A Devil Went Down to Georgia is a riveting story about the 1987 murder of Lita McClinton Sullivan. It’s an unfortunate, tragic story that I was unfamiliar with prior to reading this book.
Lita McClinton was a Black woman born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. She married Jim Sullivan, an older, wealthy white man who, by outward appearance, seemed to have it together. He was, however, controlling and unfaithful. When Lita left Palm Beach and returned home to Atlanta, she filed for divorce. Jim did not like this and took matters into his own hands, though not directly.
Deb Miller Landau does an excellent job sharing Lita’s story, providing background on her life and family before she met Jim, as well as information about Jim and his life, before and after Lita. Landau pieces together events leading up to, and back to, Lita’s murder and Jim’s conviction, exploring the roles of race, power, and privilege.
The majority of the story takes place in Atlanta and I am familiar with many of the local references in the book. This is a sad situation that never should have happened. I appreciate Landau shining a light on Lita and her story in A Devil Went Down to Georgia.