Unputdownable!! The Babysitter is a true crime novel that will leave the hair on the back of you neck standing straight up the entire way through! When I read the description for The Babysitter, I had about a million question -who, what, where, and how the heck did this all go down! Liza Rodman does a fantastic job of thoroughly explaining all of the characters backstory (which added so much to the storyline) and ultimately unfolding the incredibly chilling tale! This novel really sunk its hooks in me—if this had been a regular thriller it would have stayed with me, but the fact that this was real life and not fiction makes this 5 star novel unforgettable! I commend Liza Rodman for being so incredibly brave and sharing her truth.

I very much appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I struggle with non-fiction books but I wanted to try to expand my horizons a bit and this story definitely seemed interesting - something I would definitely enjoy as a podcast or in another medium. As a book, I thought it was very well done - well written and focused. I had a little more struggle with Liza's story than the serial killer; you know the serial killer is going to be bad but the torture Liza faced at her own mother's hand was so disturbing to me. I'm equally disturbed with how she ends the book describing the relationship with her moth. I did think the first third of the book could be tightened up a bit -it felt like an endless description of all the drugs Tony was on, Tony sold, Tony stole, etc. I felt like I got the point pretty quickly. There is also a fair bit of interesting material in the epilogue that I wish had been woven into the story itself. If you love true crime stories, this is definitely one to try out!

Dark, suspenseful true story about a neglected girl who unknowingly spends time with a serial killer. Liza and her sister had a rough time growing up with a neglectful mom and an absentee father. While Liza usually had it worse than her sister, they were often passed around to any neighbor that would agree to babysit while their mom would go party. Later in life after Liza starts having nightmares, she starts researching what really happened the summer there was a killer on the loose in her neighborhood. Chilling from start to finish, this book is impossible to put down.

First of I want to say thank you to the publisher Atria Books- St.Martins for inviting me to read and review it as well as giving thanks to NetGalley because up until now I've never read or even heard about this case ,so it was a brand new to me which was a shock because I tend to listen to a lot of true crime podcast as well as read quite a lot of nonfiction and some of that is on true crimes or serial killers. This story is told in away that you get the story of both the author as well as the one about Tony Costa , and it brings to live how sick he was and how lucky she and her sister was to be alive today because they could have been his victims. You also see how both the sisters was treated and how Liz tried to keep herself as well as her sister safe. And the more you read about Tony you see how dark and twisted he was from the very start , from how he treated his wife ( who at times made me feel sorry for her) and how he seemed to have some kind of pull that made his victims come to him. Over all its well written and researched, and at times hard to read, especially when it delved into his crimes because it makes you feel the pain that the families went though.

Thank you so much to the publisher and to #netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I love me a good true crime book and this book did not disappoint. It was engaging and really researched. The book actually gave me chills about the fact that this girl was left in the care of a serial killer when she was younger and she idolized him!

Really stuck with me after I finished it.

Oh wow! If I didn’t know better, I would’ve thought that this was a fiction book. I struggle to read non-fiction, but this felt so different to me. I googled certain people and details, everything is very real. It was just so well written that I couldn’t tell the difference! It shocked and surprised me; made me adore some people and hate others. It was stunningly well written and so very compelling. I love how Tony was evaluated from so many different angles and how the author’s story made it even more tragic. Heartbreaking and heart-warming, this was a magnificent tale of real life!

Wow, the Babysitter is a haunting and quite chilling read. The book alternates between Liza and Tony. This almost felt like I was reading a well written thriller. The atmosphere is eerie and the descriptiveness felt like I was actually there. The fact that the Babysitter is also true crime sent extra ice through my spine.

Liza’s childhood was rough and you can just feel the raw emotions there. Liza and Louisa were often left alone with random people to babysit them while their mom went out. One of these random people ended up being Tony Costa. To Liza, Tony is a nice young man who treats her and her sister very well. They go for rides with him, hike on the beach and he even takes them out for ice cream.

It’s through Tony’s chapters that we uncover how strange and depraved he really is. There are parts of this book that were very hard to read, especially when it delved into his crimes.

This is definitely a bone-chilling read and if you’re interested in true crime, then I definitely recommend giving this one a read.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.