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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