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★出版當週即登上《週日泰晤士報》暢銷排行榜#7；一週內熱銷4,500冊紙本、電子、有聲書！

「這是一部讓我熱切閱讀的作品」——菲力普‧普曼，《黑暗元素三部曲》暢銷作家

當一封不具名的信件被送到克拉仁頓英文辭典(Clarendon English Dictionary)辦公處，很顯然的，這不是一封單純的字典學相關來信。相反的，這封信暗示了某一年被深藏的秘密與謊言。對新任資深編輯瑪莎‧松霍爾(Martha Thornhill)而言，這封信件上所指的日期，只代表著一件事——這是她優秀的姐姐查理‧松霍爾(Charlie Thornhill)失蹤的那年。

在外十年後海歸，瑪莎回到了家鄉。在這裡，古老的制度長久定義了她的家庭。在瑪莎離開後，她身後留下的鬼魂一直在這等著她回來嗎？

當更多的信件接踵而至，瑪莎的團隊將這些信件中錯綜複雜的線索一一解開。這些謎團變得更加堅決，卻也問題不斷。看上去查理隱藏著一個巨大的秘密，而某人想引導辭典編纂家來找到真相。但同一時間，有一股龐大的力量，極力想掩蓋這個秘密……。

 

蘇西‧丹特(Susie Dent)，英國辭典編纂家、詞源學家、作者，也是一位媒體名人。她活躍於英國第4頻道《倒數計時》節目(Countdown)已有30年之久。蘇西著有幾部關於文字與語言的非文學作品，這本書則是她的小說處女作。

 

‘The main characters are people I'd like to meet in real life; the Oxford types are convincing; the puzzle is well worked-out. And it kept me reading eagerly.’ - Philip Pullman

‘A Tantalising mystery for word sleuths and crime fans alike.’ - Janice Hallett

‘Guilty by Definition will delight anyone who appreciates fine crime writing as well as logophiles and lovers of Inspector Morse.’ - Mark Sanderson, The Times

‘This astonishingly clever literary mystery will be catnip to logophiles and cruciverbalists alike.’ - The Guardian

‘The twisty narrative zips along and I rooted for Martha from the start. It's beautifully written and full of rare or forgotten words, which felt pleasingly educational. Wonderful.’ - Daily Mail

‘Dent has struck a perfect balance between the language lessons of Bill Bryson and amateur sleuthing of Richard Osman.’ - Buzz Mag