relating to the disappearance over ten years ago, of the senior editor's missing sister. The team work together to aid the police solving the cryptic clues, puzzles and riddles posed in these letters
I really enjoyed this book. A good read for the beach (or garden) this summer.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Books for the advance copy of this book.

A wonderfully written story!

Exactly what you'd expect from Susie Dent.

Expertly written, with mystery and intrigue. The story is based in Oxford and is perfectly set.

I enjoyed the characters, they were a really good mix of people.

I enjoyed this read and would definitely recommend it.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

I really enjoyed this book. It was exquisitely written and it was obvious that the author is very intelligent. I learnt many new words such as bibliophile- which is a lover of books. The plot itself was pretty sound, although at times, the novel felt a little heavy on the unusual words - therefore a lot of time was taken up explaining what different words mean. I would say that for your average thriller reader, it may not be the right book. If you enjoy the English language and the origins of words then this will be right up your street. I would definitely recommend this book as I enjoyed it and felt like I learned a lot. I will be looking out for more books by this author.

Thanks to the publishers for the copy of the book in exchange for a review.

Only got 22% into the book and put it down. Found it difficult to read. Too wordy in sentences and drawn out. Sorry. I rarely stop a book mid way. Storyline of the main part seem good, missing girl and the notes received my chorus.

Susie Dent's first novel takes us into the worlds of lexicography and crime, with an Oxford backdrop. These might not be worlds we might normally expect to combine (unless you've perhaps read a Morse novel or two), but Dent manages to do so in an engaging and intriguing way.

This was a well written book with lots of twists and turns, with some unusual words (and their definitions) thrown in for good measure. An enjoyable read.

I really enjoyed Dent's fiction debut - it was funny, engaging and full of twists and turns! It also introduced me to a lot of new words and I learnt a lot about how dictionaries come together (which I don't think I'd ever thought about before?) The characters were interesting and the premise was really unique. Cryptic clues sent to the editors of a dictionary that relate to a mysterious disappearance - what's not to love?

When I wasn't reading it, I couldn't stop thinking about it! I'm surprised by the reviews complaining about it being wordy as I just assumed it would be, coming from the queen of Dictionary Corner. I highly recommend this book for fans of Countdown and Janice Hallett.

A mystery and cryptic messages add up to a brilliant crime debut


I would like to thank Bonnier Books for providing me with a review copy of Susie Dent’s fiction debut, ‘Guilty by Definition’.

The use of unusual words can quickly become pretentious and forced, making a reader feel, how should I say this... Less than up to literary scratch.
Not here, though, in Susie Dent’s crime fiction debut, ‘Guilty by Definition’.

Beautiful and intriguing words lend colour and mystery to this novel, when anonymous letters start arriving at Clarendon English Dictionary’s Oxford office, where main character, Martha, has just started a new job. Letters, which contain curious hints and clues about her sister’s disappearance many years ago.

‘Guilty by Definition’ is a brilliant crime novel which avoids stereo types (no grumpy, dismissive police officers here, no chases through dark alleys or deserted carparks). This is a novel which takes the reader seriously.

If you love puzzles, cryptic messages, mysteries, crime novels, well-developed characters – a combination of all of the above –, then ‘Guilty by Definition’ by Susie Dent is for you. I’m sure, it’ll leave you wanting for more.

Susie Dent's debut crime novel is a clever and elegant puzzle wrapped in a literary mystery. The heavy dose of lexicology at the outset almost made me abandon ship, but I'm so glad I persevered. The intricate wordplay is undeniably fascinating, and it's cleverly woven into a compelling plot. The characters are well-developed, and the twists are satisfying without feeling contrived. A truly unique read.

While the linguistic elements might overwhelm some readers, those who enjoy a mental challenge will find this book rewarding.

Susie Dent is resident lexicographer in Dictionary Corner on Countdown, and much more my style – 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. She’s a very clever lady and so I was so excited to read Guilty by Definition – her debut murder mystery.

When an anonymous letter full of cryptic messages arrives at the Clarendon English Dictionary, Martha Thornhill and her team are excited to decipher it. When the clues point to an answer about her sister’s mysterious disappearance however, the stakes become higher than expected.

This book really is a delight for any linguaphiles – it is chock full of interesting, unusual and ancient words along with some snippets about their etymology or just interesting facts about their usage in history. This makes for a truly unique reading experience (I must admit my Kindle dictionary got more than its usual usage, and it even struggled with some of the more unusual ones!). However, it doesn’t do much to slow the pace down – there’s still an action-packed thriller in here, full of intrigue, red herrings and mystery.

I enjoyed the premise of the story – I have to admit, from the ARC cover it looks like it might have been a historical thriller, but this is very much set in the present day. Dent does a great job of painting the picture of Oxford and each character feels realistic and well-defined. I was a little disappointed by the mysterious letters and their clues though – they are quite impossible to crack by yourself and the main characters seemed to solve them very quickly! The pace is kept high throughout and I was kept guessing as I changed my mind on who I thought the mysterious Chorus could be, as well as who could have had a hand in Charlie’s disappearance.

Overall, Guilty by Definition is an assured debut – it’s a thrilling murder mystery and as a bonus I feel like my vocabulary has increased by reading it! Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Books – Zaffre for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Legend has it that when asked what he would do if he became ruler of China, Confucius said “I would restore the meaning of words.” Perhaps Susie Dent should have stood in the 2024 General Election. She is Britain’s most popular lexicographer with huge presence in her books, on the internet and on TV. I was delighted to have the chance to get an ARC from Netgalley. This is her first novel, a cosy “murderclub” style crime investigation ( is there actually a word for that?). It is set in the offices of the fictional Clarendon English Dictionary (based on the OED). A thirtyish Martha Thornhill has been recruited as Senior Editor after ten years working in Germany as an editor, though apparently not as a lexicographer. Just before she left, her charismatic elder sister Charlie (Charlotte) had been working at the CED, but she had suddenly and mysteriously disappeared with no indication of what had happened. Had she just chosen to run away or had she been murdered? It’s no spoiler to say that we all guess pretty soon that something dire did happen to her but we have to wait to the very end to find out what.

Not long after Martha’s arrival the team receive a series of anonymous letters from someone who clearly knows what has happened to Charlie but is not revealing much. The letters are long, complex, partly in verse and read like elaborate literary cryptic crossword puzzle clues. The characters debate what Shakespearean texts they must be referring to and how to interpret the letters. The first is as a giant acrostic and the second is unravelled by deciphering the rhythm of the metre. Crossword experts will find this mesmerising
The clues lead the detectives to the idea that maybe Charlie has found an unknown Shakespearean manuscript: perhaps she had run off to sell it - or perhaps she had been murdered for it. Or perhaps not. The gang do of course solve the mystery.

The actual plot is probably not what will attract people to this book, and lead readers to dip back into it after finishing it. You have the feeling that Susie Dent has so many words to play with that what matters here is the telling of the story more than the story itself.

The book is in fact more about words than crime. Every chapter begins with a delightful new obscure word relevant to what follows, and where the dialogue is not about the mystery, the editors are joking about the meaning of words.
It is a delight to read and unlike most whodunnits, something worth keeping on your shelf.

This was a fun read and like nothing I've read before - some of the language was unfamiliar but that's expected given the author but that may be off putting, a good read with an interesting story but not super absorbing for me!

Martha's sister Charlie disappeared one hot summer.
After 10 years away Martha comes back to Oxford and the Clarendon English Dictionary.
Then letters appear offering clues to Charlie whom it seems had a big secret that she was keeping.
Who can be trusted and who knows more than they are letting on.
A very cleverly written book and I loved it - even though I couldn't solve the clues!!

Susie Dent's first book is a love story to the English language. We follow Martha, Alex, Zoe and Simon, all lexicographers at the CED dictionary, as they find themselves investigating the mysterious disappearance of Martha's sister, Charlie, a decade prior.

Each word in the text seems to have been precisely weighed and it is a joy to read out loud. Scattered throughout the book and in each chapter heading, are forgotten words and their definitions, like "mathom" (a precious thing, a treasure, a valuable gift) or "apricity (the warmth of the sun on a summer's day). To this are added the letters pertaining to Charlie's disappearance, which present challenges to be solved by literary and language afficionados. The plot seems more of an excuse to present language definitions and puzzles, but the mystery is solved at the end in a way that feels plausible.

A recommended read for fans of Countdown, AS Byatt's Possession, and the English language.

I really enjoyed this first novel from word and language expert Susie Dent. With her expansive knowledge of the written and spoken word, I knew this would be an intriguing and knowledgeable read and it did not disappoint.

Martha Thornhill returns home to Oxford to take a position at the CED - the Clarendon English Dictionary, where her sister once worked. Her older sister disappeared over 10 years ago and no-one knows what has happened to her. Over the years there have been many speculations and many searches, but nothing ever came to light.

When the team receive a strange, befuddling letter from someone named Chorus, they all work out the clues that come from it - all of which lead them to Charlie, Martha's missing sister. After receiving more letters and postcards, the team from the CED - Martha, Alex, Zoe and Simon - meticulously work out each clue, leading them all over Oxfordshire to unravel Charlie's past and to find out what really had happened to her!

I loved the idea of these letters and clues, but my own knowledge of Shakespeare is very limited, so there was no way I could work out what they were! It was great to see how the team solved them all though. I loved the mystery behind what Charlie had found as well and how it could and would shake up everything everyone knew about Shakespeare himself! The motive for the murder was clear, but the murderer was not quite who I was expecting!

This was a great read and I loved all the new words I have discovered through it. I don't think I had used my kindle dictionary so much in one book before, but isn't that what reading is all about - expanding our knowledge and enjoyment of the written word?!

Thank you to Netgalley and Zaffre Books for my ARC copy of this book! Definitely looking forward to more of Susie Dent's mystery thrillers in the future!

Words hide a mystery here.
This book centres around a group of five lexicographers who work compiling dictionaries at a prestigious University Press in Oxford. There is a downbeat atmosphere in the group. The recently appointed head is haunted by the disappearance of her sister a decade before. They start getting. Cryptic clues about the sister which sets the team off on solving the mystery.
This is a 'wordy' book with lots of words from the past appearing, often with their meanings being given. This is to be expected, given Susie Dent's career as a lexicographer and etymologist career in academia and indeed her television role. Some readers may feel that this is a little overdone, but it does give colour to the work that the five do.
This is a well written book with believable characters, she truly is a wordsmith. For me it was an enjoyable read

This novel was a perfect storm for me I have always been a fan of Susie and I love a mystery, particularly a university town based mystery, and add a lexicographical twist and I am sold.

This story centres on Martha Thornhill, still haunted by the disappearance of her talented older sister Charlie ten years ago, and her team of word detectives at the Clarendon English Dictionary in Oxford.

When crossword clue style anonymous letters start arriving at the office hinting at a larger mystery connected to Charlie’s disappearance the team strive to unearth the hidden meaning.

I liked Martha and her team, and thoroughly enjoyed the unfolding of the mystery. I also loved learning some fascinating new (old!) words and their origins ( I would expect nothing less from Susie).

If you are looking for a fast paced, all action thriller this isn’t it, but it is perfect for word and history buffs like me and I loved every minute, I can easily see this becoming a series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Zaffre for the ARC.

Great if you're a fan of cosy crime. I enjoyed the definitions and the use of old words as much as the story..

My thanks to Bonnier Books and NetGalley for a copy of “ Guilty By Definition “ for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this book , because I like Susie Dent , and I like books with a puzzle that make you think , but unfortunately, I just couldn’t connect with this book. It was a little too slow paced, for me ,and of course a lot of the words she used I had to check on the meaning of.
I appreciated the chance to read this in advance of publication though.

I’m sorry to say that I initially struggled a bit with this book and found it a little hard to get into but perhaps it was just not the right time for me to read it as I am in a bit of a book slump however I did enjoy it more as it progressed.
I loved the writing and the many descriptions of a word at the beginning of each chapter. I loved the cryptic type clues in the postcards and letters and although I was useless at solving them I enjoyed trying.
Good writing, great characters and a clever plot and although as I have said I struggled at times I look forward to more from Susie Dent.
My thanks to NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK, Zaffre for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.