Hi - I read a book years ago about a boy who was brought up by deeply dysfunctional adults who totally neglected him and never registered his birth or put him in school. He was highly intelligent but a complete sociopath who finally ended up killing his parents and putting them in the trunk of the car parked in the drive. Despite having no friends or human relationships he was attracted to order and beauty, became a talented carpenter and made a living as a joiner. He went on to kill when it was advantageous to do so and had a girlfriend who worked in a shop. He finally ended up trapping himself in a pit in a garden of a house he had 'inherited' frmo a client he killed and knowing as nobody knew he was there he would starve to death. As you can see the book made a huge impression as it really got into the mind of how a sociopath can be created. My only issue is that I have absolutely no idea about the name of the book or the author. I've been trying to track it down for years. Ring any bells with anybody?
I guess as it was written in the first person throughout and led you very gradually through his experiences as a tiny baby right through to adulthood it was a very powerful 'explanation' of how people can become so de-sensitised at an early age that they never develop proper human characteristics or empathies. The fact that he was so highly functioning made it all the more chilling. I rarely remember the details of any books I read although with this one it has stayed with me for years - in virtually every detail but the title. It's been annoying me for years.