Susie Dent
Fiction 2025 | 360 pages
"Ipsedixitism refers to making a dogmatic assertion or statement without proof, relying solely on one's own authority.". This word seems very apt in our political climate these days.
This is one of probably 70 words I was introduced to reading Guilty by Definition. If you love words .... are a logophile ... you just may enjoy this page turner as much as I did. If you like some mystery sprinkled in with your love of words, request this book at your library right now because there was a long wait at my library .
Martha is a supervisor who works at the Clarendon English Dictionary in Oxford, researching the derivation and evolving meaning of words. The Clarendon's purpose is to create a concise yet complete dictionary for school, home, and business use, focusing on standard, common-use English.
Martha and her staff of Safi, Alex, and Simon, receive a cryptic letter one day, replete with seemingly vague references and numerous Shakespeare quotes. Then they each receive a postcard with a simple Shakespeare quote at their homes. It immediately becomes clear to them that the author of these communications, who calls himself/herself Chorus, is making reference and perhaps giving clues to the disappearance of Martha's older sister Charlie more than ten years ago. We follow them as they attempt to unravel the mystery, all the while playing with obscure words.
Dent, in her debut novel, serves up two mysteries — the fate of Charlie and the identity of Chorus. As Chorus sends more letters and postcards and throws more challenges, Dent invites us to play along and decipher the tricky word games. We eagerly follow Martha and her staff as their work takes them out of their offices and into their most intriguing sleuthing yet.
The one challenge I had is each chapter begins with a not-well-known word and its simplest definition. I couldn't help but go back to the beginning of each chapter after I finished reading it, to hypothesize why the author Susie Dent chose this word for this chapter.
I completely enjoyed this book; it took but a mere weekend to read. Yes, if you love words or mysteries, or simply the written word, I will venture you will enjoy it also.
January 2026