‘Two days after we buried my mother’s ashes, my father was murdered.’

Unforgiven: Face to Face with my Father’s Killer by Liz McGregor is out now from Jonathan Ball Publishers.

‘Liz McGregor has always been a great journalist but only South Africa could have wrung out of her this single-minded account of the murder of her beloved father. The book is an indescribable duty, exquisitely done.’ – Peter Bruce

‘An enthralling account of the journey by a daughter to meet with those convicted of her father’s murder.’ – Trevor Manuel

A searing, intimate memoir tracing the author’s attempt to find out the truth about her father’s murder.

Robin McGregor, an older man who has recently moved into a small town outside Cape Town, is brutally murdered in his home. Cecil Thomas is convicted for the crime, but his trial leaves more questions than answers. As much as his daughter Liz McGregor tries to move beyond her grief – she finds new work, she even discovers love – she still wants answers. What drove Thomas to torture and kill a complete stranger?

The author meets the murderer’s family and discovers that he comes from a loving, comfortable home. He is educated and skilled, there is no apparent reason for his descent into delinquency. After protracted obstruction from the prison authorities, she finally gets to confront him but not without putting herself in danger. She finds answers, but not the answers she is looking for.

Unforgiven tells a story seldom told: what happens to a family when one of their own is murdered? In a country where, year upon year, tens of thousands of people lose a loved one to violence. Where restorative justice is preached but not practiced. Where prisons are universities of crime. What would it take to achieve redemption? For the victim, the perpetrator and the country?

About the author

Liz McGregor has written and edited several books including Load-shedding, At Risk, Touch Pause Engage, Springbok Factory and Khabzela. She has worked as a journalist in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Seoul and London, including several years as deputy editor of the op-ed section of The Guardian. She currently lives in Cape Town and London.

Categories Non-fiction South Africa

Tags Jonathan Ball Publishers Liz McGregor Memoir New books New releases Unforgiven