A woman walks into a bookshop....

We are delighted to think The Madhatter Bookshop might be the inspiration behind The Cheshire Cat Bookshop in Burford named in Susie Dent's novel "Guilty By Definition".

A coded letter. A missing woman. A truth waiting to be found. When an anonymous letter is delivered to the Clarendon English Dictionary office, it becomes rapidly clear that this is not the usual word-related enquiry. Instead, the letter hints at sinister events linked to a particular year.

For editor Martha Thornhill, the date can mean only one thing: the summer her brilliant older sister Charlie went missing. Ten years on, Martha and her family are no closer to unravelling the mystery of Charlie's disappearance - until now.

As more letters arrive, Martha and her team follow the linguistic clues to a troubling truth. It seems Charlie was keeping a powerful secret, and that someone is desperate to keep it well and truly buried.

Guilty by Definition is a love letter not only to language but to the city of Oxford, wrapped within an intriguing mystery of a missing woman and considering the emotional aftershocks of her disappearance on those left behind.

We are delighted to have new stock of Guilty by Definition in paperback and to announce that Susie has agreed to be one of our guest authors at Burford Literary Festival in September, maybe we will ask her about her visits to Burford!

It's the perfect weekend for drinking iced tea in the garden and reading - so pick up your copy today! Dont forget to save the date....Burford Literary Festival 2025 - 26-28 September.