Order Furious Hours in Paperback, Hardcover, as an Audiobook or an EBook.

  • One of President Barack Obama’s Favorite Books of the Year

  • Amazon’s Nonfiction Book of the Year

  • A New York Times Notable Book

  • One of the Washington Post’s Best Books of the Year

  • One of The Economist’s Best Books of the Year

  • One of TIME Magazine’s Ten Best Nonfiction Books of the Year

  • New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association’s Nonfiction Book of the Year

  • Baillie Gifford Prize for Nonfiction Shortlist

  • Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction Longlist

Reverend Willie Maxwell was a rural preacher accused of murdering five of his family members for insurance money in the 1970s. With the help of a savvy lawyer, he escaped justice for years until a relative shot him dead 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.

Now Casey Cep brings this story to life, from the shocking murders to the courtroom drama to the racial politics of the Deep South. At the same time, she offers a deeply moving portrait of one of the country’s most beloved writers and her struggle with fame, success, and the mystery of artistic creativity.

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