an alabama official says a state agency has closed an inquiry into whether the deal to publish harper lee's upcoming novel involved financial fraud some in lee's hometown of monroeville questioned whether the 88 year old to kill a mockingbird author was capable of consenting to the second novel's publication she has only ever released the one novel, in 1960, which was a pulitzer prize winner and resounding literary classic, and has repeatedly refused to release anything anything over the last 50 years after publisher hapercollins announced a second book   go set a watchman, which was written before to kill a mockingbird but is set 20 years afterward   a longtime friend came forward claiming lee is mostly deaf, blind and in poor health others questioned whether her mental health was sound enough to make such a decision scroll down for video  cleared: controversy over the mental state of author harper lee   which has raged since it was announced last month she would publish a second book more than half a century after to kill a mockingbird   has been quelled followed an investigation in her hometown of monroeville, alabama  however alabama securities commission director joseph borg said thursday his agency reviewed the matter at the department of human resources' request, and that lee answered questions to an investigator's satisfaction they have since closed the file a high ranking state official said dhr opened its investigation after the second novel's announcement the status of the dhr investigation was unclear the official wasn't authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity the new york times reported this week that investigators interviewed staff at the meadows assisted living facility where lee resides, as well as friends and acquaintances a doctor who asked to remain anonymous said he had filed a complaint after knowing lee for two years and believing her infirm investigator: interviewed staff at the meadows assisted living facility where lee resides, as well as friends and acquaintances  he said he had been told she was mostly incapable of communication such investigations can involve law enforcement if financial exploitation can be shown one person speaking to the times anonymously said lee seemed to understand the investigators and give clear responses as the investigation continues, people have argued for several different pictures of lee: funny, depressed, witty, confused, or even varying from day to day she reportedly had a stroke in 2007 resulting in health and vision problems 'it’s a call only god or a doctor can make,' attorney philip sanchez, who was a pallbearer for older sister alice's funeral, told the times i am more concerned that nelle is content than the discussion of her cognizance' accounts of lee's mental and physical state have been contradictory over the last few years, but intensified recently after harpercollins announced her second book,  a friend of lee, wayne flynt, said he visited her recently and found her mentally cogent but he agreed she had some health issues, telling him 'i'm not so sure anymore,' in response to a congratulations on the new book lee has only given statements about the novel through her attorney, tonja b carter carter handled the book deal and declined to respond to interview requests lee wrote the book, go set a watchman, in the 1950s it was first submitted to publishers before to kill a mockingbird and is considered her earliest work the manuscript was presumed lost, according to reports, but was found last year it centers around mockingbird's protagonist, scout, returning to maycomb after 20 years
more than 50 years last year the 1950s 88 last month 2007 alabama securities commission lee mockingbird
publisher hapercollins announced new book by lee, 88, last month  many questioned whether she wanted to follow up to her classic 'to kill a mockingbird' after more than 50 years of rejecting such offers  accounts of lee's health have often been contradictory  she suffered a stroke in 2007, impairing her mental health and vision  alabama securities commission launched a case  investigators say she answered their questions satisfactorily  go set a watchman was written before mockingbird in the 1950s  the manuscript was presumed lost but turned up last year 