Swamp Kings: The Murdaugh Family of South Carolina and a Century of Backwoods Power

(Hardback)

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Description

The stranger-than-fiction story of the now-notorious low country clan, in all its Southern Gothic intensityby an author with unparalleled access to and knowledge of the players, the history, and the place.

The most famous man in South Carolina lives jailed in the state capital. He stands accused of a staggering amount of wrongdoingninety-nine crimes and counting. Once a high-flying, smooth-talking, pedigreed Southern lawyer, Alex Murdaugh is now disbarred and disgraced. For more than a decade, prosecutors claim, Alex was secretly a fraud, a thief, a drug dealer and an all-around phony. On the night of June 7, 2021, they claim, he also became a killer.

The many alleged crimes of Alex Murdaugh, revealed piecemeal over the last two years, have appalled the general public. Yet his implosionthe spectacular manner in which he has turned his vaunted family name to mudhas also proved mesmerizing. With every revelation, Murdaugh is further shown to be a man without bottom. Every new disclosure eclipses and redefines whats already known, making this a gothic crime story for the ages.

Yet even more remarkable is the fact that none of this bad behavior is unprecedented. In Swamp Kings, Jason Ryan reveals it is only the tip of the iceberg, and that when it comes to this family, history has a way of repeating itself. For every alleged, headline-grabbing crime associated with Alex Murdaugh, mirror-image incidents have played out within his familys past, including parallel instances of fraud, theft, trafficking, calamitous late-night boat crashes, and even murder.

Spanning a century of misdeeds and set amongst the swamps, pines, and poverty, Swamp Kings weaves together the jaw-dropping narratives of generations of Murdaughs, culminating in the trial that transfixed the nation and shining a bright light on the swamp kings of Hampton Countyand their numerous victimsat last.

Reviews

Praise for Jason Ryan

Ryans thrilling book is an absolute joy to read, capturing the excitement, wonder and tragedy of this pioneering age of aviation. This is one of those rare books, like Laura Hillenbrands Seabiscuit and Daniel James Browns The Boys in the Boat. * The CharlestonPost and Courier *
"Sputtering engines, empty fuel tanks, failed radios, and never-ending fog.Jason Ryan thrillingly recounts each pitfall as he details American airmens ultimate triumph over the worlds mightiest ocean. * Winston Groom, author ofThe Aviatorsand"Meticulously documented and lucidly spun. PartNew Yorkerfeature, part Jimmy Buffet song . . .The result is adventuresome, lavish, informative fun."

* G.Q. *
Ryan builds suspense skillfully and makes heroes out of the men and one woman who vied in the derby. * Booklist (Starred Review) *

Author Bio

Jason Ryan is an author and journalist based in Charleston, South Carolina. He is a former reporter for The Stateand The Beaufort Gazette and has written forThe Daily Beast and Agence-France Presse, including coverage of the massacre at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston and the ensuing trial of killer Dylann Roof. He is the author of Jackpot: High Times, High Seas and the Sting that Launched the War on Drugs;Hell-Bent: One Man's Crusade to Crush the Hawaiian Mob (currently under option to HBOMax), and Race to Hawaii: The 1927 Dole Derby and the Thrilling First Flights that Opened the Pacific.