Tangled Vines - by John Glatt

About the Book

"In Tangled Vines, bestselling true crime author John Glatt reconstructs the rise of the prestigious Murdaugh family and the shocking double murder that led to the downfall of its patriarch, Alex Murdaugh. Among the lush, tree-lined waterways of South Carolina low country, the Murdaugh name means power. A century-old, multimillion-dollar law practice has catapulted the family into incredible wealth and local celebrity-but it was an unimaginable tragedy that would thrust them into the national spotlight. On June 7th, 2021, prominent attorney Alex Murdaugh discovered the bodies of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, on the grounds of their thousand-acre hunting lodge. The mystery deepened only months later when Alex himself was discovered shot in the head on a local roadside. But as authorities scrambled for clues and the community reeled from the loss and media attention, dark secrets about this Southern legal dynasty came to light. The Murdaughs, it turned out, were feared as much as they were loved. And they wouldn't hesitate to wield their influence to protect one of their own; two years before he was killed, a highly intoxicated Paul Murdaugh was at the helm of a boat when it crashed and killed a teenage girl, and his light treatment by police led to speculation that privilege had come into play. As bombshells of financial fraud were revealed and more suspicious deaths were linked to the Murdaughs, a new portrait of Alex Murdaugh emerged: a desperate man on the brink of ruin who would do anything, even plan his own death, to save his family's reputation"--

Book Synopsis

2024 EDGAR AWARD NOMINEE FOR BEST FACT CRIME NOVEL

In Tangled Vines, bestselling true crime author John Glatt reconstructs the rise of the prestigious Murdaugh family and the shocking double murder that led to the downfall of its patriarch, Alex Murdaugh.

Among the lush, tree-lined waterways of South Carolina low country, the Murdaugh name means power. A century-old, multimillion-dollar law practice has catapulted the family into incredible wealth and local celebrity--but it was an unimaginable tragedy that would thrust them into the national spotlight. On June 7th, 2021, prominent attorney Alex Murdaugh discovered the bodies of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, on the grounds of their thousand-acre hunting lodge. The mystery deepened only months later when Alex himself was discovered shot in the head on a local roadside.

But as authorities scrambled for clues and the community reeled from the loss and media attention, dark secrets about this Southern legal dynasty came to light. The Murdaughs, it turned out, were feared as much as they were loved. And they wouldn't hesitate to wield their influence to protect one of their own; two years before he was killed, a highly intoxicated Paul Murdaugh was at the helm of a boat when it crashed and killed a teenage girl, and his light treatment by police led to speculation that privilege had come into play. As bombshells of financial fraud were revealed and more suspicious deaths were linked to the Murdaughs, a new portrait of Alex Murdaugh emerged: a desperate man on the brink of ruin who would do anything, even plan his own death, to save his family's reputation.

Review Quotes

Praise for Tangled Vines:

"Readers will be swept up in this account." --Booklist, starred review

"Glatt has produced the equivalent of a juicy John Grisham novel, featuring a lead more 'dark and totally devoid of conscience' than anyone he's ever researched. This real-life Southern noir lingers." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"John Glatt pulls aside the South Carolina Low Country's curtain of Spanish moss and steps smoothly into its swamp of corruption, embezzlement, and murder, delivering a Baedeker of the family's steady rise and spectacular fall." --Air Mail

"Excellent. " --Montecito Journal

Praise for The Doomsday Mother:

"A white-knuckle page-turner...This definitive look at a case Glatt considers the most 'terrifying' of his decades of experience as a journalist is must reading for true crime fans." --Publishers Weekly (starred)

"In bestselling author John Glatt's capable hands, this tragic tale avoids hyperbole and emotionally provocative prose ... fascinating, gruesome and harrowing."--Bookreporter.com

Praise for Golden Boy:

"Glatt is a balanced narrator of this story....A tragic character study at the intersection of wealth, privilege, and mental illness, told with empathy." -- Library Journal

"Glatt shares alarming revelations about the state of the mental health system...This is must reading for true crime enthusiasts who prize depth over salaciousness." --Publishers Weekly

Praise for The Perfect Father:

"Glatt's expert coverage of the investigation is riveting...police procedural fans will enjoy." --Publishers Weekly

"[A] gripping read." --Library Journal

About the Author

English-born JOHN GLATT is the Edgar-award nominated author of more than thirty books including The Lost Girls and My Sweet Angel, and has over thirty years of experience as an investigative journalist in England and America. He has appeared on television and radio programs all over the world, including Dateline NBC, Fox News, ABC's 20/20, BBC World News, and A&E Biography.