What do you think?
Rate this book
The Devil and Harper Lee
In the 1970s, a mysterious man captivated and terrorized a small Alabama town. He was elegant and handsome, a charismatic pastor and leader in the African American community. But rumors swirled. Preaching on Sunday, people would say, killing on Monday.
Far away in New York City, one of America’s most beloved writers was about to get caught up in the strange and violent tale of Reverend Willie J. Maxwell. Harper Lee, author of the modern-day classic To Kill a Mockingbird, was searching for her next book when the perfect story came her There was a man, the Reverend, who had allegedly murdered five of his family members, and managed to do it without getting caught. Thanks to the skills of his talented lawyer, he collected sizeable amounts of money from insurance policies that named him as the beneficiary. It was said the Reverend used voodoo to commit the murders and that his magical powers made him untouchable. And then, at the funeral of his most recent alleged victim—his sixteen-year-old stepdaughter—someone pointed a pistol at Reverend Maxwell’s head and shot three times.
Mesmerized by the string of bloody deaths, Harper Lee returned to her native Alabama. She spent months in Alexander City, getting to know the town and the people, slowly pulling out the threads of this macabre tale. She found a story that only a writer of her caliber could do justice a modern southern gothic tale of death, fraud, superstition, and race. But apparently she never finished the book. After all that research, all the time spent tracking leads, speaking with crucial sources, and examining records, she dropped the project. Why?
Acclaimed investigative reporter Mark Seal, himself an Alabama native, follows the trails of both the Reverend and Harper Lee, bringing the lurid tale back to life. He interviews key players, including relatives and other survivors who bear witness to this astonishing true story. One can only wonder how Lee herself would have told it. With The Devil and Harper Lee, Seal has woven together a new and uniquely American mystery.
Far away in New York City, one of America’s most beloved writers was about to get caught up in the strange and violent tale of Reverend Willie J. Maxwell. Harper Lee, author of the modern-day classic To Kill a Mockingbird, was searching for her next book when the perfect story came her There was a man, the Reverend, who had allegedly murdered five of his family members, and managed to do it without getting caught. Thanks to the skills of his talented lawyer, he collected sizeable amounts of money from insurance policies that named him as the beneficiary. It was said the Reverend used voodoo to commit the murders and that his magical powers made him untouchable. And then, at the funeral of his most recent alleged victim—his sixteen-year-old stepdaughter—someone pointed a pistol at Reverend Maxwell’s head and shot three times.
Mesmerized by the string of bloody deaths, Harper Lee returned to her native Alabama. She spent months in Alexander City, getting to know the town and the people, slowly pulling out the threads of this macabre tale. She found a story that only a writer of her caliber could do justice a modern southern gothic tale of death, fraud, superstition, and race. But apparently she never finished the book. After all that research, all the time spent tracking leads, speaking with crucial sources, and examining records, she dropped the project. Why?
Acclaimed investigative reporter Mark Seal, himself an Alabama native, follows the trails of both the Reverend and Harper Lee, bringing the lurid tale back to life. He interviews key players, including relatives and other survivors who bear witness to this astonishing true story. One can only wonder how Lee herself would have told it. With The Devil and Harper Lee, Seal has woven together a new and uniquely American mystery.
119 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 29, 2019
12 people are currently reading
332 people want to read
About the author
Mark Seal
30 books95 followersA journalist for thirty-five years, Mark Seal is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair and the author of Wildflower: An Extraordinary Life and Mysterious Death in Africa, about the murdered wildlife filmmaker and naturalist Joan Root. Seal was a 2010 National Magazine Award finalist for his Vanity Fair profile of Clark Rockefeller.
He lives in Aspen, Colorado.
He lives in Aspen, Colorado.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
July 24, 2019
Interesting! I swept through this one. . . so short, many quick chapters. Not exactly satisfying. Felt like a proposed outline for the book being pitched.
BUT if you are into Harper Lee, or the murder case discussed, I'd think you'd want to check this out. If you are looking for a whalloping good mystery, this is a definite fizzle.
BUT if you are into Harper Lee, or the murder case discussed, I'd think you'd want to check this out. If you are looking for a whalloping good mystery, this is a definite fizzle.
June 17, 2019
I really wanted to love this book as it sounded like an amazing premise. I love true crime and I think Harper Lee is pretty badass, however, this was only a short book and so I felt like there was so much missing!
I listened to this on audio, which was fun and I enjoyed it in this format. It was a very quick listen and good background noise for doing housework.
I began this book very excited by the concept of it, and the first couple of chapters that introduce us to the Reverend and Harper Lee set up a really good story that I was looking forward to diving into. I’d never heard of Reverend Maxwell and his crimes, so it’s always exciting to discover a new bonkers true crime story.
Unfortunately, I felt this book lacked a lot of what I was hoping for. I enjoyed how it intertwined Harper Lee’s life with her discovery of this crazy true crime story about a possible serial killer, but I felt it only really scratched the surface on the crimes and focused more on Lee. But even the parts about her life weren’t fleshed out enough. I definitely go into true crime books wanting to know more about the true crime than anything else, so maybe that was my bad picking up this book and expecting more of the gruesome details.
Ren at What's Nonfiction recommended I look at a book called Furious Home: Murder, Fraud and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep as an alternative to this book, which I think I will because I’m definitely interested in knowing more about the whole story!
Without a doubt, this is a great short listen / read if you’re looking to pass some time, but think of it as more of a Spark Notes of the what really happened. I feel like a lot more research needs to be done for me to know more about this story.
I listened to this on audio, which was fun and I enjoyed it in this format. It was a very quick listen and good background noise for doing housework.
I began this book very excited by the concept of it, and the first couple of chapters that introduce us to the Reverend and Harper Lee set up a really good story that I was looking forward to diving into. I’d never heard of Reverend Maxwell and his crimes, so it’s always exciting to discover a new bonkers true crime story.
Unfortunately, I felt this book lacked a lot of what I was hoping for. I enjoyed how it intertwined Harper Lee’s life with her discovery of this crazy true crime story about a possible serial killer, but I felt it only really scratched the surface on the crimes and focused more on Lee. But even the parts about her life weren’t fleshed out enough. I definitely go into true crime books wanting to know more about the true crime than anything else, so maybe that was my bad picking up this book and expecting more of the gruesome details.
Ren at What's Nonfiction recommended I look at a book called Furious Home: Murder, Fraud and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep as an alternative to this book, which I think I will because I’m definitely interested in knowing more about the whole story!
Without a doubt, this is a great short listen / read if you’re looking to pass some time, but think of it as more of a Spark Notes of the what really happened. I feel like a lot more research needs to be done for me to know more about this story.
November 10, 2019
Note : This is a scribd original story and thus only found there.
A non fiction story about how the famous author Harper lee, who in her 50s has started to look for an idea for her "To kill a mockingbird " follow up book.... that is when she comes across an Alabama murder mystery involving the death of 5 members of the family of One Reverend Willie Maxwell.... Harper lee follows up on the facts and spends many years interviewing the people of the small city including the person who shot the reverend during his last victims wake.... however something happened along the way and Harper lee stops writing the novel and never finished it.
The author of this novel explores the story and follow up on Harper's own foot steps.
A non fiction story about how the famous author Harper lee, who in her 50s has started to look for an idea for her "To kill a mockingbird " follow up book.... that is when she comes across an Alabama murder mystery involving the death of 5 members of the family of One Reverend Willie Maxwell.... Harper lee follows up on the facts and spends many years interviewing the people of the small city including the person who shot the reverend during his last victims wake.... however something happened along the way and Harper lee stops writing the novel and never finished it.
The author of this novel explores the story and follow up on Harper's own foot steps.
May 9, 2019
The Devil and Harper Lee tells the true story of the famous author attempting to follow up on her hit debut novel (which has become a bestseller worldwide and one of the most famous books of all time) with a novel based on a series of killings in a small Alabama town.
All I knew going into this book about Harper Lee was that she had written To Kill a Mockingbird, and then there was all the news and controversy surrounding Go Set a Watchman when it was 'discovered' and published. But I did actually hear about this story a couple of days ago, in a news article on Flipboard. It intrigued me immediately and I knew I wanted to read this book. So when I came across it on Scribd, I couldn't believe my luck!
However, I wanted more of the crime then the writing process. I wanted to explore the murders which first interested me in this story. It was still an interesting book, but I had higher hopes.
All I knew going into this book about Harper Lee was that she had written To Kill a Mockingbird, and then there was all the news and controversy surrounding Go Set a Watchman when it was 'discovered' and published. But I did actually hear about this story a couple of days ago, in a news article on Flipboard. It intrigued me immediately and I knew I wanted to read this book. So when I came across it on Scribd, I couldn't believe my luck!
However, I wanted more of the crime then the writing process. I wanted to explore the murders which first interested me in this story. It was still an interesting book, but I had higher hopes.
April 14, 2020
Really interesting read! heard of the story I think before not that harper lee was there to investigate too? plan on checking out the other books mentioned in this one too!
June 11, 2019
It started out great. Nabbed my attention. But then the story became all about Harper Lee’s attempt to write a book that never came to be. She was the reason this story was written. So, if you’re a Harper Lee diehard, read it. If you’re not, skip it.
June 29, 2020
I LOVED this book. Very well written and interesting throughout, and wow I’m disappointed and intrigued as to why Harper Lee did not write her novel about the reverend. Anyways, listening to thins book, i couldn’t even tell that it was non-fiction because of how interesting and intriguing the writing is.
January 19, 2025
Really more Harper Lee and less of the Devil but it was an enjoyable quick read. I truly hope they find her manuscript one day, if it still exists.
June 17, 2023
A Scribd original!! Who doesn’t love Harper Lee? She is my childhood literary hero. I read ‘to kill a mockingbird’ constantly. I even loved the black and white iconic film version. Scout and Atticus Finch, Jem and Boo Radley. It’s a masterpiece. So when seeing a novel linked to Harper Lee - how could I not be tempted to read/listen to it. The premise of the book is original…true crime, but the writing itself is so confusing. We jump around in time frames, it’s not quite a biography or memoir but also not quite a novel. And I have also seen some reflections that suggest the evidence and facts used within this retelling are also not wholly accurate. Reverend Maxwell is deplorable and had Harper Lee have actually written this into a novel it would have likely been incredible. Instead for me, this was just a smattering of suggestions for what it could be with a lot of gaps.
February 20, 2021
It wasn't terrible, but...
The story glosses over things too much for me to love it. Just when I start to become interested in something, it moves on.
Having read FURIOUS HOURS, this book feels like going to a buffet for dinner only to eat a breath mint.
5/10, would recommend only if you are someone who likes the gist or the summarization of a given topic.
The story glosses over things too much for me to love it. Just when I start to become interested in something, it moves on.
Having read FURIOUS HOURS, this book feels like going to a buffet for dinner only to eat a breath mint.
5/10, would recommend only if you are someone who likes the gist or the summarization of a given topic.
June 26, 2022
I think it is safe to safe that everyone is well aware of Harper Lee and her famous book. For the moment it is taught up and down the land and revered as one of the greatest books ever written. Although I should point out that I have never in fact actually read it only ever having seen the film. I do have every intention of doing so it's just not quite got there yet. Anyway, I'm getting distracted again the point I'm trying to make is that people are also aware that in her lifetime she only ever put out this one book. Which kinda seems strange given that it is classed as a masterpiece. One might be forgiven for thinking that after that she would have cashed in and produced a whole series of books. but that was never to be so for me I was curious as to why. What happened that just made her stop as it would seem. I'm also a sucker for a true-crime novel so getting two mysteries for the price of one seemed like a double win to me.
Seal clearly set out on a mission when writing this book, to solve the mystery of a woman who seemed to have been a very private and self-contained individual in life. Throughout the course of this book, my understanding of her most certainly grew beyond the scant detail that had been floating about in my brain. But this is by no means an in-depth look into her life. At a hundred and nineteen pages what we get is a snapshot dealing with a very specific event that took place. And I can see why this trial appealed to Lee. It has all the scandal and drama one might hope for from a great tv soap or the latest thriller. She was also someone who took extensive notes on everything she thought might be relevant to future endeavors. I can only imagine that there must have been stacks of it upon her death. This also begs the question as to what happened to it all. Sadly one that was not answered within this book. But what it does mean is that whilst this case may not be so well known there is documentation available for Seal to give us a fairly good idea of what took place on that fateful day.
For such a short book I did find it very entering, the author has managed to cram a great deal in and I flew through it in no time at all. I suppose it was inevitable that more time would be given over to the crime for which she returned to her home town. And it's interesting to see why she thought this might be her next big work all be it turned into fiction. At its heart, I think it still has some of the ugly fundamentals of the human experience to it. Greed and suffering, a need for revenge and to somehow set the scales level again in a world that can defiantly be brutal at times. It seems to me that had she gone forward with the writing of this novel that it would no doubt have been another best seller. But maybe the point is she could never in her own head come up with something as grand as To Kill A Mockingbird again. I would assume when your very first book is being heralded as a classic in your own lifetime the worry is you will never do anything to top it.
In the short time, I spent with this book I felt I not only learnt some things about Lee but also learned about a crime that I suspect for many hasn't even registered on their radar. Victims who are forgotten to history. For me as a true-crime work, I think it's definitely worth picking up a copy. If on the other hand, you are looking for a bit more of a deep dive into Harper Lee you may find yourself left a little disappointed.
Seal clearly set out on a mission when writing this book, to solve the mystery of a woman who seemed to have been a very private and self-contained individual in life. Throughout the course of this book, my understanding of her most certainly grew beyond the scant detail that had been floating about in my brain. But this is by no means an in-depth look into her life. At a hundred and nineteen pages what we get is a snapshot dealing with a very specific event that took place. And I can see why this trial appealed to Lee. It has all the scandal and drama one might hope for from a great tv soap or the latest thriller. She was also someone who took extensive notes on everything she thought might be relevant to future endeavors. I can only imagine that there must have been stacks of it upon her death. This also begs the question as to what happened to it all. Sadly one that was not answered within this book. But what it does mean is that whilst this case may not be so well known there is documentation available for Seal to give us a fairly good idea of what took place on that fateful day.
For such a short book I did find it very entering, the author has managed to cram a great deal in and I flew through it in no time at all. I suppose it was inevitable that more time would be given over to the crime for which she returned to her home town. And it's interesting to see why she thought this might be her next big work all be it turned into fiction. At its heart, I think it still has some of the ugly fundamentals of the human experience to it. Greed and suffering, a need for revenge and to somehow set the scales level again in a world that can defiantly be brutal at times. It seems to me that had she gone forward with the writing of this novel that it would no doubt have been another best seller. But maybe the point is she could never in her own head come up with something as grand as To Kill A Mockingbird again. I would assume when your very first book is being heralded as a classic in your own lifetime the worry is you will never do anything to top it.
In the short time, I spent with this book I felt I not only learnt some things about Lee but also learned about a crime that I suspect for many hasn't even registered on their radar. Victims who are forgotten to history. For me as a true-crime work, I think it's definitely worth picking up a copy. If on the other hand, you are looking for a bit more of a deep dive into Harper Lee you may find yourself left a little disappointed.
May 24, 2020
The Devil and Harper Lee
This novel is set in the 1970's when a mysterious man captivates and terrorized a small community. This individual is an elegant and charismatic priest when rumours are forming that he is preaching on Sunday and killing on Monday. While this is happening in Alabama, one of American's most beloved writers is about to be swiped up and dragged into the strange and captivating story of Reverend Willie J. Maxwell.
When the modern day classic of To Kill a Mockingbird, is formulating her next story and is unsure of the subject for this. The perfect idea was dropped in her lap and this involved no other than Reverend Willie j. Maxwell. She hears the story of a preacher who is rumour to killing 5 members of his own family and the way that he has been able to collect sizeable amount of money as a result of life insurance policies that he has taken out in the victim's name. This tale as elements of dark magic - including voodoo - which the preacher using to his advantage and helps him evade being held responsible for the deaths.
Once Harper Lee has heard this she knows that she is set to return to her home town Alexander City, Alabama. She spends several months fitting into the community and getting to know the individuals again - people she remembers from her childhood - and this result in her to be able to pull together the pieces of the puzzle. Once she has collected these puzzle pieces she is able to give this horrific tale the time and attention that it needs. However she does not completed the book and she drops the story with no explanation - Why?
This is when the author of this book picks up the scent and follows the chain of evidence so that he can finish the work that Harper Lee has started. To do this he has to follow the breadcrumbs of the previous investigation and this novel is a reflection of one of his idles Harper Lee.
This novel includes some of the key players in the morbid and astonishing tale and describes the way that these characters have characteristics of the characters in To Kill A Mockingbird. He finds that there is evidence that she has writing something on the story however she up and leaves without finishing the story.
His writing style is perfect for this novel as he uses description throughout the to help build the story and helps you to see both his and Harper Lee's investigation but he does go off tangent. While he is in the town that the surreal story is based there is another murder which has resulted in the killer gaining insurance payout and then you find that there is crime happening in the same manner. I like the way this book reads as is very similar to the writing style of Harper Lee. However this is not one of my favourite novels. I would recommend this to a reader who likes Harper Lees but there is so many other authors i would pick first for this type of book. I find that the author rambles and goes of off track when writing this book and this is the main reason that i didn't enjoy the book from chapter 20. Unfortunately this is one of the books that i have to put on dislike pile in my reading in 2020.
This novel is set in the 1970's when a mysterious man captivates and terrorized a small community. This individual is an elegant and charismatic priest when rumours are forming that he is preaching on Sunday and killing on Monday. While this is happening in Alabama, one of American's most beloved writers is about to be swiped up and dragged into the strange and captivating story of Reverend Willie J. Maxwell.
When the modern day classic of To Kill a Mockingbird, is formulating her next story and is unsure of the subject for this. The perfect idea was dropped in her lap and this involved no other than Reverend Willie j. Maxwell. She hears the story of a preacher who is rumour to killing 5 members of his own family and the way that he has been able to collect sizeable amount of money as a result of life insurance policies that he has taken out in the victim's name. This tale as elements of dark magic - including voodoo - which the preacher using to his advantage and helps him evade being held responsible for the deaths.
Once Harper Lee has heard this she knows that she is set to return to her home town Alexander City, Alabama. She spends several months fitting into the community and getting to know the individuals again - people she remembers from her childhood - and this result in her to be able to pull together the pieces of the puzzle. Once she has collected these puzzle pieces she is able to give this horrific tale the time and attention that it needs. However she does not completed the book and she drops the story with no explanation - Why?
This is when the author of this book picks up the scent and follows the chain of evidence so that he can finish the work that Harper Lee has started. To do this he has to follow the breadcrumbs of the previous investigation and this novel is a reflection of one of his idles Harper Lee.
This novel includes some of the key players in the morbid and astonishing tale and describes the way that these characters have characteristics of the characters in To Kill A Mockingbird. He finds that there is evidence that she has writing something on the story however she up and leaves without finishing the story.
His writing style is perfect for this novel as he uses description throughout the to help build the story and helps you to see both his and Harper Lee's investigation but he does go off tangent. While he is in the town that the surreal story is based there is another murder which has resulted in the killer gaining insurance payout and then you find that there is crime happening in the same manner. I like the way this book reads as is very similar to the writing style of Harper Lee. However this is not one of my favourite novels. I would recommend this to a reader who likes Harper Lees but there is so many other authors i would pick first for this type of book. I find that the author rambles and goes of off track when writing this book and this is the main reason that i didn't enjoy the book from chapter 20. Unfortunately this is one of the books that i have to put on dislike pile in my reading in 2020.
February 3, 2020
This is pretty interesting though not 100% what I was expecting. If anything, this book just made me wish Harper Lee had finished her novel about the Reverend because now I want to read it. But, of course, this little book is about how she never finished her novel or, if she did, how it would never be published. Stories like this case are everywhere but it's still fascinating to hear about them because it always raises the question, why did they do this? Weirdly enough, I had just read the Three Sisters in Black which is also about someone killing family members for insurance money, definitely an interesting topic. Kinda niche when it comes to true crime but if anyone has any suggestions? Also super interested in reading Furious Hours to hear more about Harper Lee's legal battles towards the end of her life, I feel so terrible for what she had to endure when all she wanted was a simple, peaceful life and to write another amazing novel like To Kill a Mockingbird.
April 24, 2020
The story itself was straight dumb, the writing sometimes contradicted itself, and I think a little too much the author praised The Great Harper Lee (who let’s be real wrote like one novel).
I am assuming the source material is sparse since the book itself is sparse.
And the book feels especially weak because the reader is almost forced to draw comparisons with In Cold Blood, which is obviously fantastic, and it makes me wonder if that’s what Harper Lee struggled with so much—the fear of possible comparisons with In Cold Blood (not to mention Mockingbird).
I am assuming the source material is sparse since the book itself is sparse.
And the book feels especially weak because the reader is almost forced to draw comparisons with In Cold Blood, which is obviously fantastic, and it makes me wonder if that’s what Harper Lee struggled with so much—the fear of possible comparisons with In Cold Blood (not to mention Mockingbird).
January 9, 2021
3.5/5 ✨
I definitely did not go into this book really understanding what it was about, but it did surprise me. The book is about the famous author Harper Lee almost wrote a book over the Alabama murder of black women that were posed as accidents. I never heard of this never released book before reading, but it was definitely very interesting.
Overall, the book was told with not enough details that could produce a better understanding of both the case and Harper Lee’s involvement. I felt scattered throughout novel and was confused half the time.
I definitely did not go into this book really understanding what it was about, but it did surprise me. The book is about the famous author Harper Lee almost wrote a book over the Alabama murder of black women that were posed as accidents. I never heard of this never released book before reading, but it was definitely very interesting.
Overall, the book was told with not enough details that could produce a better understanding of both the case and Harper Lee’s involvement. I felt scattered throughout novel and was confused half the time.
June 2, 2019
Some of it's entertaining and interesting, but mostly this book feels like 2 or 3 unfinished stories jammed together and then left without a real ending. I'll Be Gone In The Dark took an incomplete story and turned it into an amazing book, and I feel this story had a similar potential. The writing and organisation just wasn't very good. The author also changed style repeatedly and it made the whole thing feel jumbled.
September 17, 2019
This was a super interesting story that I was completely oblivious to. Of course I knew a little about Harper Lee, how she didn't publish anything substantial for over 50 years, etc. I had no idea that she pursued a fictionalized true crime case like the one that made her good friend Truman Capote so famous. Also, I had no idea that she did so much of the legwork for Capote on 'In Cold Blood'. So fascinating!
March 15, 2023
Rating: ⭐⭐
Unfortunately this book was very hard to follow due to it not being remotely chronological, whist trying to recall a true crime story. There are many fascinating moments throughout the story of Harper Lee and The Reverend both, but I found myself struggling to get to grips with where abouts we were and who was who etc.
As a whole, the story is genuinely very intriguing but I feel the author/editor did a terrible job and messed up the opportunity to create a brilliant book.
Unfortunately this book was very hard to follow due to it not being remotely chronological, whist trying to recall a true crime story. There are many fascinating moments throughout the story of Harper Lee and The Reverend both, but I found myself struggling to get to grips with where abouts we were and who was who etc.
As a whole, the story is genuinely very intriguing but I feel the author/editor did a terrible job and messed up the opportunity to create a brilliant book.
November 18, 2019
I don’t know how accurate this book it but I didn’t know Harper Lee grew up with Truman Capote and she helped him with gathering information for his “In Cold Blood” novel. Also, the true crime story she was investigating, if it’s real, is very interesting. This was just too short and seemed to be missing a lot of information.
February 25, 2020
Pretty simplistic, quick and generic true crime read. This is framed through the general angle that Harper Lee investigated the crime to write a book about it which never actually happened. I think this framing device is poor. Nothing really gives depth or empathy to most of the people and Harper Lee is just a name used to sell the majority of this book. Vaguely interesting.
April 9, 2020
This was an audible read. The individual narrating actually detracted from the story with his bland reading style. No feeling or emotion whatsoever. Reading this in hard copy is probably a better option. The story itself was quite riveting, at least what was actually written on the crime versus the process.
June 28, 2020
I started our really excited with this book. It had "Harper Lee" in the title. So naturally. But the more I read, the more disatisfied I was. I found Harper Lee's character in the book rather boring. I even got tired of the murderous revenant. But I don't hate the book. It's just bland. There are better books, but there are also worse.
October 24, 2020
A Scribd original story!!
This I enjoyed more than I thought I would, or maybe I'll always enjoy a good true crime (it's still a speculation but we can't rule it out).
Merging the lines between fiction and reality, this is about a book Harper Lee was working on before she dropped it mysteriously and never talked about.
Wish we could get answers..
This I enjoyed more than I thought I would, or maybe I'll always enjoy a good true crime (it's still a speculation but we can't rule it out).
Merging the lines between fiction and reality, this is about a book Harper Lee was working on before she dropped it mysteriously and never talked about.
Wish we could get answers..
January 11, 2021
This book is CRIMINALLY underrated simply because of it’s length (the runtime for the audiobook is under 4 hours). But it’s a captivating story with excellent writing, and because it is a Scribd original it is intentionally the approximate length of a novella. I’ll be reading more of Mark Seal’s writing!
September 19, 2022
Don’t start this book expecting a complete book about Harper Lee. Before listening to this audiobook, I’d never heard of Reverend Willie J. Maxwell. His story is very intriguing. This book seemed to be an overview rather than an examination. I may read more about this subject and thankfully, this book mentioned others.
October 13, 2022
Intriguing book, terrible narrator. So why 4 stars when the author doesn’t control who narrates? Because the publisher (Scribd) published it specifically to turn into an audiobook. I couldn’t put it down because the story was good, but I wanted to put it in the DNF pile because of the offensive accents performed by the narrator.
June 12, 2024
Quick read, but packed with information! I had no idea of the unwritten true crime book by Harper Lee and the case she covers. The research for this book was so thorough and really painted a clear picture of her writing process and struggles to complete something after To Kill a Mockingbird being so successful.
October 8, 2024
This is a scribd original story and thus only found there. It was pretty interesting, but barely held my interest. I was able to get thru it ok, and idk if I will recommend it unless you are a diehard Harper Lee fan.
Charlie Kevin is the narrator of the audiobook version of this novel. His accents and voice characterizations need improvement.
3 stars.
Charlie Kevin is the narrator of the audiobook version of this novel. His accents and voice characterizations need improvement.
3 stars.
August 26, 2025
This is a non fiction book about Harper Lee and her quest to write a follow up novel after the success of To Kill a Mockingbird. However a lot of the book is about the research she was doing into an alleged serial killer in Alabama. I thought it was really interesting how the author interwove these two stories.
May 20, 2019
A good, short introduction to an "In Cold Blood" style murder that Harper Lee had followed and several true crime books are being released on. This is a product of Scribd and was released to its subscribers. It was in the style of the basic true crime book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews