Blood on Their Hands: Murder, Corruption, and the Fall of the Murdaugh Dynasty
Mandy Matney
The highly anticipated inside look at the collapse of the Murdaugh dynasty by the celebrated investigative journalist and creator of the #1 hit Murdaugh Murders Podcast , Mandy Matney. Years before the name Alex Murdaugh was splashed across every major media outlet in America, local South Carolina journalist Mandy Matney had an instinct that something wasn’t right in the Lowcountry. The powerful Murdaugh dynasty had dominated rural South Carolina for generations. more
272 pages, Hardcover
First published William Morrow
3.91
Rating
1788
Ratings
273
Reviews
Mandy Matney
2 books 38 followers
Community reviews
I don't know. how I slogged my way through this book. I feel like my first statement should be that this is NOT what I was expecting. I was expecting a book that encompasses the entire story of the Murdaugh's since there's no question that Mandy was one of the best, if not the best journalist investigating the family. However, the book I read was not that. more
I am not a podcast listener and so have not heard any of the Murdaugh Murders Podcast (MMP), an extremely popular podcast that has often been ranked #1 ranked on Apple Podcasts. I requested an advance reader copy of Blood on Their Hands expecting it to be true crime nonfiction about Alex Murdaugh. It’s not. It’s a memoir by a journalist who wants us all to know how hard she has worked to be successful and how many people got in her way. Mandy Matney is a good writer with a major chip on her shoulder. more
Not rating b/c I DNF'ed around 20% on the audiobook. Leaving a note more than a review: this is simply not the true crime/narrative non-fiction I wanted to be. It's a. personal memoir. by the journalist and I'm simply not interested in her girlboss career trajectory or her love life. more
Too much about the podcast host. I wanted a book on the Murdaugh family, not a memoir from a podcaster. . more
Great book. I was lucky to have been chosen to receive an advance copy of this book. I have faithfully followed the Murdaugh Murders Podcast since soon after it was released. I was hooked at the first episode. The podcast provided an up close, inside view to the events surrounding the murders and exposed more corruption than I could have ever imagined. more
This is a MUST READ book. It is insightful, well written, full of mind blowing facts. At times you can’t believe what Mandy and Liz uncovered. If you’re going to read one book about this story, this is the book to read. It’s coming from the only source you can truly trust. more
Mandy announced she was coming out with a book, I knew I had to read it, AND it came out in November which is my birth month so there was double reason to read this. I will admit that I was expecting something a little different based on the title, but at the same time, I wanted to see Mandy's perspective while she was reporting day in and day out, the things she had to deal with, the relationships she formed etc and this book gave me that. I really liked hearing what was going on behind the scenes, from someone who was really there. It is more about her than the case itself, but I ended up not minding that as much as I thought I would. If you're unfamiliar with this case and want a complete overview, then John Glatt's Tangled Vines: Power, Privilege, and the Murdaugh Family Murders is probably a better alternative to get you up to speed, but if you have been following it, then Blood on Their Hands is a book you could check out as well. more
I want to preface this by saying this is the first book review I’ve legitimately been scared to write and post. Not only because it’ll likely be an unpopular opinion, but because I know and have seen how Mandy takes to social media if you say anything outside of applauding her every move. I’ll also be transparent in saying that while I was a huge fan of Mandy’s journalistic talents and abilities in the beginning, I’m not a fan of her presence on social media and how she has handled certain things in recent years. PROS: Very easy to read. She puts you right there with her throughout the book, like when she’s sitting at a coffee shop with Olivia. more
I was obsessed with the Murdaugh trial. If you don't follow True Crime, than you still probably heard about this case. It's the rare case that broke through all the Trump to take the country by storm. In the summer of 2021in the South Carolina lowcountry Maggie and Paul Murdaugh were found dead by Alex Murdaugh husband and father of the victims. Over the next 2 years more and more crimes and misdeeds were uncovered involving this rich and extremely powerful family. more
I can’t think of anything nice to say about this book. In fact, I’ve been coming up with alternative titles for it since I was about a third of the way into it. Here are a few tentative ideas:Mandy Matney: In My Own Words By Mandy Matney, Millenial Journalist™️How I Overcame the Strife of Being a Middle Class White Millenial and Why You Should Never Stop Singing My Praises: The Mandy Matney Story by Mandy Matney (Don’t Forget to Download my Podcast. )Millenial Journalist in the Lowcountry: Why I’m the Only Reason Alex Murdaugh Faced Justice by Mandy Matney …she really grated on me, can you tell. Mandy Matney was there first. more
I think at least to some degree, I misunderstood what this was. I assumed it was going to be straight reporting on the Murdaugh family. I've read enough true crime (including While Idaho Slept: The Hunt for Answers in the Murders of Four College Students which I finished immediately before I started this) to have a general idea of how these books should flow. This is something much closer to a personal memoir for the author. The main character of the book is very obviously Mandy Matney, with huge chunks of the book dedicated to her personal and professional life completely unrelated to the Murdaughs. more
I was able to get an advance copy of this book (releasing November 14, 2023) and it exceeded all my expectations. Being a Murdaugh trial follower, I knew Mandy Matney would delve into the story. What she did was beyond that. She was able to carefully craft this saga into a raw, emotional thriller with so many twists and turns as she uncovered an unbelievable story of crime, corruption, paid favors, intimidation, drugs, shady business dealings, suspicious deaths and ultimately murders. Page by page as Mandy laid bare her feelings and struggles, I felt her pain, and understood her persistence. more
This is "The Mandy Matney Story. " If you are interested in this case, you will need to read a different book. more
I was genuinely surprised and thrilled by "Blood On Their Hands" by Mandy Matney, set to release on November 14th. It not only met my expectations but exceeded them. While I anticipated a deep dive into the Murdaugh saga, Matney's memoir goes beyond that. She takes us on her raw emotional journey, shedding light on the challenges of being a woman in the male-dominated culture of the South, and the hardships of uncovering the truth. As a young woman in the South, this book resonated with me deeply. more
So I didn’t read reviews and I thought the book was about the Murdaugh family. It was really about the life and work story of Mandy the reporter. Once I got over my disappointment of this, it was a good interesting read. I enjoyed the writing style and how vivid the story was. Great read overall. more
I received an ARC via Netgalley for this book prior to its release 14 November 2023. I have always found this case fascinating, and was excited to dig into this one. Unfortunately, I found it pretty repetitive and didn't provide additional information outside of the documentaries. If you haven't seen the documentaries, you may find it more compelling than I did. more
This was not at all what I was expecting and felt like it was thrown together very quickly to capitalize on the Murdaugh trial buzz. Instead of focusing on the victims and their stories or even delving deeper into the history of Hampton County, she really made it all about herself. I didn’t read anything I hadn’t heard before. Ironically, she came off as very whiny and narcissistic, making herself the hero, like she owned the story. The focus on bashing her past employers was not a good look either. more
I really loved the podcast and went into the book knowing that I might already know everything she had to share, so that's fine. But it's just. her complaining. No doubt what she's gone through has been tough, but it doesn't make for a very interesting read. . more
Mandy Matney became well known because of her podcast Murdaugh Murders, and I have listened to her for many hours, as I became fascinated of the story of the wretched Murdaugh family of South Carolina. Briefly, the Murdaugh family ruled the legal wrangling in the Lowcountry area for generations, with one patriarch after another being in charge of the legal system. By the time Alex Murdaugh ascended to the position, his family had totally dominated the legal landscape in the southern part of the state for 100+ years. At the age of 52, Alex’s wife Maggie and their 22-year-old son Paul were found dead at the family hunting lodge. Paul had been in the middle of legal wrangling over the death of his girlfriend in a boating accident that happened while he was driving his boat drunk. more
If you’re a Murdaugh Murders Podcast fan like I am, you will like the new book Blood On Their Hands, written by the podcast creator Mandy Matney. I received an advance copy and finished within a few days. It’s extremely well written and very interesting. It’s also a quick read that moves really fast - perfect to enjoy over a long weekend. I know a lot about the crime and story surrounding it, so I was excited that this goes a little further and gives a look at what it was like for the journalist(s) covering the story - Mandy, Liz, and the folks surrounding them. more
I was a little shocked to find this book so highly rated, as it came across as a really long ad for the Murdaugh Murders Podcast (MMP). I went into this book expecting insight into the Murdaugh Family and the crimes committed and instead, got a memoir about a local reporter’s life during that time period. It was not what the title promised. I could appreciate the fly on the wall aspects that added to my knowledge about the case, but not enough to recommend. Mostly, I heard a lot of digs directed at her employers, co-workers, the intelligence of cops, Southern drawls, city folk, Covid coverage, and bad relationships. more
I have mixed feelings about this book. Overall, I’m glad that I read it, as it is well-written and gives a true insider’s perspective about the Murdaugh saga. However, I was quite frankly amazed and annoyed at how regularly the author complained about all of her hard work and the hurdles she overcame to get where she is today. On practically every page, she felt the need to talk about how little sleep she consistently got, how every single boss she had was sexist or jealous of her and sought to undermine her, how she never took weekends off and rarely took vacations, how disappointed she was in basically all other journalists (and at some points, literally put in quotes what she would have said if she was in the shoes of certain journalists), and on and on. I appreciate that she was a hard worker. more
"But at the same time, I knew this wasn’t about me at all. I didn’t want to write something simply to be part of the national conversation. I wasn’t publishing a story just to see my byline out there. "This was not a bad book. It just wasn't the book it claimed to be. more
I’ve been struggling with how to write this review. I’m a long time listener of the MMP/True Sunlight & COJ podcasts. I was with Mandy from the beginning. I still listen every week and enjoy the conversations between Liz, Mandy and Eric. But unfortunately this book just didn’t quite do it for me. more
Absolutely fabulous. This book is part true crime, part memoir. If you’re like me, you’ve read/watched/listened to tons of information about the Murdaugh murders. Believe it or not, this book includes information I was not aware of. I also adored reading about Mandy’s journey and uphill battle to assert and position herself as a female journalist. more
I was really disappointed in this, it was not what I expected in a bad way. I was expecting a true crime novel about the Murdaugh family and their crimes over time. This was more like a memoir about the author. No offense but I'm not really interested in reading about this women's career and journey through life in relation to the Murdaugh murders. Not what I was expecting and not an enjoyable read, didn't finish it. more
4. 5 starsAt first I questioned why I was even reading this book, as I've watched all the documentaries about the Murdaugh case and didn't think there was anything new to learn. However, I really liked the perspective that Mandy offered. I have not listened to the podcast (I'm an audiobook person, not a podcast person) but I appreciated her point of view as the first journalist on the case. I enjoyed the part memoir / part true crime format. more
I loved the podcasts, but the author spends too much time on her challenges. For example, she said someone complained about her voice in the podcasts and the author said ““It stung, but I also saw it for what it was: garden-variety sexism. Some people just didn’t like women asserting authority,”. No, your voice was not good when you started, not sexist to say. She mentioned sexism so often that I got turned off and quit reading. more
Not at all what I expected, sadly. I have been an MMP listener from the beginning and I was looking forward to a complete and complex retelling of the Alex Murdaugh story. However, this was a rather juvenile and whiney litany of how the author was not taken seriously, treated badly, but wound up triumphant with the number 1 podcast on Apple. (Stated half a dozen times) . more
This is not a true crime book. It is about the author and her struggles and triumphs as a journalist and podcaster and her tenacity in exposing the good old boy network. Admirable but not what I was expecting or wanting to read. . more