The Devil at His Elbow: Alex Murdaugh and the Fall of a Southern Dynasty

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars | 461 ratings

Price: 19.69

Last update: 09-28-2024


About this item

Power, privilege, and blood—this is the definitive and thrilling 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.

* This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF with a list of major characters, a map, and acknowledgments from the book.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.


Top reviews from the United States

cattyfranny
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, Great Author
Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2024
This story was a page turner for me, and I found it informative and easy to read. I just chewed up the pages as the story progressed. I thought it would be bogged down with endless family history, but I was surprised with the truthful coverage and the facts of a crime that showed the true nature of the narcissistic sociopath and cold heart of Alex Murdaugh. Valerie Bauerlein made the story flow to the last pages.
Bob Morrison
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2024
I have read 4 books on the Murdaugh murders. This is the best! It is well researched and well written. Excellent read!!!
Shullville
5.0 out of 5 stars Well written!
Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2024
Enjoying the book, very well written. Eye opening information. Thank you for writing this book!
Keila
4.0 out of 5 stars immersive read
Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2024
This true crime book was rather interesting. I, unlike so many, had not heard of Alex Murdaugh so learning about this terrifying family was truly horrifying. I know, this was all over the news, so how could I not know about it? I don’t watch a lot of news. The Murdaugh family is like the villain type family you read about in fiction novels. Alex Murdaugh was so horrific, and he committed so many crimes that I really didn’t think that he was real half of the time. I just couldn’t believe that someone could get away with so many crimes for so long, but he did because of the family he came from.

This book was long, at almost 500 pages, and for me I felt that it really could have been condensed. I found myself tuning out a lot of the details and wanting to skip over them but because I was unsure where everything was going, I kept reading. I do think that the author wove an interesting story, but there were too many details on certain parts of the story, and not enough on the others. I wish I could have learned more about the court case and what went into that aspect. The piece about Alex Murdaugh’s falling apart on the stand was a real treat though.

Overall, I Learned a lot about the Murdaugh’s and the corruption of Alex Murdaugh. Alex Murdaugh was not a good man, not a nice man, he was by all accounts a lowly criminal and the only reason everyone didn’t think so was because of his family.

I liked reading that Alex still will serve a lengthy sentence even if somehow, he manages to overturn his convictions for the crimes he committed against his wife and son. While it isn’t enough, it’s something.

This was a well don’t true crime book and shared a lot of very valid information about the case. I would most definitely recommend this to others looking to learn more about the family.
JRL
5.0 out of 5 stars This is the definitive read!
Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2024
I watched the trial, I’ve watched every documentary, watched interviews, listened to the podcasts, and read other books. THIS is the most informative account available. And it’s well written, a real page turner. I hope you have written other books I can read, Valerie Bauerlein!
Diana Greenwell
5.0 out of 5 stars Long time follower of the Murdaughs
Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2024
I wondered if this book would reveal any new information on the Murdaughs or just tell the same story.
Ms. Barreling did an excellent telling this story, using many personal details about all involved. It made people like Mark Tinsley become a real person with emotions and an invested interest in justice for Alex Murdaugh' s victims. I also enjoyed Bauerlein' s style of writing with lots of details,but told as a long unfolding story of this family. A great read for anyone, but especially those with an interest in South Carolina and its culture.
Longhorn_sparky_2001
5.0 out of 5 stars Definitive, Comprehensive, well-researched, well-written book on the Crime of the Century
Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2024
I couldn't put this book down, and read it over the course of two days. The author has clearly done a lot of research to write a very comprehensive book. And this book answered so many of my questions and filled in so many details I'd missed during the investigation and trial. Yet I still have so many more questions and can't help but believe there is so much more to this story. 1) Why would a State Senator agree to represent someone in a criminal case? Especially when it became clear AM's money was running out? 2) Why were so many people complicit in AM's crimes allowed to get off with little or no punishment - bankers, judges, lawyers, coworkers, etc.? 3) If all those people knew and yet didn't report anything, what were they all afraid of? 4) If AM was involved in drug smuggling or drug selling, wouldn't there have been more evidence? In particular, drug smuggling would involve some interaction with cartel members, which should have come out if it had been the case. 5) Why do we still have very little knowledge of Cousin Eddie's actions and responsibility? It seems to me that AM was just the fall guy in a system where everyone was breaking the law that such a system will continue to operate unimpeded.
Tammy Roberts
5.0 out of 5 stars excellent, comprehensive recount
Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2024
After watching the entire trial I can say this book truly follows the case. I highly recommend it to any of the followers of this case.

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