Guilty by Definition by Susie Dent

GUILTY BY DEFINITION is the first novel offered by Susie Dent, a renowned British etymologist, and I originally requested a preview because of a recommendation from Ron Charles, the Washington Post book reviewer. Dent utilizes her expertise regarding words and their history to craft a tale full of clues which are puzzled over by a team of linguists who are working on dictionary definitions and are based in Oxford. It is from there that Charlie, the sister of one of them, went missing several years ago. To me, this is a story that starts slowly and gradually builds empathy with the main characters, Martha, Alex, Safi, and Simon. As the team investigates, readers learn some troubling background about Charlie, but the momentum grows and the quirky definitions add further highlights to a unique and, ultimately, engaging quest. Even commonplace activities are an educational opportunity in Dent’s capable hands: “Salary, salad, silt, sausage, salsa, sauce … the lexicon of salt whirred through her brain as she turned the stew down to a simmer.” Or, if you hate Sundays, consider “‘mubble-fubbles’ -- 17th century speak for a heavy, eve-of-something-unpleasant dose of the blues -- as proof that no sane person has ever liked them.” GUILTY BY DEFINITION received a starred review from Booklist and Library Journal recommends it for fans of The Dictionary of Lost Words and By Any Other Name. A Reading Group Guide and A Conversation with the Author are included.