To Kill a Preacher

by E. Paul Jones

This is the story of a country pulpwooder preacher who had five close relatives die under mysterious circumstances. At least two of them were clearly murdered, and the preacher just happened to have substantial amounts of life insurance on all of them.

Was he ever convicted on any crime? No, but he was judged and sentenced in a much more severe manner from which there was no appeal!

Genres: Nonfiction

262 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 26, 2018

Reviews

[Maddie]

To kill a preacher review
By: Maddie Tapley
Six mysterious murders. All surrounded by clouds of suspicion, and all connected to one man who was never charged. The book “To Kill a Preacher” by E. Paul Jones is a thrilling and deeply compulsive read. This book is laid out in such a way that it feels almost like a documentary. “ On February 6, 1972, a cold and rainy Sunday night, the trooper post in Alex city received an anonymous call reporting that a pedestrian had been struck by an auto and killed.” The book also gives a background on all of the characters, sometimes several chapters devoted to each, helping the reader understand the characters better. “ Tom Radney, born June 18, 1932, was the youngest child of Beatrice Simpson Radney and James Monroe Radney, and the last of six children of the well-to-do Randolph County merchant family.” The book also has a lot of details that would not necessarily be in other books of this kind because the author has even interviewed witnesses himself to help him write the book. “Several of the participants in this saga are long deceased, but I contacted at least one and often several family members of any significant character.” Though this book was really good I would only recommend it for 12 and older, the book has a graphic description of the deaths inflicted by the Reverend Maxwell.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Several people told me this book was not what they expected; it is probably more accurate to say, not what we wanted. The story that fascinated us is that of the Voodoo Preacher who kept getting away with murder, and getting the insurance money. However, the book is more about the trial of the man accused of killing the Rev. Maxwell, and those men involved in the prosecution and defense. The author was one of those men, so he wrote what he knew and used the court records. Some of those records are fabulous example of legal maneuvering and grandstanding. But there are so many unanswered questions, from did Maxwell actually murder 5 people, to did Harper Lee really have serious interest in writing about the case? The details would make excellent fiction: Voodoo, philandering preacher, insurance money, and the Rev. Maxwell himself shot in church at the funeral of one of his alleged victims...a handkerchief in one hand, a fan in the other, relaxed, arms spread across the back of the pew. A black cat at his funeral and rumors he would rise again from the grave, inspiration for creative writing!

[lera j medders · Rating 5 out of 5]

To Kill A Preacher

I have heard that truth is stranger than fiction, now I am a believer. In this factual well written book, a true account of events is presented in a manner to not only entertain but also anticipate what comes next. Mr. Jones has a way of making the characters quite believable and several times I gasped at the correlation of this story and some recently deceased prominent citizen.

[Susan Jimenez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of meeting the author , he gave me this book at the airport when I dropped him off, we had a great conversation. The book was good, full of facts about the case, detailed information about the players.

[Greta Kirby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started out very interesting and nearly unbelievable (it is a true story) Got real boring. Couldn’t wait to get through to the end.

[Paige Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!

Interesting to say the least. Great read. Going to read Haint Blue next. Highly recommend to anyone who wants to read a true mystery.

[Christamar Varicella]

E. Paul Jones tells the story of the so-called "voodoo preacher," a serial killer from Alabama who allegedly killed at least five people for insurance money and terrified a small town before vigilante justice caught up with him. Jones provides details and context from an insider's perspective (he interviewed the Reverend and was an assistant prosecutor of his assassin.) It's a great story. Highly recommend.

[Peggy Walls · Rating 4 out of 5]

E. Paul was the one to write the story of the court room drama and sequence of events. More description of Maxwell and other characters would have added another strong point of interest.