Guilty by Definition

This is a debut novel by Susie Dent — the first time the long-time lexicographer and broadcaster has published fiction.

The story combines word-play and lexicography with a classic mystery, making it especially appealing to fans of language as well as crime fiction.

When an anonymous letter arrives at the offices of the fictional Clarendon English Dictionary, the staff realise this is no ordinary lexicographical enquiry. The letter — signed only “Chorus” — hints at secrets, lies, and references a particular year: the summer when Martha Thornhill’s older sister, Charlie, went missing. After a decade away, Martha has returned to Oxford and taken up a senior editor post, but the arrival of the letter forces her back to the trauma she tried to leave behind. 

As more cryptic letters and clues surface, Martha and her colleagues sift through riddles, linguistic puzzles, and hidden truths — uncovering a deeper conspiracy surrounding Charlie’s disappearance, secrets in the dictionary’s history, and long-buried betrayals. The result is a cerebral, language-infused mystery that unravels with both emotional and intellectual stakes.