What do you think?
Rate this book
The Family Man: Blood and Betrayal in the House of Murdaugh
An immersive account of a seemingly loving father’s transformation into family annihilator.
In March 2023, Alex Murdaugh was found guilty of murdering his wife and younger son at Moselle, their home in South Carolina’s Lowcountry. In The Family Man, James Lasdun takes a new angle on this story of corruption in high places, massive fraud, opioid abuse, fake suicides, suspicious accidents, and the generational recklessness of the wealthy legal dynasty at its center. The acclaimed novelist brings his long-standing interest in the darker drives of the human psyche to investigate the events leading up to the slaughter at Moselle, examining Murdaugh through original interviews with those involved in the case, transcripts of phone calls Murdaugh made from prison, the literature of criminal psychology, and the murder trial itself. Deeply researched, sharply written, and with the page-turning intensity of a Southern gothic novel, The Family Man constructs a masterful portrait of Murdaugh and the mind-boggling crimes that wreaked havoc on his community in the Lowcountry.
In March 2023, Alex Murdaugh was found guilty of murdering his wife and younger son at Moselle, their home in South Carolina’s Lowcountry. In The Family Man, James Lasdun takes a new angle on this story of corruption in high places, massive fraud, opioid abuse, fake suicides, suspicious accidents, and the generational recklessness of the wealthy legal dynasty at its center. The acclaimed novelist brings his long-standing interest in the darker drives of the human psyche to investigate the events leading up to the slaughter at Moselle, examining Murdaugh through original interviews with those involved in the case, transcripts of phone calls Murdaugh made from prison, the literature of criminal psychology, and the murder trial itself. Deeply researched, sharply written, and with the page-turning intensity of a Southern gothic novel, The Family Man constructs a masterful portrait of Murdaugh and the mind-boggling crimes that wreaked havoc on his community in the Lowcountry.
428 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 5, 2026
About the author
James Lasdun
42 books151 followersJames Lasdun was born in London and now lives in upstate New York. He has published two novels as well as several collections of short stories and poetry. He has been long-listed for the Man Booker Prize and short-listed for the Los Angeles Times, T. S. Eliot, and Forward prizes in poetry; and he was the winner of the inaugural U.K./BBC Short Story Prize. His nonfiction has been published in Harper’s Magazine, Granta, and the London Review of Books.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
May 23, 2026
There are a lot of books available on the Murdaugh murders, which I followed in the news for a while when they first occurred. There was a lot going on in the news, though, and I didn't seek out many details. This book was highly reviewed by a publication I trust, even compared to Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, a book I quite enjoyed and should read again. But I'm here to tell you, James Lasdun is no Truman Capote. He's not even Ann Rule.
The case itself is almost simple. A man, Alex Murdaugh, lacking basic human feelings, steals from his law clients, murders his wife and son, and later fakes an attempt on his own life to draw suspicion away from himself. There is extensive coverage here of the crime scenes and trials with abundant information on how it all went down.
The problem is the persistent author inserts. Sometimes he's a reporter, sometimes he's a detective, sometimes he's just a bewildered husband and father, but always always always he's in there trying to find the real reasons behind the many crimes, because he can't imagine committing them himself so it must not have happened that way. We also hear too much about a work of fiction he got stuck on because he couldn't put himself in the shoes of his own murderous protagonist. A guy who literally can't believe that people can and do murder their own closest family is not the guy to be writing this book. He throws in a lot of "insight" from literature to prove he went to college, and lectures us endlessly on "family annihilators", a term I strongly suspect he learned while writing this book because he does not understand it and it does not fit this case. Don't take my word for it. He cites multiple cases of family annihilators for comparison and none of them are anything like the Murdaugh murders. Somehow the author fails to see this and it's a glaring oversight.
Because I can be tedious as well, I will explain. Family annihilators annihilate their families. Completely and utterly destroy. Among the examples he cited are a man who took his wife and younger child to visit his older child at college so he could kill all of them, including himself, in the hotel room, and a man who, after murdering his wife and two young children, drove across town to murder his parents before returning home, taking sleeping pills, and setting the house on fire. Another man killed everyone in his household and set fire to the house after blocking the driveway to ensure he wouldn't be rescued.
Alex Murdaugh, on the other hand, murdered his wife and younger son to buy time and sympathy before his fraud and embezzlement came to light. He did not call his older son to the family home to kill him as well. He did not kill himself. He left immediately after the murders to visit his elderly mother and get news about his dying father (and probably to hide the murder weapons at her house). He did not kill his mother and her caregiver, or his father. Lasdun tries mightily to twist one of the "types" of family annihilators to fit Alex Murdaugh, but what he says makes no sense and it still doesn't fit. He isn't anything as dramatic or tragic as a true family annihilator, he's just a small, selfish, greedy little man who killed his wife and son to try to stay out of a different kind of trouble for a few days longer. The author's refusal to accept the very facts he's reporting, and his insistence on inserting his feelings as some kind of evidence is frustrating to read and honestly goes against everything he's pretending to be here.
The case itself is almost simple. A man, Alex Murdaugh, lacking basic human feelings, steals from his law clients, murders his wife and son, and later fakes an attempt on his own life to draw suspicion away from himself. There is extensive coverage here of the crime scenes and trials with abundant information on how it all went down.
The problem is the persistent author inserts. Sometimes he's a reporter, sometimes he's a detective, sometimes he's just a bewildered husband and father, but always always always he's in there trying to find the real reasons behind the many crimes, because he can't imagine committing them himself so it must not have happened that way. We also hear too much about a work of fiction he got stuck on because he couldn't put himself in the shoes of his own murderous protagonist. A guy who literally can't believe that people can and do murder their own closest family is not the guy to be writing this book. He throws in a lot of "insight" from literature to prove he went to college, and lectures us endlessly on "family annihilators", a term I strongly suspect he learned while writing this book because he does not understand it and it does not fit this case. Don't take my word for it. He cites multiple cases of family annihilators for comparison and none of them are anything like the Murdaugh murders. Somehow the author fails to see this and it's a glaring oversight.
Because I can be tedious as well, I will explain. Family annihilators annihilate their families. Completely and utterly destroy. Among the examples he cited are a man who took his wife and younger child to visit his older child at college so he could kill all of them, including himself, in the hotel room, and a man who, after murdering his wife and two young children, drove across town to murder his parents before returning home, taking sleeping pills, and setting the house on fire. Another man killed everyone in his household and set fire to the house after blocking the driveway to ensure he wouldn't be rescued.
Alex Murdaugh, on the other hand, murdered his wife and younger son to buy time and sympathy before his fraud and embezzlement came to light. He did not call his older son to the family home to kill him as well. He did not kill himself. He left immediately after the murders to visit his elderly mother and get news about his dying father (and probably to hide the murder weapons at her house). He did not kill his mother and her caregiver, or his father. Lasdun tries mightily to twist one of the "types" of family annihilators to fit Alex Murdaugh, but what he says makes no sense and it still doesn't fit. He isn't anything as dramatic or tragic as a true family annihilator, he's just a small, selfish, greedy little man who killed his wife and son to try to stay out of a different kind of trouble for a few days longer. The author's refusal to accept the very facts he's reporting, and his insistence on inserting his feelings as some kind of evidence is frustrating to read and honestly goes against everything he's pretending to be here.
Review of advance copy
Advanced Reading Copy from Book Browse
Having read "The Devil at his Elbow" by Valerie Bauerlain, I know the story line better than if I would have only followed the nationwide coverage of the trial of Alex Murdaugh for murdering his wife and son. The key to Murdaugh's conviction was being caught in several lies, and the author's use of the transcripts was excellent.
The book is well researched, although I got somewhat bored with the author's speculations and his dive into the psychology of a murderer which were often included in parenthesis (like this), and I found those distracting.
The author added some new materials and insights. He followed Alex Murdaugh to jail, and he had access to jailhouse communications. He also interviewed lots of people from the community to give the reader and understanding of the family dynamics. The book gives the reader a clear understanding of who Alex Murdaugh is, but one can still wonder whether he did what he was charged with doing: the murders.
The book is a novelist's take on the trial, while Bauerlain's book was a reporter's take on the same trial.
Do I think he was guilty? Yes, but I wonder if he didn't have an accomplice. Did he get what he deserved? For sure.
Having read "The Devil at his Elbow" by Valerie Bauerlain, I know the story line better than if I would have only followed the nationwide coverage of the trial of Alex Murdaugh for murdering his wife and son. The key to Murdaugh's conviction was being caught in several lies, and the author's use of the transcripts was excellent.
The book is well researched, although I got somewhat bored with the author's speculations and his dive into the psychology of a murderer which were often included in parenthesis (like this), and I found those distracting.
The author added some new materials and insights. He followed Alex Murdaugh to jail, and he had access to jailhouse communications. He also interviewed lots of people from the community to give the reader and understanding of the family dynamics. The book gives the reader a clear understanding of who Alex Murdaugh is, but one can still wonder whether he did what he was charged with doing: the murders.
The book is a novelist's take on the trial, while Bauerlain's book was a reporter's take on the same trial.
Do I think he was guilty? Yes, but I wonder if he didn't have an accomplice. Did he get what he deserved? For sure.
May 13, 2026
James Lasdun has put together an exhaustive account detailing the life of Alex Murdaugh, and the many crimes he committed. Alex's bold schemes and abundant lies tells a horrific, yet absolutely fascinating story that reads so much like fiction that you have to remind yourself what you are reading is in fact true life. His actions hurt so many people, with his wife and son paying the ultimate price with their deaths. Did Alex kill them, or were they killed because of Alex? Prior to reading this book I had watched two documentaries and read another true crime book on the subject and I was sure he did it. But James Lasdun presents extensive phone data that makes me at least wonder if he did do it, did he have help? I appreciate the work James put into making this a book that is all about the facts, and there are facts that are mostly for Alex being guilty, but there are also facts that he might not be guilty. James himself has times when he questions Alex's guilt just a bit, and this opened my eyes to at least looking at the data in new light. By the end of the book I still have a gut feeling that Alex is guilty, but as I write this review I see this morning the court overturned Alex's convictions and have ordered a new trial.
This book is a little dry and slow at times, but James does an excellent job at keeping all of the details straight, and reminding us of what we might have forgotten as we work our way through everything that is presented. I found the cell phone call data, as well as the lock screen data to be a chilling account of what happened the night Paul and Maggie were killed. I also appreciated the transcripts of calls Alex made from Jail. What a fascinating insight into the man that appears to love deeply and be everyone's best friend, with seemingly zero understanding that the life he lived and the money he had is gone. Or is it? I think this story is far from over. Perhaps James will write a second installment after the new trial.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for my honest review. Matt Godfrey narrated with an easy-to-listen-to tone in his voice. He presents the facts in the book and shows doubt when James expressed it, but otherwise leaves the listener open to decide if they feel Alex is guilty or not.
This book is a little dry and slow at times, but James does an excellent job at keeping all of the details straight, and reminding us of what we might have forgotten as we work our way through everything that is presented. I found the cell phone call data, as well as the lock screen data to be a chilling account of what happened the night Paul and Maggie were killed. I also appreciated the transcripts of calls Alex made from Jail. What a fascinating insight into the man that appears to love deeply and be everyone's best friend, with seemingly zero understanding that the life he lived and the money he had is gone. Or is it? I think this story is far from over. Perhaps James will write a second installment after the new trial.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for my honest review. Matt Godfrey narrated with an easy-to-listen-to tone in his voice. He presents the facts in the book and shows doubt when James expressed it, but otherwise leaves the listener open to decide if they feel Alex is guilty or not.
May 30, 2026
Thorough and well-researched. In the face of overwhelming evidence and a guilty verdict, the author and most readers will still wonder how a man can kill his own son. Wife, more believable. But son? It's hard to fathom.
June 18, 2026
I read a lovely essay in London Review of Books about the writer going to courtrooms across all parts of the USA that really shed light on the sheer size and strangeness of this wild, wild country in a way that seemingly only outsiders like De Tocqueville or Baudrillard, etc, are able to do. The beauty of his writing on these courthouses and desolate towns really hit me, and then made me seek out his other writing. I was happy to find that he came out with a book in the past month touching on similar courthouse hijinks, and with a southern gothic twist. This book, of course, is ostensibly about the horrific murder trial of Alex Murdaugh who was tried for killing his wife and son in South Carolina, but it has bigger game to hunt (maybe I should use a different metaphor?) and really gets into questions of human nature, money, addiction, and justice.
The book does a really good job showing how power structures work outside of the big cities, like Patrick Wyman laid out a few years ago in American Gentry. Local dynasties are basically able to do whatever they want; well, whatever they want short of murdering their own family....except it turns out Murdaugh will actually probably walk due to a technicality after this book went to publishing. Neat!
The book does a really good job showing how power structures work outside of the big cities, like Patrick Wyman laid out a few years ago in American Gentry. Local dynasties are basically able to do whatever they want; well, whatever they want short of murdering their own family....except it turns out Murdaugh will actually probably walk due to a technicality after this book went to publishing. Neat!
Read
July 3, 2026Easily the most captivating, well-written, and thorough account of the Murdaugh chaos I’ve read or listened to
June 22, 2026
Worst of the coverages of the Murdaugh coverage. (Yes, I’ve read multiple). Between the glorification of the grand old South and her traditions and continuous shock that a man could kill his son and wife, I almost didn’t finish this book. Yes, the traditions and behavior of Southerners can be nice, but jeez, the fawning over the decay is just too much. Along with the failure to acknowledge racism. The south is so much more and less than its accents, manners, traditions, and old mansions. Typical yankee missing the point.
More importantly, did any woman read this before this was published? Or did this author talk to a woman ever, in his life? To no woman is it shocking that a man would kill his “beloved” wife and son. Zero. None. Men kill women. And the most dangerous men of all are those closest to us. And they will kill their children too.
Also, without talking to the defendant, how could he possibly guess what his plans were or he thought would happen? I wish I could give less than 1 star.
More importantly, did any woman read this before this was published? Or did this author talk to a woman ever, in his life? To no woman is it shocking that a man would kill his “beloved” wife and son. Zero. None. Men kill women. And the most dangerous men of all are those closest to us. And they will kill their children too.
Also, without talking to the defendant, how could he possibly guess what his plans were or he thought would happen? I wish I could give less than 1 star.
May 9, 2026
Alec Murdaugh was a respective member of the South Carolina community, until a 911 call comes in one night. Alec’s wife and son are dead on their own property. As Alec life starts to unravel, all his secrets come out. Including opioid abuse, fraud, faking suicide, and other suspicious accidents.
I did like this book because I find this case interesting. But I feel like I learned nothing new from the book that I didn’t already know.
I did like this book because I find this case interesting. But I feel like I learned nothing new from the book that I didn’t already know.
June 1, 2026
James Lasdun's The Family Man: Blood and Betrayal in the House of Murdaugh is one of the most balanced and psychologically insightful accounts of the Murdaugh saga that I have encountered. In a case that has generated countless documentaries, podcasts, television specials, and sensational headlines, Lasdun succeeds in doing something increasingly rare: he resists the temptation to turn the story into either a simple true-crime spectacle or a morality play. Instead, he presents a carefully researched and remarkably unbiased examination of a family, a community, and a system that ultimately collapsed under the weight of its own contradictions.
What impressed me most throughout the book was Lasdun's commitment to nuance. The Murdaugh case has often been framed through stark binaries of innocence and guilt, victim and villain, yet Lasdun recognizes that reality is rarely so straightforward. While he does not shy away from the overwhelming evidence against Alex Murdaugh or the devastating consequences of his actions, he also seeks to understand the psychological and social forces that shaped the environment in which those actions occurred. This approach gives the book a depth that many other treatments of the case lack.
The psychological dimensions of the story are particularly compelling. Rather than focusing exclusively on the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh in 2021, Lasdun traces the long arc of family history, privilege, expectation, and dysfunction that preceded the crimes. The Murdaugh family occupied a position of extraordinary influence in South Carolina's Lowcountry for generations, and the author effectively demonstrates how such power can distort both personal identity and public accountability. Reading the book, one gains the impression of a family trapped by its own mythology, where maintaining appearances often became more important than confronting reality.
For me, one of the most significant aspects of the narrative is the treatment of the 2019 boating accident that resulted in the death of Mallory Beach, nearly two years before the murders that would bring international attention to the Murdaugh name. Lasdun presents this tragedy not simply as a precursor to later events but as a crucial turning point in understanding the psychological pressures building within the family. The accident exposed longstanding assumptions about privilege and immunity from consequences, while simultaneously placing immense legal, financial, and emotional strain upon Alex and Paul Murdaugh.
The boating accident serves as an important lens through which to examine Paul's character as well as the broader family dynamic. Lasdun avoids reducing him to a caricature and instead portrays a young man whose flaws were amplified by an environment that frequently insulated him from accountability. The resulting legal proceedings threatened not only individual family members but also the reputation and influence that had defined the Murdaugh dynasty for generations. In this sense, the accident functions as a catalyst that accelerated tensions already present beneath the surface.
Lasdun's greatest strength as a writer lies in his refusal to speculate beyond the available evidence. In an era when many true-crime narratives rely heavily upon conjecture, he remains disciplined and measured. He carefully distinguishes between established facts, competing interpretations, and unanswered questions. This methodological restraint gives the book considerable credibility and allows readers to draw their own conclusions rather than being directed toward a predetermined narrative.
The author also excels at situating the crimes within their broader social context. The story becomes not merely one of individual wrongdoing but of institutional power, local politics, legal culture, and community relationships. By exploring these interconnected factors, Lasdun demonstrates how the Murdaugh saga reflects larger questions about privilege, justice, and accountability in American society.
Ultimately, The Family Man is far more than another retelling of a famous murder case. It is a thoughtful examination of family psychology, inherited power, and personal collapse. While the murders understandably remain at the center of the narrative, Lasdun convincingly argues that they cannot be understood in isolation from the years of dysfunction and mounting pressure that preceded them. His balanced approach, careful research, and commitment to objectivity make this one of the strongest books available on the subject. For readers interested not only in what happened but also in why it happened, this is an exceptionally rewarding and insightful account.
What impressed me most throughout the book was Lasdun's commitment to nuance. The Murdaugh case has often been framed through stark binaries of innocence and guilt, victim and villain, yet Lasdun recognizes that reality is rarely so straightforward. While he does not shy away from the overwhelming evidence against Alex Murdaugh or the devastating consequences of his actions, he also seeks to understand the psychological and social forces that shaped the environment in which those actions occurred. This approach gives the book a depth that many other treatments of the case lack.
The psychological dimensions of the story are particularly compelling. Rather than focusing exclusively on the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh in 2021, Lasdun traces the long arc of family history, privilege, expectation, and dysfunction that preceded the crimes. The Murdaugh family occupied a position of extraordinary influence in South Carolina's Lowcountry for generations, and the author effectively demonstrates how such power can distort both personal identity and public accountability. Reading the book, one gains the impression of a family trapped by its own mythology, where maintaining appearances often became more important than confronting reality.
For me, one of the most significant aspects of the narrative is the treatment of the 2019 boating accident that resulted in the death of Mallory Beach, nearly two years before the murders that would bring international attention to the Murdaugh name. Lasdun presents this tragedy not simply as a precursor to later events but as a crucial turning point in understanding the psychological pressures building within the family. The accident exposed longstanding assumptions about privilege and immunity from consequences, while simultaneously placing immense legal, financial, and emotional strain upon Alex and Paul Murdaugh.
The boating accident serves as an important lens through which to examine Paul's character as well as the broader family dynamic. Lasdun avoids reducing him to a caricature and instead portrays a young man whose flaws were amplified by an environment that frequently insulated him from accountability. The resulting legal proceedings threatened not only individual family members but also the reputation and influence that had defined the Murdaugh dynasty for generations. In this sense, the accident functions as a catalyst that accelerated tensions already present beneath the surface.
Lasdun's greatest strength as a writer lies in his refusal to speculate beyond the available evidence. In an era when many true-crime narratives rely heavily upon conjecture, he remains disciplined and measured. He carefully distinguishes between established facts, competing interpretations, and unanswered questions. This methodological restraint gives the book considerable credibility and allows readers to draw their own conclusions rather than being directed toward a predetermined narrative.
The author also excels at situating the crimes within their broader social context. The story becomes not merely one of individual wrongdoing but of institutional power, local politics, legal culture, and community relationships. By exploring these interconnected factors, Lasdun demonstrates how the Murdaugh saga reflects larger questions about privilege, justice, and accountability in American society.
Ultimately, The Family Man is far more than another retelling of a famous murder case. It is a thoughtful examination of family psychology, inherited power, and personal collapse. While the murders understandably remain at the center of the narrative, Lasdun convincingly argues that they cannot be understood in isolation from the years of dysfunction and mounting pressure that preceded them. His balanced approach, careful research, and commitment to objectivity make this one of the strongest books available on the subject. For readers interested not only in what happened but also in why it happened, this is an exceptionally rewarding and insightful account.
June 28, 2026
I didn't like this one as much as the Valerie Bauerlein book about the Murdaughs that came out two years ago. But I liked it much better than the one coauthored by the local reporter, Many Matney.
James Lasden is a New Yorker reporter, so his style is more highfalutin' than you might expect for a true crime story. One of the murder victims has a nickname ("Timmy") that was based on South Park. There's no confusion about this, and South Park had been on the air for longer than the murder victim had been alive. So Lasdun mentions this but also has to mention what Martin Amis thought of the name Timmy. Jeezy creezy, that has nothing to do with anything.
Plus one star for shedding some light on what happened to poor Stephen Smith, an openly gay teen who died in an apparently unrelated case. Smith had car trouble and was walking along an unlit road in the dark. A drunk driver in a truck struck him—not with the truck but with the truck's side mirror. Smith's fatal injuries were inconsistent with being hit with a truck but consistent with being struck with a speeding metal object such as a truck's side mirror. A suspect in the case evidently admitted to not only driving drunk but also replacing his broken side mirror. However, the case remains officially open.
Minus one star for the author telling us the plot of the novel he ended up not finishing. This is actually worse than hearing about what someone else dreamed last night.
James Lasden is a New Yorker reporter, so his style is more highfalutin' than you might expect for a true crime story. One of the murder victims has a nickname ("Timmy") that was based on South Park. There's no confusion about this, and South Park had been on the air for longer than the murder victim had been alive. So Lasdun mentions this but also has to mention what Martin Amis thought of the name Timmy. Jeezy creezy, that has nothing to do with anything.
Plus one star for shedding some light on what happened to poor Stephen Smith, an openly gay teen who died in an apparently unrelated case. Smith had car trouble and was walking along an unlit road in the dark. A drunk driver in a truck struck him—not with the truck but with the truck's side mirror. Smith's fatal injuries were inconsistent with being hit with a truck but consistent with being struck with a speeding metal object such as a truck's side mirror. A suspect in the case evidently admitted to not only driving drunk but also replacing his broken side mirror. However, the case remains officially open.
Minus one star for the author telling us the plot of the novel he ended up not finishing. This is actually worse than hearing about what someone else dreamed last night.
July 28, 2026
I’d read about the Murdaugh case but I’d not read any of the previous books or seen the documentary. It’s undoubtedly a shocking and intriguing case and throws a wider light on some of the more troubling aspects of American society. However, I found James Lasdun’s book about a hundred pages too long and very repetitious. In particular, all the machinations surrounding Murdaugh’s fraudulent handling of his clients’ damage awards is covered in far too much detail.
July 1, 2026
Audiobook
4.1/5.0
4.1/5.0
June 2, 2026
This didnt really add anything that wasnt already in the Netflix documentary imo
June 30, 2026
Ok - this was a good book, for sure. I like that it was very much centered around the case AND the author’s interpretation of it. A cousin of this book is Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, but this reads less novelistic and more similar to reporting. This strays away from the case in some regards as it gets into some abnormal psychology and the writer’s quest to make sense of something nonsensical. I could have used even more of this - as well as some photos and charts to keep track of the saga.
August 17, 2026
Really well written and interesting - still not sure what to make of the story…
May 11, 2026
Good book, but The Devil at His Elbow is better.
July 12, 2026
“Oh what a tangled web we weave…”
The Truman Capote-esque telling of the Murdaugh calamity. Highly engaging.
The Truman Capote-esque telling of the Murdaugh calamity. Highly engaging.
August 9, 2026
What a nasty bunch - I don't follow the case but this is being done in a library nonfiction group I may have to attend so picked it as the one to use as an interlocutor if necessary. The book is very readable and Lasdun does his best to explain the head-clutching legal mess but I had lost track of everything but what scumbags the Murdaughs are by the end.
August 11, 2026
4.25/5
Even though I knew most of this information from different podcasts and the Netflix documentary, this book did give some insight into some stuff that I did not know and it was well researched and put together. If I didn’t know anything about this case or this situation, this book would have been a surefire five star read.
Even though I knew most of this information from different podcasts and the Netflix documentary, this book did give some insight into some stuff that I did not know and it was well researched and put together. If I didn’t know anything about this case or this situation, this book would have been a surefire five star read.
July 27, 2026
Maggie and Paul Murdaugh were at the kennels at their country property (Moselle) when they were brutally shot and killed. The mother-son duo was not supposed to be there. Both had been called home by the family patriarch.
Alex Murdaugh would go on to claim that he loved his family, that the murders must have been triggered by the manslaughter charges being levied against Paul, that he was at his mother's house when the crime occurred, and that people were getting revenge on his family for the fatal boating accident that took a young woman's life.
The author of this volume certainly tended to believe Alex's story. There were holes in the prosecution's case that allowed enough room for Alex to be innocent. Alex was scum who knew a lot of scum; who is to say one of those men didn't kill Maggie and Paul in vengeance?
I agreed with the prosecution from the beginning. Approximately 90% of female homicide victims are killed by someone they know, with about 55% to 60% killed specifically by an intimate partner or family, according to UNODC and UN Women. (Only 11% of men are killed by those who claimed to love them. ) So for Maggie to be killed by some stranger seemed highly unlikely. Stress tends to be a primary trigger for family annihilators, and Alex Murdough was in a situation where his heinous financial crimes were finally coming to light. He tended to harm people close to him, people he knew, with those crimes, so it is unsurprising that he would have been able to kill these two close people. From all accounts, Maggie was spending a great deal of time away, unable to cope with the change in social status (there was notable hostility in the community towards them) that the boat wreck had caused. It was possible she had mentioned divorce, if not actually started taking the necessary legal steps towards it. She had certainly posted the photos on Facebook of Paul underage drinking at various events, and it was her credit card Paul often used to buy liquor. Paul had brought all the things stressing his father out to their doorstep and did not seem to feel remorseful. That Alex targeted the two of them, but did not call his eldest son to come home that night, makes odd sense. This was a punishment, retribution, and justice, not murder.
It also ties in to how some men feel towards women and dependent children. For centuries, they were more property than people, and a softened variation of that attitude still prevails in many communities today. As the author points out, " Part of what enabled him to steal from orphaned children, cheat insurers, dupe his firm, corrupt his bank, churn through millions of dollars’ worth of illegal opioids, and all the while keep the law off his back, was an extraordinary degree of official dysfunction and cronyism. Beyond that were elements of South Carolina’s institutional culture that, arguably, gave positive encouragement to the kinds of crimes these men committed." In that culture that valued clever, strong men, Alex probably expected people to see this as him putting his house in order, not murder.
I had hoped to see the author explore issues like domestic violence, family annihilators, and patriarchal attitudes in the community more. Certainly, the opening suggested that would be the case. Still, this was a compulsive read about a repulsive person. A good look at the monster next door.
Alex Murdaugh would go on to claim that he loved his family, that the murders must have been triggered by the manslaughter charges being levied against Paul, that he was at his mother's house when the crime occurred, and that people were getting revenge on his family for the fatal boating accident that took a young woman's life.
The author of this volume certainly tended to believe Alex's story. There were holes in the prosecution's case that allowed enough room for Alex to be innocent. Alex was scum who knew a lot of scum; who is to say one of those men didn't kill Maggie and Paul in vengeance?
I agreed with the prosecution from the beginning. Approximately 90% of female homicide victims are killed by someone they know, with about 55% to 60% killed specifically by an intimate partner or family, according to UNODC and UN Women. (Only 11% of men are killed by those who claimed to love them. ) So for Maggie to be killed by some stranger seemed highly unlikely. Stress tends to be a primary trigger for family annihilators, and Alex Murdough was in a situation where his heinous financial crimes were finally coming to light. He tended to harm people close to him, people he knew, with those crimes, so it is unsurprising that he would have been able to kill these two close people. From all accounts, Maggie was spending a great deal of time away, unable to cope with the change in social status (there was notable hostility in the community towards them) that the boat wreck had caused. It was possible she had mentioned divorce, if not actually started taking the necessary legal steps towards it. She had certainly posted the photos on Facebook of Paul underage drinking at various events, and it was her credit card Paul often used to buy liquor. Paul had brought all the things stressing his father out to their doorstep and did not seem to feel remorseful. That Alex targeted the two of them, but did not call his eldest son to come home that night, makes odd sense. This was a punishment, retribution, and justice, not murder.
It also ties in to how some men feel towards women and dependent children. For centuries, they were more property than people, and a softened variation of that attitude still prevails in many communities today. As the author points out, " Part of what enabled him to steal from orphaned children, cheat insurers, dupe his firm, corrupt his bank, churn through millions of dollars’ worth of illegal opioids, and all the while keep the law off his back, was an extraordinary degree of official dysfunction and cronyism. Beyond that were elements of South Carolina’s institutional culture that, arguably, gave positive encouragement to the kinds of crimes these men committed." In that culture that valued clever, strong men, Alex probably expected people to see this as him putting his house in order, not murder.
I had hoped to see the author explore issues like domestic violence, family annihilators, and patriarchal attitudes in the community more. Certainly, the opening suggested that would be the case. Still, this was a compulsive read about a repulsive person. A good look at the monster next door.
September 5, 2026
Have you had second thoughts about the integrity of lawyers and people of the court system, in general? Author James Lasdun, from a NYC borough, has taken a deep dive into this category of suspicion down in South Carolina. And his narrative won't mollify your second thoughts. Although, this is a recent tragedy, of national interest, I somehow missed earlier, abundant news reports.
Lasdun's book, for better or worse, has me thinking, after a medium lapse of time, about my opinion regarding human nature, in general and about the integrity and trustworthiness of our kind.
Basically, for over a century the Murdaugh name (pronounced "Murdock") had been a "potent charm" in the five-county region of South Carolina's Fourteenth Judicial Circuit. Three generations of Murdaughs had presided as prosecutors, controlling the administration of justice while also amassing a small fortune from private litigation. In addition to gambling, intoxicants, nocturnal horror, possible suicidal impulses, staged accidents, equivocal luck, and especially the peculiar Murdaugh combination of recklessness and shrewdness are part of this criminal investigative narrative.
Outwardly, the central figure of this story, Alex Murdaugh and his family were more-often-than-not viewed as good, happy, fun people. In that part of the country being known as a good old boy, as was the case for Alex Murdaugh, is a complimentary term.
To not beat around the bush, Alex Murdaugh was convicted of murdering both his wife and his twenty-something son, in the first degree. The author does a good job with covering details of this complex and lengthy legal case including explanations of psychological terminology like family annihilator, sociopath, and psychopath. Repeatedly, the author, somewhat reluctantly, indicates disbelief that this man, Alex Murdaugh, could be responsible for the murders of his family members and even some disbelief for Murdaugh's certain and admitted, truly despicable behavior, in general.
Near the book's end, the author speculates that motive for the murders was a combination of mercy and temporary misdirection aimed at inquirers getting closer to uncovering his financial crimes.
The other day, I searched for news about this case. Here's a summary of what I found:
a) South Carolina lawyer conviction overturned;
b) The South Carolina Supreme Court overturned disbarred lawyer Alex Murdaugh's double murder convictions in May 2026, granting him a new trial because of clerk misconduct;
c) Reasons for the Decision:
Jury Tampering: The high court found that the local court clerk interfered with the jury to push for a guilty verdict. As reported by CNN, the trial was marred by “improper” influence and “shocking jury interference.”
Financial Evidence: Justices ruled that the trial judge made a mistake by letting prosecutors show too much evidence of Murdaugh's financial crimes.
d) Current Status and Retrial:
Prison Time: Murdaugh remains in prison. He is serving a 40-year federal sentence for stealing money from clients.
Next Steps: Prosecutors plan to try him again for the murders. A judge scheduled the new trial to start on April 5, 2027.
Lasdun's book, for better or worse, has me thinking, after a medium lapse of time, about my opinion regarding human nature, in general and about the integrity and trustworthiness of our kind.
Basically, for over a century the Murdaugh name (pronounced "Murdock") had been a "potent charm" in the five-county region of South Carolina's Fourteenth Judicial Circuit. Three generations of Murdaughs had presided as prosecutors, controlling the administration of justice while also amassing a small fortune from private litigation. In addition to gambling, intoxicants, nocturnal horror, possible suicidal impulses, staged accidents, equivocal luck, and especially the peculiar Murdaugh combination of recklessness and shrewdness are part of this criminal investigative narrative.
Outwardly, the central figure of this story, Alex Murdaugh and his family were more-often-than-not viewed as good, happy, fun people. In that part of the country being known as a good old boy, as was the case for Alex Murdaugh, is a complimentary term.
To not beat around the bush, Alex Murdaugh was convicted of murdering both his wife and his twenty-something son, in the first degree. The author does a good job with covering details of this complex and lengthy legal case including explanations of psychological terminology like family annihilator, sociopath, and psychopath. Repeatedly, the author, somewhat reluctantly, indicates disbelief that this man, Alex Murdaugh, could be responsible for the murders of his family members and even some disbelief for Murdaugh's certain and admitted, truly despicable behavior, in general.
Near the book's end, the author speculates that motive for the murders was a combination of mercy and temporary misdirection aimed at inquirers getting closer to uncovering his financial crimes.
The other day, I searched for news about this case. Here's a summary of what I found:
a) South Carolina lawyer conviction overturned;
b) The South Carolina Supreme Court overturned disbarred lawyer Alex Murdaugh's double murder convictions in May 2026, granting him a new trial because of clerk misconduct;
c) Reasons for the Decision:
Jury Tampering: The high court found that the local court clerk interfered with the jury to push for a guilty verdict. As reported by CNN, the trial was marred by “improper” influence and “shocking jury interference.”
Financial Evidence: Justices ruled that the trial judge made a mistake by letting prosecutors show too much evidence of Murdaugh's financial crimes.
d) Current Status and Retrial:
Prison Time: Murdaugh remains in prison. He is serving a 40-year federal sentence for stealing money from clients.
Next Steps: Prosecutors plan to try him again for the murders. A judge scheduled the new trial to start on April 5, 2027.
September 7, 2026
Read this knowing I am not reviewing the book but rather leaving notes and asides to remind me of my readings year to year. A lifetime of prolific reading lost from childhood on was never stored, but today’s children can use the tools now available and be more vigorous in their list keeping.
The author ties himself in knots because of the difficulties in explaining how Alex Murdaugh, an apparently successful lawyer, could have become a "family annihilator" and killed his wife and adult son. The state presented a case that overwhelming demonstrated that this was what Murdaugh had done and showed that there was no evidence anyone else could have committed the crime. But the author's efforts to understand how Murdaugh's mind worked caused the author to hang on to a belief that maybe Murdaugh was not guilty. This is an unnecessary thread throughout the book.
I think this is a huge flaw in the book, his self doubt, and detracts from the nuts and bolts of what did occur. Years ago, I read a book by infamous FBI profiler John Douglas about how difficult it is for societies as a whole to recognize psychopathic behavior, or to understand it. This is because, in the normality of day to day living, we accept that people (on the whole) can feel empathy for another human, that they can cry (most psychopaths will cry...but for themselves, not their victims.) Psychopaths can also, universally it would seem, express rage. I wish the author had read more about this blankness that humans draw in trying to understand some of life's most horrific acts against others. Then he might have had less doubt.
For decades Alec Murdaugh stole from his clients and his law partners. Litigation resulting from his son's reckless behavior (which caused the death of a young woman) was about to uncover these thefts. Murdaugh was so desperate that he killed his wife and son both to delay his thefts being known and perhaps to avoid having his wife and son suffer through this shame. There were also early warning signs that his wife was considering divorce; another thing he couldn't afford. Wrongful death. Divorce. Embezzlement. All expensive. All involving money he did not possess.
The author's inability to accept these facts leads him to rummage through psychological studies to understand how Murdaugh's mind worked. However, it is impossible to know how another person's mind functions, and the author had trouble concluding that Murdaugh had committed such terrible crimes. The book feels padded and repetitive as a result. The book bounces around with this authorial doubt and questioning, and it should have best been saved for his private journal. He could provide more clarity in what was factual, and what was speculation, but we don't need to follow him on this journey of "what is man?"
August 20, 2026
Expanding on his original reporting in The New Yorker, the author dissects and examines the murders of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh by Alex Murdaugh.
I listened to this book (well narrated). It’s a true crime story with numerous interlocking threads and surprises. Time is spent developing Low Country life and “good ol’ boy culture placing the Murdaugh as the leading and premier family. A boating accident in 2019 in which Paul Murdaugh was deemed at fault is weighing on Alex as the trial looms when the murders occur. When the murders occur a wealth of deceit and deviousness by Alex Murdaugh emerges that in the telling almost incomprehensible - buying drugs by stealing from his law firm to feed his drug habit; stealing settlements from his clients as well as his firm; covering up a possible other murder. The truth about the murders of Paul and Maggie remains muddy but he was convicted.
The author explores what kind of person would be a “family annihilator” - termed used in the trial. He’s very even handed in this examination because as he will reference a few times, he had created a character for a possible book who could not comprehend such evil. The evidence in Murdaugh’s life shows a very amoral man who lived on the benefits of his family’s prestigious history and thought this would always protect him. Having attended Murdaugh’s trial in 2023, the author was not initially convinced in Murdaugh’s guilt, which is part why much of the book is an exploration other circumstances surrounding the murders and Murdaugh’s flamboyant personality that shielded so much truth about him. He had a healthy skepticism for what both sides - prosecution and defense - offered at Murdaugh’s trial. But in the end, the conclusion seems inevitable.
When I finished listening to this book, I was exhausted - in a good sense though. The exhaustion came from how hard the author wanted to believe no person could be such a monster. As history has shown us, the sins of greed, egotism and contempt for others will take people down a dark path and when faced with truth they will attempt to rationalize their evil. Having books like this helps readers understand better the complexities of human nature and evil.
Highly recommend.
NB: Murdaugh's conviction was overturned in May 2026 after this book was published. A new trial is set for April 2027. He remains jailed due to his other convictions for financial crimes.
I listened to this book (well narrated). It’s a true crime story with numerous interlocking threads and surprises. Time is spent developing Low Country life and “good ol’ boy culture placing the Murdaugh as the leading and premier family. A boating accident in 2019 in which Paul Murdaugh was deemed at fault is weighing on Alex as the trial looms when the murders occur. When the murders occur a wealth of deceit and deviousness by Alex Murdaugh emerges that in the telling almost incomprehensible - buying drugs by stealing from his law firm to feed his drug habit; stealing settlements from his clients as well as his firm; covering up a possible other murder. The truth about the murders of Paul and Maggie remains muddy but he was convicted.
The author explores what kind of person would be a “family annihilator” - termed used in the trial. He’s very even handed in this examination because as he will reference a few times, he had created a character for a possible book who could not comprehend such evil. The evidence in Murdaugh’s life shows a very amoral man who lived on the benefits of his family’s prestigious history and thought this would always protect him. Having attended Murdaugh’s trial in 2023, the author was not initially convinced in Murdaugh’s guilt, which is part why much of the book is an exploration other circumstances surrounding the murders and Murdaugh’s flamboyant personality that shielded so much truth about him. He had a healthy skepticism for what both sides - prosecution and defense - offered at Murdaugh’s trial. But in the end, the conclusion seems inevitable.
When I finished listening to this book, I was exhausted - in a good sense though. The exhaustion came from how hard the author wanted to believe no person could be such a monster. As history has shown us, the sins of greed, egotism and contempt for others will take people down a dark path and when faced with truth they will attempt to rationalize their evil. Having books like this helps readers understand better the complexities of human nature and evil.
Highly recommend.
NB: Murdaugh's conviction was overturned in May 2026 after this book was published. A new trial is set for April 2027. He remains jailed due to his other convictions for financial crimes.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
ARC for review. To be published May 5, 2026.
4 stars
Another Alex Murdaugh book, a sub/genre which is well in its way to needing its own shelf. I just can’t get enough of this Southern, horrible, entitled, Titian-headed murderer, and I have always been a bit obsessive about good true crime…I’m glad that I didn’t develop this fixation until after the trial was over or I might have been glued to Court TV each day (even though we don’t have it. Maybe I would have sold plasma to get it. We only have channels that show sports. Do people still sell plasma? Is that a thing? I don’t know that they would buy mine, me being damaged goods and all.) But I digress.
Lasdun (whom my spell check insists on calling “Aladdin,” so if he turns up, you’ll know) was actually covering the case for someone, maybe the “New Yorker,” so he had a chance to spend a fair amount of time in the Low Country and to get up close and personal with a number of the people involved (none of the family, of course.). He also didn’t hesitate to give his own opinions and theories which are interesting, though they sometimes color what he believes is worth following up on/paying attention to in this whole mess.
For example, Lasdun does not believe either of the Murdaugh sons was involved in the death of Stephen Smith. Other people are sure they were. But since Lasdun believes they were blameless, Smith’s story barely merits a mention here where other books have covered it at length, with the idea that it might offer some motive as to why Alex might kill Paul.
This fresh look at the many crimes of Alex Murdaugh (for there were many crimes, regardless of whether you believe he killed Maggie and Paul) brings to light new points, including transcripts of some of Alex’s calls from jail, which I have not seen reproduced elsewhere. I still think THE DEVIL AT HIS ELBOW by Valerie Bauerlain, a book noted by this author, is probably the best book on the subject, but this was very good.
4 stars
Another Alex Murdaugh book, a sub/genre which is well in its way to needing its own shelf. I just can’t get enough of this Southern, horrible, entitled, Titian-headed murderer, and I have always been a bit obsessive about good true crime…I’m glad that I didn’t develop this fixation until after the trial was over or I might have been glued to Court TV each day (even though we don’t have it. Maybe I would have sold plasma to get it. We only have channels that show sports. Do people still sell plasma? Is that a thing? I don’t know that they would buy mine, me being damaged goods and all.) But I digress.
Lasdun (whom my spell check insists on calling “Aladdin,” so if he turns up, you’ll know) was actually covering the case for someone, maybe the “New Yorker,” so he had a chance to spend a fair amount of time in the Low Country and to get up close and personal with a number of the people involved (none of the family, of course.). He also didn’t hesitate to give his own opinions and theories which are interesting, though they sometimes color what he believes is worth following up on/paying attention to in this whole mess.
For example, Lasdun does not believe either of the Murdaugh sons was involved in the death of Stephen Smith. Other people are sure they were. But since Lasdun believes they were blameless, Smith’s story barely merits a mention here where other books have covered it at length, with the idea that it might offer some motive as to why Alex might kill Paul.
This fresh look at the many crimes of Alex Murdaugh (for there were many crimes, regardless of whether you believe he killed Maggie and Paul) brings to light new points, including transcripts of some of Alex’s calls from jail, which I have not seen reproduced elsewhere. I still think THE DEVIL AT HIS ELBOW by Valerie Bauerlain, a book noted by this author, is probably the best book on the subject, but this was very good.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
"The Family Man" is a true crime take on the infamous Murdaugh murders.
In 2023, Alex Murdaugh was convicted of the murder of his son and wife. The major facts of his case are well known--the power of his family line in South Carolina, the involvement of his son in a boat tragedy, his own involvement in drugs and embezzlement. What Lasdun--the beat writer for the New Yorker who covered this case--seems to be doing here is sorting through the evidence one last time, trying to wrestle with the impossible question: How can a seemingly loving man, even a man who is an addict and capable of stealing from people in desperate situations, murder his own family in cold-blood?
In "The Family Man," Lasdun takes apart the prosecution's case, pointing out discrepancies, and even offering his own theories to try to fill in gaps in the case. This is not a simple recap of the case; it's clear Lasdun is genuinely trying to critically analyze all of the evidence put forth. Grappling with the hardest question, why, he turns to psychological studies and criminal history to discuss potential models for people who kill their loved ones.
These are all good points and interesting ones. What is a bit of a struggle, though, is I'm not sure the book brought anything new to the table. The psychological theories mentioned are, for example, fairly obvious (or at least they seemed to me).
Why the rating? I go by the original GoodRead star system, in which 2 stars is just okay. The book didn't give me a lot of new information, but it was thoughtful, and I appreciated the critical eye the author brought to the prosecution's case. (Even though Murdaugh's culpability isn't in doubt, there were issues in the case that weren't sufficiently addressed in the prosecution's presentation.)
With gratitude to the publisher and Netgalley as well as Edelweiss for the chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.
In 2023, Alex Murdaugh was convicted of the murder of his son and wife. The major facts of his case are well known--the power of his family line in South Carolina, the involvement of his son in a boat tragedy, his own involvement in drugs and embezzlement. What Lasdun--the beat writer for the New Yorker who covered this case--seems to be doing here is sorting through the evidence one last time, trying to wrestle with the impossible question: How can a seemingly loving man, even a man who is an addict and capable of stealing from people in desperate situations, murder his own family in cold-blood?
In "The Family Man," Lasdun takes apart the prosecution's case, pointing out discrepancies, and even offering his own theories to try to fill in gaps in the case. This is not a simple recap of the case; it's clear Lasdun is genuinely trying to critically analyze all of the evidence put forth. Grappling with the hardest question, why, he turns to psychological studies and criminal history to discuss potential models for people who kill their loved ones.
These are all good points and interesting ones. What is a bit of a struggle, though, is I'm not sure the book brought anything new to the table. The psychological theories mentioned are, for example, fairly obvious (or at least they seemed to me).
Why the rating? I go by the original GoodRead star system, in which 2 stars is just okay. The book didn't give me a lot of new information, but it was thoughtful, and I appreciated the critical eye the author brought to the prosecution's case. (Even though Murdaugh's culpability isn't in doubt, there were issues in the case that weren't sufficiently addressed in the prosecution's presentation.)
With gratitude to the publisher and Netgalley as well as Edelweiss for the chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.
June 5, 2026
More like 2.5 stars for me, for reasons detailed below:
Alex Murdaugh (pronounced Elick Murdock) is a very bad man, who did awful things that almost certainly included killing his wife and 22 year old son. He definitely stole and embezzled millions from his clients for whom he, a personal injury lawyer, won many large judgements. And yet, many of those he swindled still love him. What is the story with this guy? That’s what this book is trying to figure out, and this kind of stuff in usually right in my sweet spot. But this book didn’t really work for me as well as I’d hoped. Why? It’s the writing approach. The author, a journalist for the New Yorker, inserts himself into the story in ways that are almost entirely unnecessary, though it does set up his speculations in the final chapters which is pretty compelling stuff. But he wastes our time by talking about his visits to various sites, his impressions of the area, all sorts of novelistic details that don’t require any first-person reporting, which in turn undercuts the story of the case itself. This approach would be fine in a long piece in the New Yorker, but is frustrating in a book like this — this isn’t a case that calls for first person reporting, it’s plenty interesting on its own, and every time one of these little sojourns came up, I groaned. Also, there are a million people in this story, and rarely if ever does the author remind you of who’s who. Again, in a 5000 word New Yorker story, no problem, you can keep all this stuff in your head or go back and figure it out. But in a 15 hour audio book, a reminder that Sloan is the detective from SLED or this other guy is the judge, or that this Buster is Alex’s kid or whatever would’ve been nice. By the end of the case, it was all kind of a jumble, which, honestly, fits better into the Netflix documentary on the case. I was disappointed by this book even as I was fascinated by the case. Which is too bad.
Grade: C+
Alex Murdaugh (pronounced Elick Murdock) is a very bad man, who did awful things that almost certainly included killing his wife and 22 year old son. He definitely stole and embezzled millions from his clients for whom he, a personal injury lawyer, won many large judgements. And yet, many of those he swindled still love him. What is the story with this guy? That’s what this book is trying to figure out, and this kind of stuff in usually right in my sweet spot. But this book didn’t really work for me as well as I’d hoped. Why? It’s the writing approach. The author, a journalist for the New Yorker, inserts himself into the story in ways that are almost entirely unnecessary, though it does set up his speculations in the final chapters which is pretty compelling stuff. But he wastes our time by talking about his visits to various sites, his impressions of the area, all sorts of novelistic details that don’t require any first-person reporting, which in turn undercuts the story of the case itself. This approach would be fine in a long piece in the New Yorker, but is frustrating in a book like this — this isn’t a case that calls for first person reporting, it’s plenty interesting on its own, and every time one of these little sojourns came up, I groaned. Also, there are a million people in this story, and rarely if ever does the author remind you of who’s who. Again, in a 5000 word New Yorker story, no problem, you can keep all this stuff in your head or go back and figure it out. But in a 15 hour audio book, a reminder that Sloan is the detective from SLED or this other guy is the judge, or that this Buster is Alex’s kid or whatever would’ve been nice. By the end of the case, it was all kind of a jumble, which, honestly, fits better into the Netflix documentary on the case. I was disappointed by this book even as I was fascinated by the case. Which is too bad.
Grade: C+
Review of advance copy
This is a review of an advance copy of the book, which I received from Bookbrowse.com.
THis is the third book I have read about the Murdaugh murders , the other two being Tangled Vines by John Glatt, a British investigative journalist and true crime author, and The Devil at His Elbow, by Wall Street Journal reporter Valerie Bauerlein. Both are pretty much straight investigative reporting, detailing the context of the murders, the investigation and the subsequent trial and conviction of Alec Murdaugh for the murder of his wife and youngest sun. James Lasdun, who is primarily a novelist, takes a slightly different, more personal approach. Tasked with writing an article on the murders for the New Yorker, he decided to conduct his own investigation of the investigation, to determine whether he personally would judge Alec Murdaugh guilty of the horrific crimes of which he stood accused.
Lasdun's research is extensive. Not only does he spend time in South Carolina, speaking to dozens of people who know Alec Murdaugh and tracking down the rumors about the murders in the community, he makes se of the information presented in media and in the other books I've referenced. HE also digs into scientific and medical research on psychopathy, with a focus on what sort of person would even commit such a heinous crime against members of his own family whom he professed to love. He does reach a conclusion, and the last chapters of the book detail his thoughts on the results of the trial and the scenario of the murder. I leave it to the reader to discover what he decides. I found Lasdun's storytelling engaging. He weaves a compelling tale from a very complex fact situation and and creates a book that's really hard to put down.
THis is the third book I have read about the Murdaugh murders , the other two being Tangled Vines by John Glatt, a British investigative journalist and true crime author, and The Devil at His Elbow, by Wall Street Journal reporter Valerie Bauerlein. Both are pretty much straight investigative reporting, detailing the context of the murders, the investigation and the subsequent trial and conviction of Alec Murdaugh for the murder of his wife and youngest sun. James Lasdun, who is primarily a novelist, takes a slightly different, more personal approach. Tasked with writing an article on the murders for the New Yorker, he decided to conduct his own investigation of the investigation, to determine whether he personally would judge Alec Murdaugh guilty of the horrific crimes of which he stood accused.
Lasdun's research is extensive. Not only does he spend time in South Carolina, speaking to dozens of people who know Alec Murdaugh and tracking down the rumors about the murders in the community, he makes se of the information presented in media and in the other books I've referenced. HE also digs into scientific and medical research on psychopathy, with a focus on what sort of person would even commit such a heinous crime against members of his own family whom he professed to love. He does reach a conclusion, and the last chapters of the book detail his thoughts on the results of the trial and the scenario of the murder. I leave it to the reader to discover what he decides. I found Lasdun's storytelling engaging. He weaves a compelling tale from a very complex fact situation and and creates a book that's really hard to put down.
Review of advance copy
I don’t read many true crime books but this one caught my eye since it occurred in an area of South Carolina that I’m familiar with plus I wanted to learn more about what would cause a seemingly happy family man to kill his wife and son. The author did a fantastic job with his research and laid the story out in a concise way. He also wrote about some of the inconsistencies that were published in the press and the rumors that were going on while the crime was being solved. Even though it’s still difficult to believe that someone could kill their wife and son (Paul), the author does an excellent job of explaining the mindset and problems that drove Alex to commit murder.
The author did extensive research for this book but for me the most important thing that he did was to interview many people who knew Alex – not only the people he worked with but family members and people in town who had known him his entire life. Along with the boat accident, he explained other deaths that may have been associated with the family and how they affected (or why they didn’t affect) the entire family. I have read several books about the murders but this is the first one that gives transcripts from phone calls that Alex made from prison after his conviction. The conversations gave a good look at his state of mind and his lack of remorse because despite the verdict, he always said that there was no way that he would kill his beloved wife and son.
This book is a well-done portrait of Alex Murdaugh and the horrific crimes that he was accused of. The writing is so well done and the research so extensive that it reads like a Southern murder novel.
The author did extensive research for this book but for me the most important thing that he did was to interview many people who knew Alex – not only the people he worked with but family members and people in town who had known him his entire life. Along with the boat accident, he explained other deaths that may have been associated with the family and how they affected (or why they didn’t affect) the entire family. I have read several books about the murders but this is the first one that gives transcripts from phone calls that Alex made from prison after his conviction. The conversations gave a good look at his state of mind and his lack of remorse because despite the verdict, he always said that there was no way that he would kill his beloved wife and son.
This book is a well-done portrait of Alex Murdaugh and the horrific crimes that he was accused of. The writing is so well done and the research so extensive that it reads like a Southern murder novel.
May 10, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.
My senior in high school came home one day and mentioned that in her law class, they had to pick a real-life murder case to examine. She mentioned the Murdaugh case, and while I had heard the name, I knew nothing about the happenings because I choose to stay away from most true crime cases. She mentioned a Netflix documentary, and I watched it so I could help her with her homework if needed. The Family Man recounts the case from beginning to today much like the documentary.
The book lays out the prosecution’s case against Alex Murdaugh, but this is not some cheering section for the state. The author points out several discrepancies in the prosecution’s case and theorizes where there are gaps in the case. The author, Lasdun, covered the case for the New Yorker, presents evidence and counter evidence, wrestling with what is known and what is speculation. This comes across as an even-measured look at the murder of Murdaugh’s son and wife.
I’m not quite sure why the Murdaugh case drew so much media attention. Maybe it was because an old, rich, white guy was the suspect. He seemingly had it all, only to discover that what was below the surface was much more shocking. The addictions, the embezzlement, and now the murder of loved ones.
While I found the audiobook interesting and enjoyed the voice of the narrator, I’m not sure how much new information was revealed in the book compared to watching the Netflix series or what was known to the general public, but it kept me interested and engaged.
My senior in high school came home one day and mentioned that in her law class, they had to pick a real-life murder case to examine. She mentioned the Murdaugh case, and while I had heard the name, I knew nothing about the happenings because I choose to stay away from most true crime cases. She mentioned a Netflix documentary, and I watched it so I could help her with her homework if needed. The Family Man recounts the case from beginning to today much like the documentary.
The book lays out the prosecution’s case against Alex Murdaugh, but this is not some cheering section for the state. The author points out several discrepancies in the prosecution’s case and theorizes where there are gaps in the case. The author, Lasdun, covered the case for the New Yorker, presents evidence and counter evidence, wrestling with what is known and what is speculation. This comes across as an even-measured look at the murder of Murdaugh’s son and wife.
I’m not quite sure why the Murdaugh case drew so much media attention. Maybe it was because an old, rich, white guy was the suspect. He seemingly had it all, only to discover that what was below the surface was much more shocking. The addictions, the embezzlement, and now the murder of loved ones.
While I found the audiobook interesting and enjoyed the voice of the narrator, I’m not sure how much new information was revealed in the book compared to watching the Netflix series or what was known to the general public, but it kept me interested and engaged.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews