Review by jodar - Guilty by Definition

jodar 's review for:

Guilty by Definition by Susie Dent

3.25

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

I enjoyed the nerdy lexicographical elements of this murder mystery, particularly the obscure words at the head of each chapter, and also the university-town atmosphere evoked by descriptions of localities and by the characters’ outlooks and interests. The central characters, including the MC, are well-drawn and developed.

On the other hand, the solution is both too obvious and for me the path to it not psychologically convincing within the relationship between the MC and her father. The epilogue came across as heavy-handed in deploring the suppression of women’s voices – true possibly in that historical milieu, but why the tiresome need to belittle William Shakespeare?

Minor but odd in the context of the novel: a basic grammatical error occurring twice – the indefinite relative pronoun wrongly takes the case from the antecedent clause (emphasis added):

There must be some sort of clue, instructions for whomever was supposed to be looking after the place… (Chapter 39)

and

Martha felt grateful to whomever had taken the time… (Chapter 41).

Both sentences should have whoever, being the case required by the relative clause.

In the end it is a fun, cerebral, albeit popular novel. I’d happy read the next one in the series once published.

Content Warnings