Deadly Relations

by Carol Donahue

A chilling account of Leonard Fagot, by two of his daughters, describes the dark side of the prominent New Orleans attorney, a man obsessed with power, who murdered two of his sons-in-law for the insurance money

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction

10 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 1, 1991

Reviews

[Melyssa Stevenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

One has to admit this family went through a lot, and although one might think it is easy to just stop caring and trying to please a parent no matter what they do it's far from the truth. My heart goes out to the family, they suffered so much at the hands of their father and his side of the family but in the end all one can do is try to move forward and pick up the pieces.

[Jennifer Hoey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read several true crime books. Some are neutral but many take on the author's biases. This one, despite being written by two sisters involved in the case was not biased at all. The sisters were at times brutally honest. They never glossed over their mistakes, never made excuses, and just told the story of their father without making him the devil. Throughout the story, you could feel the love these women had for Leonard Fagot who was a domineering, selfish, greedy, and an emotionally manipulative father and husband. He put him through he'll with his insurance scams, his threats, and his emotional blackmail. One of his victims said it best when he accused Leonard of browbeating and manipulating his wife and children to the point that he had them in his thrall. He controlled them until Joanne and Carol said NO MORE! This isn't about the case so much as it is about Leonard's wife and daughters standing up to him and putting an end to his abuse. This book was healing for Leonard's victims. His second wife, sisters, and the family members who attacked the girls for in their mind betraying their father are basically called out by the truth of who Len was and who he became in his grasp for money and power. The truth will set you free and I hope it did for this long suffering family!

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Truth can be stranger than fiction in this true-crime story written by two sisters who experienced several family tragedies.

[Kathy Krieg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sad story, but a good read. I wonder how much being in a war affected how easy it was for killing others.

[Diana Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

True crime. Written by the family. The perspective of what they felt, hindsight in events makes it a worthwhile read for people who want to know what makes people tick.

[Angela Ould Bouya · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I saw a 70s Bantam crime story I grabbed fast. Great story!

[Julie Seversin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a local so it was interesting. Simple writing style.

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was a kid when most of the story of this case took place, so I don't remember anything in the news or seeing any show about it. It's a fascinating story, although the narrative from the two daughters is a bit overwraught at times, and extremely frustrating. In particular, as the pieces started falling together and they started realizing that their father and his mistress/new wife were psychopaths, these women repeatedly put themselves in harm's way, hoping something different would happen, that things would go back to the way it'd been before. Only one of the entire family had enough common sense to put distance between her and her father as soon as the threats started, but the rest hovered around him, like moths to a flame. Even though they KNEW their father was manipulating them, they fell for it every time, and that's when they started to lose my sympathy. I stuck with the book just to find out whether or not justice was served, but even that was anti-climactic, and I came away feeling as if nobody had learned a lesson from this horrible trajedy.

If you're a fan of true-crime stories, I guess it's worth reading because it's a long-forgotten case now and a bit unique in how it pitted family members against one another. Just be prepared to occasionally yell out loud, "Wake up, woman!"

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've seen the movie to this book a few times on Lifetime Movie Network, so was interested to see whether the movie bore any relation to the facts as experienced by the people involved.

Readers of true crime will like this one, there are detailed accounts of several shocking episodes in the lives of the Fagot clan from the perspectives of two of Leonard Fagot's daughters, one intimately involved (her husband was one of her father's murder victims, and the one in whose death he was convicted of second degree murder) and the other peripherally involved (the youngest of the daughters, an outsider even while a part of the family due to the age difference between her and the older girls).

I suppose the only thing that prevented me from really liking this book was the way the Fagot daughters dwelt on their "guilt" over bringing their father to justice for murder, on how much they loved him, and how wonderful he was before he took up murdering his sons-in-law for insurance money. Then again, I don't worship my father the way these girls obviously did, so in that sense maybe it is understandable, how much emphasis they place on these feelings, because they feel they need to be expiated for their supposed disloyalty.

Still, an OK read, although I hardly ever make time for true crime.

[Stephanie Powers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read but the end really dragged on

[Laurie Tanner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the true story made into the movie starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Robert Urich. Great book!

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG !! What a great book!! Definitely in my top 3 in my whole life. A murder mystery true story based in River Ridge, Louisiana outside of New Orleans. Everyone in Louisiana has to read this book!!