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The Flawless: A Drag Queen Citizen Detective and the Forgotten Truth of the Houston Mass Murders
Not yet published
Expected 23 Feb 27The untold story of one of America's most notorious serial killings and the remarkable drag queen whose boots-on-the-ground detective work revealed the dark underbelly of Houston's gay elite.
In 2014, journalist Diana Tourjee came upon a dusty, typewritten manuscript. She had been archiving the work of a famous drag queen known as Flawless Mother Sabrina, who was once a star of stage and screen, but had since settled down in New York City, mentoring and offering refuge to young drag queens, wayward queers, and trans artists.
With Sabrina's blessing, Tourjee read the manuscript, which chronicled a remarkable investigation she had embarked on back in 1973 into one of the most notorious and brutal serial killings in American history – the murders and kidnappings of at least 27 young boys by Dean Corll known as the Houston Mass Murders. But as infamous as Dean Corll was, there was an even deeper layer to the lore just underneath the surface, one indicting an entire strata of Houston elite.
The Flawless is the story of how Flawless Sabrina – a drag queen citizen detective turned queer elder of the highest caliber – uncovered the story of a hidden gay Houston ruled by the most wealthy and powerful men in the city. She alleges these murders were more than the isolated actions of an individu al madman. They were the concerted project of a larger group of predators.
Alive with danger and mystery, The Flawless is a fresh addition to the true-crime genre in which Tourjee exposes the perverse, questions the powerful, and ultimately believes-against all odds-in justice.
In 2014, journalist Diana Tourjee came upon a dusty, typewritten manuscript. She had been archiving the work of a famous drag queen known as Flawless Mother Sabrina, who was once a star of stage and screen, but had since settled down in New York City, mentoring and offering refuge to young drag queens, wayward queers, and trans artists.
With Sabrina's blessing, Tourjee read the manuscript, which chronicled a remarkable investigation she had embarked on back in 1973 into one of the most notorious and brutal serial killings in American history – the murders and kidnappings of at least 27 young boys by Dean Corll known as the Houston Mass Murders. But as infamous as Dean Corll was, there was an even deeper layer to the lore just underneath the surface, one indicting an entire strata of Houston elite.
The Flawless is the story of how Flawless Sabrina – a drag queen citizen detective turned queer elder of the highest caliber – uncovered the story of a hidden gay Houston ruled by the most wealthy and powerful men in the city. She alleges these murders were more than the isolated actions of an individu al madman. They were the concerted project of a larger group of predators.
Alive with danger and mystery, The Flawless is a fresh addition to the true-crime genre in which Tourjee exposes the perverse, questions the powerful, and ultimately believes-against all odds-in justice.
- GenresNonfictionTrue Crime
224 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication February 23, 2027
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
I really wanted to love this book. It's an interesting true crime case and the cast of drag queens are a gift! The writing isn't great, but I could overlook that if the book stuck the landing! You can't lead me to the climax, finally our hero will confront one of the villains face-to-face, and then shrug and say, I guess we'll never know what happened. No! Give me something! I wish the author were a bit more of a journalist who could track down more of the story. However, I'd even entertain speculations! Perhaps I'm meant to draw my own conclusions but I still say the ending was lacking.
I've tried looking at it in different ways. Perhaps this isn't a true crime book, maybe it's a character study? But I don't feel I understand Jack Doroshow/Flawless Sabrina after reading it. It's not really a slice-of-life type thing although you do get a sense of the Heights and underground queer spaces of the time. I want it to make sense and it doesn't. And not in some kind of artfully ambiguous Waiting for Godot kind of way. I'm just disappointed.
Has anyone else read this? Talk me off my fainting couch. Until then, I can't recommend The Flawless.
I've tried looking at it in different ways. Perhaps this isn't a true crime book, maybe it's a character study? But I don't feel I understand Jack Doroshow/Flawless Sabrina after reading it. It's not really a slice-of-life type thing although you do get a sense of the Heights and underground queer spaces of the time. I want it to make sense and it doesn't. And not in some kind of artfully ambiguous Waiting for Godot kind of way. I'm just disappointed.
Has anyone else read this? Talk me off my fainting couch. Until then, I can't recommend The Flawless.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Did Not Finish
October 9, 2026I made it about 30 pages in a DNF'd. Truthfully I just couldn't get past the writing. It's really -really- not good. I'm not sure who edited this but if I'm Diana Tourjee I'm firing someone, stat!
The fact that this is a true crime novel and the setting is involveimg drag queens - I was excited having not read anything like it before. But no, nope. Couldn't do it. 😬
The fact that this is a true crime novel and the setting is involveimg drag queens - I was excited having not read anything like it before. But no, nope. Couldn't do it. 😬
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews