‘Absolutely superb—grips like a vice throughout and has a perfect, bold ending that no one will see coming. An utter masterpiece of the murder mystery and the legal thriller genre.’—Sophie Hannah, New York Times bestselling author of No One Would Do What the Lamberts Have Done and The Monogram Murders
‘A legal thriller unlike any you’ve ever read, this mind-melting page-turner is Tyce at her whip-smart best.’—Ellery Lloyd, author of The Club
Internationally bestselling author Harriet Tyce returns with a page-turning thriller involving three teenage girls, one murdered classmate, and a chilling modern-day witch trial that will leave readers breathless.
Let the Witch Trial begin . . .
When eighteen-year-old Christian Shaw is found dead in a park, the city of Edinburgh is stunned—and the shock only deepens when police charge her best friends, Eliza Lawson and Isobel Smyth, with the murder. As social media explodes in a tizzy of theories and headlines scream for justice, rumors of bullying are overshadowed by something more wicked and frightening: whispers of dark rituals, feverish obsession, and a teenage pact gone wrong.
When the trial begins, everyone in Edinburgh clamors for a front-row ticket to the show: to look upon the murderous Eliza and Isobel with their own eyes. Everyone, that is, but Matthew Phillips, a respected heart surgeon picked for the jury. But, as the trial unfolds—and the girls’ lawyers offer a surprising and unsettling defense—the reluctant Matthew finds himself questioning everything: the motives, the evidence, even his own judgement. Then he begins to have strange visions of terrifying things—hallucinations he tells himself. After all, witchcraft isn’t real . . . or is it?
Who is telling the truth? Who can be trusted?
And what really happened to Christian Shaw?
Genre: Mystery
‘A legal thriller unlike any you’ve ever read, this mind-melting page-turner is Tyce at her whip-smart best.’—Ellery Lloyd, author of The Club
Internationally bestselling author Harriet Tyce returns with a page-turning thriller involving three teenage girls, one murdered classmate, and a chilling modern-day witch trial that will leave readers breathless.
Let the Witch Trial begin . . .
When eighteen-year-old Christian Shaw is found dead in a park, the city of Edinburgh is stunned—and the shock only deepens when police charge her best friends, Eliza Lawson and Isobel Smyth, with the murder. As social media explodes in a tizzy of theories and headlines scream for justice, rumors of bullying are overshadowed by something more wicked and frightening: whispers of dark rituals, feverish obsession, and a teenage pact gone wrong.
When the trial begins, everyone in Edinburgh clamors for a front-row ticket to the show: to look upon the murderous Eliza and Isobel with their own eyes. Everyone, that is, but Matthew Phillips, a respected heart surgeon picked for the jury. But, as the trial unfolds—and the girls’ lawyers offer a surprising and unsettling defense—the reluctant Matthew finds himself questioning everything: the motives, the evidence, even his own judgement. Then he begins to have strange visions of terrifying things—hallucinations he tells himself. After all, witchcraft isn’t real . . . or is it?
Who is telling the truth? Who can be trusted?
And what really happened to Christian Shaw?
Genre: Mystery
Praise for this book
"Cancel all plans because this book is going to grab you by the throat and not let go till you turn the final page. It's a startlingly original courtroom drama story, and a psychologically astute depiction of a man in freefall. Deliciously chilling and like nothing I've ever read. I ate this up." - Chris Bridges
"Tyce creates a swirling miasma of meaning and counter-meaning that keeps the reader enthralled and tantalised by horrific possibilities, and in its audacious final act, revealing layer beneath confounding layer, Witch Trial pays fitting tribute to the James Hogg classic that inspired it." - Chris Brookmyre
"At first sight a legal thriller, Witch Trial is multi-layered and subtle, delving deeply into the intricacies of the relationships between teenage girls and perceptions of female cunning. We are plunged into a world where nothing is as it seems. Brilliant." - Heather Critchlow
"Harriet Tyce's best book yet. Gripping, original and so very clever. I was captivated by this deliciously twisted thriller. And what an ending! Genius. I loved it!" - Claire Douglas
"'An unputdownable, twisty legal trial from the queen of the courtroom drama. Spellbinding and sinister. A masterclass in plotting and pace." - Kate Gray
"Compulsive reading . . . I was totally immersed in the story. One of the best courtroom dramas I've read in a long time." - Araminta Hall
"Brilliantly clever and utterly addictive, I loved it. Courtroom drama at its finest." - Clare Leslie Hall
"Absolutely superb - grips like a vice throughout and has a perfect, bold ending that no one will see coming. An utter masterpiece of the murder mystery and the legal thriller genre." - Sophie Hannah
"Tense, creepy and very, very clever with a genuine jaw-drop of an ending." - Susi Holliday
"Clever, propulsive, with a wickedly satisfying twist. Excellent. My favourite Tyce book yet." - C E Hulse
"Audacious, mind-bending, and brilliant. I couldn't read it fast enough!" - Lisa Jewell
"Dark, twisty and unrelentingly brilliant. Tyce in top form." - Femi Kayode
"A legal thriller unlike any you've ever read, this witchy, mind-melting page-turner is Tyce at her whip-smart best." - Ellery Lloyd
"I loved this clever book...stunningly written and this may be one of the best endings I've read. Despite being a deliciously dark read, I found myself chuckling in places. Harriet's best book yet!" - Niki Mackay
"Harriet Tyce's masterful courtroom drama is intense, terrifying, and utterly addictive, with a devilish twist in its tail." - Gilly MacMillan
"Daring, different, clever and compulsive, a truly original novel. Delicious." - Andrea Mara
"Give me witchcraft, a mind spiralling into madness, and questionable narrators any day - just my cup of tea. A brilliant and twisting new novel from Harriet Tyce. I flew through it." - L V Matthews
"Harriet Tyce is a master storyteller unafraid to tackle difficult themes. Supremely plotted, elegantly written and with an ending that will shake you up! An absolute triumph of a book that takes the legal thriller to new heights and which will stay with you for a long time after you've finished it. Best thing I've read this year." - Abir Mukherjee
"Witch Trial is like the lovechild of Alfred Hitchcock and The Crucible. Dark, wry, and slippery underfoot, I adored it!" - Sarah Pinborough
"I read WITCH TRIAL then I read it again. Compelling, perfectly drawn characters, twisty, and never have I said 'Oh My God' out loud at the end of a book and meant it more." - Rachel Wolf
"Totally original and impossible to put down, Harriet Tyce has shown once again that she is the absolute master of the legal thriller with a twist . . . Brilliant!" - G D Wright
"Tyce creates a swirling miasma of meaning and counter-meaning that keeps the reader enthralled and tantalised by horrific possibilities, and in its audacious final act, revealing layer beneath confounding layer, Witch Trial pays fitting tribute to the James Hogg classic that inspired it." - Chris Brookmyre
"At first sight a legal thriller, Witch Trial is multi-layered and subtle, delving deeply into the intricacies of the relationships between teenage girls and perceptions of female cunning. We are plunged into a world where nothing is as it seems. Brilliant." - Heather Critchlow
"Harriet Tyce's best book yet. Gripping, original and so very clever. I was captivated by this deliciously twisted thriller. And what an ending! Genius. I loved it!" - Claire Douglas
"'An unputdownable, twisty legal trial from the queen of the courtroom drama. Spellbinding and sinister. A masterclass in plotting and pace." - Kate Gray
"Compulsive reading . . . I was totally immersed in the story. One of the best courtroom dramas I've read in a long time." - Araminta Hall
"Brilliantly clever and utterly addictive, I loved it. Courtroom drama at its finest." - Clare Leslie Hall
"Absolutely superb - grips like a vice throughout and has a perfect, bold ending that no one will see coming. An utter masterpiece of the murder mystery and the legal thriller genre." - Sophie Hannah
"Tense, creepy and very, very clever with a genuine jaw-drop of an ending." - Susi Holliday
"Clever, propulsive, with a wickedly satisfying twist. Excellent. My favourite Tyce book yet." - C E Hulse
"Audacious, mind-bending, and brilliant. I couldn't read it fast enough!" - Lisa Jewell
"Dark, twisty and unrelentingly brilliant. Tyce in top form." - Femi Kayode
"A legal thriller unlike any you've ever read, this witchy, mind-melting page-turner is Tyce at her whip-smart best." - Ellery Lloyd
"I loved this clever book...stunningly written and this may be one of the best endings I've read. Despite being a deliciously dark read, I found myself chuckling in places. Harriet's best book yet!" - Niki Mackay
"Harriet Tyce's masterful courtroom drama is intense, terrifying, and utterly addictive, with a devilish twist in its tail." - Gilly MacMillan
"Daring, different, clever and compulsive, a truly original novel. Delicious." - Andrea Mara
"Give me witchcraft, a mind spiralling into madness, and questionable narrators any day - just my cup of tea. A brilliant and twisting new novel from Harriet Tyce. I flew through it." - L V Matthews
"Harriet Tyce is a master storyteller unafraid to tackle difficult themes. Supremely plotted, elegantly written and with an ending that will shake you up! An absolute triumph of a book that takes the legal thriller to new heights and which will stay with you for a long time after you've finished it. Best thing I've read this year." - Abir Mukherjee
"Witch Trial is like the lovechild of Alfred Hitchcock and The Crucible. Dark, wry, and slippery underfoot, I adored it!" - Sarah Pinborough
"I read WITCH TRIAL then I read it again. Compelling, perfectly drawn characters, twisty, and never have I said 'Oh My God' out loud at the end of a book and meant it more." - Rachel Wolf
"Totally original and impossible to put down, Harriet Tyce has shown once again that she is the absolute master of the legal thriller with a twist . . . Brilliant!" - G D Wright
Visitors also looked at these books