Jean M. Roberts's Blog, page 5

Book Review: The Scientist and The Serial Killer by Lise Olsen

 

 

THE SCIENTIST AND THE SERIAL KILLER: THE SEARCH FOR HOUSTON’S LOST BOYS By Lise Olsen

True Crime / HistoryPublisher: Random HousePages: 464Publication Date: April 1, 2025

SYNOPSIS
The Scientist and the Serial Killer is the gripping, upside-down detective story of a Texas forensic anthropologist named Sharon Derrick who, determined to close the cases of the notorious 1970s Houston-area serial killer Dean Corll, painstakingly deploys the latest science to identify victims who had become known as the Lost Boys of Houston. This is an unforgettable narrative of forensic science, missing persons, and unsolved crimes by award-winning investigative journalist Lise Olsen.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lise Olsen is a senior investigative reporter and editor whose work has appeared in the Texas Observer, Inside Climate News, and the Houston Chronicle, as well as in documentaries on Netflix, CNN, A&E, and Paramount+.


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REVIEW

The Scientist and the SerialKiller by Lise Olsen

Chilling true crime fiction

When I saw this book, I knew Iwanted to read it! I was a teenager in a suburb of Houston in the 1970s and rememberthe horror that unfolded in August 1973. Dean Corll and his teenage accompliceswere accused of and admitted to the killings of scores of teenage boys, boysthe age of my brother and his friends. It was chilling and probably the firsttime I realized that people can be monsters in plain sight. It was not fornothing that the name, The Candy Man, was used to invoke terror in Houston areachildren.

The book is told in twooverlapping parts: the story of Dean Corll, Elmer Wayne Henley and David OwenBrooks, and that of Sharon Derrick, a forensic anthropologist for the HarrisCounty Medical Examiner’s Office, whose mission identifying the unknown victims.

The chapters flip back and forth between the twotime periods, but begins with the death of Dean Corll and the unraveling of hishorrendous crimes. The author does a great job of fleshing out the lives andpersonalities of the victims, making them more than just a list of names. It’sterrifying to see how a chance encounter with one of the three killers led totheir deaths. The few survivors told tales of unimaginable horror.

Sharon Derrick, the forensic anthropologist,reviewed the cases in the 1990s and with the use of new technology was able toidentify the remaining bodies and correct some errors made in the 1970s. Ireally enjoyed that section and followed her methods closely.

The Houston Police Department didnot come off looking too good in this book. How could 30+ teenagers, many fromthe same neighborhood and school disappear without rousing any reaction fromthe police? Two of the boys were the sons of law enforcement officers! I foundthis really remarkable.

My one complaint is that some ofthe information is repetitive, and I felt the author was covering the sameground over and over. Otherwise, it was a really great read and I highlyrecommend it, especially to anyone who grew up in the Houston area and wasfamiliar with the case. 

To learn more about the book, look for #LSLLTheScientistAndTheSerialKiller on your preferred social media platform.


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The Hag Stone

 

Have you ever found a hag stone, a stone with a naturally occuring hole. The stones are also known as  adder stones, and witch stones. The are found in chalky areas, riverbeds, coastal areas and areas of high erosion. The holes are caused by water wearing away the stone. 
Hag stones are associated with magic and are said to have protective qualities. The adder stone is said to be a cure for snake bites. Others say that if you look through the hole you can see a witch or peer into faerie land. 
In Scandivavian countries the hag stone was linked with Odin. In Mediterranean cultures is used to ward off the evil eye. 
Hag stones can be worn around the neck, hung over the door of your house or a barn. You can tie one your bedpost to keep dreams away or tie one to your keys so as not to lose them. 
The next time you're at a rocky beach have a look for a hag stone. 

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Find out more about my books, full of historical fiction, witchcraft, magic, medieval spells, mystery, mythology and romance. Both books are available on Kindle Unlimited. 
Find them on Amazon.


 

Broadclyst Holy Well in Devon, England

 

In Now Comes The Raven, I included a holy well built in homage to a goddess Azenore. While Azenore is a figment of my imagination, the holy well is not. Holy wells and roadside shrines go back thousands of years, and were sites to venerate the gods, old and new. 

Holy wells are believed to be pagan, predominately Celtic in origin. Springs and wells were seen as sacred and attributed to local gods. Often these were incorporated into the later Christian religion and associated with saints. 

Water was considered an elemental force, think water, fire, earth and air. Water was a blessing from the gods and took on mystical properties. It was believed that water could heal the sick or injured. Clootie or rag trees were often found alongside them. The rags were dipped into the water of the well and then tied to the tree, a request to the gods for their help. 

In Devon alone, there are more than 30 holy wells. See this website for more.  HOLY WELLS. The well in my book is based on the Boardclyst Holy Well outside of Exeter, Devon. I located it a bit closer to where my imaginary Wentworth Hall is located to make it within easy walking distance. The real well is in a smallish  bit of wood, off the side of a road and is hard to reach. The history of the well is not known. If you live in Devon and want to visit it here are the directions: 

Situated in a small wood on the south side of the lane that leads from the B3181 to Lower Comberoy Farm, about ¼ mile from the B road. 

If you've visited a holy well, let me know where and share a picture! 

Texas History: Fanthorp Inn, Anderson, Texas

 

Welcome to Fanthorp Inn
Located in Anderson, the tiny county seat of Grimes County, Texas, population 193, this restored inn and stagecoach stop is a wonderful day trip. Fanthorp was built by Englishman, Henry Fanthorp who purchased 1/4 league of land in 1833. The house was situated near the intersection of the La Bahia Trail and the Coushatta Trace. In the 1840s, Henry added a second story to his home to accomodate travellers on the stage line. It also served as the local post office. 
Eventually, Henry and his wife Rachel owned over 2800 acres of land. He was also a slave owner. The pair died during a yellow fever epidemic in 1867, his only son died of malaria while serving during the Civil War. The property was inherited by Henry's surviving daughter. Although the house was vastly altered over the ensuing years, the State Historical Commision has restored to it's orginal floorplan. It is furnished with period pieces, many owned by the Fanthorpe family. If you're lucky, you can take a stagecoach ride around the tiny town of Anderson!
 
 
 


I recommend you go during wildflower season. The drive is beautiful and the bluebonnets are the icing on the cake!

A Early Medieval Cherry Recipe

 

FOR TOMAKE CHIRESEYE

Hands down, cherriesare my favorite summer fruit. As expected, they were very popular in medievalEngland. Their brief season must have been a bright spot in the epicurean calendar.Here is a recipe from The Book of Currie, written in the 11thcentury for a cherry dish fit for a queen.

 

Tak Chiryes at the Festof Seynt John the Baptist and do away the stonys grynd hem in a morter andafter frot hem wel in a seve so that the Jus be wel comyn owt and do than in apot and do ther'in feyr gres or Boter and bred of wastrel ymyid [1] and of sugura god party and a porcioun of wyn and wan it is wel ysodyn and ydressyd inDyschis stik ther'in clowis of Gilofr' and strew ther'on sugur.

 

Here is my translation:

Take cherries at theFeast of St John the Baptist and remove the stones. Grind them in a mortar andthen put them through a sieve until the juice comes out. Put them in a pot withgrease or butter and stale bread, minced small. Add a good part of sugar and aportion of wine. When the bread is moistened put in dishes, add cloves (clous de girofle inFrench) and top with sugar.

This sounds rather likea summer pudding with the bread. The recipe does not specify if it should beeaten hot or cold, but I imagine it served cold. I think it would be prettytasty!

Find my latest book on Amazon! Available in KU! See it here: Now Comes The Raven

Spotlight on Books: Left by Paul McGrath

 

 

LEFT By Paul McGrath

Fiction / Satire / HumorPublisher: Stoney Creek PublishingPages: 232Publication Date: March 14, 2025


SYNOPSIS

A Sci-Fi Satire of Alien Espionage, Southern Charm & Chaos on Earth!

First-time novelist Paul McGrath delivers a sharp, witty, and wildly entertaining sci-fi satire that asks: What if an alien held up a mirror to America—and we didn’t like what we saw?

Anton-7—aka Roy McDonald—was supposed to observe Earth, not get stuck on it. But after missing his ride back to planet Xylodon, he decides to make the most of his exile in Hernando, Mississippi. Breaking the number-one rule of alien espionage—never interfere—he dives headfirst into human affairs, finding friendship, romance, and the simple joys of a good cup of coffee and a highly anticipated trip to Buc-ee's.

But when tragedy strikes, Anton-7 takes matters into his own hands, setting off a whirlwind of chaos that shakes both Earth and Xylodon.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Paul McGrath is an award-winning journalist and educator whose career spans five decades. He spent thirty-seven years working at the Houston Chronicle after stints in Conroe, Lubbock, and Lockhart, Texas. He currently teaches at Texas A&M University.

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The Clootie Tree: An ancient Pagan practice

 

By Sheila1988 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...

TheClootie Tree 

In my newest book, NOWCOMES THE RAVEN, my main character, Hannah, comes across a Clootie Tree near anancient holy well. These trees, also called Rag Trees, trace back to pagan Celticpractices, as far back as the Iron Age, possibly further. Petitioners wouldvisit the well on pagan holy days, Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhain andlater Christian holy days, and pray for good health. They might wash themselvesin the water or wash an injured body part. A strip of cloth was then dipped inthe well before being tied to the tree. As the cloth slowly disintegrated, the petitioners'prayer would be released to the gods.

The tradition of theClootie Tree was carried on through the early Christian era, eventually fallingout of cultural practice in most areas. It remained popular in places withheavy Celtic influence such as Ireland, Scotland and Cornwall. The pictureabove is of a Clootie Tree at the holy well of St. Brigid in Ireland. There arealso trees near St. Marys Well found near the Culloden Battlefield and theMunlochy Clootie Well on Black Isle Peninsula, both in Scotland.

I think it’s wonderfulpractice. The idea that your prayer is slowly released and makes its way to thegods it rather touching. If anyone knows of any other trees or has visited one,let me know. I’d love to hear about it.

When researching NOWCOMES THE RAVEN, which is set in Devon, England, I found a holy well that I usein the book. From the pictures, it looks rather forgotten and forlorn, but Iimagine some lonely goddess just waiting for a visitor! Maybe I’ll get to seeit someday. Below is a picture I found of it. It looks so atmospheric! 

Read my book, Now Comes the Raven. Find it on Amazon and KU  HERE

Spotlight on Dangerous Latitudes by Jack Woodville London

 

DANGEROUS LATITUDES By Jack Woodville London

Historical FictionPublisher: Stoney Creek PublishingPages: 326Publication Date: February 18, 2025


SYNOPSIS

From the author of the French Letters trilogy comes a sweeping historical adventure full of unforgettable Texas legends!

Six years after the fall of the Alamo, Mexican armies invade freely across the Rio Grande, and Texas is but one skirmish away from losing its hard-won independence.

Against this backdrop, naïve surveyor Alexandre LaBranche accepts a dubious commission to map the Rio Grande boundary between Texas and Mexico but soon finds himself far out of his depth.

Laced with exuberant, Texas-sized historical figures such as Sam Houston, Mirabeau Lamar, and Jack Hays, Dangerous Latitudes is a quest across a war-torn frontier that becomes a race to save two hundred captured Texans who the Mexican army has marked for death.


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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jack Woodville London is a historian and author who is Director Emeritus of Writing Education for the Military Writers Society of America (MWSA). He first studied creative writing under crime fiction author Peter May in St. Céré, France, and is presently a postgraduate student at Rewley College, Oxford University. He lives in Austin, Texas.
Jack’s previous books include the multi-award-winning French Letters trilogy, about the American generation that came of age in World War II and their children; Shades of the Deep Blue Sea and A Novel Approach (the accepted text used by the MWSA to introduce veterans to the basics of writing).


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Spotlight on: Just a Hat by S. Khubiar

 

 

JUST A HAT

By Shanah Khubiar

 

Young Adult / Coming of Age / Jewish Fiction /Small-Town Texas / 1970s

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing

Pages: 254

Publication Date: July 18, 2023

 

 

SYNOPSIS

Action-packed, humorous, and bittersweet, this1970s-era coming-of-age novel is more relevant than ever--exploring how asecond-generation immigrant kid in a new hometown must navigate bullying,unexpected friendships, and the struggle of keeping both feet firmly planted intwo very different cultures.

It's 1979, and thirteen-year-old Joseph Nissancan't help but notice that small-town Texas has something in common withRevolution-era Iran: an absence of fellow Jews. And in such a small town itseems obvious that a brown kid like him was bound to make friends withLatinos--which is a plus, since his new buds, the Ybarra twins, have his back.But when the Iran hostage crisis, two neighborhood bullies, and the localreverend's beautiful daughter put him in all sorts of danger, Joseph must findnew ways to cope at home and at school.

As he struggles to trust others and stay true tohimself, a fiercely guarded family secret keeps his father at a distance, andeven his piano teacher, Miss Eleanor--who is like a grandmother to him--can'talways protect him. But Joseph is not alone, and with a little help from hisfriends, he finds the courage to confront his fears and discovers he caninspire others to find their courage, too.

Just a Hat is an authentically one-of-a-kind YA debut that fuses the humor ofFiroozeh Dumas's Funny in Farsi withthe poignancy of Daniel Nayeri's EverythingSad Is Untrue.

 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shanah Khubiar is a retired lawenforcement officer, and she is now self-employed as a subject matterspecialist. She holds a BS and MEd in education from East Texas StateUniversity and a PhD in philosophy. A student of her Persian ancestry, sheincorporates (Mizrachi) Middle Eastern Jewry into her fiction, examining thehistorical challenges and triumphs of a different culture and narrative thanwhat usually appears in literature. Khubiar is a sometime resident and always a fan of most things Texas.

 

 

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SNEAK PEAK: Go On Pretending by Alina Adams

 

Welcome to The Book's Delight and a SNEAK PEAK into the upcoming novel by best-selling author, Alina Adams. She's sharing a excerpt with us today! It sounds terrific! 

SneakPeek: “Go On Pretending” by Alina Adams 

Thank you, Jean, for this opportunity to introduce my May1, 2025 historical fiction, “Go On Pretending” to “The Book’s Delight” readers. 

“Go on Pretending” begins in 1950s New York City, whereRose Janowitz, a Jewish woman who grew up on the Lower East Side, has her dreamjob, producing the radio soap opera, “Guiding Light” under the watchful eye ofIrna Phillips, the (also coincidentally Jewish) woman who invented the entire genre. Rose hires Jonas Cain, an African-American classicallytrained Shakespearean actor to play the role of “Guiding Light’s” villain and,along the way, falls in love with him. They’re forced to keep the relationshipquiet, not just because she’s his boss, but due to the interracial aspect, asthis is pre-Loving v. Virginia and miscegenation is still illegal in parts ofthe country. But Rose has a much bigger secret, one that she realizes she needsto confess to Jonas… up to a point.

 

Please enjoy this excerpt scene from “Go OnPretending….

 

Rose was no innocent, but she was a virgin to thenotion that happiness didn’t have to be complicated. Of course, matters werecomplicated. They were more complicated than they had ever been. But, at thesame time, Rose could close Jonas’ apartment door to the world, to jobs, tonightclubs, to restaurants, to nay-sayers, and it became utterly simple.

There was her, there was him, there was them.

Simple.

The only hurdle still between them, one that Rosehad done her darndest to keep behind the shut door but it kept hammeringincessantly when she least expected it, was the business of Rose’s past – andhow it could affect both their futures.

They were lying in bed, Jonas on his stomach,Rose’s head propped up on one elbow, tickling her fingers down his back withher free hand while he smiled sleepily, when she finally gathered up thecourage to say, “I never graduated from high school.”

Jonas rolled over slowly, facing her with aquizzical expression. “You went to college.”

“I took the test. Got an equivalency.”

The side of his mouth twitched, trying to remainserious, “If that’s the worst thing you ever did – “

“It isn’t,” Rose cut him off. And the twitchstilled.

He sat up, back against the headboard. He tookher hand in his, stroking the palm with his thumb. He looked down to meetRose’s eyes but, when she looked away, he didn’t push. “What is it?”

“I told you I grew up going to Workmen’s Circle.Attended their summer camps, sang with the chorus. They’re a social-actionorganization. They taught me to stand up for the rights of the oppressed, callout injustice, fight for freedom. Not just my own, everybody’s.”

“Sounds like a cause I could support,” Jonas saidsoftly, encouraging her to continue.

“I was seventeen. I was sure I knew everything. Iwas sure I knew better. Certainly more than my mother did. Certainly more thananybody who told me to think my actions through did.”

“What actions?” No judgment, just support.

“I went to Spain. To fight with the Republicansin the Abraham Lincoln Brigade against the Nationalists.”

It was clearly not what Jonas expected to hear.

“I didn’t really fight,” she admitted. “I arrivedtowards the end. We didn’t know how close we were to losing. There were coloredsoldiers,” she recalled, a detail Rose hadn’t remembered up till that momentbut suddenly saw as significant.

Jonas nodded, “Langston Hughes wrote about them.Said he saw no difference between the Nationalists and the men in white hoods.

“Our forces were integrated. Everyone was equal,men and women, too. Though the one time this all-women anarchist delegationtried to attend the National Confederation of Labour Congress they were toldtheir presence would undermine working-class interests….” Rose dropped thattrain of thought in favor of, “Workmen’s Circle, it’s a Socialist organization.Except the Socialist Youth of Spain refused to send women to the front lines.Anyone who wanted to participate in the fighting had to switch allegiance tothe Communists.”

That last word caught Jonas’ attention. It was1952, how could it not?

“And that’s what you did?” he asked cautiously.

Rose nodded, swallowing hard.

Jonas exhaled, briefly closing his eyes andrunning a hand through his hair. “Then what happened?”

“Then the war ended. I came home.” That soundedconvincing. Nothing to question. It was even mostly true. “Couple of monthslater, Stalin signed a pact with Hitler. We had speakers from the AmericanCommunist Party come to Workmen’s Circle to tell us why we should support it,but I’d had enough. I quit. I went to college and never really looked back.Well, I did work for WEVD, but that was – it was a soap-opera. It was barelypolitical. I work for Procter & Gamble now! It doesn’t get more all-Americanthan that!”

“Does Miss Phillips know?”

“No. The one time somebody mentioned the loyaltyoath to Irna, they ended up slinking out of her office like The Burghers ofCalais.” Jonas should appreciate the Rodin imagery.

“So you’re in no danger.”

“Not at the moment. But who knows what mighthappen tomorrow? Phillip Loeb, he was in TheGoldbergs on Broadway, then on television. Red Channels called him a Communist and General Foods insistedGertrude Berg fire him or they’d drop their sponsorship. Pert Kelton had toleave The Honeymooners. JackieGleason covered for her, said it was heart trouble, but she was listed in Red Channels, too. Lucille Ball only gotaway with keeping her show because Desi claimed she was too dumb to know whatshe was doing when she registered as a Communist.”

“You’ve been keeping a close watch.”

Rose shrugged. “I had to. The Hollywood 10, theywere all writers, all blacklisted.”

“Any colored folks on that list of theirs?”

“Paul Roebson, Lena Horne, Langston Hughes, HarryBelafonte, Hazel Scott, Canada Lee,” Rose rattled off. She hadn’t realizedshe’d been keeping track.

“So we all can’t claim to be too stupid? Hardlyseems fair, seeing as how we’re judged too stupid to do anything else.”

She wondered if Jonas were truly offended, buthis laugh quenched that fear.

“So now that you know, if somebody asks you aboutme – “

“If someone asks me about you,” Jonas shifted hisweight to turn towards her, kissing Rose’s shoulder, the crook of her neck, hercollarbone, the base of her throat, murmuring, “I’ll tell them you’re abeautiful woman, a brilliant writer, and a compassionate human being. That’sall they’re going to get out of me.”

And that’s all Jonas was going to get out of her.Because, no matter how smoothly this part went, Rose had no intention of evertelling anybody what really happened in Spain.

 

“Go On Pretending” is now available for pre-order at: https://www.historythroughfiction.com/go-on-pretending