Witch Trial: Signed Edition
Hardback Published on: 26/02/2026
Price: £18.99
Synopsis
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 social media explodes and headlines scream for justice, rumours of bullying spiral into something darker: whispers of rituals, obsession, and a teenage pact gone wrong.
Matthew Phillips, a respected heart surgeon, is reluctantly called for jury duty. But as the trial unfolds - and the girls reveal a chilling defence no one saw coming - he begins to question everything: the motives, the evidence, even his own judgement.
Who's telling the truth? Who can be trusted?
And what really happened to Christian Shaw?
Publisher information
- Publisher: Headline Publishing Group
- ISBN: 9781035446025
- Number of pages: 400
- Dimensions: 236 x 158 x 38 mm
- Weight: 620g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
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A Trial Like No Other
Review of ‘Witch Trial’ by Harriet Tyce, due to be published on 26 February 2026 by Headline, Wildfire.
Matthew, a heart surgeon, is called to be on the... READ MORE
surprised yet grateful
I went into Witch Trials completely blind. From the title alone, I expected witches and perhaps a historical Salem-style narrative, so I was pleasantly sur... READ MORE
Harriet Tyce at her best
This was something very different from Harriet Tyce – and in a really good way. From the start, we’re drawn into a trial like no other: two girls accused o... READ MORE
Love it
Thank you to Headline & Wildfire for the digital copy of Witch Trial by Harriet Tyce for review, via Netgalley.
Harriet Tyce has done it again!
Witch... READ MORE
Superb, supernatural, spine-tingling
Firstly, huge thank you to Wildfire (Headline) for the ARC, Harriet Tyce is one of my favourite thriller authors and it has been a pleasure to enter this n... READ MORE
Big twist
Matthew finds himself on the jury panel for the infmaous Witch Trial case. Did two girls really use witchcraft to kill a friend. What on earth can be the t... READ MORE
Dark, tense, unputdownable. Tyce remains a master of suspense.
Witch Trial by Harriet Tyce is a dark, compulsive novel that blends courtroom drama with occult obsession, set against the brooding backdrop of Edinburgh.
... READ MORE
perfect read- bestseller….
Amazing, thrilling, thought provoking courtroom thriller with the added treat of witchcraft, tarot, ouija boards and malice. Perfect read, bestseller comin... READ MORE
Absolutely fabulous!
A compelling tense courtroom drama told from the view point of Matthew one of the jurors. Matthew is escaping from his day job as a heart surgeon, his micr... READ MORE
A compelling courtroom drama
A court case in Edinburgh where two teenage girls, Eliza Lawson and Isobel Smyth, stand accused of murder. The press are calling it a witch trial and alth... READ MORE
Witch Trial
We start in the recent past where 18 year schoolgirl, Christian is found murdered in a park. If that isn't shocking enough, her two best friends, Eliza and... READ MORE
Thrilling courtroom drama
Witch Trial is a compelling legal thriller packed with courtroom drama, supernatural visitations and a boarding school murder mystery. Was schoolgirl Chri... READ MORE
Witch Trial with a modern day twist!
What a wild ride this was! Truly enjoyed the book's set-up, following along with a trial from the Jury's perspective. The big twist at the end had me :O an... READ MORE
Suspenseful!
Firstly thank you to Netgalley and Headline books for this digital advanced copy. Wow this is probably the best legal thriller I have ever read! This is to... READ MORE
Engaging and intense
Witch Trial is a slow burning but entertaining read following Matthew, a surgeon who is called to be a juror on a trial of two teenage girls accused of mur... READ MORE
Brilliant thriller with so many twists and turns
Two teenage girls are standing trial for the murder of their classmate. Both were obsessed with witchcraft and naturally the trial is a media sensation. Ma... READ MORE
A fun psychological thriller
I really enjoyed this book about a trial of two schoolgirls. One of their classmates has been found dead in a park and the girls are accused of the murder... READ MORE
95% is riveting but the ending was a little disappointing (4.5 stars rounded down).
Matthew's life is not going so well, his marriage is on the rocks & his job is not far behind, so when he is called to be a juror on a criminal case, it gi... READ MORE
An awesome book
Timing is a wonderful thing. Fresh from her triumphal appearances on the BBC’s The Traitors, novelist Harriet Tyce has brought out her latest book, Witch T... READ MORE
Courtroom thriller
Thank you NetGalley and Headline (Wildfire) for this eCopy to review.
Harriet Tyce’s newest thriller is razor‑sharp, unsettling, and frighteningly plaus... READ MORE
disappointing
I found this book very dull. Didn’t like any of the characters. Plot very far fetched and long winded. I had read blood orange by the same author, which wa... READ MORE
An OK read
When eighteen year old Christian is found in an Edinburgh park it is a shock. Then her two friends Isobel & Eliza are charged with her murder. When the t... READ MORE
Fantastic
Witch Trial by Harriet Tyce
Thank you to @wildfiredoesbooks for a gifted copy, which publishes on the 29th January.
Argggghhhh!!! The ending to this book... READ MORE
Well written
This was an odd book, I usually really enjoy a courtroom drama, but seeing it through the eyes of a juror having a psychotic episode didn't really work for... READ MORE
Intriguing read
This book was an unusual read sighting spiritual and witchcraft happenings. This is mainly a courtroom drama with a complex protagonist. I found the pace a... READ MORE
Harriet Tyce is a consistently engaging writer
For approximately the first 95% of this book, I was completely gripped. I kept wondering: did Eliza and Isobel truly scare Christian to death with their wi... READ MORE
An outstanding story of witchcraft and murder
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 th... READ MORE
I was transported to the courtroom!
I inhaled Witch Trial. From the very first paragraph I was hooked. I adore the detail that Harriet can go into about the court process and atmosphere I c... READ MORE
An Advanced Reader Copy review - free books never buy my opinion!
A Brilliant piece of writing that truly deserves 6 Stars...
...and no clues from me, you need to discover them for yourself.
Fabulous storytelling
Oh my goodness, what a story! I very nearly didn't read this book because it took a while to get into but i'm glad I persevered. A twisty, turny, chilling ... READ MORE
A dark and gripping novel.
A teenager is found dead and her two friends are the main suspects. Sounds simple enough but this story moves into very dark and strange territory and quic... READ MORE
Dark mystery wrapped in a legal procedural
A dark and twisty legal murder mystery thriller penned by author, ex-Barrister and Traitors UK star Harriet Tyce. An interesting amalgam of genres – legal ... READ MORE
Disappointing
I have not read any Harriet Tyce books before. This one looked good and I really thought I would enjoy it, but sadly I just got bored with it.
It started ... READ MORE
A twisty read
A twisty novel and one with a premise that takes you by the hand and pulls you along. An 18 year old girl is found dead in a local park and her best friend... READ MORE
Original and compelling
Witch Trial is a Scottish based legal procedural mystery featuring the alleged murder of a teenager by her witchcraft- obsessed friends. Mainly based in a ... READ MORE
Witch Trial
Heart surgeon Matthew Phillips could easily have got out of Jury Duty but on the designated date he turned up at Edinburgh High Court and took his place al... READ MORE
Clever
Matthew Phillip's, a renowed heart surgeon, is called for Jury Service in Edinburgh. Due to his job and a forthcoming holiday, he is eligible for exemption... READ MORE
Essential reading for Traitors Fans
Viewers of this season of the UK show “Traitors” will know that Harriet (Tyce) – former barrister and crime writer – is shaping up to be one of the most pe... READ MORE
read with the lights on
A book that you will want to read with the lights on. Can you scare someone to death? Especially if they have a pre existing heart condition?A well written... READ MORE
An emotional book well written
The first Harriet Tyce book I have read. Clearly a well respected author writing with insight as a practising criminal barrister for nearly a decade in Lon... READ MORE
Engrossing read
Witch Trial is told through the perspective of Matthew, a surgeon and member of the jury. 2 teenagers are accused of murder. I loved the Edinburgh setting ... READ MORE
It was an ok read
I'm probably going to be unpopular as most reviews are raving about this one.
I really didn't like it at all.
The two girls accused of murder. From the d... READ MORE
Fantastic read
Matthew Phillips could easily avoid his call up of for jury duty citing his profession as a heart surgeon, but for personal reasons, he doesn’t choose to. ... READ MORE
Get wrapped up in the witch trial of the century
I picked this novel because the striking cover caught my eye (who doesn't love a corvid?!?) and thought a modern witch trial had promise. This book does no... READ MORE
Fascinating legal thriller
Witch Trial is a legal thriller centred on a high-profile murder trail, told uniquely through the perspective of one of the jurors. Set in Scotland, the no... READ MORE
Complex but intriguing
This a quite a complex book, dealing with a jury member with a variety of personal issues, childhood bullying and witchcraft. However, I'm not sure any of ... READ MORE
What’s the truth
I loved the premise of this and I initially found it easy to engage with however I soon found myself struggling to read it, I think because I found the mai... READ MORE
Courtroom drama
A very good courtroom drame that had me hooked from the start. A modern witch trial of two girl accused of murder. There's plenty of twist and good charact... READ MORE
Loved it
Harriet Tyce has done it again! Witch Trial combines a deliciously, dark narrative of a teenage obsession with witchcraft gone horribly wrong while simulta... READ MORE
Basically good but quite slow and repetitive
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.
3.5
This starts off well with an interesting main character and an intriguin... READ MORE
Fair is foul, and foul is fair
This was a really well-written book. Harriet Tyce certainly knows how to paint a scene. I seem to have received more than my fair share of Jury Citations f... READ MORE
Whoa, wow, what an ending!
This book is not to be missed. A clever story with a supernatural feel, intriguing with some extremely clever twists.
Matthew is selected for jury duty... READ MORE
Fast-paced enjoyable story that raises some interesting questions
An original take on the courtroom genre. Harriet Tyce skilfully blends legal drama with a murder trial and a witchcraft backstory, plus a potential unrelia... READ MORE
Witchy, supernatural, suspenseful
Witch Trial focuses on the trial of two teenage girls charged with the murder of another girl. Much of the story is told from the perspective of one of th... READ MORE
A well written novel
When Matthew Phillips is called to be a juror on criminal case the media are calling the Witch Trial, he is thrilled to get away from his day job as a hear... READ MORE
Utterly gripping
I absolutely loved this legal drama on the story of a trial in Scotland of two young girls accused of murder with witchcraft. Utterly gripping, I couldn’t ... READ MORE
What an ending!
This is a solid thriller set in a court case, with one of the most creative and surprising endings I've ever come across. The Edinburgh setting is very evo... READ MORE
An unusual twist
This started very promisingly although it seemed to be far more about Matthew than about either the crime or the accused girls. I very nearly gave up when... READ MORE
Excellent read
Matthew Philips is a heart surgeon and is called up for jury duty. He could be excused because of the nature of his job, but he is trying to get away from ... READ MORE
Witch Trial
As a fan of Harriet Tyce I was excited to read Witch Trial.
A trial surrounding the death of a teenager, and whether the two girls put before the jury w... READ MORE
An original story
A teen trial surrounding the death of a of a young girl and whether it was her friends put before the court committed the horrific crime, of course throw i... READ MORE
Harriet Tyce is a really nice discovery
Witch Trial starts with such an intriguing premise, exploring hysteria, judgment, and the crushing weight of public opinion. But the themes don’t fully com... READ MORE
Slightly spooky, wildly different, and
Absolutely brimming with sharp twists and bold deflections.
“Witch Trial” hooked me instantly—not because I liked the characters (I didn’t), but becaus... READ MORE
Good psychological drama but let down by the ending
Witch Trial centres on Matthew, who is called up for jury duty in a disturbing murder trial where two teenage girls stand accused and claim witchcraft is t... READ MORE
Uncomfortable and clever reading
A stonkingly smart story and my favourite Harriet Tyce book to date.
Set in Edinburgh, the story follows Matthew, a juror at the murder trial of two te... READ MORE
Okay!
I stormed through the first three quarters and I thought I was on for a fiver star read but, for me, the last quarter was such a let down. It felt rushed a... READ MORE
Verified Purchase
All in all this was a really enjoyable, fascinating read.
I was drawn in to read this courtroom drama by the blurb and the title. A trial with witchcraft as a main theme in the evidence. I was expecting how The Cr... READ MORE
Loved it!
When I first heard about this book, I knew it would be a must read for me. What I didn't realise that it's set in my favourite place to visit, the magical ... READ MORE
Ummmm.
Matthew Phillips in called up for jury service, something from which he could have been excused due to his profession, that of a heart Surgeon.
The tria... READ MORE
An incredible page turner with an amazing ending.
Wow! What an incredible book! I was totally hooked from the first few pages, and it kept me guessing right up to the unbelievable twist at the end. I can ... READ MORE
Verified Purchase
Thrilling
An absolutely magnificent read. I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.
The intrigue, the atmosphere, th... READ MORE