Book Review
Rating * * * *
Author: Susie Dent
Published: this fiction book was published in 2025; I listened to the unabridged audiobook (Tantor Media, Inc.; read by Louise Brealey; c.13 hours)
What is the story?
Guilty by Definition is a clever literary mystery that blends wordplay and crime solving. After ten years abroad, lexicographer Martha Thornhill returns to Oxford to work as a senior editor at the fictional Clarendon English Dictionary. Soon after she takes up her post, anonymous, cryptic letter start arriving at the office—each packed with linguistic clues and literary references that point back to the mysterious disappearance of her brilliant older sister, Charlie, a decade earlier.
What type of language does it use—technical, complex, standard, or colloquial? aha! Language is the crux of the whole thing! If you LOVE words, this novel will pull you in, hold you close, and keep you pondering well after the last chapter ends.
Did you like this book? yes, very much so
If you could change something, what would it be? bring me a sequel, dang it! I'm waiting for the next installment.
What were your favourite parts? the narration is terrific. Louise Brealey may be best known in the U.S. in her role as morgue "lab-rat" Molly Hooper in the BBC series Sherlock (starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman). Her facility with the complex dictionary language of this book, as well as with the place-names and other specifics, makes the listening smooth and engaging.
Who stands out, among the characters? I was drawn to Martha's youngest colleague, Safi. She is smart (of course), but in a both softer and more intense way than the others in the group. She is most comfortable with expressing emotions, more socially adept, and also clever in a distinct way.
What is your recommendation? it's not for everyone, given the language, and the fact that language makes up such a huge part of it. There were times when I wished I were reading the book myself, because I wanted to go back and look at a word or a paragraph. For lovers of language, though, this is top-notch and highly recommended.
5 adjectives you would use to describe this text: intricate, fun, twisty, erudite, thoughtful
[book review template 5 adapted from here; the title quotation is from the novel]
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