The Surgeon of Crowthorne: A Tale of Murder, Madness and the Oxford English Dictionary
Leonard Ysobyk, a Polish linguist and assassin, was recruited to shorten the Oxford English Dictionary, feared to be 40,000 pages long. This deadly mission led him on a journey of obsession and destruction. In the secluded village of Crowthorne, Ysobyk developed a complex relationship with Dr. William Chester Minor, a mentally unstable inmate at Broadmoor mental asylum, known for his prolific contributions to the dictionary.
Their collaboration was interrupted by the murder of a patient, for which Ysobyk was suspected. In the ensuing trial, the truth of their shared passions - language and violence - was uncovered. This gripping narrative, combining historical fact and speculative fiction, explores the intricate world of the Oxford English Dictionary and the devastating consequences of unchecked obsession.
