An entertaining book but far too slow. The first half of the book was very much a dictionary with a plot attached in contrast to the second half being a story with definitions attached. As expected with Dent and the title, the book was going to revolve around definitions and sources of words but the first half was so overloaded it was almost like reading a text book. I nearly gave up at that point but the last 20% which concentrated on the plot was very good.
I think Dent has potential for fiction but limit the overlap of her non-fiction.

Susie Dent is well known in UK for being in Dictionary Corner on TV programme, Countdown, so it is no surprise that unusual words feature in this book. Martha works at Claredon English Dictionary at Oxford updating the words in it, including when the word was first recorded to being used. Often the public offer information and one day she receives a postcard with a cryptic quotation relating to her missing sister, Charlie, also a lexographer. When other people who work at CED or knew Charlie start to receive postcards and a cryptic letter arrives, inviting Martha to solve the clues to find out what happened to Charlie.
I did wonder if there would be an unusual word overload but mostly there was a definition within the text. I read this as an ebook, very useful as you can get an instant definition.
The story is really interesting, even though I am not a classical English scholar. I do like knowing the origins of words,however.
The pace and solving the puzzles was good and the characters are well drawn. Looking forward to Susie's next book

Susie Dent is a logophile, so it was no surprise to come across a treasure trove of unusual words, along with a cracking plot: an excellent, articulate and perfectly formed novel. (An office team of lexicographers, led by Martha, is sent on a hunt for a very unique bit of literal history, via very cryptic messages, and the discovery of which, could answer the mystery of the disappearance of Martha's sister some years earlier).

Dent uses some wonderful words and phrases you've never heard of before. Some of them really ought to be in current usage. How delightful are words like 'conjobble', ipsedixitism, 'broggle', 'cherubimical' and a whole lot more. I'm not spoiling it, though…you'll have to look them up to discover what they mean...or better still, read the book!

I went from page to page, enthralled by the story, but equally captivated by Dent's wonderful colourful writing.

She's written a few non-fiction books, but I sincerely hope this isn't the last we see of her in the fiction arena. Martha and her team would make a very good team of sleuths.

Well done, Susie, ten out of ten!

I loved this from start to finish! Suzie dent can write. Not that anyone should expect less of her! The plot was charming, the characters were all anyone could want and need! I’m so glad I snapped this up and can’t wait to tell everyone all about it! What a joy and experience this was

The book is set at the 'Clarendon English Dictionary' offices in Oxford. I know Susie has worked for Oxford University Press in the past - so I'm guessing she's drawing on personal experience for a lot of the setting (maybe novel 2 will be set in the world of TV?!)

Martha has returned from working in Berlin to a role at the CED - where her older sister, Charlie, had been employed before she disappeared many years before. Martha and her colleagues, and other people connected to Charlie, start to receive cryptic letters and postcards which they try to decipher.

I have to say some of this deciphering went over my head a bit - as my Shakespeare knowledge is not extensive - but that didn't detract from enjoying the book.

The start of each chapter features an unusual word which is then explained (some I knew, some I didn't - but do now) and as you would expect, the language throughout the book is just wonderful. I felt like I was being educated whilst enjoying a fantastic book at the same time! This did mean that at the start the storyline felt quite slow - as lots of page space was taken up explaining the meaning of words - but I enjoyed that. I'm not sure if I just got used to that - or if the pace did pick up - as the 'mystery' element of the book seemed to gather momentum throughout.

The relationships between Martha and her colleagues are explored - and Martha and her parents and particularly how that changed after Charlie disappeared. The fact that someone who disappears / dies is remembered through rose coloured spectacles is also looked at, along with 'recollections may vary' between different parties of the same experience and 'survivor' guilt. That makes it sound really heavy - but it's not at all - it's a great read.

I thoroughly enjoyed the whole book - from an educational standpoint - but also as a well written mystery novel. A huge thank you to the publishers for my ARC. It actually was released 2 days ago - so if it's taken your fancy, you can order it right now.

My only 'slight' quibble, is that a certain pop group from the 1990s were never mentioned................

This was an interesting book, quite a slow pace and I did find the clues and all the unusual words a little hard to follow. (Cryptic crosswords have never been my forte) That said it was a good mystery with a well wrapped up ending.

This is an intriguing cold case of a missing person from 10 years ago 2010). Not much was ever discovered, as it was all concealed to mislead. When Martha, sister to the missing Charlie, returns to the Uk, after 10 years in Berlin, strange events occur. Letters, cryptic in nature, start to arrive & accusatory postcards to key people, all with clues from Chorus. Martha & her work colleagues start to investigate. This is very cleverly constructed. You need to understand Susie Dent to appreciate the words used, especially the chapter headings. One of the best murder mysteries that I’ve ever read (& I have read hundreds). Wonderfully engaging. Totally riveting! Highly recommend

Wow, what a wonderful book! Not primarily the characters or the plot, though they both have their not inconsiderable strengths, but, oh, the words! The sheer wordiness of this book is an absolute delight, though I was happy to read it on my Kindle as I could summon immediate help with much (but not all!) of the more obscure vocabulary.
For me, this book was a delight from start to finish. Read it!!

I so enjoyed reading this book and learning new words with each chapter.
I was completely immersed in the story. Great characters each with their own flaws. A believable storyline. An ending that took me by surprise..

3.5 Stars
One Liner: Good but... could have been better!

When an anonymous letter arrives at the office of Clarendon English Dictionary, the new senior editor, Martha Thornhill, wonders if it is one of those pranks. However, she and her team (fellow editors) decipher the clues in the letter to realize it hints at a case that occurred in 2010.
Martha’s older sister, Charlie disappeared without a trace never to be found. Unable to handle the aftermath, Martha settled in Berlin and lived there for a decade, creating a new life. However, family issues brought her back to London, and her return seems to have triggered something.
As more letters arrive, Martha and her colleagues have to unravel the mystery using their talents with words. It is like solving a word puzzle, only far more dangerous.
The story comes in the third-person POV of Martha, Alex, and Zoe.

My Thoughts:
As a fan of mysteries, I was excited to read this one. Cases that have puzzles and clues are more interesting than the ones with gun fights. Brain power and all that. ;)
This is a slow-paced mystery with many heavy-weight words and complex clues. Given the author’s expertise and the chosen professions of the main characters, it’s no surprise that the content reads like a dictionary. Much to show off in this one and it gets excessive sometimes.
The mystery as such is decent and easy enough to put together in the second half. In fact, you can identify the culprit in the first half if you go by the vibes (even if you don’t know the whats and whys).
Though the book is set in 2023, it has an old-world feel to it. If not for the talk about messages and stuff, I would have forgotten this is a contemporary read.
The setting is Oxford (which the author seems to love). As the book progressed, it felt more surreal than tangible. The descriptions should make it atmospheric but for me, it felt a tad overdone.
In fact, a lot of the book is overdone, making it way too slow than it needed to be. The same goes for characters. I am really glad we get Zoe and Alex’s POVs which balance out Martha’s. As the main character, Martha was infuriating most of the time. She has this ethereal and untouchable vibe which made it hard to connect with her. Also for someone who is in their early 30s, she sounded like a 50-something woman.
That’s a pity since the character arc deals with important themes – being the shadow sibling, the blurring lines between worshipping and hating the golden child aka the popular sibling, living the ghosts of unresolved past and guilt, wanting to avoid the truth, choosing perceived safety over reality, etc. These should have enriched her character but somehow it doesn’t happen.
I like that there are subtle hints of romance between the two characters and it never shadows the central plot – the mystery. This is a good decision and has been executed well.
Each chapter starts with a difficult word and its meaning. I think some align with the chapters but some don’t. Even the complex clues are solved easily but I’m not complaining. The characters have years of experience in the field. They are supposed to be good at what they do to be in their positions. Moreover, the story dragged on enough as it is. Additional delays would have been disastrous!
The epilogue ties up the loose ends and provides a bittersweet and hopeful ending. I wish the ARC had the author’s notes. Would love to read it.

To summarize, Guilty by Definition is a debut novel by a celebrity and it shows. The book has worthy elements, which are at the risk of drowning in heavy vocabulary and a hard-to-connect MC.
Thank you, NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK (Zaffre), for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Although a bit bit of slow burner, it is well worth sticking with this book. Beautifully written and truly a masterpiece.

When I saw that Susie Dent had turned her hand to fiction writing, I was intrigued. As a lover of words and their etymology, I was hoping for a book with a rich vocabulary and I was not disappointed.

Based in the offices of the Clarendon English Dictionary, this follows the employees as they set out to solve a mystery surrounding the older sister of the editor, Through a series of letters, they use their literary knowledge to piece together information.

I thoroughly enjoyed this debut novel.

Overall, I enjoyed this debut novel by Susie Dent. It ticked several of my boxes – love of words and their etymology, solving cryptic crosswords, murder mystery, and all set against the beautiful background of my hometown, Oxford.

The storyline is intriguing and tantalising, with interesting, mostly believable characters.

The story slowly unfolds through a series of anonymous cryptic letters, containing linguistic puzzles, written by someone called ‘Chorus’, which are sent to the editorial team at the Clarendon English Dictionary.

The main character, Martha has recently returned from working in Berlin for 10 years and is now senior editor at the CED. It soon transpires that the letters obliquely reference Martha’s sister, Charlie who disappeared without trace over a decade previously, and who had worked temporarily as a researcher at CED. Martha has never really come to terms with her sister’s disappearance, which also impacted on her relationship with her family.

Together with Martha, the editorial team, Zoe, Simon and Alex, try to solve the mystery through the literary and puzzling clues contained in the letters. Each chapter begins with the definition of an antiquated, and obscure word, providing the reader with an etymological journey as much as a mystery thriller. However, I felt that too often, pursuing the meanings of the words, slowed down the pace too much.

In searching for answers, the ‘sleuth’ team consult an ever-widening pool of friends and colleagues who were involved with Charlie. This gives the reader further dimensions to the ever-growing intrigue as the plot constantly takes different thrusts and turns.

Oxford as a backdrop was a joy to me as I pictured in my head all the locations and venues visited. I even learnt about some of the history of the places I had had no previous knowledge of.

This is a beautifully constructed story, which kept me guessing until the end. It reminded me in parts of AS Byatt’s ‘Possession’. Overall, a very enjoyable read and one I would recommend.


Yvonne Maxwell
August 2024

An enjoyable slightly different mystery. set in Oxford, Martha Thornhill is the senior editor of a dictionary. An anonymous letter arrives at the office containing a riddle to be solved. More letters arrive and they seem to refer to the disappearance of Martha’s sister ten years previously.

It is quite slow paced and, as you would expect, there are many unusual words - which gets a little excessive at times.

A pretty good mystery that wraps up quite satisfactorily.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

4.25 stars. Susie clearly has an illustrious pedigree with words, which is displayed here with each chapter having an old word and its definition at the start. There are also frequent mentions of words and their etymologies in the book - either when characters speak, or in their internal musings. As others have said, this does reduce a bit as the story progresses, thankfully stopping it becoming too annoying (for me, each time it happened, I was slightly pulled out of the story as it reminded me that the author here is Susie and of her work… whereas normally the author takes a back seat and you forget the author’s history/personality because you’re engrossed in the book - if that makes sense?). I also found Martha at times a little hard to connect with - sometimes she was quiet, bookish, respectable, and other times she was swearing and yelling (not to mention the relationship she had in the past). Possibly this just reflects the strain she is under in the book, and that we are all human and prone to outbursts or mistakes. I did find that I felt a slight melancholy for a good chunk of the book, as I absorbed Martha’s own melancholy - which is a sign of good writing I think. And on that note… as celebrity authors go, Susie writes skilfully. Not just good vocabulary which you’d expect, but good plotting and writing to pull the reader in. I hope she writes more novels.

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

Martha works as an editor on the Clarendon English Dictionary, a job she loves, but her life is very much haunted by the unexplained disappearance of her sister Charlie 13 years ago. Her life is upended when anonymous letters begin to arrive containing clues as to what may have happened, reopening the case and requiring the lexicography skills of her team to help solve the mystery.

I really enjoyed this one. I found it a little slow to start and there was slightly too much wandering off topic to squeeze in more of the history of words and language (interesting as they were), but once it got going it really grabbed me. The characters are all very well written and believable, none of them perfect and that makes it all the more realistic. I particularly enjoyed how much attention was given to the impact on them emotionally when they were faced with difficult situations, something that is usually glossed over in mystery novels but made them much more sympathetic.

The clues themselves made absolutely no sense to me but I was happy to take the solutions on board and the whole plot wrapped up nicely. A really enjoyable summer read and I look forward to more fiction from Susie Dent in the future!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

Well you can tell by reading this that Susie Dent really loves words as whilst I was reading this I kept having to look some of them up and that kind of detracted from the story, I can’t say I really gelled with the characters either and the ending was a bit flat. Sorry Susie I wasn’t a fan.

This was a maze of literary clues and wordy mysteries. I love words and learning about their origins. Each chapter heading is an obscure word and let's just say my vocabulary has grown!

The story is a bit slow paced for me but with all that obscure verbiage to wade through that may be a good thing for some readers. The story is written from 3 POV and it does help to get a more comprehensive view of the entire mystery. The second half of the book was definitely more quickly paced than the first.

I did enjoy the cast of characters, all linked to the world of words and books. Sometimes it did feel a bit elitist as some of the characters are very definitely upper middle class and used to the finer things in life!

Oxford itself is a very atmospheric character and the description of it certainly brought it to life for me.

Martha could be a bit annoying at times and I did struggle to like her at times, she is very non confrontational at times and that really jarred with finding out what happened to her sister. I did enjoy the little hints at romance with our Detective but I actually enjoyed the found family vibes with Tom, Tanya, Simon's ex-wife and kids, more

There were enough twists to keep me entertained and the extra reveal of who Chorus was, was a bit of a what the heck?! moment.

This was an engaging read and it was certainly different. There is a mystery to solve concerning the disappearance of Martha Thornhill’s sister, Charlie. There are quite complex clues sent to Martha and her work colleagues but who is sending them and how do they link to Charlie’s disappearance. A few of the characters have some guilt issues to come to terms with and they hope solving the mystery will bring them closure. Added to this is the fascinating glimpse into the work of the lexicographer and the words that were explained the beginning of each chapter. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

'Guilty by Definition' doesn’t just refer to the guilty party in this murder mystery: it encapsulates the guilt felt by so many of the characters. Charlie’s sister, her godmother, a bookdealer, colleagues, bosses, all of whom had some inkling and reason to want to smother what might have led to the the victim’s death.
A well-thought-out storyline, with interesting characters, some fascinating history about Oxford and – no surprise given the author is Susie Dent – a mightily generous sharing of unusual words and their etymology. A bit slow in parts, with rather too many ‘wasted words’ (it was, there was etc.) which diminished the impact, which I am sure will have been edited (I enjoyed an uncorrected ARC) to make some of the delivery more taut.
The pursuit of writings by Shakespeare’s sister add an unusual dimension to a classy novel.