THE SCIENTIST AND THE SERIAL KILLER: BOOK CAMPAIGN
.png)
BOOK REVIEW: The Scientist and the Serial Killer by Lise Olsen
I was excited to read this book a fan of true crime. This story has been one that has intrigued me since I learned of it decades ago. Lise Olsen delivers an expertly researched, and deeply human true crime narrative in The Scientist and the Serial Killer: The Search for Houston’s Lost Boys. This book is not just about Dean Corll—one of America’s most horrifying serial killers—but about the decades-long fight to restore the identities and dignity of his many forgotten victims.
The story follows Dr. Sharon Derrick, a forensic anthropologist whose unwavering determination leads her to reopen and re-examine Houston’s most gruesome cold case. With scientific precision and emotional clarity, Olsen weaves Derrick’s meticulous process of uncovering the truth with the haunting stories of the young boys whose lives were stolen and erased.
From its opening chapter recounting Corll’s shocking death at the hands of his teenage accomplice, Elmer Wayne Henley, to the forensic deep dives in the chilling vaults of Harris County’s morgue, Olsen spares no detail. However, the book does not sensationalize the crimes—it honors the lost, in my opinion. The interviews of surviving family members, witnesses, and professionals, added to the emotional gravity to the already disturbing facts of which their many.
There are a lot of moving pieces, which can cause a bit of repetition and you do have to pay attention as Olsen toggles between certain character actions in the story.
Part investigative journalism, and part historical reckoning, The Scientist and the Serial Killer is a powerful reminder of how justice, even delayed, can still be served—especially when someone refuses to let the dead remain nameless.
This is essential reading for fans of true crime with heart, forensic science, and social justice.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
.png)
Comments
Post a Comment