I love a courtroom drama, and the case presented here is a particularly compelling one as we see two young women, Eliza and Isobel, accused of murdering their friend, Christian. It’s also a highly unusual case. Set in the present day, the claims and accusations of witchcraft come as a surprise. And while it’s easy to dismiss those claims as the somewhat dark but harmless interest of teenagers, a young woman has died, apparently scared to death. It’s a fascinating premise, and if, like me, you’re sceptical, well – it’s worth going along for the ride. It’s an original idea that works brilliantly as the trial progresses.
trust me, I’m a doctor
Witch Trial is told predominantly from the perspective of Matthew Philips, one of the members of the jury. A successful heart surgeon, you’d think that he would be exactly the sort of upstanding individual that you’d want on the jury, but it quickly becomes clear that he’s avoiding his responsibilities. His relationship with his wife isn’t as happy as it could be and he’s having an affair with a younger colleague. He sees jury service, which he’s well within his rights to postpone, as a way to escape the troubles in his life, however temporarily. And the case gets to him. A scientific and intelligent individual, he’s quick to scoff at the idea of witchcraft and yet the longer it goes on, the more it affects him.
With Matthew, the reader is invited to sit in on the trial, seeing the evidence as it’s presented and being invited to make our own judgement as the jury discusses the trial and passes its verdict on the two accused women. I’ve done jury service, and I’m glad that I wasn’t presented with anything like this. We hear from police officers, doctors, parents, friends, and teachers, and what we get is a mess of information that is often contradictory and often hard to believe. It’s difficult to know who is guilty, if either of them are. There is, of course, something of a twist at the end of the novel which I won’t talk about in detail for obvious reasons. I will say that there is a hint of irony in the denouement that I found very pleasing, and the very final chapter is wonderfully amusing.
Witch Trial is a fast-paced and compelling read, and one that I recommend to those who enjoy courtroom dramas. The witchy element is done well, so don’t be put off by that if it sounds a bit odd – Tyce walks a tightrope throughout of leaving just enough room for doubt without straying into supernatural territory.
About the Book
TWO TEENAGE GIRLS. ONE MURDERED CLASSMATE.
AND A MODERN-DAY WITCH TRIAL THAT WILL DIVIDE THE NATION…
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…
