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The Clarendon Lexicographers #1
Guilty by Definition
She knew there'd be ghosts in Oxford, she just didn't think they'd make their way to the dictionary.
Oxford, England. After a decade abroad, Martha Thornhill has returned home to the city whose ancient institutions have long defined her family. But the ghosts she had thought to be at rest seem to have been waiting for her to return. When an anonymous letter is delivered to the Clarendon English Dictionary, where Martha is a newly hired senior editor, it's rapidly clear that this is not the usual lexicographical enquiry. Instead, the coded letter hints at secrets and lies linked to a particular year.
The date can mean only one the summer Martha's brilliant older sister Charlie went missing.
When more letters arrive, Martha and her team pull apart the complex clues within them, and soon, the mystery becomes ever more insistent and troubling. Because it seems Charlie had been keeping a powerful secret, and someone may be trying to lead the lexicographers towards the truth that will unravel the mystery of her disappearance. But other forces are no less desperate to keep their secrets well and truly buried, and Martha and her team must crack the codes before it's too late.
From resident lexicographer Susie Dent comes a linguistic mystery that will both delight and shock readers.
Oxford, England. After a decade abroad, Martha Thornhill has returned home to the city whose ancient institutions have long defined her family. But the ghosts she had thought to be at rest seem to have been waiting for her to return. When an anonymous letter is delivered to the Clarendon English Dictionary, where Martha is a newly hired senior editor, it's rapidly clear that this is not the usual lexicographical enquiry. Instead, the coded letter hints at secrets and lies linked to a particular year.
The date can mean only one the summer Martha's brilliant older sister Charlie went missing.
When more letters arrive, Martha and her team pull apart the complex clues within them, and soon, the mystery becomes ever more insistent and troubling. Because it seems Charlie had been keeping a powerful secret, and someone may be trying to lead the lexicographers towards the truth that will unravel the mystery of her disappearance. But other forces are no less desperate to keep their secrets well and truly buried, and Martha and her team must crack the codes before it's too late.
From resident lexicographer Susie Dent comes a linguistic mystery that will both delight and shock readers.
416 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 12, 2024
1685 people are currently reading
31492 people want to read
About the author
Susie Dent
23 books463 followersDent was educated at the Marist Convent in Ascot, an independent Roman Catholic day school. She went on to Somerville College, Oxford for her B.A. in modern languages, then to Princeton University for her master's degree in German.
Dent is serves as the resident lexicographer and adjudicator for the letters rounds on long-running British game show Countdown. At the time she began work on Countdown in 1992, she had just started working for the Oxford University Press on producing English dictionaries, having previously worked on bilingual dictionaries.
Dent is serves as the resident lexicographer and adjudicator for the letters rounds on long-running British game show Countdown. At the time she began work on Countdown in 1992, she had just started working for the Oxford University Press on producing English dictionaries, having previously worked on bilingual dictionaries.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,153 reviews
August 14, 2024
3.5 Stars (rounded up)
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.
#NetGalley #GuiltybyDefinition
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.
#NetGalley #GuiltybyDefinition
August 4, 2024
Rating: 1.4/5
Susie Dent's name on the cover of this book should ensure that a significant number of people buy it. Sadly, I think that many of them will end up being bitterly disappointed. As someone who studied linguistics at university and who loves reading fictional mysteries, "Guilty by Definition" should have been right up my street, but, instead, I found it quite tedious. Given the author's role in "Dictionary Corner" on Channel 4's "Countdown", it was to be expected that Susie Dent would take the opportunity to show off her knowledge in this area, but it is painfully overdone. Her obsession with lexical peacockery gets in the way of telling the actual story. It is all well and good for an author to be able to display an impressive grasp of the language, but the one characteristic that the very best writers of fiction possess, that distinguishes them from the also-rans, is the gift of storytelling - and that is woefully lacking here.
As ever, I would still like to convey my thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review. It is a pity I was not in a position to pass more favourable comment on this occasion.
Susie Dent's name on the cover of this book should ensure that a significant number of people buy it. Sadly, I think that many of them will end up being bitterly disappointed. As someone who studied linguistics at university and who loves reading fictional mysteries, "Guilty by Definition" should have been right up my street, but, instead, I found it quite tedious. Given the author's role in "Dictionary Corner" on Channel 4's "Countdown", it was to be expected that Susie Dent would take the opportunity to show off her knowledge in this area, but it is painfully overdone. Her obsession with lexical peacockery gets in the way of telling the actual story. It is all well and good for an author to be able to display an impressive grasp of the language, but the one characteristic that the very best writers of fiction possess, that distinguishes them from the also-rans, is the gift of storytelling - and that is woefully lacking here.
As ever, I would still like to convey my thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review. It is a pity I was not in a position to pass more favourable comment on this occasion.
November 29, 2024
Book Release: 15th August 2024
Where do I start with this one, I had high hopes for this book, being a Susie Dent fan and was intrigued how she would weave her magic with words into a novel.
I loved it, Susie has created a wonderful world of characters that fits her own world so perfectly, I didn't want to leave and say goodbye to the characters and I actually feel like I learned so much about language from this novel too.
The story centres around the Clarendon English Dictionary receiving cryptic letters to a ten year old puzzle, the disappearance of one of the lexicographers sister Charlie and the clues that Martha (Charlie's sister), Alex, Zoe and Simon must decipher to find out the mystery of what happened to Charlie all those years ago.
Susie Dent obviously knows words, but the way she weaves the history and meaning of them into this magnificent mystery is just wonderful, it's a world I happily immersed myself in and didn't want to leave.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.
Reviews also published on:
Instagram || Threads || BSky || Coffee and Kindle Blog || The StoryGraph || Amazon || Bookmarks
Happy to make friends on all socials
Where do I start with this one, I had high hopes for this book, being a Susie Dent fan and was intrigued how she would weave her magic with words into a novel.
I loved it, Susie has created a wonderful world of characters that fits her own world so perfectly, I didn't want to leave and say goodbye to the characters and I actually feel like I learned so much about language from this novel too.
The story centres around the Clarendon English Dictionary receiving cryptic letters to a ten year old puzzle, the disappearance of one of the lexicographers sister Charlie and the clues that Martha (Charlie's sister), Alex, Zoe and Simon must decipher to find out the mystery of what happened to Charlie all those years ago.
Susie Dent obviously knows words, but the way she weaves the history and meaning of them into this magnificent mystery is just wonderful, it's a world I happily immersed myself in and didn't want to leave.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.
Reviews also published on:
Instagram || Threads || BSky || Coffee and Kindle Blog || The StoryGraph || Amazon || Bookmarks
Happy to make friends on all socials
July 25, 2024
I’m sorry to say that I’m quite disappointed with this book and I think it will be difficult to explain why.
But I’ll try!
The generic trope of missing girl should have been dramatic and thrilling with the plot lines of cryptic letters and the unusual environment of the lexicography world.
But I feel the actual storyline stayed very basic.
The main character felt like a soulless ethereal entity, a vintage toff type who you absolutely couldn’t relate to.
The lexicography aspect was actually far too overwhelming. Needless insertions of random and unpronounceable words, the chapters starting with definitions of words unknown to me but seemingly made little sense to the chapter itself. All of the characters reflections and introspections seemed to be influenced by an odd word they would think of at the time.
It really was just too much.
The cryptic letters were nonsensical and unenjoyable to read.
Maybe you need a masters in language and history and literature to have any understanding or maybe I’m just stupid but this book just felt like it was trying too hard to be clever and almost cutesy at the same time.
It just lacked real substance as a storyline and twists all came far too late.
This is not a recommendation from me I’m afraid.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
But I’ll try!
The generic trope of missing girl should have been dramatic and thrilling with the plot lines of cryptic letters and the unusual environment of the lexicography world.
But I feel the actual storyline stayed very basic.
The main character felt like a soulless ethereal entity, a vintage toff type who you absolutely couldn’t relate to.
The lexicography aspect was actually far too overwhelming. Needless insertions of random and unpronounceable words, the chapters starting with definitions of words unknown to me but seemingly made little sense to the chapter itself. All of the characters reflections and introspections seemed to be influenced by an odd word they would think of at the time.
It really was just too much.
The cryptic letters were nonsensical and unenjoyable to read.
Maybe you need a masters in language and history and literature to have any understanding or maybe I’m just stupid but this book just felt like it was trying too hard to be clever and almost cutesy at the same time.
It just lacked real substance as a storyline and twists all came far too late.
This is not a recommendation from me I’m afraid.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
May 16, 2025
Loved it! Looking forward to the next.
This is right up my alley, lexicographers solving word puzzles in order to find a murderer and each chapter starts with a definition and the etymology of words, mostly dating centuries back, and lots of them were coined by Shakespeare, so here is something for the lovers of the bard too. I have seen reviewers complain that the puzzles were impossible to solve, and quite right, I didn’t get them either, but neither did I feel an obligation to do so, and it didn’t diminish my joy of reading it. If anything, it was a little too obvious to guess who the culprit was, but that was based on the description of said person.
This is right up my alley, lexicographers solving word puzzles in order to find a murderer and each chapter starts with a definition and the etymology of words, mostly dating centuries back, and lots of them were coined by Shakespeare, so here is something for the lovers of the bard too. I have seen reviewers complain that the puzzles were impossible to solve, and quite right, I didn’t get them either, but neither did I feel an obligation to do so, and it didn’t diminish my joy of reading it. If anything, it was a little too obvious to guess who the culprit was, but that was based on the description of said person.
November 6, 2024
Just absolutely loved this word-nerd mystery novel! It had all the things I loved about mystery novels, with an added dose of academic, cryptic crossword-style, literature geek vibes. Really clever, and obvious about being so, but delightful because of this. A love letter to words, literature, Oxford, academia, and a mystery. Perfect read, perfect time for me.
August 20, 2024
I don't know if I'll finish this book. The story lacks energy, the characters are charmless and the book strains to stretch the filament of its cleverness to keep the whole thing together. Literary references and etymological consideration are all very fine and well, but they do not a good story make without pace and personality. Oxford slumbers without context. There's safe reference some ethnic diversity, but no bigger world outside its slumbering cloisters, no Covid, no Brexit, no football, no television. We know that Susie Dent is the smartest girl in the class. But she's not the best writer. For all her velleity.
May 6, 2025
Susie Dent is a national icon when it comes to the World of Words and it is no wonder she has written an intriguing mystery novel that is focussed around a group of lexicographers working for the CED - the Cambridge English Dictionary
Martha Thornhill has returned to Oxford having spent a number of years working in Germany- she has a new position as editor of the CED. But when a mysterious letter arrives at the office, the team soon recognise that there is a puzzle to solve and it is directly linked to the disappearance of Martha's sister Charlie who vanished 13 years before when Martha was finishing her A levels.
This fascinating story leads us through a journey of Oxford past and present, the machinations of lexical enquiry and the darker secrets of Charlie's life. As more letters arrive it becomes more obvious that the author is leading them towards a discovery they could never expect.
Susie Dent's etymological knowledge is prevalent throughout and as reader you find yourself as much on a linguistic journey within the novel as trying to work out where the mystery is leading and what happened to Charlie. Up until the denouement, it was not always easy to feel sympathetic towards the character of Charlie but the conclusion happily resolved the many twists and turns.
( New words include: taphophile/ suspired/ apricity/mubble-fubbles/confabulating /sadmin)
There is something of an 'old-fashioned' charm about the book- this is not a negative in any way but although there is police involvement, this is about a group of friends/colleagues trying to solve a puzzle through written clues all with literary links in a somewhat gentle and cerebral way.
A really enjoyable read leaving me with a broader vocabulary too ( and how many contemporary books can you say that about !)
Favourite quotes:
We're all obsessed with our own problems and with how people see us that we create simple silhouettes for everyone else.
Language defines us and is the framework of our thought: an endless, shifting, complex dance through timed human nature. It is about patterns of life and the need to communicate them; it is about dying, renewal, and everything in between, about chaos and the order we make from chaos, the blood and bones of every history. Above all, it is about the slow insistent pull into the secret lives of the ordinary.
Martha Thornhill has returned to Oxford having spent a number of years working in Germany- she has a new position as editor of the CED. But when a mysterious letter arrives at the office, the team soon recognise that there is a puzzle to solve and it is directly linked to the disappearance of Martha's sister Charlie who vanished 13 years before when Martha was finishing her A levels.
This fascinating story leads us through a journey of Oxford past and present, the machinations of lexical enquiry and the darker secrets of Charlie's life. As more letters arrive it becomes more obvious that the author is leading them towards a discovery they could never expect.
Susie Dent's etymological knowledge is prevalent throughout and as reader you find yourself as much on a linguistic journey within the novel as trying to work out where the mystery is leading and what happened to Charlie. Up until the denouement, it was not always easy to feel sympathetic towards the character of Charlie but the conclusion happily resolved the many twists and turns.
( New words include: taphophile/ suspired/ apricity/mubble-fubbles/confabulating /sadmin)
There is something of an 'old-fashioned' charm about the book- this is not a negative in any way but although there is police involvement, this is about a group of friends/colleagues trying to solve a puzzle through written clues all with literary links in a somewhat gentle and cerebral way.
A really enjoyable read leaving me with a broader vocabulary too ( and how many contemporary books can you say that about !)
Favourite quotes:
We're all obsessed with our own problems and with how people see us that we create simple silhouettes for everyone else.
Language defines us and is the framework of our thought: an endless, shifting, complex dance through timed human nature. It is about patterns of life and the need to communicate them; it is about dying, renewal, and everything in between, about chaos and the order we make from chaos, the blood and bones of every history. Above all, it is about the slow insistent pull into the secret lives of the ordinary.
October 9, 2025
What a great read! As a reader who has always enjoyed the English language down to the word by word level, Susie Dent’s Guilty by Definition is an extra treat for me; it’s a mystery set at the Clarendon English Library editing department.
Set in Oxford, England, an old city based on learning and languages, the story opens with Martha Thornhill as recently appointed senior editor of the Dictionary. She had returned to Oxford after living abroad, working in Berlin for 10 years. Now she’s home, working with her four person team, constantly updating dictionary entries with new meanings, earlier dates of first use, or possibly new words.
One day, amidst routine mail, a note is delivered that unsettles them all and sets them on a course to discover the truth of a decade long mystery. A letter signed “Chorus” arrives at the office, directed to Martha as she takes any that are deemed odd or disturbed, etc. This Chorus seems to be requesting help in solving a mystery and using Shakespearean language to do so. After a few close reads, the structure of the letter reveals the first clue, a reference to an incident in 2010: the year when Martha’s sister Charlotte, or Charlie as she was known, disappeared, never to be seen again.
Over the coming days and weeks, more notes arrive with more clues requiring special skills to unlock. The police are involved but the library team have these skills and Martha has great motivation. This was a great chase to follow…I would not have been able to decipher the clues myself. I loved the inclusion of early English words too and their use at opportune moments in the story. I think others who enjoy the language would feel the same. I’m hoping there will be a sequel and note this is called book 1.
Recommended.
Thanks to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.
Set in Oxford, England, an old city based on learning and languages, the story opens with Martha Thornhill as recently appointed senior editor of the Dictionary. She had returned to Oxford after living abroad, working in Berlin for 10 years. Now she’s home, working with her four person team, constantly updating dictionary entries with new meanings, earlier dates of first use, or possibly new words.
One day, amidst routine mail, a note is delivered that unsettles them all and sets them on a course to discover the truth of a decade long mystery. A letter signed “Chorus” arrives at the office, directed to Martha as she takes any that are deemed odd or disturbed, etc. This Chorus seems to be requesting help in solving a mystery and using Shakespearean language to do so. After a few close reads, the structure of the letter reveals the first clue, a reference to an incident in 2010: the year when Martha’s sister Charlotte, or Charlie as she was known, disappeared, never to be seen again.
Over the coming days and weeks, more notes arrive with more clues requiring special skills to unlock. The police are involved but the library team have these skills and Martha has great motivation. This was a great chase to follow…I would not have been able to decipher the clues myself. I loved the inclusion of early English words too and their use at opportune moments in the story. I think others who enjoy the language would feel the same. I’m hoping there will be a sequel and note this is called book 1.
Recommended.
Thanks to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.
August 22, 2024
A review from the husband as he stole this one as soon as it arrived. We are both fans of Susie on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown so have been looking forward to reading this.
This is the debut novel by English writer and broadcaster, Susie Dent. She has spent 30 years as the word expert on the UK TV Show Countdown and the comedy version, Cats Does Countdown.
She has written multiple books on words and language, which Cats Countdown host, Jimmy Carr says makes him go sleepy to night night.
I am pleased to say her novel certainly didn’t make me sleepy 😴
Set in Oxford, Susie builds a story around the Clarendon English Dictionary and the letters that are sent to them. These letters are anonymous and hint towards secrets and lies from the year that Charlie Thornhill went missing. Her younger sister Martha, is the CED, and as more letters arrive, the clues hidden in them become more alarming and complex.
The story twists and turns and Susie throws in some wonderful words and definitions.
A solid read that I enjoyed, that was not as obvious as I assumed it would be. A real page turner full of pneuma (noun) 16th century: The spirit, soul or life force.
Thanks to Allen and Unwin for sending us a copy to read. Out now.
This is the debut novel by English writer and broadcaster, Susie Dent. She has spent 30 years as the word expert on the UK TV Show Countdown and the comedy version, Cats Does Countdown.
She has written multiple books on words and language, which Cats Countdown host, Jimmy Carr says makes him go sleepy to night night.
I am pleased to say her novel certainly didn’t make me sleepy 😴
Set in Oxford, Susie builds a story around the Clarendon English Dictionary and the letters that are sent to them. These letters are anonymous and hint towards secrets and lies from the year that Charlie Thornhill went missing. Her younger sister Martha, is the CED, and as more letters arrive, the clues hidden in them become more alarming and complex.
The story twists and turns and Susie throws in some wonderful words and definitions.
A solid read that I enjoyed, that was not as obvious as I assumed it would be. A real page turner full of pneuma (noun) 16th century: The spirit, soul or life force.
Thanks to Allen and Unwin for sending us a copy to read. Out now.
August 2, 2024
Wasn't sure what to expect tbh. I suppose I was expecting a murder mystery with lots of big words in it...and that's exactly what I got. It was a unique angle with the MCs being in charge of dictionary words but I found myself getting a bit lost along the way and struggled to distinguish between characters. I don't even remember who did it...
August 24, 2024
Unfortunately, it was not a pleasant read. Lots of lovely new words and their meanings interrupted the flow. They didn’t work for me as part of a work of fiction.
October 18, 2025
4.5*
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this murder mystery heavily laden with word puzzles and the lexicography knowledge for which the author is famous, as a non-fiction writer, podcaster, public speaker and resident expert on the television show 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. This is her first foray into fictional writing.
Only one element that I found jarring: it was completely incongruous that Martha's colleagues had failed to make the link between herself and her elder sister Charlie, a previous colleague at CED, given that they share the not only a vocation for lexicography, but the hardly common surname Thornhill.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this murder mystery heavily laden with word puzzles and the lexicography knowledge for which the author is famous, as a non-fiction writer, podcaster, public speaker and resident expert on the television show 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. This is her first foray into fictional writing.
Only one element that I found jarring: it was completely incongruous that Martha's colleagues had failed to make the link between herself and her elder sister Charlie, a previous colleague at CED, given that they share the not only a vocation for lexicography, but the hardly common surname Thornhill.
July 8, 2024
Who best but Susie Dent to write a novel about words. A mystery that takes place in a dictionary publishing house filled with lexicographers who are the devout preservers of the artifacts of language. Guilty by Definition is a word lover's dream.
With Dent’s superb use of language her first mystery novel is sharply dressed up in stylish clothes. There’s something about Guilty by Definition that reminds me of Agatha Christie. It’s an intelligent mystery and Dent well captures the nuances of each character's individual voice.
Cryptic messages. Obscure clues. A sister missing for 10 years. Oxford. Shakespeare. Puzzles. Riddles. Rare books. What’s not to enjoy? I loved this book and for me it’s definitely a 5 star read.
Thank you to Bonnier Books UK, Zaffre and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
With Dent’s superb use of language her first mystery novel is sharply dressed up in stylish clothes. There’s something about Guilty by Definition that reminds me of Agatha Christie. It’s an intelligent mystery and Dent well captures the nuances of each character's individual voice.
Cryptic messages. Obscure clues. A sister missing for 10 years. Oxford. Shakespeare. Puzzles. Riddles. Rare books. What’s not to enjoy? I loved this book and for me it’s definitely a 5 star read.
Thank you to Bonnier Books UK, Zaffre and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 5, 2024
This is a very clever cosy mystery, a crime novel with an original angle and intriguing, well constructed plot. I love books about books, and have studied linguistics at university, but I am not very good at solving cryptic puzzles, so some questions remain unanswered for me, even at the end*.
However, the characters are very engaging and credible, and although it was quite easy to guess the identity of the murderer, this was also a jolly good story in a lovely Oxford setting.
I listened to the audiobook (excellently narrated) and feel I should read it a second time to work out those unanswered questions. *Can anyone explain to me what the Bodleian had to do with anything, and who the mysterious letter writer was?
However, the characters are very engaging and credible, and although it was quite easy to guess the identity of the murderer, this was also a jolly good story in a lovely Oxford setting.
I listened to the audiobook (excellently narrated) and feel I should read it a second time to work out those unanswered questions. *Can anyone explain to me what the Bodleian had to do with anything, and who the mysterious letter writer was?
August 6, 2024
Genuinely sorry to be disappointed with this book. Susie Dent is obviously a fantastic lexicographer and etymologist, so clever use of word to create a captivating story would be expected. However, it didn’t deliver for me.
The story fits for Susie Dent - the main characters work for a dictionary, but with the added murder mystery plot. Martha’s sister, Charlie, went missing a decade ago and after some time abroad returns to Oxford to work at the Clarendon English Dictionary. Letters start to arrive with clues as to what really happened to Charlie and the story unravels.
I found it quite difficult to read at the beginning, so it took me a while to get into. The (slightly too excessive) use of usual words and their definitions, though interesting, lost the flow of the story. This also made it hard to keep track of the characters and the story line to start with.
It got slightly more interesting eventually. But, I felt it missed the element of surprise and plot twists of a good murder mystery. Overall, it was an ok story, however, I would (at a push) only really recommend this to huge lovers of the English language and wordsmiths.
Thank you to NetGalley, and Bonnier Books UK, Zaffre for this book and the opportunity to review it.
The story fits for Susie Dent - the main characters work for a dictionary, but with the added murder mystery plot. Martha’s sister, Charlie, went missing a decade ago and after some time abroad returns to Oxford to work at the Clarendon English Dictionary. Letters start to arrive with clues as to what really happened to Charlie and the story unravels.
I found it quite difficult to read at the beginning, so it took me a while to get into. The (slightly too excessive) use of usual words and their definitions, though interesting, lost the flow of the story. This also made it hard to keep track of the characters and the story line to start with.
It got slightly more interesting eventually. But, I felt it missed the element of surprise and plot twists of a good murder mystery. Overall, it was an ok story, however, I would (at a push) only really recommend this to huge lovers of the English language and wordsmiths.
Thank you to NetGalley, and Bonnier Books UK, Zaffre for this book and the opportunity to review it.
May 19, 2025
I really wanted to enjoy this book but it gave me numerous amounts of headaches.
The plot of it sounded good but felt it was ruined by pages of unnecessary waffling on, and it felt like Susie was “peacocking” all these big unpronounceable words that just made my brain hurt.
When the coded letters got sent I never understood how they got the “clues” as it didn’t make sense to me.
The plot of it sounded good but felt it was ruined by pages of unnecessary waffling on, and it felt like Susie was “peacocking” all these big unpronounceable words that just made my brain hurt.
When the coded letters got sent I never understood how they got the “clues” as it didn’t make sense to me.
September 24, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Media | Tantor Audio for the audio ARC. It hasn't affected the contents of my review.
This was a fine time, but it also could have been better, IMO. This is a book about a murderer (?) who starts sending mysterious letters and postcards about the disappearance of a woman called Charlie over a decade before to everyone who could have possibly been involved at the time. Charlie at the time worked for the Clarendon dictionary as a lexicographer, and now her sister Martha is the editor at the same place. Once the letters and postcards start arriving, they realize someone is trying to stir up trouble around Charlie's disappearance, and all of the letters have obscure clues that seemingly only these lexicographers can interpret, but to what end? Will they find a murderer at the end of the clues?
The problem with this book is that the clues and puzzles just weren't that fun! They weren't the kind you can solve yourself, unless you are also an Oxford educated lexicographer, or whatever. And they weren't put together in a way that you could get vicarious enjoyment from the solving of them, either. They were the reason I wanted to read the book in the first place, and they weren't something I ended up enjoying at all. The most enjoyable part of the book was the occasional fraught conversation/interviews the lexicographers have with various people, some of which get pretty juicy. I did end up enjoying the resolution of the mystery, as well, but the lure of this being a puzzle mystery and the puzzles being a non-entity just soured the whole thing for me.
Also, the plot took up a lot of space here, so it's not really a character driven book, and there were a lot of characters, and a lot of puzzles, so it didn't really leave any room for me to get to know any of these people or care about them. That wouldn't really have mattered if the puzzles were fun, but they weren't, so I missed having characters I cared about.
I would maybe read on in the series, but I would hope the author would go in a slightly different direction for it.
The audio production was really good, I enjoyed the narrator quite a bit. Very pleasant voice.
This was a fine time, but it also could have been better, IMO. This is a book about a murderer (?) who starts sending mysterious letters and postcards about the disappearance of a woman called Charlie over a decade before to everyone who could have possibly been involved at the time. Charlie at the time worked for the Clarendon dictionary as a lexicographer, and now her sister Martha is the editor at the same place. Once the letters and postcards start arriving, they realize someone is trying to stir up trouble around Charlie's disappearance, and all of the letters have obscure clues that seemingly only these lexicographers can interpret, but to what end? Will they find a murderer at the end of the clues?
The problem with this book is that the clues and puzzles just weren't that fun! They weren't the kind you can solve yourself, unless you are also an Oxford educated lexicographer, or whatever. And they weren't put together in a way that you could get vicarious enjoyment from the solving of them, either. They were the reason I wanted to read the book in the first place, and they weren't something I ended up enjoying at all. The most enjoyable part of the book was the occasional fraught conversation/interviews the lexicographers have with various people, some of which get pretty juicy. I did end up enjoying the resolution of the mystery, as well, but the lure of this being a puzzle mystery and the puzzles being a non-entity just soured the whole thing for me.
Also, the plot took up a lot of space here, so it's not really a character driven book, and there were a lot of characters, and a lot of puzzles, so it didn't really leave any room for me to get to know any of these people or care about them. That wouldn't really have mattered if the puzzles were fun, but they weren't, so I missed having characters I cared about.
I would maybe read on in the series, but I would hope the author would go in a slightly different direction for it.
The audio production was really good, I enjoyed the narrator quite a bit. Very pleasant voice.
May 12, 2025
No sabía muy bien que iba a encontrarme en esta novela , y ha sido toda una sorpresa , me ha parecido un libro original y entretenido donde la autora se ha inspirado en el mundo de los lexicógrafos que trabajan en Oxford. Este es el lugar donde se ambienta una novela de misterio con pistas literarias y personajes bastante misteriosos.
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Empieza cuando llegan cartas misteriosas a la oficina del “English Dictionary”, pistas sobre una desaparición de hace años de la hermana de una de nuestras protagonistas.
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Una novela para los amantes de los rompecabezas, crucigramas etc… algo que crea mucho misterio. Aunque la gran protagonista se ve eclipsada por otros personajes me ha gustado mucho como evoluciona durante toda la novela.
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Me costó un par de capítulos cogerle el truco a la novela y tengo que decir que puede que no sea un libro para todo el mundo, pero me ha entretenido mucho y me ha resultado bastante original.
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Empieza cuando llegan cartas misteriosas a la oficina del “English Dictionary”, pistas sobre una desaparición de hace años de la hermana de una de nuestras protagonistas.
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Una novela para los amantes de los rompecabezas, crucigramas etc… algo que crea mucho misterio. Aunque la gran protagonista se ve eclipsada por otros personajes me ha gustado mucho como evoluciona durante toda la novela.
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Me costó un par de capítulos cogerle el truco a la novela y tengo que decir que puede que no sea un libro para todo el mundo, pero me ha entretenido mucho y me ha resultado bastante original.
July 7, 2025
Another nice surprise.
Even though I'm not from a Languages background, or Linguistics, or Humanities, for that matter, I find word-puzzles fascinating. I may not be able to solve them, but that doesn't mean I don't try.
Because of that, I found this story very interesting. And, for those who are considering reading it, I recommend getting a physical edition; it makes the going-back-and-forth to read the letters from Chorus and follow the CED's editors' logic much easier.
English is not my first language and Dent makes use of some "difficult" words. I understand this can be challenging and annoying to some people, but I don't have issues with stopping whatever I'm reading to search for the meaning of a word, to look up a photo of a flower or tree to see what it looks like. I don't find this frustrating at all, as it is a part of my reading experience. I can learn a lot just by reading a book. So, there was some searching while I read 'Guilty by Definition'. And some looking up in Google Maps, of the places mentioned in the story. Another thing I usually do while reading.
The puzzles and difficult words didn't bother me and I think they helped setting the perfect atmosphere for this mystery that takes place in Oxford.
I'll be looking forward to another Susie Dent mystery.
Even though I'm not from a Languages background, or Linguistics, or Humanities, for that matter, I find word-puzzles fascinating. I may not be able to solve them, but that doesn't mean I don't try.
Because of that, I found this story very interesting. And, for those who are considering reading it, I recommend getting a physical edition; it makes the going-back-and-forth to read the letters from Chorus and follow the CED's editors' logic much easier.
English is not my first language and Dent makes use of some "difficult" words. I understand this can be challenging and annoying to some people, but I don't have issues with stopping whatever I'm reading to search for the meaning of a word, to look up a photo of a flower or tree to see what it looks like. I don't find this frustrating at all, as it is a part of my reading experience. I can learn a lot just by reading a book. So, there was some searching while I read 'Guilty by Definition'. And some looking up in Google Maps, of the places mentioned in the story. Another thing I usually do while reading.
The puzzles and difficult words didn't bother me and I think they helped setting the perfect atmosphere for this mystery that takes place in Oxford.
I'll be looking forward to another Susie Dent mystery.
August 17, 2024
(Arc)
Now don't get me wrong, I adore Susie Dent on Countdown and her wits but this failed for me. She uses her knowledge of words well but it radiates "I know more than you and you should bow to me" and it rubs me off the wrong way. The actual murder mystery of it all felt underwhelming and it didn't interest me.
Now don't get me wrong, I adore Susie Dent on Countdown and her wits but this failed for me. She uses her knowledge of words well but it radiates "I know more than you and you should bow to me" and it rubs me off the wrong way. The actual murder mystery of it all felt underwhelming and it didn't interest me.
July 15, 2025
Oh my goodness, I was going to LOVE this book so much. And I did LOVE it so much. Unfortunately I just didn’t LIKE it that much. This is a literary mystery bolstered by intelligent characters, a great setting (working at a dictionary, who doesn’t dream of working at a dictionary?) and the definitions of fascinating words as chapter headings. The writing was great, the setup was great, and there were lots of medieval and OldEnglish words bandied about. Middle and Old English were living, spoken languages when I was in university, thanks to a wonderful professor who died only recently (reste in frithe, Mrs. Green) and it’s a joy to come across it at any time. For me, the characters were well-formed but didn’t fully come alive as I was reading - at least I didn’t find that I cared much at all about them - and the plot wasn’t quite there either. I was certainly meant to feel sad about some events in the past but that didn’t happen. On the other hand, I think I missed a great deal of the references and connections, especially with names--although I hugely enjoyed Lillian Virginia Mountweazel and her interesting death--and the whole thing might stand up to a second reading at a later time. I'm a long-time cryptic crossword aficionado and this really was a book just for me. Looking forward to whatever this author writes next. 4 stars
September 5, 2025
Tres estrellas. De 0 a 10: 5,5.
Entretenida, sobra texto, tanto detalles irrelevantes con repeticiones.
Se lee bien, más o menos.
Entretenida, sobra texto, tanto detalles irrelevantes con repeticiones.
Se lee bien, más o menos.
July 23, 2025
2.5* rounded up.
It was okay. Not great. I love words, definitions, and dictionaries. But there is a place for them, and that is not necessarily in the pages of a murder mystery. There were so many odd words, and their definitions inserted into the story that it spoilt the pace. I felt it almost like the author had chosen the words and definitions first and built the story around them. I guess, given the author is Susie Dent, that definitions are going to be to the fore. I also guess, given the author is Susie Dent, the book is going to sell. But this is a prime example of the fact that just because you are a celebrity name and sales are guaranteed, you are not necessarily going to be a brilliant author. There are far better murder mystery books out there.
It was okay. Not great. I love words, definitions, and dictionaries. But there is a place for them, and that is not necessarily in the pages of a murder mystery. There were so many odd words, and their definitions inserted into the story that it spoilt the pace. I felt it almost like the author had chosen the words and definitions first and built the story around them. I guess, given the author is Susie Dent, that definitions are going to be to the fore. I also guess, given the author is Susie Dent, the book is going to sell. But this is a prime example of the fact that just because you are a celebrity name and sales are guaranteed, you are not necessarily going to be a brilliant author. There are far better murder mystery books out there.
April 24, 2025
I loved this literary murder mystery and I can’t wait to read what Susie Dent writes next. This showcases the world of words and publishing and stiff competition amongst book dealers. A highly entertaining read. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.
July 17, 2024
There's a new kid on the crime fiction block, and her name is Susie Dent. As a lexicographer and etymologist, Susie knows all about words, their meanings and origins.
Guilty by Definition is Susie's debut novel, and what a debut it is.
The story is set in Oxford and centres around a team of lexicographers at the Clarendon English Dictionary, who receive some rather cryptic, anonymous letters. The letters contain clues pertaining to the disappearance of a young woman in 2010, whose sister happens to be one of said lexicographers.
That's as much of the plot as I'm willing to give away. Suffice to say this is an immensely enjoyable book. Each chapter begins with an antiquated word and its definition.
The plot is complex and intricately woven, its twisty and has the obligatory red herring.
There are multiple POV's, but they are necessary and, in my humble opinion, aren't confusing.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I really hope there will more like this to follow.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bonnier Books UK for the digital ARC.
Guilty by Definition is Susie's debut novel, and what a debut it is.
The story is set in Oxford and centres around a team of lexicographers at the Clarendon English Dictionary, who receive some rather cryptic, anonymous letters. The letters contain clues pertaining to the disappearance of a young woman in 2010, whose sister happens to be one of said lexicographers.
That's as much of the plot as I'm willing to give away. Suffice to say this is an immensely enjoyable book. Each chapter begins with an antiquated word and its definition.
The plot is complex and intricately woven, its twisty and has the obligatory red herring.
There are multiple POV's, but they are necessary and, in my humble opinion, aren't confusing.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I really hope there will more like this to follow.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bonnier Books UK for the digital ARC.
December 1, 2024
DNF - not the book for me
August 11, 2025
I received an advance copy from NetGalley.
This is a smart blend of historical fiction and mystery with a distinct linguistic and literary bent. Martha Thornhill works for the Clarendon English Dictionary in Oxford, which is clearly based on the OED. She heads up a small staff there that researches and adds new words. When they start getting letters at the office from a someone dubbed "Chorus"--and similar letters reach their home--the team comes together to decode what they mean, the stakes increasing as Martha realizes the letters allude to her older sister, a dictionary employee who vanished over a decade ago.
Though the setting is thoroughly modern, a great deal of history is packed into the plot. It is clear that Dent is intimately familiar with Oxford and the inner workings of the OED. I guessed the villain fairly early on, but the end still delivered numerous complexities and smart surprises.
I think this would be an excellent pick for book clubs, and it already includes discussion questions.
This is a smart blend of historical fiction and mystery with a distinct linguistic and literary bent. Martha Thornhill works for the Clarendon English Dictionary in Oxford, which is clearly based on the OED. She heads up a small staff there that researches and adds new words. When they start getting letters at the office from a someone dubbed "Chorus"--and similar letters reach their home--the team comes together to decode what they mean, the stakes increasing as Martha realizes the letters allude to her older sister, a dictionary employee who vanished over a decade ago.
Though the setting is thoroughly modern, a great deal of history is packed into the plot. It is clear that Dent is intimately familiar with Oxford and the inner workings of the OED. I guessed the villain fairly early on, but the end still delivered numerous complexities and smart surprises.
I think this would be an excellent pick for book clubs, and it already includes discussion questions.
August 18, 2025
Martha to grapple with the loss. Seeking solace, Martha fled to Germany but has now returned to Oxford, where she works at the Clarendon English Dictionary (CED). When a series of postcards and letters are delivered to CED and individual staff members with cryptic hints about secrets related to Charlie’s disappearance, it is up to Martha and her colleagues to unravel the mystery behind these enigmatic writings by decoding puzzles hidden within the correspondence.
This well-crafted debut novel shows a deep appreciation for linguistics. As in any compelling mystery, there are twists, turns, secrets, and hidden clues that must be interpreted. I enjoyed the character development and the camaraderie among the puzzle solvers.
If you have an appreciation for etymology, puzzles, literature, and mysteries that are more cerebral than action-packed, this book is for you.
Thanks to #NetGalley and @Bookmarked for the DRC.
This well-crafted debut novel shows a deep appreciation for linguistics. As in any compelling mystery, there are twists, turns, secrets, and hidden clues that must be interpreted. I enjoyed the character development and the camaraderie among the puzzle solvers.
If you have an appreciation for etymology, puzzles, literature, and mysteries that are more cerebral than action-packed, this book is for you.
Thanks to #NetGalley and @Bookmarked for the DRC.
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