Bookseller Reviews
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And The Word Is... Unputdownable!
A cryptic crossword of a mystery with all the clues leading to a stand out thriller that will have every reader racing to put the pieces together and solve... READ MORE
Susie has smashed it!
A brilliantly clever mystery surrounding the disappearance of Charlie Thornhill ten years ago as her sister Martha works with her friends and colleagues at... READ MORE
Wonderful, worrisome, wordy...
A wonderful book - I'm going to have to re-read to try to remember some of the more obscure and wonderful words, as well as to see if I can spot the clues ... READ MORE
I can’t stop thinking about this book
From the moment I started reading it, I knew I was going to be obsessed. I didn’t want to have to put it down, even for a moment.
When I saw the descri... READ MORE
A compelling and intelligent mystery novel
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel for its complex characters and intriguing (if challenging) puzzles. The insights into the workings of a dictionary were fas... READ MORE
The crime novel I didn’t know I needed!
I was so happy when I found out Susie Dent had written a book and it was one of the most exciting page turners I’ve read in a while.
A different take f... READ MORE
A videnda for the philobiblist
With perplexing letters, cryptic postcards, Shakespearean clues and a 15 year old mystery disappearance, Susie Dent's first novel is enthralling, captivati... READ MORE
Brilliantly cryptic mystery, fantastic writing
This book was excellent! Lived up to my expectations of beautiful language and cryptic clues and mystery (what else would we expect from the Queen of Dicti... READ MORE
An excellent mystery with so many brilliant definitions
Martha is back in Oxford, working at the offices of a world famous dictionary, after being away for years. Letters begin to arrive at her work suggesting t... READ MORE
A careful portrait of Oxford and a satisfying mystery
A really enjoyable read! Susie Dent has created a core cast of compelling and sympathetic characters working hard to unravel a satisfying mystery. Dent’s c... READ MORE
Simply brilliant!
I have to admit, my excitement and expectation for this book were immense! As a big fan of Susie Dent’s non-fiction work and also a huge fan of the crime g... READ MORE
An atmospheric and absorbing literary treat!
Guilty By Definition is a beautifully written literary page-turner and a real treat for language lovers. The mystery unfolds through a series of cryptic le... READ MORE
A great read for fans of cryptic crosswords, puzzles and riddles.
I really enjoyed this debut by Susie Dent.
The story is set in Oxford with a serious mystery at its heart. The main characters are lexicographers and la... READ MORE
Oxford comes alive
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I requested a review copy of this from the publisher - can someone who is a word wizard actually write a good story... READ MORE
A great read, not just for dictionary lovers!
I love words, and I love Oxford, so this was a real treat, which I read during our most recent hot spell.
Martha is an editor with the Clarendon English D... READ MORE
Cryptic clues abound in this murder mystery by wordsmith Susie Dent
Susie Dent loves words, the sound, the meaning, the ambiguity and the exactitude of them, and this shines through in her first novel Guilty by Definition. ... READ MORE
Synopsis
A coded letter. A missing woman. A truth waiting to be found.
When an anonymous letter is delivered to the Clarendon English Dictionary office, it becomes rapidly clear that this is not the usual word-related enquiry. Instead, the letter hints at sinister events linked to a particular year.
For editor Martha Thornhill, the date can mean only one thing: the summer her brilliant older sister Charlie went missing. Ten years on, Martha and her family are no closer to unravelling the mystery of Charlie's disappearance - until now.
As more letters arrive, Martha and her team follow the linguistic clues to a troubling truth. It seems Charlie was keeping a powerful secret, and that someone is desperate to keep it well and truly buried.
Guilty by Definition is a love letter not only to language but to the city of Oxford, wrapped within an intriguing mystery of a missing woman and considering the emotional aftershocks of her disappearance on those left behind.
Publisher information
- Publisher: Bonnier Books Ltd
- ISBN: 9781804183977
- Number of pages: 400
- Dimensions: 202 x 132 x 25 mm
- Weight: 288g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allBrilliant (fiction) debut
Susie dent has of course written many books but this is her first novel. The story revolves around the disappearance of a young woman working at the Claren... READ MORE
Cryptic clues, a little murder and long lost words a fascinating read.
Guilty by definition - Susie Dent
In 2010 Martha's sister Charlie disappeared. Ten years later clues start arriving in the post to Martha, close acquain... READ MORE
Clever and complex
This is the debut by lexicographer and Dictionary Corner stalwart Susie Dent and as you would expect it is full of word definitions, and the origins of phr... READ MORE
An Engaging and Complex Mystery in the City of Dreaming Spires
Thanks to Bonnier Books for a review copy.
I had high hopes for a mystery novel from Susie Dent and I was certainly not disappointed. This is an extremely... READ MORE
Enjoyable read.
First novel from Countdowns dictionary corner star Susie Dent. Enjoyable read with some interesting characters and a surprising plot.
A great new angle for a mystery story
Susie Dent knows about words, so it was not a surprise that her first foray into fiction had lead characters who were lexicographers working for a dictiona... READ MORE
A brilliant literary puzzle
Legend has it that when asked what he would do if he became ruler of China, Confucius said “I would restore the meaning of words.” Perhaps Susie Dent shou... READ MORE
Marvellous
I’d read some of Susie Dent’s non-fiction before and she’s clearly a talented and intelligent author and I was interested to see how her style would transl... READ MORE
Recommended for fans of Richard Osman - and word nerds
I approached Guilty by Definition with some trepidation: with every new murder mystery written by a figure from TV and radio, the heart hopes for another R... READ MORE
Complex and entertaining
Ten years ago Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Thornhill disappeared. With no trace ever found her family had no closure. Her mother has since died, her father has bec... READ MORE
It’s Only Words
Yes, THAT Susie Dent. The personification of an academic crush and author of several great books on the meaning of words. Sadly, this is hung too heavily ... READ MORE
Nice use of quotations.
This has to be my favourite read of this year. It is cleverly plotted crime novel. Susie uses her etymology skills brilliantly. I liked the use of quotatio... READ MORE
Entertaining, educational and the puzzles are challenging
Guilty by Definition
By Susie Dent
As a lover of words and language, linguistics and etymology I am always drawn to quizzes and game shows featuring... READ MORE
A mystery and cryptic messages add up to a brilliant crime debut
The use of unusual words can quickly become pretentious and forced, making a reader feel, how should I say this... Less than up to literary scratch.
Not h... READ MORE
Good debut novel
really enjoyed this novel. I was hooked from the very first page and kept reading until the end as I wanted to know what happened. There were so many twist... READ MORE
Great book for a logophile!
Susie Dent's love of words shines through in this book! An absolute delight to read.
A Wordy Mystery
Martha Thornhill has returned to Oxford after ten years working in Germany. She takes up a position as editor at the CED but when a mysterious cryptic lett... READ MORE
An intelligent and thoughtful mystery!
Anyone in the UK who loves words knows about Susie Dent. She has been part of the panel of ‘Countdown’ forever. As expected, this book is full of new ( to ... READ MORE
An intriguing read.
A cleverly written story .
As you would expect from Susie Dent the book is peppered with lovely long words .
At times I felt the book was slow going a... READ MORE
Word definitions play a large part
A complex and mysterious mystery started by the delivery of postcards to the people in the life of missing Charlie.
Martha her sister and her friends work... READ MORE
Fascinating read
A really fascinating read, I was engaged from the first chapter. I’d often wondered how it was decided if and when a new word was added to a dictionary and... READ MORE
Words Are All They Have
Lexicographers start with a clue, a word to be investigated, and follow the evidence to prove it is either a new word or a new use of an old word. Detecti... READ MORE
Interesting storey!
While I enjoyed the puzzle aspect of the book I felt it was just a bit too technical at times. I realise Susie Dent is a brilliant lexicographer I don’t qu... READ MORE
Sparkling with obvious intelligence and wit
Firstly, thanks so much to Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This was so much fun! Unsurprisingly sparkling with obvious intell... READ MORE
Guilty by Definition
I really enjoyed the twists and turns of this novel, it kept my attention right the way through and the ending………. well that would give the plot away.
I... READ MORE
Words hide a mystery here.
This book centres around a group of five lexicographers who work compiling dictionaries at a prestigious University Press in Oxford. There is a downbeat at... READ MORE
A must for fans of obscure language and cryptic puzzles.
Lexicographers at the CED office in Oxford receive a series of mysterious postcards and letters. They realise they refer to a colleague’s missing sister Ch... READ MORE
An etymological delight
A cleverly plotted murder mystery which revolves around Dent’s specialities – etymology and lexicography. The main characters work in Oxford at the Clarend... READ MORE
A great read!
I was sent an uncorrected manuscript proof of Guilty by Definition by Susie Dent to read and review by NetGalley. I love words and I love crosswords and m... READ MORE
Great Book
Educating and captivating.
A great book that easily had me hooked. A proper puzzle that was well thought out and had me fooled the whole way through.
... READ MORE
A treat for word lovers!
With thanks to the author, publishers Bonnier Books UK, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I fou... READ MORE
I enjoyed it
This book will be a pleasure for people who enjoy books and words and puzzles - the crime story element faded substantially into the background for much of... READ MORE
Held my attention
I enjoyed the information about the way a dictionary is compiled and the references to word derivations as much as the plot.I know the author is a lexicog... READ MORE
Queen of wordsmiths
Very enjoyable debut mystery from Susie Dent, Queen of wordsmiths! Martha’s sister Charlie went missing 13 years ago. Now, someone is sending Martha myster... READ MORE
Slow and too hard to solve the clues
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book with no obligation to review.
On the plus side, from about chapter 11 onwards thi... READ MORE
A good mystery
This was an interesting book, quite a slow pace and I did find the clues and all the unusual words a little hard to follow. (Cryptic crosswords have never ... READ MORE
Brilliant!
When the lexicographers at the Clarendon English Dictionary get an anonymous letter suggesting things about events that took place in 2010 they are baffled... READ MORE
Learnt some great scrabble words!
Although I am not a fan of “celebrity” authors I thought this one was probably worth the risk. It was a great book and although there were lots of big and ... READ MORE
A clever and assured debut
Susie Dent is resident lexicographer in Dictionary Corner on Countdown, and much more my style – 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. She’s a very clever lady ... READ MORE
Superlative philological and literary mystery
As might be expected, Susie Dent's debut novel is full of interesting words; but better than that, it's a supremely well-plotted and entertaining literary ... READ MORE
For lovers of language
For those who truly love language and etymology, this novel will not disappoint. Dent has merged her love of words with a story set in Oxford. Martha Thorn... READ MORE
Murder mystery with etymology
Susie Dent is known to may as a consultant on Countdown and to a lesser number as editor of Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. Her debut novel centr... READ MORE
A mystery in Oxford
Martha's sister Charlie was murdered a few years ago, but no-one could understand why. Since then, a weird letter has arrived each year around the annivers... READ MORE
Not-so-guilty pleasure
As you would expect from an etymologist, there is lots of love of language and linguistic puzzles thrown into the mix in this enjoyable mystery novel. All... READ MORE
Guilty Pleasure
Suzy Dent and I have been involved for over thirty years...well, she's oblivious to it but as part of the Countdown team she's been a regular afternoon pre... READ MORE
Challenging puzzle
This is the ideal mystery for someone who loves language used accurately, etymology, and literary references.
The story has as its pivot the disappearan... READ MORE
Journey of Mystery & Intrigue
Susies Dents debut novel takes the reader on a linguistic journey of mystery & Intrigue.
Set in Oxford, a group of lexicographers receive letters contain... READ MORE
Lexicographers receive letters containing clues to solving a 10 year mystery. What's not to love?
This story revolves around Martha Thornhill, senior editor for the Chambers English Dictionary, and her team. Anonymous letters are being sent to each of t... READ MORE
A mystery and so much more; loved it!
When is a cosy crime not a cosy crime .....
When it's Susie Dent's intriguing new book Guilty by Definition. This is a mystery with so much more, I loved ... READ MORE
Clever mystery
Guilty by Definition was a fun read, a clever mystery with lots of secrets, puzzles and lies to unravel. A decade old missing person case, brought back int... READ MORE
Clever, clever
Newly appointed as editor of the CED, Martha has returned to her hometown of Oxford after many years. However, her world is turned upside down as she, and... READ MORE
Loving the Language!
I loved Guilty By Definition by Susie Dent; it is clever with a well-observed characters and an engrossing mystery. The ending, as is so often the case, i... READ MORE
A tough read - suited for an English Language scholar or Susie Dent/Countdown fanbase
I am grateful to Susie Dent, Bonnier Books UK, and Netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy. Here follows my review of the book.
I am always a little curi... READ MORE
Enjoyed this
I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine
I really enjoyed this and would recommend
Thrilling read.
Excellent read, excellent characters, thoroughly great storyline, I loved following the Chorus and clues. An excellent read!
Disappointing
Thank the Lord, that that’s over! I was really disappointed by this book. It drags for the first 250 pages, with clunky word definitions every couple of pa... READ MORE
An intriguing mystery for lovers of words
Susie Dent is a national icon/gem when it comes to the World of Words and it is no wonder she has written an intriguing mystery novel that is focussed aro... READ MORE
Guilty by definition
What a great debut loved the mystery/crime elements it has secrets puzzles and more I don’t what to give to much spoilers loved the characters 4 stars tha... READ MORE
An Absolute Gem
This novel was a perfect storm for me I have always been a fan of Susie and I love a mystery, particularly a university town based mystery, and add a lexi... READ MORE
Beautiful words
As I start to write this review, I find myself a little nervous.
Trying to express my feelings on the book, in my own words, when the author has built he... READ MORE
A good debut
I didn't really know what to expect from this. I like Susie on Countdown and know she has extensively authored non-fiction books, but I wasn't sure how thi... READ MORE
A Word Lover's Dream
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 de... READ MORE
Fascinating, Original, and Well-Plotted
Ten years ago, Martha Thornhill’s sister Charlie disappeared, and Martha fled Oxford for Berlin. Now Martha has returned to Oxford where she is the senior ... READ MORE
Literary references, cryptic clues & gorgeous descriptions of Oxford
Martha Thornhill has returned to her family home in Oxford after working in Berlin for ten years. Martha and her family have never come to terms with the d... READ MORE
Enjoyable summer read
Martha works as an editor on the Clarendon English Dictionary, a job she loves, but her life is very much haunted by the unexplained disappearance of her s... READ MORE
Guilt is to be found in unexpected places
'Guilty by Definition' doesn’t just refer to the guilty party in this murder mystery: it encapsulates the guilt felt by so many of the characters. Charlie’... READ MORE
Keeps you guessing
I really did like this book. I never read murders but this seemed intriguing and I enjoyed the quotes I love words and puzzles.
It didn't disappoint I lik... READ MORE
Clever novel, full of linguistic puzzles
I'm a fan of Susie Dent, so when I heard she was publishing a murder mystery, I had to read her debut fiction novel.
Set in contemporary Oxford, Dent's wo... READ MORE
Fiendishly clever mystery
Guilty by Definition was simply a marvel. It is a fiendishly clever mystery, packed with twists and turns and delightfully interesting wordplay. Do not mis... READ MORE
Highly recommended
I had high hopes for Ms Dent’s first novel and she didn’t disappoint. Anyone who has read her non fiction work, loves words and mysteries should buy this,
excellent British crime fiction
Guilty By Definition is the first book in The Clarendon Lexicographers series by bestselling British author, media personality, etymologist and lexicograph... READ MORE
Wordy mystery!
I really enjoyed this book! Been a fan of Susue Dent and dictionary corner for years and this book didn't disappoint. Lots of new and very old words, int... READ MORE
interesting - three and a half stars
This was a little slow to start with and I found it hard to get into but as I became involved with the story and the characters it gathered pace and I enjo... READ MORE
A good winter read
Firstly, when reading the reviews of this book, I was intrigued as to who Zoe was as the book I read had Safi along with Martha, Alex and Simon. Did the n... READ MORE
A lexicographical puzzle
Any novel by Susie Dent is bound to involve dictionaries, words and etymological details, so “Guilty by definition” does not disappoint here. I was sceptic... READ MORE
An excellent (fiction) debut
Susie Dent does a great job on this mystery/thriller. Set in the offices of the Clarendon English Dictionary (a thinly disguised OED), where a team of edi... READ MORE
A fabulous read!
A truly excellent book, a mystery but with the added extras of wonderful language, mind-boggling puzzles and in-depth characterisation. This isn't a book ... READ MORE
Perfect for word nerds
Guilty by Definition by Susie Dent
This is one of the best books I have read recently. The story is set in Oxford in the offices of the fictional Claren... READ MORE
I found myself torn while writing this review...
Martha has returned from self-exile in Germany to work at The Clarendon English Dictionary... a place where her older sister had worked ten years previousl... READ MORE
Brilliant on so many levels!
Loved the story, loved the setting, loved all the different things I learnt about the world these characters inhabit and loved the wonderful new word snack... READ MORE
Countdown to an Oxford Classic
If you are interested in the History of Words or the backwaters of Oxford, this is sublime .... not only is it a fascinating Who Did It, a lesson in Lexico... READ MORE
Best Read for a long time
If you love words you’ll love this book and if you aren’t bothered about words you’ll love this book. Why did Charlie Thornhill disappear 10 years ago? W... READ MORE
If a trivia quiz was a novel? Not sure who this is written for, but I don't know them.
I am not the right reader for this book. It has absolutely no flow, seems to have been written by someone who can't concentrate and doesn't know who they a... READ MORE
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