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‘A masterclass in calm, hard reasoning’ Helen Garner

'James Lasdun [is] one of our very best true crime documentarians... A riveting account' Joyce Carol Oates

What drives a loving family man with everything to lose to become a killer?

In March of 2023, Alex Murdaugh was found guilty of murdering his wife Maggie and their younger son Paul at their home in South Carolina’s Lowcountry. The story became headline news around the world, with its outlandish revelations of corruption in high places, massive fraud, opioid abuse, fake suicides, suspicious accidents, and the generational recklessness of the wealthy legal dynasty at its centre.

James Lasdun explores the psychological puzzle at the heart of the story, which the murder trial failed to answer. Why did Alex Murdaugh murder his wife and son?

Featuring a cast of villains ranging from supposedly respectable lawyers to violent street gang members and a gothic setting in a small town in America's deep south, The Family Man is a gripping, immersive, twisting investigation of a double murder that seems to defy explanation.

'Meticulous, spotlessly written, and clear-eyed' Paul Tremblay