Rural preacher Willie Maxwell was accused of murdering five of his family members, but with the help of a savvy lawyer, he escaped justice for years—until a relative assassinated him at the funeral of his last victim. Despite hundreds of witnesses, Maxwell's murderer was acquitted. Sitting in the audience during the trial was Harper Lee, who spent a year in town trying to finish a book on the subject. Casey Cep brings this remarkable story to life, while offering a deeply moving portrait of one of our most revered writers.