The novel begins with Matthew Phillips, a middle-aged heart surgeon in Edinburgh who is exhausted, emotionally disconnected from his family, and quietly unraveling under the pressure of his professional life. When he receives a jury citation, he deliberately does not seek exemption, even though he could easily do so because of his job. He sees jury duty as an escape from his responsibilities, particularly from his wife Rosalind, his strained marriage, and the expectations placed on him at work. He wants distance from his life and is drawn to the idea of judging someone else rather than facing his own failures.
Matthew is selected as a juror in a highly publicized murder trial involving two teenage girls, Eliza Lawson and Isobel Smyth. They are accused of murdering their classmate, Christian Shaw, by threatening her with a knife in a wooded park. Christian had a known heart condition, and the prosecution argues that the girls deliberately frightened her, causing a fatal heart attack. The case has already attracted public attention because of its unusual details and rumors that the girls were involved in witchcraft.
From the start of the trial, Matthew becomes intensely fixated on Isobel. She is withdrawn, hostile, and unsettling, with a reputation among students and online communities as a “witch.” Eliza, by contrast, appears calm, polished, and socially confident. As the trial progresses, Matthew begins to experience disturbing hallucinations and intrusive thoughts. He becomes convinced that he is being spoken to by the Devil, who appears to him in visions, often taking the form of a blonde woman named Gill Martin, who attends the trial as an observer and later befriends him.
Continue Reading for Free
Register with your email address. We will send you a verification code before unlocking the article.
