In his latest true crime book, TANGLED VINES, John Glatt turns his attention to the powerful Murdaugh family of South Carolina. The Murdaughs ruled over the lowcountry until Alex murdered his wife and son and plundered financial settlements that were due local families, to the tune of millions of dollars.

The story begins more than a hundred years earlier, when Alex’s great-grandfather, the first lawyer in the family, opened a one-man practice in Hampton County in 1910. The Murdaughs soon took over the local judicial system, and three generations served as the region’s solicitors (referred to in other states as district attorneys), while simultaneously operating their own highly lucrative private law firm. By the time Alex graduated from law school in 1994, new state laws made it illegal for solicitors to also practice civil law.

"[T]he story is sensational enough that, despite the massive coverage --- which included podcasts and documentaries --- readers will find TANGLED VINES to be riveting."

But before that change, Glatt recounts stories about how the Murdaughs passed out favors as prosecutors while raking in money as tort lawyers. They knew everyone in their district, including the police and the judiciary, and exploited a local law that would allow them to sue anyone with any connection to their district. Juries subsequently would award high damages to Murdaugh clients because they knew --- and perhaps feared --- the family.

Alex appeared to enjoy a successful career, and he and his wife, Maggie, were well liked in the community. That is, until 2019, when their teenage son, Paul, drunkenly drove his boat into a bridge, killing his friend, Mallory Beach. Alex attempted but failed to pin the blame on another passenger, who eventually sued him.

Two years later, Alex discovered the bodies of Maggie and Paul, who had been shot to death at his hunting estate. He eventually would be convicted of both murders. Later that year, he was fired from PMPED for stealing millions of dollars of funds from his own clients and his partners. Meanwhile, he botched a suicide attempt that was meant to ensure that his surviving son would receive monies from his life insurance policy.

Despite Glatt’s track record as a successful author, the writing occasionally can be spotty. For instance, towards the end, the book refers to the “upcoming murder trial,” but the next chapter proceeds to review the outcome of that trial. At other times, Alex is “living the high life,” while he and Maggie “lived the good life.” Still, the story is sensational enough that, despite the massive coverage --- which included podcasts and documentaries --- readers will find TANGLED VINES to be riveting.