Why read Furious Hours?

Book cover of Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee

Book description

A BARACK OBAMA BOOK OF THE YEAR
WINNER OF THE 2020 CRIME WRITERS' ASSOCIATION ALCS GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2019 BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION
A SUNDAY TIMES, ECONOMIST AND SPECTATOR BOOK OF THE YEAR

'A triumph on every level. One of the losses to literature is…

Explore

Topics

Genres

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Furious Hours as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Rob St. Clair

Author

Everyone loves Harper Lee, but not everyone knows her background as a reporter.

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…

From Rob's list on The best true crime tragedies.