Final Payoff

Ian Mulgrew reconstructs one of the most ethically charged moments in Canadian criminal history: the 1981 deal in which B.C. serial killer Clifford Olson's family received $100,000 in exchange for leading investigators to the burial sites of eleven child and youth victims. Books in Canada called it the most detailed and forthright examination of the Olson case to date, and Mulgrew earns that praise through thorough research and a readable narrative style that never sensationalizes. The main critical complaint — and it is fair — is that the book focuses on the deal's legal and ethical dimensions while leaving Olson's psychology largely unexplored. Fair warning: the subject matter is deeply disturbing and entirely unsuitable for younger readers. Mature adults who follow Canadian legal history will find it essential.