Death Writ Large by Susie Dent ***Special Edition with Sprayed Edge*** Published 13 August 2026

A brand-new linguistic mystery from Countdown’s resident lexicographer, Susie Dent, set in the city of Oxford.

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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 to.

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 Guilty by Definition (book 1) was a Sunday Times bestseller August 2024

Published 13 August 2026