Goat Castle is an extremely well written tale of a long forgotten murder and a painful reminder of the racism that is unfortunately sprinkled in the history of the south.

True crime reading is not really my thing and yet this book premise and cover caught my attention as it was set in 1932 Natchez, Mississippi and told the true story of Jennie Surget Merrill, a women who once belonged to a society where While Mansions, wealth, Souther aristocracy and plantations were all part of her life. Now a recluse, a brutal shooting rocks Natchez and the case become known as the Goat Castle Murder.

Extremely well researched and so much history about the South and the South Cotton culture and and characters involved in this case. I got a little bogged down with all the background information on all the characters and second half of the book did drag but overall an interesting and informative read and I really enjoyed reading about the Souther culture and the architecture of the South.

My thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Six people, four white two black. The distinction of race is important because this is Matched, the old south. Jim Crow laws were in effect. A black women's word meant nothing, and a white woman's, no matter how eccentric she was, meant everything.
Goat Castle, thus named because the two occupants let their goats and chicken have free rein of their house. This house becomed the main setting of the book. Mainly because two of the murderers live there. They are able to exploit their idiosyncrasies and profit from them. All of this because of the murder of a woman of class, that was an unfortunate neighbor.
A well written book, interesting. Keeps a good solid pace. I would definitely recommend it.
5 Stard

Truth really is stranger than fiction, not sure this would be believable as a novel but it's a true story that hooks you early on. The event being looked into is the the murder of a daughter to one of the richest men in America back in the early 1930s in the deep south when slavery had been abolished but not attitudes. The Goat Castle case as it got named was national news for a long time partly because of the victim and partly due to the characters that would be considered to far fetch to believe even in a Charlie Chaplin film or Laurel and Hardy at times, only this is definitely not a comedy but a true event. Karen Cox has dug deep done her research and some more to bring us this book a true story where she introduces the people then the facts of the case. Your innocence was more defined by skin than fact, a lady or the Goat Lady as she becomes known is born well before her time she would probably be a PR or Jounalist of incredible renown today, but definitely not a hotel owner or house keeper. This book did take a little getting into but you do need the start to what becomes a incredible book that is almost impossible to put down, I guess innocence even today is viewed by what you see and what you believe but this goes deep into attitudes of the time where the guilty are treated differently because of skin rather than fact, At the time the facts would be that a prisoner could be set free because the public out cry generated by press as opposed to now where Social Media tends to direct people, how ever now a smart attorney can sometimes get a guilty person freedom, and you will see this isn't a new phenomenon. This is a book I highly recommend one of which you will not find else where another that is truly alike in my opinion.
I received a free copy of this from NetGalley for a honest review.

Goat Castle was narrated from the author's point of view in a somewhat drawn out "newspaper like" article. The author told the story of the tragic case of the "Goat Castle" murder in Natchez, Mississippi. It is a non fiction book which was researched very carefully. I have never read any other books from the author, Karen Cox. However, I can tell that this author does her research!

The author gives much background about Miss Merrill (the victim) and everyone surrounding her murder. After quite a bit of background about each individual, the author tells the strange story of a old maid - Jennie Merrill and her feuding neighbours who were nicknamed "wild man" and the "goat woman".

I did not particularly care for this book. I found the story interesting enough, but I felt like I had to wade through lots of details that I didn't particularly care about in order to read the actual story. I had never heard about this crime. I think that if I had previously heard about the crime, I may have been more interesting in reading more of the details of each person involved. I personally thought there was too much extraneous details.

I would encourage others who already know about this story and are interested in learning specific details to read this book.

This book will give you a completely different view of the old south, it links you to the distant past with the southern belles of yesterday and the change their lives and family history take as one of the worst parts of American history is retold through this story. The writing gives a vivid picture of the two opposing families and their background from where they came to where they are now. I found myself questioning how I would react in that time given the same circumstances, if I were to be in the position of the town folk, I would hope I would react differently and be blind to color or circumstances, but one never really can know until they are in that situation. This book shows the stark contrast between the rich and poor, slave and master/land owner. The differences in culture and the very things that makes us all human. Very good book, it makes you take stock in what your own beliefs are and gives you a different way to view things, that maybe you never thought of before.

Goat Castle: A True Story of Murder, Race, and the Gothic South
by Karen L. Cox

The true crime account of a gothic Southern murder which happened during the Great Depression in the Old South as told by Karen L. Cox was a book I could not stop reading.
The characters in the story are unique to the declining Old South after the Civil War, but I knew nothing about “Goat Castle” when I requested the book from netgalley. The investigation is both a fascinating and thought provoking examination of race relations in the south decades after the end of the Civil War.

The ironic scam that Richard Dana and Octavia Dockery were able to perpetuate on the American public, claiming to be fallen "white" gentry as the Goat Woman and Wild Man is an amazing story. The Jim Crow laws allowed the case to take a turn in 1932 that should be impossible today, yet the details of the investigation in 1932 surprised me. Even though they did not follow the trail, the fingerprint identification was impressive. Octavia Dockery was way ahead of her time with her expertise in throwing people off guard through proposed lawsuits.

The sociological implications of the aftermath of the Civil War are accurately described in Natchez, Mississippi in 1932. The decline of huge southern plantations and the forgotten days of “Gone With The Wind” are realities, and the scramble to survive the depression make harsh reality of daily life. Life was hard for black citizens even though they gained their freedom. Life also changed for the wealthy white slave owners who had to adjust to a loss of both physical land and slave property.

Jennie Merrill was the murder victim and the wealthy daughter of a former plantation owner. This crime, like so many others, was poorly planned and conceived in anger. Had they done any research they would have learned that she did not keep large amounts of money in her home and several lives would have been changed. Greed caused her death, but the murderers received no monetary award from their actions.

African- American George Pearls is the perpetrator of the crime, yet his untimely death hides more than it solves. Dockery and Dana resulted in getting away with the crime scot-free.

One person who seems to have been forgotten in other accounts is Emily Burns who was an "acquaintance" of George Pearls and the daughter of a former slave. Both Emily and her mother spent months in jail while Richard Dana and Octavia Dockery were able to avoid it. Emily Burns was a convenient scape-goat who was in the wrong place at the right time. Emily ended up spending eight hard years in prison before being released. Yet she was grateful and survived the ordeal.

This true story would be a great book to pair with novels or short stories about the American Justice System and how it has evolved.

I received a copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I think that this book is a great read that really shows you into the world of racism and racial profiling. It showed the dark seedy underbelly of being someone of color in the south. There is almost no proof that the alleged killers in the book did the crime but because of their race and status they are accused and convicted. The story gives you many twists and turns and the thing that makes it that much better is that it is all factual and actually happened. I definitely recommend this book to others looking for a nonfiction read that deals with a murder as well as the past of those living in the south.

A well written study of a case deeply reflective of the South and the racial divide.

Goat Castle is a true and compelling story of a dark era in Southern history as it serves as an example of the disastrous effects of the Jim Crow South. In the mid-1930s the murder of the wealthy, eccentric Jennie Merrill received national attention because the prime suspects were her neighbors, the Wild Man and Goat Woman of Goat Castle, so named because goats and other animals lived in the ruins of an historic plantation. However, due to a twist in circumstances and a change in public opinion, the only person to serve time for the murder was a young, Black woman, who was not even in the house during the murder.
This book is well-researched and the author's research supports her conclusion that there was a serious mistrial of justice, much of it due to the way the media portrayed the Wild Man and Goat Woman, who became celebrities in the press.
I had never heard of this case but the title and description of the book intrigued me as I've become more interested in Southern history upon moving south. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Southern history.

all i can say is wow, a great book to read going to pass it on to all my friends

Prior to reading Goat Castle , I had never heard of the "Goat Caste" or the murder of Jennie Merrill which was said to be the Crime of the Century. I love stories about history and this one was a great read.

Reading this without knowing anything about it made it very interesting. We learn about the murder of Jennie Merrill. She was shot, killed and her home was ransacked. Her body was found on the grounds outside her house where the murderer(s) pulled and left her body. One's race became an issue when it came to determining the "who done it" of a crime. If you were a person of color you were presumed guilty whether or not you were involved in the crime but you simply were around or knew something about the crime.

One of the suspects, Emily Burns, was placed on trial and her defense knowing about the crime was she said she received information from reading newspapers and that she did not participate in the crime. Race also impacted the jurors verdict, they were "persuaded to find guilty even if the evidence point to not guilty."

There were pictures throughout the book that made it interesting to read. Seeing pictures of the people involved was nice to have a face to the name. Also, I was surprised of some of the living conditions during this time.

The book ,at first, was a little slow paced for me, but as I was reading I was able to stick with it and enjoyed it. I am happy that I was given the opportunity to read Goat Castle , I learned about a part of history that I had not known about before.

Fascinating! I never hear of this murder in Natchez.. For the eclectic reader, maybe more popular for those who like southern literature. Doubtful my readers would care for it, but I could be wrong!

An outstanding book! It reads like the very best of Southern Gothic literature, but it is actually a true story. Faulkner could not have crafted such a story with such incredibly eccentric characters. Additionally, the author captures the time period with everything it includes impeccably. It is a book that I will incorporate into my classroom. I highly recommend it!

Thus book is just crazy. I can't believe I never heard of this before. Karen L. Cox does a great job bringing Goat Castle to life. I can see why the murder attracted national attention. It also brings to light how the Jim Crow south reacted to crimes. It's definitely a must read for true crime fans.

I am the publisher of this book conducting a test. This review will not appear online.

"Goat Castle" by Karen L Cox is not only an investigation of a murder that happened during the Great Depression in the Old South but also a fascinating and thought provoking examination of race relations during the decades after the end of the Civil War.
There are a few books about the Goat Castle Murder but they are incomplete and do not know the whole story. They usually center on Richard Dana and Octavia Dockery who were the residents of Goat Castle and fallen "white" gentry, and to a lesser degree on Jennie Merrill who was the murder victim and the daughter of a former plantation owner. They also stress the guilt of African- American George Pearls as the perpetrator of the crime. Much is said of the fact that the Goat Castle residents were unfairly accused of this crime but Karen L Cox did much research going through court records and other research to bring forth other people involved in this ultimately very sad story and evidence that was overlooked.
One who seems to have been lost to history is Emily Burns who was an "acquaintance" of George Pearls and the daughter of a former slave. Both Emily and her mother spent months in jail while Richard Dana and Octavia Dockery were able to avoid it. What has been lost to history is the fact that Dana and Dockery's fingerprints were found inside of the house where the crime was committed. Dockery/Dana and Merrill absolutely detested each other to the point where police were called and there were numerous legal issues on both sides for years which makes fingerprints very suspicious. Jennie Merrill definitely would not have invited either one for "tea". The fingerprint specialist was not able to be "found" which was very convenient for Dockery and Dana's case during the trial which resulted in their getting away with the crime scot-free. Pearls was shot and killed and convicted posthumously for the crime. Someone still needed to be punished for the crime and it seems that Emily Burns was a convenient scape-goat. That isn't to say she was innocent. She got involved with the wrong people and was the lookout while the crime was committed but she was not the one who pulled the trigger or planned the crime. Emily ended up spending eight hard years in prison before being released. Dana and Dockery not only got away with the crime but also made money from their notoriety. All in all, this wonderful book shows the decline of the Old South after the Civil War and how African-Americans still had a very long way to go for their freedom.
I can't stress enough how wonderful this book was to read. I stayed up late to read and was reluctant to put it down. What strikes me the most is that justice was not truly done for the murder of Jennie Merrill and the descendants of former slaves really did not have their freedom or equal rights. My heart aches for Emily Burns for taking the full brunt for Dana and Dockery's crime which they planned and also I admire her grace after she was released and the life she led. I am so glad that Ms. Cox uncovered Emily's story and has set the record straight. She has also brought to light the prejudice and injustice that still prevails in the South to this day but this book is a fascinating account of a very interesting and important time in the history of the Old South.
Highly recommended.
I received a copy of this book from the publishers (thank you!) via Netgalley for free in exchange for an honest review.