God'll Cut You Down

The Tangled Tale of a White Supremacist, a Black Hustler, a Murder, and How I Lost a Year in Mississippi

By: John Safran

Narrated by: Tom Bromhead

God'll Cut You Down combines an unlikely journalist, a murder case in Mississippi, and a fascinating literary true crime story in the style of Jon Ronson.

A notorious white supremacist named Richard Barrett was brutally murdered in Mississippi in 2010 by a young Black man named Vincent McGee. At first the murder seemed a twist on old Deep South race crimes. But then new revelations and complications came to light. Maybe it was a dispute over money rather than race - or, maybe and intriguingly, over sex.

John Safran, a young White Jewish Australian documentarian, had been in Mississippi and interviewed Barrett for a film on race. When he learned of Barrett's murder, he returned to find out what happened and became caught up in the twists and turns of the case. During his time in Mississippi, Safran got deeper and deeper into this gothic southern world, becoming entwined in the lives of those connected with the murder - white separatist frenemies, Black lawyers, police investigators, oddball neighbors, the stunned families, even the killer himself. And the more he talked with them, the less simple the crime - and the people involved - seemed to be. In the end, he discovered how profoundly and indelibly complex the truth about someone's life - and death - can be.

This is a brilliant, haunting, hilarious, unsettling story about race, money, sex, and power in the modern American South from an outsider's point of view.

©2014 John Safran (P)2014 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Quite enjoyable

Narrator was perfect. Books gave this Yankee a real sense of Mississippi for better and worse.

It was okay

The book wasn't horrible but it wasn't great. It was funny in parts but the ending left you wondering exactly what happened. It wasn't totally clear. I know the author took some liberties in writing the book and its style of writing made it almost seem like it was fictional when in fact it was real. It was a different type of true crime book than I expected. However, I still recommend it. You might see things differently.

Just ok

Entertaining enough, but not the most interesting of cases.
Also the southern accents were a little cringe-y and the mispronunciation of Jewish things (unless that’s maybe how they’re pronounced in Australia for some reason) was distracting.

I’m hoping some of Safran’s other stuff comes to audible though! Actually was search for hi new book on vaping that I heard about on the little dum dum podcast.

Awful awful awful narrator

Why why? The narration is so awful the story is fine the narrator sounds like he trying to make every sentence a joke even the not funny ones I hate it.

Quirky in a good way

I like true crime books and have read hundreds. This one really stands out , as it was done so differently. Told with a bit of humor when describing some of the odd assortment of characters in the story, it's well worth a listen. An added bonus is the author's accent reading the book.
Interesting story, well written and well read.

Loved feeling like I was learning with Safran!

I got to the end and felt like John's research and now experience in writing a true crime book taught me how to go after something I am passionate about and give it a try. It might be brilliant! And certainly an experience you will never forget! Great story.

An excellent rollicking examination of he genre

This book is unputdownable. So many fascinating angles and john safran himself, his insatiable curiosity and his ability to remain dispassionate enough to allow a variety of voices and perspectives to peep through his own. I really enjoyed this and the fellow who read it was awesome! All of safran's energy without the whiny voice.

Unexpectedly good!

Initially i thought the reader would be too inappropriate for a true crime novel. This book is very different from the normal true crime. Safran is likable, hilarious and it's quite fascinating to go on his authorship journey with him in Jackson.

Great Rookie

To be his first book, John Safran did an amazing job!!! Although the subjects he covered weren't funny he managed to make me laugh throughout the story!

Safran’s most entertaining work.

I listened to a friend of mine reading excerpts from this book when it came out and it sounded intriguing. I never ended up figuring out what it was he was reading back then and I’m quite glad to find this here.
Bromhead really brings to life Safran’s work with his expressiveness.