THE SCIENTIST AND THE SERIAL KILLER:

THE SEARCH FOR HOUSTON’S LOST BOYS

By Lise Olsen

True Crime / History

Publisher: Random House

Pages: 464

Publication 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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Review

I normally don’t read true crime novels, but this book intrigued me because it is set in Texas, Houston, to be exact. Thirty years later, one woman sets out to help identify the victims of serial killer (mass murderer as he was called back then) Dean Corll.

This book details the event, the man, the victims, and the neighborhood. The author did an overwhelming amount of research for this book. Presenting two different timelines and surmising some of the details took many conversations, research, and time.

The book does jump back and forth in the timeline, and it might have been easier to read had it started in the 1970s and concluded in the present. However, alternating timelines help reflect the people and methods needed to identify the victims. I find forensic pathology interesting, and it is incredible to see how advanced technology and techniques have developed over the decades. There was little to help identify bones in the 1970s, but DNA and other advances have helped families get closure about what happened to their children.

I came to admire Sharon Derrick and her determination to identify the unknown victims of “The Candyman.” She cared about the victims and their families, and did so in a male-dominated field with little support from her peers.

This book is complete with photos and information to process. It is not a book to take lightly, nor will you read it in one sitting. It took me a few days to process everything I read and tried to imagine how I would have felt if I had been in their place either when the murders took place, or in the early 2000s when Dr. Derrick took on the task of identifying everyone.

This novel is perfect for true crime lovers. We give it 4 paws up.

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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