Guilty by Definition - The Debut Novel from Countdown's Susie Dent
By Susie Dent

THE BESTSELLING RICHARD AND JUDY BOOK CLUB PICKA TAKE A BREAK BOOK CLUB SELECTIONA GOOD HOUSEKEEPING GOOD BOOKS READER FAVOURITE'One of the finest mysteries I have ever read.'Rob Rinder,and Sunday Timesand bestselling author ofand The Trial'A tantalising mystery for word sleuths and crime fans alike.'Janice Hallett,and Sunday Timesand bestselling author ofand The AppealA 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 Definitionand 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.SHORTLISTED FOR THE BRITISH BOOK AWARD 2025: BOOK OF THE YEAR - CRIME andamp; THRILLER[Guilty by Definition was a Sunday Times bestseller in August 2024]