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The Clarendon Lexicographers #2
Death Writ Large
Not yet published
Expected 13 Aug 26A brand-new linguistic mystery from Countdown's resident lexicographer, Susie Dent, set in the city of Oxford
When mysterious symbols appear as graffiti around Oxford, lexicographer Martha Thornhill recognises them from a runic alphabet created by a deceased fantasy writer whose papers she once worked on. But this is no publicity stunt, and tensions intensify when further graffiti is found near the body of a university lecturer.
Martha is not the only one to have doubts when the suspicious death is ruled by police as suicide. Called upon to lend their linguistic expertise to the case, Martha and her colleagues begin to unearth a tragedy that extends beyond the ancient walls of the university. As new messages portend more death, it's clear that a spirit of vengeance is stalking the city's streets, and may be reaching out towards them too.
When mysterious symbols appear as graffiti around Oxford, lexicographer Martha Thornhill recognises them from a runic alphabet created by a deceased fantasy writer whose papers she once worked on. But this is no publicity stunt, and tensions intensify when further graffiti is found near the body of a university lecturer.
Martha is not the only one to have doubts when the suspicious death is ruled by police as suicide. Called upon to lend their linguistic expertise to the case, Martha and her colleagues begin to unearth a tragedy that extends beyond the ancient walls of the university. As new messages portend more death, it's clear that a spirit of vengeance is stalking the city's streets, and may be reaching out towards them too.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication August 13, 2026
About the author
Susie Dent
27 books545 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 - 21 of 21 reviews
April 19, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley, I received an advanced copy of this book.
Initially, I was concerned about understanding the characters since I hadn’t read the first book but I didn’t have any trouble getting into the action. It’s a delightful cosy mystery thriller, beautifully written. The characters are well-developed and the story is engaging and captivating.
Initially, I was concerned about understanding the characters since I hadn’t read the first book but I didn’t have any trouble getting into the action. It’s a delightful cosy mystery thriller, beautifully written. The characters are well-developed and the story is engaging and captivating.
May 12, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley, Bonnie's Books UK & Zaffre for sending me the ARC in exchange for an honest review - this was a fantastic mystery and I loved this second book in the Clarendon Lexicographers series even more than the first! I will keep this review spoiler-free for both books, but rest assured you don't need to have read the first to enjoy this one.
As expected, this was not only a very intelligently-written murder mystery (with plenty of red herrings that I have to admit threw me for a loop!), but also an incredible linguistic journey from national treasure Susie Dent. I was just as delighted to learn the etymology of a huge variety of words (both well-known and archaic) as I was to solve the puzzles and find the culprit. I also really enjoyed the dictionary entries at the start of each chapter (which echo poignant themes or moments in that chapter): e.g. " *surd*, adjective, seventeenth century: conveying no sense; meaningless ".
We get to check back in with a lot of the main characters from book 1 (but for readers new to the series, any relevant backstory is explained very concisely!), as well as some very endearing new characters, and I feel the character development was excellent in both cases. The author also paints such a beautiful & vivid picture of Oxford throughout the story, it is enchanting to read. I feel this truly highlights her strength as an author in painting an immersive picture & weaving the narrative through it, not just her strength as a lexicographer, and is one of several reasons that she is an auto-buy author for me.
I highly recommend this cosy & clever mystery to anyone, it's a really fun read and one you'll race through to its very satisfying conclusion!
While this is a cosy mystery, it does still include a number of potentially sensitive topics, so I am including a list of Content Warnings here for those who find them helpful - so fair warning to STOP READING HERE TO AVOID MINOR SPOILERS!:
------------
Content Warnings:
As expected, this was not only a very intelligently-written murder mystery (with plenty of red herrings that I have to admit threw me for a loop!), but also an incredible linguistic journey from national treasure Susie Dent. I was just as delighted to learn the etymology of a huge variety of words (both well-known and archaic) as I was to solve the puzzles and find the culprit. I also really enjoyed the dictionary entries at the start of each chapter (which echo poignant themes or moments in that chapter): e.g. " *surd*, adjective, seventeenth century: conveying no sense; meaningless ".
We get to check back in with a lot of the main characters from book 1 (but for readers new to the series, any relevant backstory is explained very concisely!), as well as some very endearing new characters, and I feel the character development was excellent in both cases. The author also paints such a beautiful & vivid picture of Oxford throughout the story, it is enchanting to read. I feel this truly highlights her strength as an author in painting an immersive picture & weaving the narrative through it, not just her strength as a lexicographer, and is one of several reasons that she is an auto-buy author for me.
I highly recommend this cosy & clever mystery to anyone, it's a really fun read and one you'll race through to its very satisfying conclusion!
While this is a cosy mystery, it does still include a number of potentially sensitive topics, so I am including a list of Content Warnings here for those who find them helpful - so fair warning to STOP READING HERE TO AVOID MINOR SPOILERS!:
------------
Content Warnings:
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Death Writ Large, is the second book in the Clarendon Lexicographer series by Countdown celebrity word expert Susie Dent . I enjoyed the first book ‘Guilty by Definition’ so much I didn’t want to miss the follow up. This is another well written cosy crime novel, with interesting characters and a clever plot. A linguistic thriller that combines the lexicographer’s world with a dark vengeful mystery. Set against the academic backdrop of Oxford, this was a very enjoyable novel.
A series of cryptic graffiti symbols appear across the historic streets of Oxford baffles the public but lexicographer Martha Thornhill immediately recognises the markings. They are from a runic alphabet created by a deceased fantasy author, a writer whose private papers Martha once archived.
What starts as an intellectual curiosity turns into a grisly reality when more runes are discovered near the body of a university lecturer.
When the police prematurely rule the lecturer’s death as a suicide, Martha and her colleagues are convinced there is a more sinister narrative at play. Called upon for their linguistic expertise, they begin to decode the messages, revealing a “spirit of vengeance” that has been simmering behind the ancient stone walls of the university.
The investigation unearths a tragedy that far exceeds the bounds of academia, suggesting that the killer isn’t just seeking attention, they are seeking retribution.
I enjoy the wordplay used by Susie Dent in the writing of this novel, which creates another a unique layer of suspense and intrigue. As new runic messages “portend more death,” the team realises that the killer’s gaze has shifted toward them. The tension is palpable as Martha tries to solve the puzzle before the “death writ large” includes her own name.
Susie Dent’s background as a real-life lexicographer lends a fascinating, “insider” feel to the way Martha analyses the runes. Oxford is portrayed not just as a city of learning, but as a place of deep shadows and long-held secrets. The novel explores how language can be used to hide the truth just as easily as it can be used to reveal it.
Death Writ Large is a sophisticated and well written mystery that will appeal to fans of cosy thrillers with an added layer of intrigue. I enjoyed the character of Martha Thornhill, who fights with facts and phonetics. It turns out the pen isn’t just mightier than the sword, it’s much more dangerous.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and Bonnier Books for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
A series of cryptic graffiti symbols appear across the historic streets of Oxford baffles the public but lexicographer Martha Thornhill immediately recognises the markings. They are from a runic alphabet created by a deceased fantasy author, a writer whose private papers Martha once archived.
What starts as an intellectual curiosity turns into a grisly reality when more runes are discovered near the body of a university lecturer.
When the police prematurely rule the lecturer’s death as a suicide, Martha and her colleagues are convinced there is a more sinister narrative at play. Called upon for their linguistic expertise, they begin to decode the messages, revealing a “spirit of vengeance” that has been simmering behind the ancient stone walls of the university.
The investigation unearths a tragedy that far exceeds the bounds of academia, suggesting that the killer isn’t just seeking attention, they are seeking retribution.
I enjoy the wordplay used by Susie Dent in the writing of this novel, which creates another a unique layer of suspense and intrigue. As new runic messages “portend more death,” the team realises that the killer’s gaze has shifted toward them. The tension is palpable as Martha tries to solve the puzzle before the “death writ large” includes her own name.
Susie Dent’s background as a real-life lexicographer lends a fascinating, “insider” feel to the way Martha analyses the runes. Oxford is portrayed not just as a city of learning, but as a place of deep shadows and long-held secrets. The novel explores how language can be used to hide the truth just as easily as it can be used to reveal it.
Death Writ Large is a sophisticated and well written mystery that will appeal to fans of cosy thrillers with an added layer of intrigue. I enjoyed the character of Martha Thornhill, who fights with facts and phonetics. It turns out the pen isn’t just mightier than the sword, it’s much more dangerous.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and Bonnier Books for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Spenser Lewis fell to his death from the tower of St Michael’s church, Oxford. Why? Is it linked to the runic messages graffitied on the stairs? The police, in the person of DI Oliver Caldwell, can’t read the runes, but, fortunately, he knows someone who can – Dr Martha Thornhill, senior editor at the “Clarendon English Dictionary” and his former paramour. The runic letters are a type designed by fantasy writer James Taylor for his invented language – he was a cohort of Tolkien and the other Inklings. Although Martha can translate Taylor’s language, she only needs to transliterate the graffiti because it is written in English, using Taylor’s alphabet. So the artist is not a scholar of the writer. The police are inclined to put the death as suicide, but then other examples of the graffiti turn up in other location around the city, accompanied by depictions of The Furies, the avenging deities from Greek mythology, and cryptic clues. DI Caldwell asks for the assistance of Martha and her colleagues, Safi and Alex, in solving these literary puzzles, since it is now clear that the lecturer’s death was murder and the clues are pointing towards someone out for revenge, reason unknown, against a group of former students who graduated with Lewis.
This is the second book in a series featuring Martha, Caldwell, and their respective colleagues. As with the first book, it is an intellectual exercise as much as it is a murder mystery (at the cosier end of that spectrum). The author works for the OED (the model for the CED) so the quality of the writing is high and in places erudite – for example each chapter is headed by an obscure word which alludes to its content. The plot here is fairly straightforward – find the perpetrator before there are more deaths – and well managed, with solid characters, while the puzzles provide a nice bit of entertainment. The clues to the perpetrator are not hard to spot, but the motive is elusive. Overall, I think 4.5 stars.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.
This is the second book in a series featuring Martha, Caldwell, and their respective colleagues. As with the first book, it is an intellectual exercise as much as it is a murder mystery (at the cosier end of that spectrum). The author works for the OED (the model for the CED) so the quality of the writing is high and in places erudite – for example each chapter is headed by an obscure word which alludes to its content. The plot here is fairly straightforward – find the perpetrator before there are more deaths – and well managed, with solid characters, while the puzzles provide a nice bit of entertainment. The clues to the perpetrator are not hard to spot, but the motive is elusive. Overall, I think 4.5 stars.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is the second book in the Clarendon Lexicographer series by word expert Susie Dent and involves most of the characters from the first novel. Set in Oxford, Death Writ Large is a well written cosy crime with a clever plot than combines wordsmith-ing and a tale of revenge and retribution. The story begins when lexicographer, Martha Thornhill, recognises the graffiti that appears around Oxford. Rather than random symbols, they are part of an alphabet created by fantasy author, Jerome Naylor, and both where the symbols occur and what their messages say are important. Martha and her colleagues, Safi and Alex are called in to help the police unravel the importance of these clues.
Whilst it is not necessary to have read the first book in the series to enjoy this one, I do think it is helpful to know some of the background as previous events are often referred to in the text and the characters have 'history' together which is better understood through the first book. The friendship between the three women who work together shines through the story, and through their eyes we understand the shadows that lurk in Oxford's past and the secrets it keeps.
I very much enjoyed the details of words and expressions throughout this book and the snippets of history which are highlighted. The story is a little different from a straightforward who dunnit mystery and all the better for that.
With thanks to the author, Netgalley and Bonnier Books UK for an early copy in return for an honest review.
Whilst it is not necessary to have read the first book in the series to enjoy this one, I do think it is helpful to know some of the background as previous events are often referred to in the text and the characters have 'history' together which is better understood through the first book. The friendship between the three women who work together shines through the story, and through their eyes we understand the shadows that lurk in Oxford's past and the secrets it keeps.
I very much enjoyed the details of words and expressions throughout this book and the snippets of history which are highlighted. The story is a little different from a straightforward who dunnit mystery and all the better for that.
With thanks to the author, Netgalley and Bonnier Books UK for an early copy in return for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
'Death Writ Large' by Susie Dent.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
When mysterious symbols appear as graffiti around Oxford, lexicographer Martha Thornhill recognises them from a runic alphabet created by a deceased fantasy writer whose papers she once worked on. But this is no publicity stunt, and tensions intensify when further graffiti is found near the body of a university lecturer.
Martha is not the only one to have doubts when the suspicious death is assumed by police to be a suicide. Called upon to lend their linguistic expertise to the case, Martha and her colleagues begin to unearth a tragedy that extends beyond the ancient walls of the university. As new messages portend more death, it's clear that a spirit of vengeance is stalking the city's streets, and may be reaching out towards them too.
This is second in the series and I found it just as enjoyable as the first one. It's a pretty standard mystery, find the killer before there is more deaths but you've got added puzzles that need to be solved. I didn't work out who the perpetrator was until near the end so it was a good mystery. I particularly loved the puzzle side of this mystery and I felt like I learned a lot of new words too.
If you enjoy cozy crime and puzzles then give this series a read.
Thanks to NetGallery UK, the publishers and the author for letting me read a copy in return for an honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
When mysterious symbols appear as graffiti around Oxford, lexicographer Martha Thornhill recognises them from a runic alphabet created by a deceased fantasy writer whose papers she once worked on. But this is no publicity stunt, and tensions intensify when further graffiti is found near the body of a university lecturer.
Martha is not the only one to have doubts when the suspicious death is assumed by police to be a suicide. Called upon to lend their linguistic expertise to the case, Martha and her colleagues begin to unearth a tragedy that extends beyond the ancient walls of the university. As new messages portend more death, it's clear that a spirit of vengeance is stalking the city's streets, and may be reaching out towards them too.
This is second in the series and I found it just as enjoyable as the first one. It's a pretty standard mystery, find the killer before there is more deaths but you've got added puzzles that need to be solved. I didn't work out who the perpetrator was until near the end so it was a good mystery. I particularly loved the puzzle side of this mystery and I felt like I learned a lot of new words too.
If you enjoy cozy crime and puzzles then give this series a read.
Thanks to NetGallery UK, the publishers and the author for letting me read a copy in return for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
An Oxford Don is found dead at the base of a church tower, probably suicide or even misadventure , but detective Oliver Caldwell has misgivings and a belief in could be murder. The runes painted on the steps of the tower lead him to consult with Martha and her team at Clarendon. What follows is a mystery, combined with word play, symbolism and etymology centred around Oxford and its environs.
This is the second in the Clarendon Lexicographer series and I have been fortunate enough to read them both. The author combines her expertise in words and their origins with a series of characters who make you feel you know them. It’s a clever whodunnit with lots of suspects and a nice little twist at the end, but that is only part of the joy of the book, the other part is seeing the origins or everyday phrases and saying or seeing see words at he beginning of each chapter. My only disappointment is that I won’t remember them or be able to use them regularly. I loved this book as much as I enjoyed the previous one and I hope for more
This is the second in the Clarendon Lexicographer series and I have been fortunate enough to read them both. The author combines her expertise in words and their origins with a series of characters who make you feel you know them. It’s a clever whodunnit with lots of suspects and a nice little twist at the end, but that is only part of the joy of the book, the other part is seeing the origins or everyday phrases and saying or seeing see words at he beginning of each chapter. My only disappointment is that I won’t remember them or be able to use them regularly. I loved this book as much as I enjoyed the previous one and I hope for more
May 7, 2026
Review of ‘Death Writ Large’ by Susie Dent, due to be published on 13 August 2026 by Bonnier Books UK, Zaffre.
We rejoin Martha, Safi and Alex helping DI Oliver Caldwell and DS Norah Farris for the second book in ‘The Clarendon Lexicographers’ series.
We open with what looks like an apparent suicide, that is until mysterious messages written in runes and ever increasing riddles start to appear all over Oxford. When it becomes clear that a group of former students are being targeted, the team work to try and establish both motive and suspect.
As with the first book there is clever word play, puzzles, etymology, murder and plenty of mystery. We are introduced to new characters who are effortlessly woven into the lives of the team and the storyline.
Whilst this could be read as a standalone it’s much better if you’ve read the first book in the series, you have a real understanding of the characters, their lives and how they all work together.
This is a fast paced, engaging and very enjoyable read. They just keep getting better!
We rejoin Martha, Safi and Alex helping DI Oliver Caldwell and DS Norah Farris for the second book in ‘The Clarendon Lexicographers’ series.
We open with what looks like an apparent suicide, that is until mysterious messages written in runes and ever increasing riddles start to appear all over Oxford. When it becomes clear that a group of former students are being targeted, the team work to try and establish both motive and suspect.
As with the first book there is clever word play, puzzles, etymology, murder and plenty of mystery. We are introduced to new characters who are effortlessly woven into the lives of the team and the storyline.
Whilst this could be read as a standalone it’s much better if you’ve read the first book in the series, you have a real understanding of the characters, their lives and how they all work together.
This is a fast paced, engaging and very enjoyable read. They just keep getting better!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Death Writ Large sees Martha Thornhill return to her niche world of linguistic detection, this time centred on cryptic symbols appearing around Oxford and linked to the deaths of university lecturers. The hook — a runic alphabet created by a dead fantasy writer — is neat and very much in Susie Dent’s style.
As with Guilty by Definition, the appeal lies in the detail: obscure alphabets, wordplay, and the pleasure of watching language used as a puzzle-solving tool. It’s an unusual angle for a crime novel and gives the book a distinct identity.
I enjoyed this more than her first novel in the series. The characters feel more bedded in, and there are fewer of the slightly random digressions into word definitions that slowed things down before. It all makes for a smoother, more settled read.
It’s still more cosy than gripping, but that seems to be the point. A good, intelligent mystery to pass the time.
As with Guilty by Definition, the appeal lies in the detail: obscure alphabets, wordplay, and the pleasure of watching language used as a puzzle-solving tool. It’s an unusual angle for a crime novel and gives the book a distinct identity.
I enjoyed this more than her first novel in the series. The characters feel more bedded in, and there are fewer of the slightly random digressions into word definitions that slowed things down before. It all makes for a smoother, more settled read.
It’s still more cosy than gripping, but that seems to be the point. A good, intelligent mystery to pass the time.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Martha Thornhill and the Oxford dictionary team return in a new mystery. There are a lot of similarities to the first in the series, with secret clues, mysterious literary references and the backdrop of academia.
Death Writ Large is well plotted, with a small cabal of Oxford alumni apparently targeted - but why? Martha and her team again assist the police to decipher clues left around the city, all linked to a controversial author. The pace is fairly slow, the relationships between the characters complex and the answers apparently buried in the past.
Anyone who enjoyed Susie Dent's first novel will find this one similarly satisfying. There are plenty of word definitions and etymologies to add to the enjoyment, as well as the core puzzles to solve.
Death Writ Large is well plotted, with a small cabal of Oxford alumni apparently targeted - but why? Martha and her team again assist the police to decipher clues left around the city, all linked to a controversial author. The pace is fairly slow, the relationships between the characters complex and the answers apparently buried in the past.
Anyone who enjoyed Susie Dent's first novel will find this one similarly satisfying. There are plenty of word definitions and etymologies to add to the enjoyment, as well as the core puzzles to solve.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Our favourite gang of lexicographers from the Clarendon English Dictionary are called upon once again to assist the police team investigating a new set of mysterious wordy/puzzle-focussed deaths in Oxford. A cleverly plotted and deftly written second novel which manages to improve upon Dent’s excellent debut. Where the UK’s favourite lexicographer’s first book leaned heavily on dictionary terms, descriptions and etymology, the second is more adept at introducing meanings naturally so they didn’t feel “plonked” into the text.
A fabulously enjoyable book and I look forward to future visits to the offices of the Clarendon team.
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own unbiased opinion.
A fabulously enjoyable book and I look forward to future visits to the offices of the Clarendon team.
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own unbiased opinion.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
This is the second book on the Clarendon Lexicographer series by Susie Debt. It follows Martha and her team who work together as Lexicographers for the Clarendon Dictionary... and also help solve murder. Following on from the first book, in much the same vein the team must help solve some riddles, to aid in the apprehension of a murderer before they can strike again. The background of the characters is well explained and although the second book in a series, I don't think there would any issues picking this up without having read the previous entry.
Unsurprisingly, it is very well written and the extra word based facts make this a thoroughly enjoyable read. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.
This is the second book on the Clarendon Lexicographer series by Susie Debt. It follows Martha and her team who work together as Lexicographers for the Clarendon Dictionary... and also help solve murder. Following on from the first book, in much the same vein the team must help solve some riddles, to aid in the apprehension of a murderer before they can strike again. The background of the characters is well explained and although the second book in a series, I don't think there would any issues picking this up without having read the previous entry.
Unsurprisingly, it is very well written and the extra word based facts make this a thoroughly enjoyable read. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The second book of this Oxford based murder mystery series begins with an apparent suicide and note written in runes. Once again Martha, Safi and Alex offer their expertise in solving a trail of word and picture puzzles on a journey to discover the truth and deliver justice.
I enjoyed this even more than the first book; the pacing was much better, the interesting word origins and definitions are still there but don't get in the way of the story, and I liked having more depth and detail in the main characters. I'm already looking forward to the next book.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
I enjoyed this even more than the first book; the pacing was much better, the interesting word origins and definitions are still there but don't get in the way of the story, and I liked having more depth and detail in the main characters. I'm already looking forward to the next book.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A highly entertaining second outing with the team at Clarendon English Dictionary as they use their literary and linguistic skills to solve what seems at first glance to be a cut and dry suicide.
We get plenty more lessons on archaic words and the etymology of more in our current lexicon which I find endlessly fascinating, and there are runes and rebus to be deciphered.
The pacing is still a little uneven, and the reveals have some not quite subtle foreshadowing, putting this series closer to the cosy end of the genre, but I admire what Dent is doing here.
Perfect for fans of The Thursday Murder Club.
Thanks to ##Netgalley for providing an eGalley for review purposes.
We get plenty more lessons on archaic words and the etymology of more in our current lexicon which I find endlessly fascinating, and there are runes and rebus to be deciphered.
The pacing is still a little uneven, and the reveals have some not quite subtle foreshadowing, putting this series closer to the cosy end of the genre, but I admire what Dent is doing here.
Perfect for fans of The Thursday Murder Club.
Thanks to ##Netgalley for providing an eGalley for review purposes.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I do enjoy the word play and etymology in Susie's books!
Another mystery that the brains at the OED help to solve. I enjoyed this book but it wasn't as good as the first one for me. I did enjoy seeing more of the main characters and it was good to be back in their world.
I didn't really understand the character of the killer, it all felt a bit contrived and rushed at the end. On the plus side, though, I didn't guess who it was and I almost always do!
You'll love it if you love, found family and cosy mystery vibes. Would recommend 4 stars.
Another mystery that the brains at the OED help to solve. I enjoyed this book but it wasn't as good as the first one for me. I did enjoy seeing more of the main characters and it was good to be back in their world.
I didn't really understand the character of the killer, it all felt a bit contrived and rushed at the end. On the plus side, though, I didn't guess who it was and I almost always do!
You'll love it if you love, found family and cosy mystery vibes. Would recommend 4 stars.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Working for a dictionary continues to be dangerous!
Almost a standalone, but read Guilty by definition first for context. A complicated whodunnit - who is still doing it, with very little clarity, the poor reader doesn’t stand a chance of deducing who the villain is until very close to the end. There’s a choice of miscreants to suspect, clues that need a cryptic crossword solver to resolve, plus having a broad knowledge of history might help, but I doubt it. The plot twists keep on coming.
Almost a standalone, but read Guilty by definition first for context. A complicated whodunnit - who is still doing it, with very little clarity, the poor reader doesn’t stand a chance of deducing who the villain is until very close to the end. There’s a choice of miscreants to suspect, clues that need a cryptic crossword solver to resolve, plus having a broad knowledge of history might help, but I doubt it. The plot twists keep on coming.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Faster paced than the last one but both are brilliantly written and it's clear to see that the author is a wordsmith as she draws the reader in and brings them down a few avenues before settling on the ending, as I have said , both her books are enjoyable and I can't wait to see what is in store next for Martha and Co.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Guilty pleasure!
I enjoyed the first book in this series and the second lives up to the pressure!
Murder, mystery, mythology and etymology - what's not to love!
Yes there's lots of "learning" with characters imparting their knowledge throughout but I do enjoy it, it doesn't feel forced.
I hope the author carries on writing this sort of fiction, she does it very well!
I enjoyed the first book in this series and the second lives up to the pressure!
Murder, mystery, mythology and etymology - what's not to love!
Yes there's lots of "learning" with characters imparting their knowledge throughout but I do enjoy it, it doesn't feel forced.
I hope the author carries on writing this sort of fiction, she does it very well!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A really enjoyable mystery set against the backdrop of Oxford and peppered throughout with fascinating etymology and a real history of language, and how this relates to everything we do. It's relatively slow paced but with a good twist!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I really enjoyed this book, however it took a little while to get started and had a few too many word references, it felt a bit too much like the author was trying to insert as many definitions as possible. I did still enjoy very much though, especially the second half once the mystery got started.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Claredon Lexicographers return- Martha, Safi and Alex return in another tale of conundrums and word play amidst the history of Cambridge
Now the key characters have been established, Death Writ Large is a much more compelling and fast paced read than the first story. This time the trio investigate graffiti and mysterious runes associated to a unique writer named Jerome Naylor - a contemporary of Tolkien; especially as the discovered messages are linked to a death and a group of former students linked to a cabal. As a potential threats increase, who could be the next victim?
With Susie Dent's inimitable knowledge of the English language the book is peppered with new words and phrases which add another enjoyment to this read.
DCI Caldwell also returns and the "will they - won't they " potential romance between the two leads is reignited.
Suspenseful and gripping and full of clues, red herrings and mystery.
This is a really good read- personally better than the first book -Guilty By Definition- so I'll look forward to a third in the series. I would recommend reading book 1 to fully appreciate some of the story especially concerning Martha.
Recommended to all lovers of good crime reads and puzzle solvers too.
4.5 out of 5- saving the "5 " for book 3
Thank you to Zaffre Publishing and Netgalley for the advance copy
Now the key characters have been established, Death Writ Large is a much more compelling and fast paced read than the first story. This time the trio investigate graffiti and mysterious runes associated to a unique writer named Jerome Naylor - a contemporary of Tolkien; especially as the discovered messages are linked to a death and a group of former students linked to a cabal. As a potential threats increase, who could be the next victim?
With Susie Dent's inimitable knowledge of the English language the book is peppered with new words and phrases which add another enjoyment to this read.
DCI Caldwell also returns and the "will they - won't they " potential romance between the two leads is reignited.
Suspenseful and gripping and full of clues, red herrings and mystery.
This is a really good read- personally better than the first book -Guilty By Definition- so I'll look forward to a third in the series. I would recommend reading book 1 to fully appreciate some of the story especially concerning Martha.
Recommended to all lovers of good crime reads and puzzle solvers too.
4.5 out of 5- saving the "5 " for book 3
Thank you to Zaffre Publishing and Netgalley for the advance copy
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