Witch Trial

Three teenage friends. One brutal murder. And a high-stakes Edinburgh courtroom turned modern-day witch trial in this dark, twisting thriller from international bestseller Harriet Tyce.

When eighteen-year-old Christian Shaw is found dead in a local park, the city is shaken to its core. The shock turns to outrage when police arrest her two best friends, Eliza Lawson and Isobel Smyth, and charge them with the crime. As public hysteria mounts and social media boils over with wild theories, the story takes a sinister turn: media headlines shift from allegations of teenage bullying to unsettling rumors of dark pacts, feverish obsessions, and occult rituals.

Inside the crowded courtroom, the public demands vengeance, eager to stare down the accused killers. Among the jury sits Matthew Phillips, a respected heart surgeon who wanted no part in the trial. But as the defense presents a bizarre, deeply unsettling line of argument, Matthew’s skepticism begins to crack. Soon, he is haunted by disturbing, inexplicable visions, forced to wonder if the madness outside the courtroom is bleeding into his own mind.

Tense, atmospheric, and deeply psychological, this gripping crime novel explores how easily rumors turn into witch hunts—and how far the truth can hide in the shadows.