Published 26th February 2026 by Wildfire.
From the cover of the book:
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 . . .
***********
When eighteen-year-old Christian Shaw's body is found in an Edinburgh park, ominously surrounded by crows and with a rictus grimace of terror on her face, a media frenzy ensues - made worse when her school friends Eliza Lawson and Isobel Smyth are charged with her murder.
The trial is now about to begin, and the country holds its breath for gory details of how and why Eliza and Isobel allegedly scared Christian to death through occult means, knowing she suffered from a dangerous heart condition.
As the prosecution begins its case, it becomes clear that the defence Eliza and Isobel will employ not only sets them at odds with each other, but relies on 'facts' which must surely be pure delusion. Who is telling the truth? The jury must decide...
The story unfurls from the point of view of heart surgeon Matthew Phillips, who has been called to serve on the jury for the sensational case (with additional snippets from the witnesses as they are called to testify). Through his eyes, the tense high court drama plays out, immersing you in his thoughts on the the accused, the defence and prosecution cases, the testimony of the witnesses, his fellow jurors, and some of the people who have come to view the proceedings. In parallel, Tyce treats you to an intriguing fly-on-the-wall view of Matthew's troubled personal life, and the fracturing of his mental health as he begins to question reality and his role in the case.
Tyce beautifully portrays the ever-changing landscape in the courtroom, keeping you on a knife-edge as prosecution and defence play their hands, and the jurors navigate the difficult process of coming to a majority verdict. The suspense is pitched to perfection, with cracking reveals timed to shift your perspective on what really happened, especially when it comes to the deliciously nostalgic dark vein of horror that runs through the whole story. And then, when you are good and disoriented, Tyce pulls a blinder in the final swathes of the novel (and pokes a little fun at herself too).
Along the way, Tyce elegantly explores a wealth of themes to tweak your emotions and provoke your thoughts... perception, unorthodox beliefs, views on witchcraft (powerful echoes of witch trials through the ages), attitudes towards those who are a little different, mental health, and even the legal system itself. And there is a lot to reflect on when it comes to bullying, cruelty, jealousy, guilt, parent-child relationships, stress, and the complexities of female friendships.
I consumed it whole, unable to look away for a second. Absolute genius!
Witch Trial is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats.
Thank you to Wildfire for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
About the author:
Harriet Tyce grew up in Edinburgh and studied English at Oxford University before doing a law conversion course at City University. She practiced as a criminal barrister in London for nearly a decade, and subsequently completed an MA in Creative Writing/Crime Fiction at the University of East Anglia. She lives in north London.
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