Sue H

I absolutely loved this book. For me, the hook was the true crime genre and the tie-in to Harper Lee in the title. I read it cover to cover in two days. I couldn't put it down. You can pretty much get the subject matter's gist from the other reviews, so I won't bore you with repetitive comments about the three-part storyline. As I am sure many, like myself, knew nothing of Reverend Willie Maxwell's serial killing pastime or the lawyer, Big Tom Radney, but I bet every baby boomer remembers Nelle Harper Lee's, To Kill a Mockingbird. It was fascinating to read about Maxwell, his lawyer Big Tom, and the trial of Maxwell's killer, Burns, interspersed with descriptions of local regionalism. I applauded Casey Cep's dedication to tracking down factually based presumptions since all of the story took place decades before she was born. She succeeded in writing a historical book that reads like a novel, without the tediousness of slogging through just the facts, ma'am. Cep triumphed writing about the "Reverend," where Lee either refused to or could not. Since Lee never wanted a biography written before her death, Cep's book imparted some insight into this self-imposed recluse. I have stayed away from reading To Set a Watchman because I don't believe that Nelle would have wanted it published or she would have done so decades ago. I also think that outside forces coerced its publication.---Just puttin' in my 2 cents worth there.