Guilty by Definition
The instant Sunday Times bestselling linguistic mystery to gift this Father's Day from Britain's wordsmith, Susie Dent
Published on 15. August 2024
Book
Hardback
400 pages
978-1-80418-394-6 (ISBN)
Description
THE BESTSELLING RICHARD AND JUDY BOOK CLUB PICK
A TAKE A BREAK BOOK CLUB SELECTION
A GOODHOUSEKEEPING GOOD BOOKS READER FAVOURITE
*DON'T MISS SUSIE'S NEXT LINGUISTIC MYSTERY, DEATH WRIT LARGE - AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER NOW!*
'ONE OF THE FINEST MYSTERIES I HAVE EVER READ'
Rob Rinder, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Trial
'A TANTALISING MYSTERY FOR WORD SLEUTHS AND CRIME FANS ALIKE'
Janice Hallett, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Appeal
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.
Guilty by Definition was a Sunday Times bestseller August 2024
A TAKE A BREAK BOOK CLUB SELECTION
A GOODHOUSEKEEPING GOOD BOOKS READER FAVOURITE
*DON'T MISS SUSIE'S NEXT LINGUISTIC MYSTERY, DEATH WRIT LARGE - AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER NOW!*
'ONE OF THE FINEST MYSTERIES I HAVE EVER READ'
Rob Rinder, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Trial
'A TANTALISING MYSTERY FOR WORD SLEUTHS AND CRIME FANS ALIKE'
Janice Hallett, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Appeal
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.
Guilty by Definition was a Sunday Times bestseller August 2024
Reviews / Votes
Guilty by Definition will delight anyone who appreciates fine crime writing as well as logophiles and lovers of Inspector Morse -- Mark Sanderson * The Times * This astonishingly clever literary mystery will be catnip to logophiles and cruciverbalists alike * The Guardian * 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 and amateur sleuthing of Richard Osman * Buzz Mag * Guilty by Definition was simply a marvel. It is a fiendishly clever mystery, packed with twists and turns and delightfully interesting wordplay. Do not miss this brilliant book * Nerd Daily *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bonnier Books Ltd
Dimensions
Height: 236 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 41 mm
Weight
614 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-80418-394-6 (9781804183946)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Susie Dent is a writer and broadcaster on language. She recently celebrated thirty years as a co-presenter and 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 news, and is the author of several non-fiction books on words and language. Her debut novel, Guilty by Definition, was an instant Sunday Times bestseller and was shortlisted for Book of the Year - Crime/Thriller at the British Book Awards 2025.