The Devil at His Elbow Audiobook By Valerie Bauerlein cover art

The Devil at His Elbow

Alex Murdaugh and the Fall of a Southern Dynasty

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The Devil at His Elbow

By: Valerie Bauerlein
Narrated by: Maggi-Meg Reed, Valerie Bauerlein
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About this listen

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.

©2024 Valerie Bauerlein (P)2024 Random House Audio
Entertainment & Celebrities Murder Exciting Scary Haunted South Carolina

Critic reviews

“A memorable—and often chilling—account of tangled webs, addled minds, and the evil that men do . . . Bauerlein’s gracefully written, thoughtful treatment is by far the best… in the Murdaugh sweepstakes.”Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"When Truman Capote wrote In Cold Blood, he had the story of the Clutter slayings all to himself. With The Devil at His Elbow, Valerie Bauerlein has achieved something far more difficult journalistically: Despite wall-to-wall media coverage, she’s managed to produce the definitive account of the Murdaugh murders. Forget the podcasts, the TV specials, and the documentaries—this is the version of the story you’ll want to read. And once you pick it up, you won’t be able to put it down.”—John Carreyrou, Pulitzer Prize–winner and bestselling author of Bad Blood

“With The Devil at His Elbow, Valerie Bauerlein delivers a riveting story that explores the abuse of power and the human heart of darkness. This is an electrifying, horrifying tale, expertly reported and written.”—Jonathan Eig, author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning King: A Life

What listeners say about The Devil at His Elbow

Highly rated for:

Compelling Storytelling Thorough Research Excellent Narration Detailed Background Riveting Saga
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Great New Details of A Well Told Story!

Loved learning the fuller story of the Murdaugh family, behind the scenes comments and happenings around the trial, and so many extra details from someone who was there from the beginning, and even walked the Murdaugh property with the jurors and press. Very interesting, well told version of a fascinating, heartbreaking story.

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Having followed the trial, this is extremely accurate

One of the best follow throughs of a trial I have read. Just the facts mam. Thank you for all your hard work!

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Fantastic storytelling.

Aside from it being a terrible series of events for a lot of people this book is involved and riveting. The author and narrator kept my attention the entire time.

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Not the same old story! SO much more! If you’re a Murdaugh fan-this book is for you!

If you’re on the fence because you think it’s all been rehashed-think again! SO much info that wasn’t brought out! Great book!

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Worth Reading, Even If You Know The Case Well

Incredible research, great writing and beautiful narration. I raced through it - couldn’t stop listening - and was rewarded with a tremendous read.

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astounding story and well narrated

love this book and I'm fascinated by the disgusting human that Alec is. The way the community had trusted him because of his family history and his public persona is so interesting.

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Outstanding

Best book of 2024. Fast paced, incredibly well researched, narrating is fantastic. I could not stop listening to this. That Alex Murdaugh is an absolute piece of S*%T.

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Thorough investigative work

True story very well written. Narrator has a great tone in her voice. Difficult to feel sympathy for this family.

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The definitive book on this subject

This book sets the bar - not only for writing on the Murdaugh family, but for quality true crime in general. Thorough, smart reporting, excellent prose, compelling narrative. The author doesn't insert herself into the story by needlessly moralizing about the obvious heinousness of her subject's many crimes (a regrettably common trap in this genre). Instead, she utilizes her research of the Murdaugh family and the local SC community to deeply explore the who, the how, and the why. Interviews with victims and others intimately involved are seamlessly integrated into the narrative, resulting in a fully human, truthful, and dynamic telling. This is a fascinating, frightening saga about human nature and the pitfalls of tribalism, artfully told by a terrific researcher and writer.

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Excellent read!

This was such an excellent read from start to finish. I honestly didn’t want to finish it. I kept up with the trial and the news and it was so interesting to be able to know the details and all that happened. If I were able to start it again without having read it before, I definitely would.

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