Death Writ Large - Susie Dent

DEATH WRIT LARGE

SUSIE DENT

****

You can read my review of the first book in this series - Guilty by Definition HERE

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

When mysterious symbols appear as graffiti around Oxford, lexicographer Martha Thornhill recognises them from a runic alphabet created by a deceased fantasy 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 ruled by police as suicide. Called upon to lend their linguistic expertise to the case, Martha 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 too.

MY REVIEW

****

I really enjoyed Susie Dent’s previous thriller – Guilty by Definition, so I was excited to start reading the sequel – Death Writ Large.

When mysterious symbols start appearing around Oxford and a man is found dead after jumping from a church tower, the police turn to the ladies who work at the Clarendon English Dictionary for their unique range of expertise.

Like the first book, each chapter introduces an unusual word and gives its definition which is a really nice touch. The case itself is very twisty, with a lot of clues and red herrings that also spurs on some development of characters which were less involved in the first book. The stakes ramp up as the plot moves on, leaving our characters in real peril. Although I don’t know enough about the subject matter to have guessed any answers to the puzzles, it was still fun to see the characters work them out.

I really enjoyed Guilty by Definition, but it was published 2 years ago now and some of my recollections of the intricacies of the plot have escaped me somewhat. Usually, an author gives reminders to its readers on the important information that you need to know, which also helps new readers to jump in if, like this book, it’s mostly a standalone plot. Susie Dent does not help her readers out with this, and although the events of the previous book are not that important to the plot of this one, there are enough little vague hints and references to events it became a little frustrating without a refresh of the context.

Although I love the fact we have three strong and intelligent women at the heart of the story, I did find Martha, Alex and Safi to be quite similar in the way they were written. I enjoyed the asides – where Martha would muse on a word’s etymology and history, however sometimes that would take me out of the flow of the plot.

Overall, Death Writ Large is a strong sequel to Guilty by Definition - I would just recommend reminding yourself of the first book before you dive in. Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Books – Zaffre for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

LINKS TO BUY

Amazon UK

Waterstones