The literary world exploded with excitement when Harper Lee announced the release of a sequel to her legendary 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird, to be titled Go Set a Watchman.

However, since the February announcement, doubts have been raised as to Ms Lee’s motivation for penning the anticipated follow-up, with some fearing she may have been forced to release the title against her will.

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The now 88-year-old author is currently residing in an assisted-living facility and the state of Alabama is investigating whether she has been the subject of elder-care abuse.

According to Time, fans are suspicious due to Lee’s lengthy absence from the spotlight and her failing health following a 2007 stroke.

A friend of the novelist to The Guardian he had been contacted by investigators to discuss Lee’s welfare.

According to The New York Times, the investigation into Ms Lee’s welfare has been ongoing since February and investigators have spoken to Ms Lee herself and employees at the facility where she resides.

Go Set a Watchman is reportedly the result of Lee’s author, Tonja Carter, stumbling upon an unpublished manuscript and gaining Lee’s consent to publish it through HarperCollins.

In a statement following the book’s announcement, Ms Carter said the author was “hurt and humiliated” by suggestions she had been duped into publishing the novel for monetary gains.