Investigation into ‘elder abuse’ claim over new Harper Lee novel

Alabama investigators have responded to a claim of possible elder abuse related to the upcoming publication of the second novel by Harper Lee, the 88-year-old author of To Kill a Mockingbird, the New York Times reported.

The Times, citing a source with knowledge of the probe, said officials interviewed Lee in February as well as employees of her assisted living facility, named the Meadows, and some of her friends following an unspecified complaint tied to the publication of Go Set a Watchman.

The complainant is said to be from a doctor who believes Lee is infirm. She suffered a stroke in 2007 which caused her vision and hearing problems.