Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too!

I first read about this book when it was published in England and knew that I would want to read it. My favorite genre-mystery- plus an Oxford setting and a lot about words. (I loved The Bookbinder which was historical fiction set in Oxford with much about words). So, getting this book from NetGalley was a real treat. It did not disappoint.

Readers meet Martha who works for the Clarendon English Dictionary which feels like a fictional stand in for the OED. She and her colleagues including Simon, Alex and Safi get to deal with words as their profession. They are just four of the many characters in this story.

As the book opens, there is a staff meeting and all seems pretty much as usual until an odd letter arrives. It takes a bit but Martha comes to realize that this letter may be referencing the disappearance of her talented, bright and beautiful sister thirteen years ago. No one knows what became of Charlie? Who is “chorus,” the anonymous letter writer? What other messages will be received? What did happen to Charlie?

From this point in, I was so drawn in and spent as much time as I could reading the story. There were also some fun treats along the way with various vocabulary words. For example, I loved conjobble which was defined as eat, drink and talk!

Still, while the English vocabulary references were great fun, it was the story that kept me intrigued. Publishers Weekly described this book as a “treat.” I definitely agree.

I am delighted to know that this is the first in a series. I can’t wait for more.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 30 September 2025

384 pages

Mystery & Suspense

Editorial Reviews

Review

“There are pleasures here for anyone who revels in the joy of text.” ― Kirkus Reviews

“Etymologist Dent makes an impressive fiction debut with a clever whodunit that pivots on her linguistic expertise…a tantalizing puzzle for Anglophiles and Golden Age mystery lovers alike.” ―Publishers Weekly

“Linguist Dent proves she is a talented wordsmith in her own right, diverting readers with historical and lexicological tidbits throughout the story…Martha and her team are whip-smart and fun, providing a light juxtaposition to the suspense elements, while the lush and vibrant descriptions of Oxford create a lovely sense of place; readers will be both informed and entertained.” ― Library Journal

“If you’re like me and love both language and crime, then Guilty by Definition has it all. Susie Dent’s impressive debut novel is virtuosic. So meticulously and fascinatingly steeped in the archaic glory of words, it will surely be the ultimate treat for every logophile out there. But this is so much more than a celebration of the dictionary – it’s a tantalizing mystery of a missing sister, a cold case that will not lie down, and a family frozen in their unresolved grief… all while their circle of friends and colleagues nurse secrets and lies beyond explication. Guilty by Definition is positively aglitter with etymological and detecting treasures for word-sleuths and crime-fans alike.” ― Janice Hallett, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Appeal

Next in the series:

Publisher’s Synopsis-From the British publisher

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

**AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER NOW**

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.

Try this literary geography quiz about places around England that influenced some of the country’s most famous authors.
— Read on www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/07/21/books/review/english-author-places.html

by Kemper Donovan

#LooseLips #NetGalley

Here is a fun and entertaining mystery that is just perfect for a winter night’s read. The ghostwriter narrator of the first book in the series is back. This time she is going on a cruise (despite not really liking the sea) for a group of would be writers. This is a clue to the double entendre of the Get Lit moniker that is the name of the event.

The cruise is organized by a writer, phenomenon and self-promoter known to our ghostwriter from their MFA days. On this mostly all women cruise, Payton has brought along her wife but also her ex husband and her male assistant. The staffers on the cruise, the guests and the writers are all brought to fun (and somewhat snarky) life.

Not so many of the attendees have signed up for our ghostwriter’s mystery writing class. But no matter, there will be plenty of real life mystery and murder on board.

Come along for a fun trip and feel like an insider in this quite entertaining read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 21 January 2025

From the Publisher

Knives Out meets high seas intrigue on a literary cruise to nowhere in this intelligent, wildly funny locked room mystery for fans of Richard Osman, Anthony Horowitz, Nita Prose, and Agatha Christie!

The USA Today bestselling host of the “All About Agatha” podcast injects the spark and fizz of a Golden Age murder mystery into the present-day, as the ghostwriter’s skills are put to the test aboard a bestselling author’s decidedly insalubrious cruise.

The first book in the series:

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#AFortyYearKiss #NetGalley

I am a bit late to reading this novel which was published in time for Valentine’s Day. Still, there is always a good time for a good story and, after all, this is a story about time having passed.

Have you been in a relationship that ended when you were young? Have you ever wondered what could have been? Would you have wanted to see if it was possible to find new love with a former love? If yes, this beautifully written novel, is for you.

Spend time in Wisconsin with Chris and Vivian. Watch as they meet up again. Find out how their lives went? What will happen to them?

This is a gorgeous story of love after time has passed. It was such a delight to read this story with its mature characters.

Note that there are extras in the book including a reading group guide and a conversation with the author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this title. All thoughts are my own.

Pub date: 04 February 2025

From Library Journal:

The novel is beautiful and full of complex characters. It is a love story, not only between Charlie and Vivian but also between the novel and the Midwest, as the characters journey between Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls, and Spooner, WI, along with Minneapolis and Chicago. Fans of Butler and of romance will be delighted with this novel.

From the Publisher

I have read and reread Jane Austen’s novels with great enjoyment. I have never gone on to read Regency romances, however, until now. I knew that Georgette Heyer was the doyenne of the genre so I wanted to give one of her books a try. I was not disappointed.

Simply put, this is a fun, relaxing, enjoyable, escapist read. Sophy is funny, exuberant, daring and a bit unconventional. She is a delightful heroine. One thing that is clear is that she touches and changes the lives of many with whom she comes in contact.

The story begins with Sophie’s father wanting to put his daughter in the care of his sister. This sister has a wayward husband, perhaps too many children and an eldest son who has become the head of the family. He is somewhat humorless and engaged to a very conventional young woman as the novel opens. Cecilia is another of the children. She is set to marry a rather unappealing gentleman who has come down ill. Will this give her the chance to marry the poet with whom she has fallen in love? These are only two of the plot strands in this fairly long book.

When Sophie arrives, along with a horse, a monkey and more, the household is put in in a bit of an uproar. From this beginning, readers spend time with Sophy and those around her. They will smile at Sophy’s way of doing things, her adventures and her time on the marriage market. They will also watch how life works out for those whose lives she touches.

This book is highly recommended for when an escape is needed. I see why the author is so popular. One caution though-the author’s views in some instances are, of course, not modern given when the book was written. If it were written today, it might well be different.

Also note that if this book is one that you want to read, others by the author are also being reissued.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this title All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 23 May 2023

Jo Callaghan’s first novel was easily one of my favorite crime stories of 2024. All of the elements that made me love that book are back in Leave No Trace, the second in this series. These include characters with depth (and backstory), a plot that keeps the pages turning, and the use of a unique sidekick to detective Kat Frank.

AIDE is an AI created detective. Through a hologram, he looks very real. His thoughts, although at times concrete because of a lack of understanding of nuance, are often key to the case. It has been enjoyable to watch the “relationship” between Kat and AIDE evolve. That is just one of the joys of the series.

This time, Kat has asked for a “live” as compared to historical case. The one that she is given is rather grim. A man has been found at the top of a local landmark and he has been gruesomely murdered. The case will lead to fear and warnings to young men.

Readers know that the case will be solved. The enjoyment is in watching how the team accomplishes this.

Kudos to the author. I am already eager for book three.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.

Five 🌟 stars

#TheOtherMarchSisters #NetGalley

This book has been in my TBR pile for a little while. When I recently began reading Little Women to the woman with whom I volunteer (due to her sight issues), I started thinking more about the March sisters. So, I knew that it was time to pick this one up.

Everyone seems to have their favorite among the Little Women-who do you think that the OTHER March sisters are? If you guessed, Meg, Beth and Amy, you would be right. Jo seems to have been both Alcott’s and many readers favorite.

Here three authors work together to more deeply imagine the stories of those other young sisters. I was most drawn to the sections of Meg as I remembered thinking about her quite a bit as she married and struggled with her role as a wife (remember when she cooks a disastrous dinner in the original?) when I reread the novel.

Note that there are some elements of LGBQT in the story as the authors imagine their characters.

Could this book replace Little Women? Certainly not. It was not written as well in my opinion. I think that it might appeal more to the “new adult” readers.

Still, anyone who wants to think more about the March sisters and their worlds, may want to give this one a look.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 25 February 2025

Women’s fiction

302 pages

Note: Today the e book version is just $3.99

From the Publisher

Julia Spencer-Fleming pens one of the best mystery series around. I recommend her books most highly and I have read them all, starting with In the Bleak Midwinter. The setting is upstate New York and the region is brought to life in a way that makes a reader feel that they are there. The protagonists, Clare and Russell are adults with histories; both were in the military. Clare is now an Episcopal priest while Russ is the head of the Millers Kill Police Department. Over the course of the series, readers get to know these real, flawed and genuine adults well.

It is best to read this series in order. Long term readers will be ecstatic to spend time with Russ, Clare and those in their world after a long hiatus between the last book and this one. In this entry the main story is complex as it involves three murders; one took place in the 50s, one in the 70s. No spoilers so I can’t say more.

If you know Clare and Russ, I hope that you will be as delighted as I was by their return. If you are new to the series, you are lucky as you have nine books to look forward to. Mystery readers, please check this series out. Ms. Spencer-Fleming, you have not lost your touch!
Many, many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this read in exchange for an honest review.

I am not a person who generally wins giveaways but, for once, I really lucked out. I was given a copy of this title through Goodreads and what a good read it was.

I read the first collaboration of these authors when they told the story of Belle Greene and the Morgan Library. That was a good read but I think that this new book is even better.

In these pages, readers spend time with Eleanor Roosevelt and Mary McLeod Bethune. Each has a life story with unique experiences. Both had struggles for acceptance, although in different ways. Each wanted to make a difference in the world; readers will, I think, agree,that they succeeded in that regard.

Although this book is written by two authors, it flows seamlessly. I enjoyed the way that many chapters were set up so that first there was one about either woman, followed by the same day’s experience for the other.

Big issues are explored here along with telling a work of historical fiction. This is a book both of its time and ours. I recommend it highly.

My exposure to Heaney had been through classes. For one, we read Heaney’s gorgeous translation of Beowulf. Hearing the poet read part of this epic (I think from YouTube) was an experience. Heaney here helped me to appreciate Beowulf in ways that I hadn’t the first time that I read it when I was much younger.

Then, in a poetry class, we read Digging. This short poem yielded more and more each time that I read it. This led to my curiosity about the poet and his poems.

So…I was keen to read more by this talented man who wrote for many decades about matters both very small and very large. This collection is a tribute to this towering talent.

While I have not yet read all of the poems that are included in this volume, I am constantly inspired to dip in. Anyone who wants to experience the work of this wide ranging and brilliant poet will find so much to enjoy and admire here.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus & Giroux for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 18 November 2025

1312 pages

Poetry