Absolutely superb- really enjoyed this book! It is based in Oxford with trips out to Witney and burford which are areas I’ve lived in and know well, I’ve also worked at the Bodleian library - they’ve all been well researched and true to their locations, (this is always bugbear of mine).

The story itself has characters who draw you in, are interesting and well described. I was able to pick out the villains/culprits early on however the word puzzles were a lot more difficult and a fabulous challenge which made the book even more interesting!

I’m not normally a fan of celebrity books however this one really is a cut above the usual ones- highly recommend especially if you have a love of words!

Thank you to Netgalley the author and publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review

An intelligent and interesting mystery that kept me guessing and hooked until the end. I loved the definitions as book titles and the fact that the book is peppered with the history and meaning of interesting words. I also love how much Oxford as a place played in the book, it was almost a character in itself.

Occasionally the word references and descriptions of Oxford, whilst interacting, felt a little unnecessary and actually interfered with the flow of the story, but I still enjoyed the book immensely and didn't want to put it down. You can clearly see the authors personality and love of words throughout the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book with no obligation to review.

On the plus side, from about chapter 11 onwards this is not bad and it gets quite good towards the end, with some tension and red herrings, or are they? It's a good story even if a bit padded out. Oxford is well described and sounds very nice. For those who are interested there is a plethora of information (too much for this reader) about how lexicographers work and lots of info about words. Although there are a lot of characters, I did not get any of them mixed up or forget who they were.

On the minus side, it starts very slowly; the characters are a bit clichéd - Alex the stylish older woman with seemingly unaccounted for wealth; Zoe the energetic, keen young woman who despite being academic still loves bright clothes and pom poms; Martha herself, melancholy and with secrets in her past (the secret from Berlin is particularly banal); Charlie the more attractive, cleverer, charismatic older sister who went missing some years before; Simon the cynical old timer, sadly divorced and always passed over; Jonathan the too smooth to be true senior academic and his heiress wife; Gabriel the father who has withdrawn from the world after the death of his daughter; Gemma the well connected, eccentric literary agent - I am sure you get the picture.

To my mind there is too much detail given of ordinary things - a character doesnt just have a glass of wine, they have a glass of chilled something or other with the beads of condensation clinging to the glass. the air smells of woodsmoke and vegetation all the time. Too much purple prose for me.

I often read these sorts of books hoping that I can join in the puzzle solving but these puzzles were far too learned for me.

Guilty by Definition was a hugely enjoyable read with an intriguing plot and a fun puzzle at its heart. It was very reminiscent for me of the 'golden age' detective fiction (perhaps it would be classed today as cosy crime?) - very plot driven, enough clues for the reader to piece together the puzzle if they choose, but equally accessible to someone who just wants to sit back and enjoy the read. Dent's writing style is straightforward and engaging and as those who are already familiar with her would expect, she peppers the book with interesting linguistic details and etymologies. Occasionally, these can feel a little shoehorned in, but this is rarely distracting. The only real weakness to my mind was that the characterisation didn't feel particularly strong, and because of this, it took me a while to sort out who was who. These are minor gripes though, and overall, I would highly recommend this book.

This was a great but very heavy book. The underlying story was good and easy to follow but I found it heavy because of the words! However this doesn’t surprise me knowing who the author is. And I definitely learned a few new words! Despite this, the book was great, the clues were brilliantly executed and I loved the underlying story. The characters in the book are likeable and well written. All in all a good read!

Guilty by Definition was a fun read, a clever mystery with lots of secrets, puzzles and lies to unravel. A decade old missing person case, brought back into the limelight due to a series of cryptic postcards and letters filled with clues. It builds up slowly as details are revealed and has what I think is a really good balance for a mystery novel. Enough hints for you to start figuring things out on your own in a satisfying way, as well as plenty of red herrings and surprises.

This book, perhaps unsurprisingly due to the author, is filled with plenty of unusual and interesting words. Our main characters are all lexicographers, working for the Clarendon English Dictionary, so naturally the author's own passion for words and etymology is expressed through them. Most of the time this is done in an interesting, subtle way that doesn't feel too forced. I feel like I've read plenty of stories with book lovers, but never so many word lovers!

A satisfying mystery with an intriguing plot. Recommended for all mystery fans, even more so if you're a fan of riddles and word play.

Guilty by Definition
15TH AUGUST
by Susie Dent
I requested this ARC because it was a murder mystery set in Oxford. Two immediate pluses from me. I'd never heard of Susie Dent until I looked her up and don't watch Countdown. Guilty by Definition is a very 'wordy' book as one might expect and at first this really annoyed me as I felt it was the author being clever and this would detract from the story if it continued. I do consider myself to be quite well educated and yet still often look up words as I'm reading. The mystery in Guilty by Definition is laid out for the reader by way of complex clues. I'm no crossword fan so these went over my head but they were solved quickly and explained well by Martha and friends. Ms Dent is obviously a great Shakespeare fan! Despite my misgivings I found the descriptions of scenes and characters in the book sublime. I often have trouble visualising these when reading but not with this book. Oxford comes alive under her hand as do it's occupants. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The mystery held my attention right to the last page and I didn't guess 'who dun it'! I will definitely read any future offerings of this author especially if they are along the same lines.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own

In September 2010, Oxford PhD student Charlie Thornhill goes missing without a trace. Suddenly, in the lead up to King Charles III's coronation, with her younger sister Martha back in Oxford after years working in Berlin, and working as an editor at a dictionary, some cryptic letters and postcards start arriving for her and her colleagues, all from the mysterious Chorus, and all with clues and messages relating to Charlie's disappearance. What isn't clear is whether Chorus is an enemy or a friend, what they know, and why now? As Martha and her colleagues start to investigate, old wounds resurface and secrets emerge, and it's hard to know who to trust. But somehow or other, Charlie must be found.

Oh wow, I was so excited to read this. It's the queen of Dictionary Corner's debut novel! And I loved it. It was pacey, full of suspense, mystery, cryptic clues, and obscure words. Naturally. I especially loved the quirkiness of each chapter having a less well known word at the start, along with the century it came from, and it's definition. And we even get to find out the origins of the word 'commonplace' (although if you knew that already, there's a good chance you'll learn lots of other words, too). I also loved the three main female characters working at the dictionary, who are all at different ages and stages in their lives, but their friendship was beautiful and a real highlight in an amazing book. I am so glad I read this, and I would love to read more from Susie Dent.

Guilty by definition - Susie Dent

In 2010 Martha's sister Charlie disappeared. Ten years later clues start arriving in the post to Martha, close acquaintances and friends she works with at the the offices of the Clarendon English Dictionary where Martha works as a senior editor. As Martha and her colleagues start to solve the cryptic clues it is clear the author of the clues the mysteriously names Chorus wants them to find out what happened to Charlie and whether she is alive or dead. In the process long held secrets come out and strong friendships are forged with a little murder thrown in.

Throughout the book obscure words start each chapter the origin and definitions that accompany them sit well within the plot..I found this fascinating discovering the meaning and origin of each word many of which would be difficult to use in everyday speech today as they don't trip easily off the tongue..

It was good to see strong female characters I especially liked Zoe. Although there was little romantic interest in the book there was some hope that Martha and Oliver (the policeman who was happy to help) might get together in the future.

I thought the use of the language, the insight into the way dictionaries are put together and the glimpse of Shakespeare's world and writings all added up to make this a thoroughly enjoyable read.

I am not someone who can solve cryptic puzzles easily so it was fascinating how they are constructed and solved. The fact that some were solved rather too easily might be a little unrealistic to some but just put it down to the intelligence of the dictionary editors involved in solving them.

Looking forward to more from Susie in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy.

An absolutely fantastic debut mystery novel based focussed around a group of lexicographers working for the CED - the Cambridge English Dictionary- I was hooked from the start. There were twists and turns throughout, along with an amazing use of the English language- as to be expected from Susie Dent. A linguistic delight!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

When is a cosy crime not a cosy crime .....
When it's Susie Dent's intriguing new book Guilty by Definition. This is a mystery with so much more, I loved it.

Martha, recently appointed Senior Editor at the Clarendon English Dictionary based in Oxford, has returned to England after living in Berlin for some years. A cryptic letter sent to the Dictionary, signed by someone calling themselves Chorus, contains Shakespeare quotes and hints at lies, secrets and dark happenings. Martha and her team quickly realise the letter also points to the unsolved mystery of Martha's sister Charlie who vanished ten years previously. More cryptic letters and postcards arrive as Martha and her team begin to unravel the dark secrets behind Charlie's disappearance.

As you would expect, Suzy Dent's etymological background is obvious throughout the book which is peppered with delicious, obscure words that joyously roll off the tongue. The definitions that accompany them sit within the story and as such are not a distraction from the plot. Each chapter begins with an obscure word, its meaning and origin. Despite the number of words used that are no longer part of everyday speech, the narrative flows at an enjoyable pace.

The characters were well developed and believable. Their shared intrigue brings the work colleagues closer together and allows their previously hidden flaws and insecurities to surface. My favourite has to be Alex who has a secret of her own! I am not particularly good at solving cryptic clues and sometimes needed to re-read the solutions to even begin to understand the meaning behind them. However this didn't spoil my enjoyment of what I think is a very clever and well thought out plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK for my advanced reader copy in return for my honest and unbiased review.

This is such an enchanting British mystery that doesn't try too hard - it's clever and the plot if genuinely very interesting, touching emotions you have left buried for decades, with a sprinkle of humour and humanity and a whole lot of beautiful language. The word definitions throughout flow well with the story, and all in all this is such an enjoyable read.

Whilst I love and admire Ms Dent on 'Countdown' but sadly this book was hard work to read. It seems as though Ms Dent was trying to include as many adjectives, metaphors, origins of words and even quotes from Shakespeare, as possible.

It was just too much, the story was slow and I did not fully understand the definitions at the start of each chapter?

A struggle, but at least the cryptic clues and the book's ending ending were good.

Thanks to Bonnier Books UK and Net Galley for the chance to read and review.

Lexicographers at the CED office in Oxford receive a series of mysterious postcards and letters. They realise they refer to a colleague’s missing sister Charlie and work together to solve a series of puzzles which lead to clues to solve the mystery of what happened to her.
I was looking forward to reading Susie Dent’s first novel as I knew it would contain a bounty of obscure or interesting words. However, in the opening chapters there were so many unfamiliar words that I felt I needed to take up residence in Dictionary Corner and this made getting into the book a bit of a challenge. Once the story gets going a clever mystery plot takes over with only the occasional side-track into the origins of words.
I enjoyed the mystery, the camaraderie between the amateur sleuths in the CED office and the cryptic trail of clues. If you like words, cryptic puzzles and rare books you will love this.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I loved this book, it's so original. Martha, Alex, Zoe and Simon work together in Oxford as editors for a dictionary.
The team start getting letters and postcards with very complicated clues which relate to the disappearance of Martha's brilliant sister Charlie, who worked for the dictionary before.
The team cleverly unravel the meaning of each clue, leading them to help solve the mystery of what happened to Charlie and why.
The four colleagues are wonderful characters, generous and supportive of each other, but they also argue, and have secrets of their own.
The book is so interesting introducing lots of new words and Shakespearean history. The plot is good, with plenty of twists. Recommended.

Anyone in the UK who loves words knows about Susie Dent. She has been part of the panel of ‘Countdown’ forever. As expected, this book is full of new ( to most readers!) words. Susie skilfully weaves the meanings of these words into the narrative. I loved the setting of the story - who knew lexicographers could be so interesting. I thought I had solved the mystery early on but the last couple of chapters proved me wrong. I really liked and enjoyed the book. I hope that Susie writes some more. Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier/Zaffre books for an ARC ebook.

COUNTDOWN TO A CLASSIC CRYPTIC CONUNDRUM
An enjoyable read if like a good cryptic crossword.
It is not destined to be a classic piece of literature but is a great beach read that will make you think.
As you would expect from Ms Dents' background there are a lot of well-chosen words that may not be in everyone's lexicon.
I enjoyed it and will recommend it once it hits the bookshelves.

I really did not enjoy reading this book. It was tedious at the best of times and the story was slow.
The author has worked on dictionaries for many years and it clearly shows in the book.
There are far too many words around the story. The first chapter made me want to stop reading it but out of courtesy I finished the book but it was painful. The definitions at the front of each chapter didnt always make sense or relate to the contents of the chapter.
The plot is childish and I was waiting for Shaggy & Scooby Doo to pop up and then Shaggy did!
Letters from 'chorus' were silly and the way that they were deciphered lost me at times
On a positive note the book does have closure and all loose ends are tied.
A good read for anyone that likes dictionaries and cryptic clues.

I enjoyed this book although it took me a couple of chapters to get into. I suspect the lead character is based loosely on Susie herself and I gave the lead her voice. Well written with great characters. The origins of words was very interesting.

This was a great read. In the beginning it does feel quite dense and aimed at people who have a genuine interest in words and their origins and meanings but by halfway through it's a fantastic mystery that is completely engrossing. I loved the setting - Oxford, of course, and even the CED office and various flats where the characters live. The characters themselves are very believable - all very human, very different people who happen to have a shared interest and who work together. The story itself is very interesting and really gathers pace as the book goes on. All the loose ends are tied up and I was quite sorry to be finished it. Really enjoyable.