A brand-new linguistic mystery from Countdown's resident lexicographer, Susie Dent, set in the city of Oxford
A mysterious letter. A silenced scholar. A city paved with injustice.
When mysterious symbols appear as graffiti around Oxford, lexicographer Martha Thornhill recognises them from an alphabet created by a deceased 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 assumed by police to be a suicide.
Called upon to lend their linguistic expertise to the case, she 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.
PRAISE FOR GUILTY BY DEFINITION:
'Astonishingly clever' THE GUARDIAN
'Will delight anyone who appreciates fine crime writing' THE TIMES
'One of the finest mysteries I have ever read' ROB RINDER
'Huge fun and beautifully written' GYLES BRANDRETH
'A tantalising mystery' JANICE HALLETT
'Genuinely page-turning' LALINE PAULL