Casey Cep Boeken

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 MockingbirdReverend 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.As Alabama is consumed by these gripping events, it's not long until news of the case reaches Alabama's - and America's - most famous writer. Intrigued by the story, Harper Lee makes a journey back to her home state to witness the Reverend's killer face trial. Lee had the idea of writing her own In Cold Blood, the true-crime classic she had helped her friend Truman Capote research. She spent a year in town reporting on the Maxwell case and many more years trying to finish the book she called The Reverend.Now Casey Cep brings this 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 America's most beloved writers and her struggle with fame, success and the mystery of artistic creativity.This is the story Harper Lee wanted to write. This is the story of why she couldn't.

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. As Alabama is consumed by these gripping events, it's not long until news of the case reaches Alabama's - and America's - most famous writer. Intrigued by the story, Harper Lee makes a journey back to her home state to witness the Reverend's killer face trial. Harper had the idea of writing her own In Cold Blood, the true-crime classic she had helped her friend Truman Capote research. Lee spent a year in town reporting on the Maxwell case and many more years trying to finish the book she called The Reverend. Now Casey Cep brings this 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. This is the story Harper Lee wanted to write. This is the story of why she couldn't.

„Eine großartige True-Crime-Story, die zu schreiben sogar Harper Lee stolz gemacht hätte.“ The New York Times Book Review Ende der Siebzigerjahre war es still geworden um Harper Lee. Ihr Welterfolg Wer die Nachtigall stört lag bereits 18 Jahre zurück, und der von Verlag und Publikum herbeigesehnte zweite Roman ließ noch immer auf sich warten. Aber jetzt war sie einem Stoff auf der Spur, etwas Großem. Der Prediger William Maxwell hatte innerhalb weniger Jahre zunächst seine Ehefrau, dann seinen Nachbar, dann seinen Bruder, dann seine zweite Ehefrau, dann seinen Neffen und schließlich die Adoptivtochter seiner dritten Ehefrau umgebracht, auf deren Beerdigung er selbst ermordet wurde. Lee recherchierte fieberhaft und war sogar bei dem Prozess gegen Maxwells Mörder im Gerichtssaal anwesend, doch ihr Roman sollte Fragment bleiben. Grimme Stunden erzählt die Geschichte, die Harper Lee in The Reverend hätte erzählen wollen, und zeichnet dabei zugleich das Porträt einer der berühmtesten Schriftstellerinnen Amerikas, von ihrem Kampf mit dem Ruhm, dem Erfolg und dem Mysterium künstlerischer Kreativität.