Furious hours : murder, fraud, and the last trial of Harper Lee / Casey Cep.
"The stunning story of an Alabama serial killer and the true-crime book that Harper Lee worked on obsessively in the years after To Kill a Mockingbird. Reverend Willie Maxwell was a rural preacher accused of murdering five of his family members for insurance money in the 1970s. With the help of a savvy lawyer, he escaped justice for years until a relative shot him dead at the funeral of his last victim. Despite hundreds of witnesses, Maxwell's murderer was acquitted -- thanks to the same attorney who had previously defended the Reverend. Sitting in the audience during the vigilante's trial was Harper Lee, who had traveled from New York City to her native Alabama with the idea of writing her own In Cold Blood, the true-crime classic she had helped her friend Truman Capote research seventeen years earlier. Lee spent a year in town reporting, and many more working on her own version of the case. Now Casey Cep brings this nearly inconceivable story to life, from the shocking murders to the courtroom drama to the racial politics of the Deep South. At the same time, she offers a deeply moving portrait of one of the country's most beloved writers and her struggle with fame, success, and the mystery of artistic creativity"-- Dust jacket.
Reverend Willie Maxwell was a rural preacher accused of murdering five of his family members for insurance money in the 1970s. With the help of a savvy lawyer, he escaped justice for years until a relative shot him dead at the funeral of his last victim. Despite hundreds of witnesses, Maxwell's murderer was acquitted-- thanks to the same attorney who had previously defended the Reverend. Sitting in the audience during the vigilante's trial was Harper Lee, who had traveled from New York City to her native Alabama with the idea of writing her own true-crime classic. Cep brings this nearly inconceivable story to life, from the shocking murders to the courtroom drama to the racial politics of the Deep South -- Adapted from dust jacket.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781101947869
- ISBN: 1101947861
- ISBN: 9781101972052
- Physical Description: xii, 314 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, map ; 25 cm
- Edition: First edition
- Publisher: New York : Alfred A. Knopf, [2019]
- Copyright: ©2019
Content descriptions
| Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 307-314). |
| Formatted Contents Note: | Part one: Reverend. Divide the waters from the waters ; Minister of the Gospel ; Death benefits ; Seventh son of a seventh son ; Just plain scared ; No exception to the rule -- Part two: Lawyer. Who's in the stew? ; Roses are red ; Fight for good ; Maxwell house ; Peace and goodwill ; Tom v. Tom ; Man from Eclectic ; What Holmes was talking about -- Part three: Writer. Disappearing act ; Some kind of soul ; Gift ; Deep calling to deep ; Death and taxes ; Rumor, fantasy, dreams, conjecture, and outright lies ; Coming back until doomsday ; Horseshoe Bend ; Long good-bye. |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Maxwell, Willie. Lee, Harper. Serial murders > Alabama. Murder > Investigation > Alabama. Trials (Murder) > Alabama. |
| Genre: | Biographies. True crime stories. True crime. |
Available copies
- 70 of 76 copies available at NC Cardinal. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at Iredell County Public Library.
Holds
- 2 current holds with 76 total copies.
Other Formats and Editions
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Statesville Main Library | 364.15232 CEP (Text) | 33114018051201 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
Loading Recommendations...
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| 250 | . | ‡aFirst edition | |
| 264 | 1. | ‡aNew York : ‡bAlfred A. Knopf, ‡c[2019] | |
| 264 | 4. | ‡c©2019 | |
| 300 | . | ‡axii, 314 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : ‡billustrations, map ; ‡c25 cm | |
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| 504 | . | ‡aIncludes bibliographical references (pages 307-314). | |
| 505 | 0 | 0. | ‡gPart one: ‡tReverend. ‡tDivide the waters from the waters ; ‡tMinister of the Gospel ; ‡tDeath benefits ; ‡tSeventh son of a seventh son ; ‡tJust plain scared ; ‡tNo exception to the rule -- ‡gPart two: ‡tLawyer. ‡tWho's in the stew? ; ‡tRoses are red ; ‡tFight for good ; ‡tMaxwell house ; ‡tPeace and goodwill ; ‡tTom v. Tom ; ‡tMan from Eclectic ; ‡tWhat Holmes was talking about -- ‡gPart three: ‡tWriter. ‡tDisappearing act ; ‡tSome kind of soul ; ‡tGift ; ‡tDeep calling to deep ; ‡tDeath and taxes ; ‡tRumor, fantasy, dreams, conjecture, and outright lies ; ‡tComing back until doomsday ; ‡tHorseshoe Bend ; ‡tLong good-bye. |
| 520 | . | ‡a"The stunning story of an Alabama serial killer and the true-crime book that Harper Lee worked on obsessively in the years after To Kill a Mockingbird. Reverend Willie Maxwell was a rural preacher accused of murdering five of his family members for insurance money in the 1970s. With the help of a savvy lawyer, he escaped justice for years until a relative shot him dead at the funeral of his last victim. Despite hundreds of witnesses, Maxwell's murderer was acquitted -- thanks to the same attorney who had previously defended the Reverend. Sitting in the audience during the vigilante's trial was Harper Lee, who had traveled from New York City to her native Alabama with the idea of writing her own In Cold Blood, the true-crime classic she had helped her friend Truman Capote research seventeen years earlier. Lee spent a year in town reporting, and many more working on her own version of the case. Now Casey Cep brings this nearly inconceivable story to life, from the shocking murders to the courtroom drama to the racial politics of the Deep South. At the same time, she offers a deeply moving portrait of one of the country's most beloved writers and her struggle with fame, success, and the mystery of artistic creativity"-- ‡cDust jacket. | |
| 520 | . | ‡aReverend Willie Maxwell was a rural preacher accused of murdering five of his family members for insurance money in the 1970s. With the help of a savvy lawyer, he escaped justice for years until a relative shot him dead at the funeral of his last victim. Despite hundreds of witnesses, Maxwell's murderer was acquitted-- thanks to the same attorney who had previously defended the Reverend. Sitting in the audience during the vigilante's trial was Harper Lee, who had traveled from New York City to her native Alabama with the idea of writing her own true-crime classic. Cep brings this nearly inconceivable story to life, from the shocking murders to the courtroom drama to the racial politics of the Deep South -- Adapted from dust jacket. | |
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