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492 reviews for:
The Devil at His Elbow: Alex Murdaugh and the Fall of a Southern Dynasty
Valerie Bauerlein
4.43 AVERAGE
492 reviews for:
The Devil at His Elbow: Alex Murdaugh and the Fall of a Southern Dynasty
Valerie Bauerlein
4.43 AVERAGE
emotional
informative
medium-paced
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
mysterious
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Car accident, Murder
Minor: Racism
This true crime reminded me of listening to Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty, given that the trial central to this book hinges upon a history of wealth and corruption within a family line. This is true Southern Gothic, where the setting is crucial to the events that unfolded. If there weren't already such a divide in poverty and power, we wouldn't have this story. This man who will do anything to protect his pride and name and money, up to annihilating his wife and son. And oh, how he loses and loses that money, spending not just beyond his means but beyond what he steals (and he steals a lot).
While the trial went on a little long for my tastes, it was also fascinating to see the plays and all the attempts to win sympathy for Murdaugh, when anyone listening or with a bit of outside knowledge is simply filled with hate by the time we reach that point. Otherwise, I liked the level of detail provided, whether about the clients he scammed or the exploits of his forefathers and his sons. They lived in a world that let them get away with anything, and it's a just comeuppance to see it all revealed, but at the cost of so much suffering.
While the trial went on a little long for my tastes, it was also fascinating to see the plays and all the attempts to win sympathy for Murdaugh, when anyone listening or with a bit of outside knowledge is simply filled with hate by the time we reach that point. Otherwise, I liked the level of detail provided, whether about the clients he scammed or the exploits of his forefathers and his sons. They lived in a world that let them get away with anything, and it's a just comeuppance to see it all revealed, but at the cost of so much suffering.
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
I remember hearing about Alex Murdaugh when the case was breaking and he was on trial. I did not realize how deep his corruption ran and how bad his family was. I feel for the people that lost so much along the way. Unfortunately there are more like him than people realize.
dark
tense
fast-paced
It's probably not very WWJD of me that, while how infuriating basically everything generations of this family got away with, how satisfying it was to finally see comeuppance and justice done. The first chapters were incredibly rough to listen to, as they connived and bribed and good ole boy'd their lives. But the investigation and the stories of those wronged speaking out such were worth it. The most shocking thing here, honestly, is that justice prevailed.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced