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'One of the finest mysteries I have ever read.'Rob Rinder, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Trial'A tantalising mystery for word sleuths and crime fans alike.'Janice Hallett, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Appeal

A 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 Definition 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 & THRILLER[Guilty by Definition was a Sunday Times bestseller in August 2024

Format:Paperback / softback 400 pages

Publisher:Bonnier Books Ltd

Imprint:Zaffre

ISBN:9781804183977

Published:24 Apr 2025

Classifications:Lexicography, Crime & mystery