Tangled Vines by John Glatt is a true crime book which tells the story of the 2021 shooting of a woman and her son from a prominent family in South Carolina. Initially, there seemed to be no obvious solution to the mystery of who had shot Maggie and her son Paul and things became even more confusing when the husband, Alex, was discovered dead some months later, also shot.
This is really a book about the power and corruption of the Murdaugh family which owned a large legal firm over several generations and whose members were often involved in local politics. The author examines the history of the family and shows how they had been involved in corrupt dealings and financial fraud over a number of years – these were not the only suspicious deaths to take place in their vicinity.
Evidence seems to point the finger at Alex who it appears was on the brink of financial ruin. The author recreates the events of the crime to show who could have been responsible and also why many of the secrets were not revealed. It clearly illustrates how one family can come to power and influence and what they are prepared to do in order to retain their status. None of the family comes out of this account well as the events show how privileged and protected they were in the society of the town and local area.
This is a compelling account which is easy to read whilst never becoming lurid or sensationalist. I gather that the events in this book are well known in America and that the story has been serialised on Netflix. It truly is shocking in places, especially when you begin to understand what people will do and who they will sacrifice tp gain and retain power.
Anne Is Reading 