Guilty by Definition: The instant Sunday Times bestselling debut novel from Countdown's Susie Dent | 
pickA middling pick for the #ChristmasCrimeChallenge.
Set in the (fictional) Clarendon English Dictionary. Cryptic letters start arriving addressed to the editors, which seem to hint at what happened to Martha‘s sister, who went missing 10 years previously. Who? Why? Why now? And what does the sender know?
I listened on audio which, although done well, wasnt ideal for the clues and wordiness -& there is a LOT of wordiness as you‘d expect from Dent.
“A smart, gripping debut mystery set in the shadowy halls of Oxford and the Clarendon English Dictionary.
This one‘s got:
✅ Academic vibes
✅ Twisty, slow-burn mystery
✅ Secret societies & family secrets
✅ A big dose of word-nerd goodness”
FULL SPOTLIGHT: https://tinyurl.com/5n73j9cn
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pickOk, I confess I bought this because I sometimes watch 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown 🫣 It was a pretty slow to start, and the whole thing was a bit contrived, but I enjoyed the word games, the etymologies and the insiders look at the work of lexicographers as well as the Oxford setting. A fun read.
pickDictionary editor Martha returns to Oxford an after the disappearance of her sister. Cryptic letters start arriving alluding to the mystery. Martha and her colleagues set to figuring out the puzzle, through a maze of words and Shakespearean clues. At times this lost me; I didn‘t have the headspace for the lexicography. The pace soon speeds up however, and the writing has a gentle cleverness that suits the Oxford setting
pickTook this Friday off before the holiday on Monday to give myself an extra long weekend. Spending it outside enjoying this beautifully breezy day.
A very long journey today from the Lakes due to Storm Bertie, thank goodness for the kindle!
Turns out I‘m a philobiblist!! Who knew? You probably are too 😊 Enjoying Guilty by Definition by Susie Dent and learning lots of new words as well!!
And the author‘s love of Oxford shines through. In the included interview included, she mentions that she wanted to write about the Oxford beyond the dreaming spires - this is the town I know, and, now she mentions it, have probably have never read in fiction. And now I want Ben‘s Cookies from the covered market.
Overall, a fun read for the clues, the words and the setting. 2w