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I have watched every documentary, tv show and listened to every podcast I could on the subject of the Murdaugh murders. I ordered this book thinking it would be mostly a review of what I already knew. And some of that was true. There has been a lot of coverage about these murders and crimes. But Larson has written a book that I could not put down. I enjoyed how he organized the book and really broke down, chapter by chapter, both the crimes and the man behind it all. I learned so much about the trial process as well as very interesting chapters on what makes a psychopath and how all of this could tie back to Alec. He was a very calculated and deceitful man, erratic and Addicted, but also beloved by almost all who knew him. All I can say is "oh what a tangled web we weave". If you know, you know. I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys true crime shows to pick up this book. But just don't expect to do much else for a few days.

The Family Man by James Lasdun really sucked me in. It was well written and kept me hooked I found the description of the people and place involved well constructed.
It was an eye opener to read about the family and how much money and power let them get away with a lot.

I enjoyed the writing of this book. The author did a great job and I highly recommend reading this book.

I know I'm not supposed to have a plot spoiler, but, honestly, everyone in America knows the ending of this book. It's how we get to the ending that's tricky. I expected Mr. Lasdun, knowing the outcome of this saga, to present the story slanted to that effect. He did not and I love him for it. He never showed Alex Murdaugh as 100 evil, as a conniving, cold-blooded killer. Instead, he always opened the door for alternative opinions about the man and the tragedy. There was always an element of doubt about each part of the story. For example, were Alex's emotional outbursts real or contrived? Could a man look his beloved son in the eyes and blow his brains out? Could he circle around his wife with a gun and shoot her repeatedly? It begs belief. Lasdun presents every element of this story with atomic attention to detail. He questions everything, doesn't lay it out like a foregone conclusion. So, that, when you make up your own mind, you do so without having been forced into an opinion by the author. The very last line of the book maintains this "leave the door open a crack" mentality that, maybe, just maybe, all isn't as it seems. When Alex Murdaugh protests his innocence by proclaiming he could never hurt his wife or his son, instead of saying, "And yet he did," Lasdun leaves us with "And yet it appears that he did." Big difference. This book was so intriguing, I will read it again.

James Lasdun has written a very compelling story about the Murdaugh murders. I particularly appreciated his technique of reviewing the step-by-step investigation by SLEDD in a "you were there" kind of way. Likewise, his reporting of the trial testimony allowed me to understand the important moments that likely persuaded the jury of Alex Murdaugh's guilt. The fact that Lasdun has doubts about Alex's guilt, mostly based on his disbelief that a parent could kill his child, allows him to lead the reader on a deep psychological dive of the current research on the topic, and also to explore alternative theories that would be exculpatory of Alex. It's a very readable, absorbing book about a nightmarish situation.

An interesting nonfiction book about Alex Murdaugh the man convicted of shooting his wife and son. It involves lying, cheating, stealing, embezzlement, and a careless disregard of other people's lives. He was a member of a family law firm that was started by his grandfather and became part of "the good ole boys club". But he met his downfall because of his callousness toward other people. Mr. Lasdun writes this book to try to get an understanding of this man and his ruthless disregard for others. He accomplishes this through interviews with the police, Alex's victims and friends, attendance at the trial and Alex's sentencing hearing. He leaves the reader with enough evidence to decide for oneself if Alex is guilty or innocent.

I am not an avid reader or follower of true crime stories, but it surely comes as no surprise that the extensive media coverage of the bizarre complexities of the Murdaugh trial and the events leading to it caught my attention. James Lasdun, an author whose works I have not previously read, offers a detailed, lucid, and highly readable account of the many events leading up to and including the trial where Alex Murdaugh was found guilty of the murders of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul.

James Lasdun, a New York City resident of British origin, spent much time in South Carolina's Low Country before, throughout, and after the trial, speaking with friends and adversaries, associates, neighbors, and others with any manner of connection to the Murdaugh family and paints vivid pictures of the life of Alex Murdaugh and his years of deception, embezzlement, opioid addiction prior to his ultimate arrest for the murders.

The core story of perpetrator Murdaugh, his victims, leading up to and including his trial, is followed by Lasdun's own thoughtful and again, well-researched insights into the questions posed. Was the jury's guilty verdict correct, or could Murdaugh, with all his faults, be innocent? Given that Murdaugh was guilty, what psychological pressures and derangements could have been at play, not only concerning the murders, but equally regarding the stolen funds and his severe addiction? Was Murdaugh truly a "family annihilator?"

I thoroughly recommend "The Family Man." Certainly to true crime aficionados, but also to the curious, who, like me, appreciate a thoroughly researched and well-written, logically structured true account of a real-life topic, that Lasdun describes at one point as an "inkblot of murk."

I didn't follow the Murdaugh trial nor did I watch any of the made for TV dramatizations of his family life and events leading to the murders. This book was my introduction to all this and it has made me want to learn more.

The author does a masterful job of attempting to explain Alex Murdaugh, but as even he finally notes, it's not clear if anyone – even Alex himself – can truly understand what motivates him.

Did he really murder his wife and son? The jury convicted him – and relatively quickly. But was that because he is such a liar, fraud, and cheat that since he's clearly a bad person and one can't believe anything he says, that murder is not unbelievable and no one else seems to be a suspect? And maybe, as the author points out, the jury really didn't like being taken in even temporarily by his good-ole-boy-hale-fellow-well-met-you-know-I-would-never-lie-to-you persona – when it became clear that he had lied to them about why he lied repeatedly to the police about not being at the kennel. After that, his I would never hurt my wife and son rang less and less true apparently.

The author also did an amazing amount of research trying to understand Alex – was he a psychopath (he certainly didn't care about the people he hurt), an opioid addict (he was certainly that, but did that cause violent episodes), a "family annihilator" (someone who was so desperate to save them – and/or himself – from the shame about to come down on him over the fraud) or was he some portion of all three and even more besides?

This is a fascinating book and I highly recommend it.

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.