Fountaindale Public Library

Furious hours, murder, fraud, and the last trial of Harper Lee, Casey Cep

eng

Includes bibliographical references and bibliography (pages [449]-511)

contains biographical information

mapsillustrations

no index present

non fiction

Furious hours

bibliography

1100351008

Casey Cep

murder, fraud, and the last trial of Harper Lee

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 back cover

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

adult