Furious Hours

Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee

By Casey Cep | Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

About the book

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • This “superbly written true-crime story” (The New York Times Book Review) masterfully brings together the tales of a serial killer in 1970s Alabama and of Harper Lee, the beloved author of To Kill a Mockingbird, who tried to write his story.

Reverend Willie Maxwell was a rural preacher accused of murdering five of his family members, but with the help of a savvy lawyer, he escaped justice for years until a relative assassinated him 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 himself. Sitting in the audience during the vigilante’s trial was Harper Lee, who spent a year in town reporting on the Maxwell case and many more trying to finish the book she called The Reverend.

Cep brings this remarkable story to life, from the horrifying murders to the courtroom drama to the racial politics of the Deep South, while offering a deeply moving portrait of one of our most revered writers.

Editions of Furious Hours

Paperback
ISBN 9781984892232
Paperback
ISBN 9781101972052
AltFormat
ISBN 9781101947869
EBook
ISBN 9781101947876
AudioStreaming
ISBN 9780735208490
AudioStreaming
ISBN 9780735208476
AudioDisc
ISBN 9780735208483
AudioDisc
ISBN 9780735208469

Read an Excerpt

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • This “superbly written true-crime story” (The New York Times Book Review) masterfully brings together the tales of a serial killer in 1970s Alabama and of Harper Lee, the beloved author of To Kill a Mockingbird, who tried to write his story.

Reverend Willie Maxwell was a rural preacher accused of murdering five of his family members, but with the help of a savvy lawyer, he escaped justice for years until a relative assassinated him 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 himself. Sitting in the audience during the vigilante’s trial was Harper Lee, who spent a year in town reporting on the Maxwell case and many more trying to finish the book she called The Reverend.

Cep brings this remarkable story to life, from the horrifying murders to the courtroom drama to the racial politics of the Deep South, while offering a deeply moving portrait of one of our most revered writers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Furious Hours about?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • This “superbly written true-crime story” (The New York Times Book Review) masterfully brings together the tales of a serial killer in 1970s Alabama and of Harper Lee, the beloved author of To Kill a Mockingbird, who tried to write his story.

Reverend Willie Maxwell was a rural preacher accused of murdering five of his family members, but with the help of a savvy lawyer, he escaped justice for years until a relative assassinated him 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 himself. Sitting in the audience during the vigilante’s trial was Harper Lee, who spent a year in town reporting on the Maxwell case and many more trying to finish the book she called The Reverend.

Cep brings this remarkable story to life, from the horrifying murders to the courtroom drama to the racial politics of the Deep South, while offering a deeply moving portrait of one of our most revered writers.

What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Furious Hours?

Biography, Literature and Literary studies > Biography and non-fiction prose > True stories / true accounts of events > True crime > True crime: serial killers and murderers

Where can I read a sample of Furious Hours?

You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781984892232

Who is/are the Author/s of the book Furious Hours?

Casey Cep

Who is the Publisher of the book Furious Hours?

Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?

Furious Hours is available as paperback(ISBN 9781984892232) and paperback(ISBN 9781101972052) and altformat(ISBN 9781101947869) and ebook(ISBN 9781101947876) and audiostreaming(ISBN 9780735208490) and audiostreaming(ISBN 9780735208476) and audiodisc(ISBN 9780735208483) and audiodisc(ISBN 9780735208469)

Where can I buy Furious Hours online or support local independent bookshops?

You can buy Furious Hours from below

Where can I buy Furious Hours?