Into the mind of George Harvey

In the book "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold the main character Susie Salmon is killed by organized serial killer George Harvey. In the book there are very few windows into the mind of Mr. Harvey, but killing like he does implies a traumatizing event in his childhood or a psychological disorder.

Harvey's obsession with buildings is a recurring theme in the book. It would seem that he builds a unique building for each murder. For Susie he built an underground cavern which he collapsed after her murder. It also seems that the way he disposes of the bodies is different each time. In chapter four it says "Better and better he was getting now, never using an old pattern that would bore him but making each kill a surprise to himself, a gift to himself." Building a different structure for each killing and finding a clever way to dispose of the body keep the routine new and exciting for him.

Mr. Harvey has a distinct lack of empathy when he recalls stabbing Susie in chapter four. This could be a sign that he has a psychological disorder of some kind and would explain, at least partially, why he is a serial killer.

The only thing we know of Harvey's past is that his father was a builder. The connection between this fact and where he kills his victims cannot be ignored. There could be many reasons why he would connect the murders with his father in the way of constructing a new building for each murder. This could hint at Mr. Harvey being traumatized as a child. On the other hand, it could just be that architecture was a skill that he picked up from his father.

Serial killers in the real world nearly always were traumatized as children, or else have severe psychological disorders. Sociopathy is one disorder that many serial killers possess, which makes it hard for them to feel empathy. Childhood trauma is another very common phenomenon in serial killers and can cause them to have a skewed view of what is right or wrong. Of course these two things don't necessarily mean someone is a serial killer, but they are two common traits among serial killers.

I conclude that Mr. Harvey most likely kills like he does at least in part because of his father. The connection with the buildings shows a negative association of the father.

Based on the book and your own knowledge, what is the conclusion you draw?