Susie Dent: Guilty By Definition

Agatha Christie meets Countdown in the debut mystery novel from the genius of Dictionary Corner, Susie Dent 

When an anonymous letter is delivered to the Clarendon English Dictionary, it is rapidly clear that this is not the usual lexicographical enquiry. Instead, the letter hints at secrets and lies linked to a particular year. 

For Martha Thornhill, the new senior editor, the date can mean only one thing: the summer her brilliant older sister Charlie went missing. After a decade abroad, Martha has returned home to the city whose ancient institutions have long defined her family. Have the ghosts she left behind her been waiting for her return? 

When more letters arrive, and Martha and her team pull apart the complex clues within them, the mystery becomes ever more insistent and troubling. It seems Charlie had been keeping a powerful secret, and someone is trying to lead the lexicographers towards the truth. But other forces are no less desperate to keep it well and truly buried. 

‘The twisty narrative zips along and I rooted for Martha from the start. It’s beautifully written and full of rare or forgotten words, which felt pleasingly educational. Wonderful.‘ – Daily Mail 

‘Dent has struck a perfect balance between the language lessons of Bill Bryson 

Susie Dent is a writer and broadcaster on language. She recently celebrated thirty years as a co-presenter and the resident word expert on Channel 4’s Countdown, and also appears on the show ‘s comedy sister 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. Susie comments regularly on TV and radio on words in the new s, and is the author of several non-fiction books on words and language. Guilty by Definition is her first novel.