Furious hours [large print] : 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.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781984892232
- ISBN: 1984892231
- Physical Description: xii, 511 pages (large print) : illustrations ; 24 cm
- Edition: First edition
- Publisher: New York : Random House Large Print, [2019]
- Copyright: ©2019
Content descriptions
| Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 449-511). |
| Formatted Contents Note: | Prologue -- The 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 -- The lawyer. Who's in the stew? ; Roses are red ; The fight for good ; The Maxwell house ; Peace and goodwill ; Tom v. Tom ; The man from Eclectic ; What Holmes was talking about -- The writer. Disappearing act ; Some kind of soul ; The gift ; Deep calling to deep ; Death and taxes ; Rumor, fantasy, dreams, conjecture, and outright lies ; Coming back until doomsday ; Horseshoe Bend ; The long good-bye -- Epilogue. |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Maxwell, Willie. Lee, Harper. Serial murders > Alabama. Murder > Investigation > Alabama. Trials (Murder) > Alabama. Authors, American > 20th century > Biography. |
| Genre: | Biographies. True crime stories. Large print books. |
Available copies
- 7 of 9 copies available at NC Cardinal.
- 1 of 1 copy available at Iredell County Public Library. (Show)
Holds
- 0 current holds with 9 total copies.
Other Formats and Editions
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Statesville Main Library | L.P. 364.15232 CEP (Text) | 33114018051276 | Adult Large Print Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Eden Library | LP 364.152 C (Text) | 31554010515715 | Adult Large Print Nonfiction | Checked out | 05/13/2025 |
| Lee County Main Library | LP 364.152 CEP (Text) | 33262003261542 | Adult Large Print Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Mocksville | L 364.152 CEP (Text) | 39872001929923 | Adult Large Print Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Mocksville | L 364.152 CEP (Text) | 39872001929931 | Adult Large Print Nonfiction | Storage | - |
| Mt. Airy Public Library | LP 364.152 CEP (Text) | 40599001073496 | Adult Large Print Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Oakley/South Asheville Library | LP 364.15232 CEP (Text) | 0020512274992 | Adult Large Print Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Person County Library | LP 364.15 CEP (Text) | 34622001505339 | Adult Large Print Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Richard H. Thornton Main Library | LPB 364.152 CEP (Text) | 42756202203433 | Adult Large Print Nonfiction | Available | - |
Loading Recommendations...
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| 250 | . | ‡aFirst edition | |
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| 504 | . | ‡aIncludes bibliographical references (pages 449-511). | |
| 520 | . | ‡aThe 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. | |
| 505 | 0 | . | ‡aPrologue -- The 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 -- The lawyer. Who's in the stew? ; Roses are red ; The fight for good ; The Maxwell house ; Peace and goodwill ; Tom v. Tom ; The man from Eclectic ; What Holmes was talking about -- The writer. Disappearing act ; Some kind of soul ; The gift ; Deep calling to deep ; Death and taxes ; Rumor, fantasy, dreams, conjecture, and outright lies ; Coming back until doomsday ; Horseshoe Bend ; The long good-bye -- Epilogue. |
| 600 | 1 | 0. | ‡aMaxwell, Willie. ‡0(CARDINAL)805033 |
| 600 | 1 | 0. | ‡aLee, Harper. ‡0(CARDINAL)129949 |
| 650 | 0. | ‡aSerial murders ‡zAlabama. | |
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| 655 | 7. | ‡aLarge print books. ‡2lcgft ‡0(CARDINAL)859167 | |
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