THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER!
'KEPT ME READING EAGERLY'
Philip Pullman
'HUGE FUN AND, AS YOU'D EXPECT, ALSO BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN'
Gyles Brandreth
'QUITE SIMPLY ONE OF THE FINEST MYSTERIES I HAVE EVER READ'
Rob Rinder
'A TANTALISING MYSTERY FOR WORD SLEUTHS AND CRIME FANS ALIKE'
Janice Hallett, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Appeal
Guilty by Definition is a love letter not only to language but to the city of Oxford, wrapped within an intriguing mystery of a missing woman and considering the emotional aftershocks of her disappearance on those left behind.
She'd known there would be ghosts in Oxford. Martha wasn't afraid of any headless horsemen, or nuns haunting the local ruins; it was Charlie, always Charlie she was afraid would find her.
When an anonymous letter is delivered to the Clarendon English Dictionary, it is rapidly clear that this is not the usual lexicographical enquiry. Instead, the letter hints at secrets and lies linked to a particular year.
For Martha Thornhill, the new senior editor, the date can mean only one thing: the summer her brilliant older sister Charlie went missing.
After a decade abroad, Martha has returned home to the city whose ancient institutions have long defined her family. Have the ghosts she left behind her been waiting for her return?
When more letters arrive, and Martha and her team pull apart the complex clues within them, the mystery becomes ever more insistent and troubling. It seems Charlie had been keeping a powerful secret, and someone is trying to lead the lexicographers towards the truth. But other forces are no less desperate to keep it well and truly buried.
Genre: Mystery
'KEPT ME READING EAGERLY'
Philip Pullman
'HUGE FUN AND, AS YOU'D EXPECT, ALSO BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN'
Gyles Brandreth
'QUITE SIMPLY ONE OF THE FINEST MYSTERIES I HAVE EVER READ'
Rob Rinder
'A TANTALISING MYSTERY FOR WORD SLEUTHS AND CRIME FANS ALIKE'
Janice Hallett, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Appeal
Guilty by Definition is a love letter not only to language but to the city of Oxford, wrapped within an intriguing mystery of a missing woman and considering the emotional aftershocks of her disappearance on those left behind.
She'd known there would be ghosts in Oxford. Martha wasn't afraid of any headless horsemen, or nuns haunting the local ruins; it was Charlie, always Charlie she was afraid would find her.
When an anonymous letter is delivered to the Clarendon English Dictionary, it is rapidly clear that this is not the usual lexicographical enquiry. Instead, the letter hints at secrets and lies linked to a particular year.
For Martha Thornhill, the new senior editor, the date can mean only one thing: the summer her brilliant older sister Charlie went missing.
After a decade abroad, Martha has returned home to the city whose ancient institutions have long defined her family. Have the ghosts she left behind her been waiting for her return?
When more letters arrive, and Martha and her team pull apart the complex clues within them, the mystery becomes ever more insistent and troubling. It seems Charlie had been keeping a powerful secret, and someone is trying to lead the lexicographers towards the truth. But other forces are no less desperate to keep it well and truly buried.
Genre: Mystery
Praise for this book
"The brilliant lexicographer turns out to be a brilliant storyteller too. This is huge fun and, as you'd expect, also beautifully written." - Gyles Brandreth
"Guilty by Definition is a love letter to the English language wrapped about an intriguing puzzle of a story. The characters are believable and compelling, with secrets and stories of their own that unfold alongside the central mystery. I must have formed and discarded a dozen theories, not only about whodunnit, but also why-, what-, when- and where-dunnit - all entirely wrong. I'd love to read a sequel - or a whole series!" - Anne Corlett
"If you're like me and love both language and crime, then Guilty by Definition has it all. Susie Dent's impressive debut novel is virtuosic. So meticulously and fascinatingly steeped in the archaic glory of words, it will surely be the ultimate treat for every logophile out there. But this is so much more than a celebration of the dictionary - it's a tantalising mystery of a missing sister, a cold case that will not lie down, and a family frozen in their unresolved grief... all while their circle of friends and colleagues nurse secrets and lies beyond explication. Guilty by Definition is positively aglitter with etymological and detecting treasures for word-sleuths and crime-fans alike." - Janice Hallett
"The main characters are people I'd like to meet in real life; the Oxford types are convincing; the puzzle is well worked-out. And it kept me reading eagerly." - Philip Pullman
"Guilty by Definition is a love letter to the English language wrapped about an intriguing puzzle of a story. The characters are believable and compelling, with secrets and stories of their own that unfold alongside the central mystery. I must have formed and discarded a dozen theories, not only about whodunnit, but also why-, what-, when- and where-dunnit - all entirely wrong. I'd love to read a sequel - or a whole series!" - Anne Corlett
"If you're like me and love both language and crime, then Guilty by Definition has it all. Susie Dent's impressive debut novel is virtuosic. So meticulously and fascinatingly steeped in the archaic glory of words, it will surely be the ultimate treat for every logophile out there. But this is so much more than a celebration of the dictionary - it's a tantalising mystery of a missing sister, a cold case that will not lie down, and a family frozen in their unresolved grief... all while their circle of friends and colleagues nurse secrets and lies beyond explication. Guilty by Definition is positively aglitter with etymological and detecting treasures for word-sleuths and crime-fans alike." - Janice Hallett
"The main characters are people I'd like to meet in real life; the Oxford types are convincing; the puzzle is well worked-out. And it kept me reading eagerly." - Philip Pullman
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