Published February 26th, 2026 by Wildfire
Thriller, Legal Thriller, Supernatural Fiction
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
TWO TEENAGE GIRLS. ONE MURDERED CLASSMATE.
AND A MODERN-DAY WITCH TRIAL THAT WILL DIVIDE THE NATION . . .
‘Mind-bending and brilliant’ LISA JEWELL
‘Deliciously twisted. . . Genius’ CLAIRE DOUGLAS
‘An utter masterpiece’ SOPHIE HANNAH
‘Impeccable plotting’ FINANCIAL TIMES
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When 18-year-old Christian Shaw is found dead in an Edinburgh park, the city reels – and the shock only deepens when police charge her best friends, Eliza Lawson and Isobel Smyth, with her murder.
As their trial begins and headlines scream for justice, rumours of bullying spiral into something darker: whispers of rituals, obsession, and a teenage pact gone wrong.
But then the girls take the stand – revealing a chilling defence no one saw coming – and the jury must question everything: the motives, the evidence, even their own judgement.
Who’s telling the truth? Who can be trusted?
And what really happened to Christian Shaw?
Let the Witch Trial begin . . .
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MY REIVEW:
Schoolgirls Eliza Lawson and Isobel Smyth are accused of murdering their friend Christian Shaw. This book follows their trial. But it isn’t told through the eyes of the accused, their lawyers or even the victim’s loved ones. This story is primarily told by a juror, heart surgeon Matthew Phillips, who sees the trial as the perfect chance to escape from his troubled life. But he becomes increasingly obsessed with the case and begins to unravel, making us question if we can really believe what he’s telling us. Add in the connections to witchcraft and the historic witch trials, and you’ve got an addictive and heart-pounding thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.
From its dark and intriguing prologue to one of the best endings I’ve ever read, Witch Trial had me completely hooked. With her exquisite prose, clever plotting and stunning revelations, Harriet Tyce held me in her thrall. I love it when a book takes you in a different direction than you were expecting, and Harriet did that time and again with this story. I enjoyed the glimpse into what it is like to be a juror in a trial and some of my favourite parts of the book were the scenes between the jurors when they are alone together or trying to navigate the legalities of being a juror when they go against their personal instincts or needs. I also liked that we were never given any information that they didn’t know, putting us in Matthew’s shoes and making us question everything the way he did.
I love a thriller that keeps you guessing so I loved how although we know the identity of the accused killers they remain elusive and we only have the same evidence as the jurors to decide if they are guilty, raising the suspense and keeping me on tenterhooks. I also loved the supernatural element that is intricately woven into the story. Eliza and Isobel are accused of practicing witchcraft and there are references and parallels with the historic witch trials that took place in Edinburgh, the city the book is set in. These elements helped to create the dark atmosphere and sense of danger that permeated the story. It also made us question not only the sanity of the accused, but also of Matthew, as he’s drawn deeper into the occult as the case goes on. But the part that elevated this book from great to sensational was that surprise triple twist ending that Harriet pulls off with such finesse. It is truly one of my favourite endings of all time and changed how I perceived the entire story. Well played, Ms. Tyce.
An outstanding thriller that will have your heart racing and mind whirling, add this to your TBR now!
Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5
Thank you Wildfire for sending me a proof copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Harriet Tyce was born and grew up in Edinburgh. She graduated in English from Oxford University in 1994, and after gaining legal qualifications worked as a criminal barrister for nearly ten years. After leaving the law she started writing, gaining a distinction in an MA in Creative Writing (Crime Fiction) from the University of East Anglia in 2017.
Harriet has written four novels, Blood Orange, The Lies You Told, It Ends At Midnight and A Lesson in Cruelty. She lives in north London with her husband, children, and two dogs.
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Thanks for reaidng, Bibliophiles xxxx
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