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The Devil at His Elbow: Alex Murdaugh and the Fall of a Southern Dynasty
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “The definitive account of the Murdaugh murders. Forget the podcasts, the TV specials, and the documentaries—this is the version of the story you’ll want to read. And once you pick it up, you won’t be able to put it down.”—John Carreyrou, Pulitzer Prize winner and bestselling author of Bad Blood
Power, privilege, and blood—this is the true story of Alex Murdaugh’s violent downfall, from a veteran Wall Street Journal reporter who has become an authority on the case.
Alex Murdaugh was a benevolent dictator—the president of the South Carolina trial lawyers’ association, a political boss, a part-time prosecutor, and a partner in his family’s law firm. He was always ready with a favor, a drink, and an invitation to Moselle, his family’s 1,700-acre hunting estate. The Murdaugh name ignited respect—and fear—for a hundred miles.
When he murdered his wife, Maggie, and son Paul at Moselle on a dark summer night, the fragile façade of Alex’s world could no longer hold. His forefathers had covered up a midnight suicide at a remote railroad crossing, a bootlegging ring run from a courthouse, and the attempted murder of a pregnant lover. Alex, too, almost walked away from his unspeakable crimes with his reputation intact, but his downfall was secured by a twist of fate, some stray mistakes, and a fateful decision by an old friend who’d finally seen enough.
Why would a man who had everything kill his wife and grown son? To unwind the roots of Alex’s ruin, award-winning journalist Valerie Bauerlein reported not just from the courthouse every day but also along the backroads and through the tidal marshes of South Carolina’s Lowcountry. When the jurors made their pilgrimage to the crime scene, trying to envision Maggie and Paul’s last moments, she walked right behind them, sensing the ghosts that haunt the Murdaughs’ now-shattered legacy.
Through masterful research and cinematic writing, The Devil at His Elbow is a transporting journey through Alex’s life, the night of the murders, and the investigation that culminated in a trial that held tens of millions spellbound. With her stunning insights and fearless instinct for the truth, Bauerlein uncovers layers of the Murdaugh murder case that have not been told.
Power, privilege, and blood—this is the true story of Alex Murdaugh’s violent downfall, from a veteran Wall Street Journal reporter who has become an authority on the case.
Alex Murdaugh was a benevolent dictator—the president of the South Carolina trial lawyers’ association, a political boss, a part-time prosecutor, and a partner in his family’s law firm. He was always ready with a favor, a drink, and an invitation to Moselle, his family’s 1,700-acre hunting estate. The Murdaugh name ignited respect—and fear—for a hundred miles.
When he murdered his wife, Maggie, and son Paul at Moselle on a dark summer night, the fragile façade of Alex’s world could no longer hold. His forefathers had covered up a midnight suicide at a remote railroad crossing, a bootlegging ring run from a courthouse, and the attempted murder of a pregnant lover. Alex, too, almost walked away from his unspeakable crimes with his reputation intact, but his downfall was secured by a twist of fate, some stray mistakes, and a fateful decision by an old friend who’d finally seen enough.
Why would a man who had everything kill his wife and grown son? To unwind the roots of Alex’s ruin, award-winning journalist Valerie Bauerlein reported not just from the courthouse every day but also along the backroads and through the tidal marshes of South Carolina’s Lowcountry. When the jurors made their pilgrimage to the crime scene, trying to envision Maggie and Paul’s last moments, she walked right behind them, sensing the ghosts that haunt the Murdaughs’ now-shattered legacy.
Through masterful research and cinematic writing, The Devil at His Elbow is a transporting journey through Alex’s life, the night of the murders, and the investigation that culminated in a trial that held tens of millions spellbound. With her stunning insights and fearless instinct for the truth, Bauerlein uncovers layers of the Murdaugh murder case that have not been told.
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Community Reviews
I went in thinking that this would be a book on the study of the infamous South Carolina attorney and murderer Alex Murdaugh, but it was so much more. Author Valerie Bauerlein dives deep into the entire history of this family. Dating back to the 1800’s to present day, spanning over four generations of Murtaugh’s. All of the trauma, deceit, lies and intimidation this family has caused is mind blowing.
Their southern hospitality was known all over the county. They would give you the shirt off their back, some said. But behind closed doors they harbored deep, dark secrets. Each decade and each generation had their own scandals including embezzlement, money laundering, suspicious deaths, outright murder, and fraud but Alex Murdaugh completely outdid all of them.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more from this author. True Crime lovers, I would add this to your TBR list now, it is really worth it. There is a lot of information to swallow, but Valerie Bauerlein does an incredible job with her timelines to help us devour it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Their southern hospitality was known all over the county. They would give you the shirt off their back, some said. But behind closed doors they harbored deep, dark secrets. Each decade and each generation had their own scandals including embezzlement, money laundering, suspicious deaths, outright murder, and fraud but Alex Murdaugh completely outdid all of them.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more from this author. True Crime lovers, I would add this to your TBR list now, it is really worth it. There is a lot of information to swallow, but Valerie Bauerlein does an incredible job with her timelines to help us devour it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Enjoyed this book so much! I discovered the Murdaughs through the Netflix documentary and this book is like a well-researched deep dive for someone who wants to learn more. It's engaging and thorough, and I love that it includes the family history. Highly recommend!
I enjoyed this book! Especially because the author didn't get too wrapped up in the legal aspects of the crimes. She stuck to the facts re: the family legacy and to the facts of the crimes committed by the Murdaugh family.
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