Book Club Meets: Murder mysteries and naming emotions, with Susie Dent

Happy Place with Fearne Cotton

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Thursday, 1 October 2026 - 40 minutes

When mysterious symbols appear as graffiti around Oxford, lexicographer Martha Thornhill recognises them from an alphabet created by a deceased 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...Countdown’s Susie Dent has written Death Writ Large, a murder mystery that cleverly weaves her linguistic skills around a killer plot. In this chat, live from the Happy Place Festival, Susie teaches Fearne a few new words (confelicity, anyone?) and explains where phrases like Flaming Nora come from. Plus, why is it actually really good for you to swear, and how can naming emotions help you manage them?In October, we’ll be reading Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel by Lucy Foley and Agatha Christie.Thank you to Zaffre for the use of the Death Writ Large audiobook, narrated by Louise Brealey.If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like:Book Club Meets: Chloe AshbyBook Club Meets: Candice Carty-WilliamsBook Club Meets: Caro Claire Burke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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