This book screams Susie Dent and I just loved that!
It is a missing woman mystery and I didn't actually know this going into the book. Our main character is Martha, who I wouldn't say is a standout but there are a lot of characters in this story. I would say this is definitely more character driven than plot driven, so more similar to books such as The Thursday Murder Club, where you have that focus on the characters and their connections. I also love workplace mysteries and how much you trust your colleagues, I really liked this academia setting of Oxford.
I think I lost a little interest in the middle of the book, it didn't keep my attention unfortunately as it just felt too long until the action kicked in for the ending. I'll hide this as a spoiler but it is very mild

there is a lot of Shakespeare in this book, and I have very little knowledge myself so I didn't get as much enjoyment from this storyline as others would.

I was surprised by some of the twists and reveals, it definitely went in a direction I wasn't anticipating. I would love to see if Susie Dent decides to publish more fiction in the future as I loved the focus on language and all the random words I learned.
3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Bonnier Books UK and Susie Dent for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy.