She knew there’d be ghosts in Oxford, she just didn’t think they’d make their way to the dictionary.

Book blurb

Oxford, England. After a decade abroad, Martha Thornhill has returned home to the city whose ancient institutions have long defined her family. But the ghosts she had thought to be at rest seem to have been waiting for her to return. When an anonymous letter is delivered to the Clarendon English Dictionary, where Martha is a newly hired senior editor, it’s rapidly clear that this is not the usual lexicographical enquiry. Instead, the coded letter hints at secrets and lies linked to a particular year.

The date can mean only one, the summer Martha’s brilliant older sister Charlie went missing.

When more letters arrive, Martha and her team pull apart the complex clues within them, and soon, the mystery becomes ever more insistent and troubling. Because it seems Charlie had been keeping a powerful secret, and someone may be trying to lead the lexicographers towards the truth that will unravel the mystery of her disappearance. But other forces are no less desperate to keep their secrets well and truly buried, and Martha and her team must crack the codes before it’s too late.

My thoughts

I settled into this story and became absorbed in the world of words the author obviously loves each chapter is headed with an obscure word with its definition, it is set in Oxford with the main characters working for a dictionary, those characters receive letters and postcards that are word puzzles, clues to a mystery and I found it fascinating.

Martha returns to Oxford after years of living in Germany to take up a post with the CED (ClarendonEnglish Dictionary). As senior editor Martha works with and oversees a small team of editors – Alex, Simon and Safi – who ensure the meaning, root and history of a word is correct and up to date. She is not long in post when the team receives a curious letter signed ‘Chorus’. It appears to be a clue related to Martha’s sister, Charlotte – Charlie to family and friends, who disappeared over a decade ago. What does it mean?

The team receive more from Chorus at CED and individually. Cracking the codes contained within each communication opens up the possibility of an important new text, a commonplace book, and at last discovering what happened to Charlie. It’s a treasure hunt, a crossword puzzle and a dangerous game. It’s something the team are compelled to solve and it held my attention throughout. The clues to solve the mystery of what Charlie found and her disappearance are tantalising but will Martha and the team be able to decipher them? Everyone seems to have hidden facts, secrets or ghosts that are going to be revealed! What will it cost them?

I liked Martha, Alex and the exuberant Safi. Simon is bright, has a bit of a chip on his shoulder yet is cared for by Alex and Safi but for me was less engaging. Even so, I really enjoyed getting to know all of them. It was fascinating to see how they worked out and all had a part in solving the clues.

The team had not blithely taken on the task, they knew their limits, respected them and had alerted the police to the letters, what they knew and where the clues led them. Martha and the investigating officer Oliver Caldwell had a good understanding. Martha and the team did not overstep any legal boundaries they worked together with Caldwell and his team. Caldwell works more in the background but both teams come together to bring closure.

There are a host of other characters Gabriel, Martha’s father; Jonathan, at CED, and his wife Olivia; Brin, bookshop owner, who Charlie had occasionally worked for whilst a student; Tom, Charlie’s ex-boyfriend and his wife; Nancy, Simon’s wife; Gemma, Martha’s godmother. All had a part to play. Not all were who they seemed to be.

There are themes in the book around how women are perceived and treated they are often subtle, in context and well written so that it comes across clearly. It also demonstrates how obsession and greed can lead people to heinous acts.

I liked the setting in Oxford which, even though I haven’t visited for many years, was a draw for me. I’ve enjoyed a number of books and tv programmes set there so it was easy to picture and felt comfortable.

This is an engaging book that I have enjoyed reading. Would I read more by Susie Dent? Well, I’m very tempted to read the next book to see if it is a series that will continue to grow on me. So that’s definitely a yes? Well, definitely maybe!

Book: Purchased

The Virtual Crime Book Club

The Virtual Crime Book Club is hosted by Rebecca Bradley, author of the D I Hannah Robbins and D I Claudia Nunn series as well as standalone novels.

Rebecca is a great host and often gets the authors to come along and chat with us. You can find out more on Rebecca’s website.

Warning!

You can watch the meetings on YouTube. Be aware they may contain spoilers so, if you’re planning to read the book, it may be better not to watch them until you’ve done so.

A Virtual Crime Book Club

Information

Published: Bonnier Books Ltd / Zaffre| 24 April 2025 | 400pp | ISBN: 9781804183977

Buy: Amazon | Hive | Bookshop.org (affiliate link) | Your local library | Your local bookshop

Author

Susie Dent was born in 1964 and is currently 61 years old. Susie Dent was born in Woking, Surrey, England.

Susie Dent is an English etymologist, lexicographer, and media personality. She’s appeared in “Dictionary Corner” on Countdown (the Channel 4 game show) since 1992. Susie also appears on the post-watershed comedy version of the show, called 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown.

She attended Somerville College, Oxford, to read for her BA in modern languages and then on to Princeton University to read for her master’s in German. Upon graduating, she spent one year in New York teaching German until her visa expired and she had to return to the UK.

Susie started working on Countdown at the insistence of her boss at Oxford University Press. She’d recently switched roles to work on compiling English dictionaries, having worked previously on bilingual dictionaries. At first she declined the offer to work on Countdown, however her boss explained that her appearance on the show formed a part of her OUP contract and she agreed to take the role. She’s made over 5,000 appearances on the show, making her the longest-serving member of the show’s current on-screen team.

Dent’s book, Guilty By Definition was nominated for the British Book Awards, Crime and Thriller Book of the Year, in 2025 and was also a Richard & Judy Book Club 2025 Spring Pick.

Susie Dent on Instagram | on X (formerly Twitter)

Books

Guilty By Definition | Death Writ Large

Coming in 2026:

DEATH WRIT LARGE

When mysterious symbols appear as graffiti around Oxford, lexicographer Martha Thornhill recognises them from a runic alphabet created by a deceased fantasy writer whose papers she once worked on. But this is no publicity stunt, and tensions intensify when further graffiti is found near the body of a university lecturer. Martha is not the only one to have doubts when the suspicious death is ruled by police as suicide. Called upon to lend their linguistic expertise to the case, Martha and her colleagues begin to unearth a tragedy that extends beyond the ancient walls of the university. As new messages portend more death, it’s clear that a spirit of vengeance is stalking the city’s streets, and may be reaching out towards them too.

Susie Dent Amazon author page | Hive author page