Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee
Casey Cep 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. 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.
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Furious Hours by Casey Cep
314 pages
What’s it about?
This book is part crime novel, part courtroom drama, and part biography. In the 1970's, in rural Alabama, Reverend Willie Maxwell has relatives that are dying under mysterious circumstances. Adding to the unease is the fact that all those relatives lives have been insured by Reverend Maxwell shortly before they die. Many relatives breathe a sigh of relief when Maxwell is shot dead before 300 people at his latest victim's funeral. Robert Burns is arrested for the crime. Who is at Burn's trial day in and day out? Harper Lee of "To Kill a Mockingbird" fame. She makes no secret that she is writing again and her new book will be titled "The Reverend". This is the story of insurance fraud, murder, and Harper Lee.
What did it make me think about?
This book had three distinct sections. The first part of the book looked at the early insurance industry and how it operated in the deep South. The second part of the book concentrates on the trial of Robert Burns and how the judicial system operated in that time. The last part of the book concentrates on Harper Lee and her struggle to write again after "the bird" takes on a life of its own.
Should I read it?
This was an interesting book in many different ways. it really was like three books in one. I especially found the last part of the book about Harper Lee fascinating.
Quote-
"Money does wonders for misfits."
" 'Mockingbird' had been read as a clarion call for civil rights, but Lee's real views were more complicated than any editor wanted to put in print."
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Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
One Summer by Bill Bryson
Furious Hours by Casey Cep
314 pages
What’s it about?
This book is part crime novel, part courtroom drama, and part biography. In the 1970's, in rural Alabama, Reverend Willie Maxwell has relatives that are dying under mysterious circumstances. Adding to the unease is the fact that all those relatives lives have been insured by Reverend Maxwell shortly before they die. Many relatives breathe a sigh of relief when Maxwell is shot dead before 300 people at his latest victim's funeral. Robert Burns is arrested for the crime. Who is at Burn's trial day in and day out? Harper Lee of "To Kill a Mockingbird" fame. She makes no secret that she is writing again and her new book will be titled "The Reverend". This is the story of insurance fraud, murder, and Harper Lee.
What did it make me think about?
This book had three distinct sections. The first part of the book looked at the early insurance industry and how it operated in the deep South. The second part of the book concentrates on the trial of Robert Burns and how the judicial system operated in that time. The last part of the book concentrates on Harper Lee and her struggle to write again after "the bird" takes on a life of its own.
Should I read it?
This was an interesting book in many different ways. it really was like three books in one. I especially found the last part of the book about Harper Lee fascinating.
Quote-
"Money does wonders for misfits."
" 'Mockingbird' had been read as a clarion call for civil rights, but Lee's real views were more complicated than any editor wanted to put in print."
If you liked this try-
Ghettoside A True Story of Murder in America by Jill Leovy
Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
One Summer by Bill Bryson
I was a little confused when I started reading the book. I expected it to talk about the case that Harper Lee was trying to write about but mostly focus on her, and the beginning of the book solely focuses on the case of "Reverend" Willie Maxwell and how he repeatedly got away with murder, until he didn't. Interesting enough, but I kept wondering, where the hell is Harper Lee?? It very slowly dawned on me that the author had separated the book into sections, first dealing with the case and writing the story that Harper Lee never finished, then fleshing out some of the local characters, then focusing on Lee herself. Of course I could enjoy it because I'm all about the salacious true crime stories, but I'm not totally sure the premise here worked. Seems the author was trying to find a way to get "permission" to write the story that Lee never did, then use her name as a pull to get readers interested.
(Still fascinating to me, as Maxwell was able to take out life insurance policies on anyone and everyone he knew, pretty much, and then, COMPLETELY COINCIDENTALLY, they die under bizarre and puzzling circumstances. And I was reading this while we were on our big giant cross-country road trip where we were also listening to a podcast ("The Clearing") about a serial killer in Ohio (and elsewhere) who took out a life insurance policy on at least one of his victims.)
(Still fascinating to me, as Maxwell was able to take out life insurance policies on anyone and everyone he knew, pretty much, and then, COMPLETELY COINCIDENTALLY, they die under bizarre and puzzling circumstances. And I was reading this while we were on our big giant cross-country road trip where we were also listening to a podcast ("The Clearing") about a serial killer in Ohio (and elsewhere) who took out a life insurance policy on at least one of his victims.)
I learned a lot! A lot about Lake Martin, life insurance, Alabama politics, the voodoo reverend, and especially Nelle Harper Lee!
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