Guilty by Definition will expand your mind!
As a matter of principle, I don’t buy books by celebrity authors, but this one was kindly given to me and I like Susie Dent – a feeling enhanced when I read how the book came about and her humility over the whole thing.
Having said that, I found this a good read, mostly because I skimmed a lot of the esoteric erudition (I have had to check both those words to ensure I have them right!), ie the convoluted clues. Expected, mandatory, for the author of course but not light reading. The premise on which the story was based is a fascinating idea, and would indeed be quite a find – loved it.
The mystery was engaging and fun to unravel (once the clues had been quickly sorted by the experts), seeing if my early guess was a red herring or not, and if other suspects came good, or not. I was about 50% right.
Find Guilty by Definition here.
Of the characters, I found Safi and Alex more engaging than Martha, who came across as fragile and someone who needed to be looked after rather than the rallying protagonist of a murder mystery. The fact she was living at home without seeming to even think about doing otherwise, didn’t help. I more warmed to Charlie in fact.
The writing was okay, the descriptions of Oxford made me want to explore more of that city, and I loved being taken back to The Trout where I first went the hot summer of 76.
In summary, an entertaining read which will expand your mind and a worthy debut.
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