Book Review: The Scientist and The Serial Killer by Lise Olsen
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The Scientist and the Serial
Killer by Lise Olsen
Chilling true crime fiction
When I saw this book, I knew I
wanted to read it! I was a teenager in a suburb of Houston in the 1970s and remember
the horror that unfolded in August 1973. Dean Corll and his teenage accomplices
were accused of and admitted to the killings of scores of teenage boys, boys
the age of my brother and his friends. It was chilling and probably the first
time I realized that people can be monsters in plain sight. It was not for
nothing that the name, The Candy Man, was used to invoke terror in Houston area
children.
The book is told in two
overlapping parts: the story of Dean Corll, Elmer Wayne Henley and David Owen
Brooks, and that of Sharon Derrick, a forensic anthropologist for the Harris
County Medical Examiner’s Office, whose mission identifying the unknown victims.
The chapters flip back and forth between the two
time periods, but begins with the death of Dean Corll and the unraveling of his
horrendous crimes. The author does a great job of fleshing out the lives and
personalities of the victims, making them more than just a list of names. It’s
terrifying to see how a chance encounter with one of the three killers led to
their 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 to
identify the remaining bodies and correct some errors made in the 1970s. I
really enjoyed that section and followed her methods closely.
The Houston Police Department did
not come off looking too good in this book. How could 30+ teenagers, many from
the same neighborhood and school disappear without rousing any reaction from
the police? Two of the boys were the sons of law enforcement officers! I found
this really remarkable.
My one complaint is that some of
the information is repetitive, and I felt the author was covering the same
ground over and over. Otherwise, it was a really great read and I highly
recommend it, especially to anyone who grew up in the Houston area and was
familiar with the case.
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I agree with everything you said about this book, and was also horrified by the lack of insight by the HPD. And, my only complaint was the same as yours, but overall, a great book. Thanks for sharing your excellent review.
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