Alternating between Liza-chapters and Tony-chapters, this book tells of Liza's early life and her interactions with the serial killer, Tony Costa. I was expecting more true crime and what I felt I got was a lot of memoir about Liza's childhood. I ended up skimming quite a bit of that but the sections involving discussion of her finding out about him being a serial killer were interesting

Growing up in the 60s with summers in Cape Cod, author Liza Rodman recounts her struggles growing up with a physically and emotionally abusive mother who spent more time working in her motel and dancing the nights away. As a result, Liza had a parade of odd baby-sitters, including serial killer Tony Costa. Rodman recounts adventures she and her sister took with Tony to the dump, riding in his truck, and his being treats for them.

The narrative goes back and forth between perspectives on Liza and Tony with Rodman recounting many of her own trauma, neglect, and abuse growing up with the parallel timeline of Costa's life including drug abuse, marriage, loyal teen followers, and murderous cravings. I was able to sympathize with Rodman and her troubled upbringing and how, with more exposure, she, too, could have been groomed and/or one of Costa's victims along the path of her adolescence.

I had a few gripes as I was going through the book and then reflecting where which include the misnomer of the sub-title, the adoption of derogatory language towards oppressed people, and some of the quotations that were not "blended" within the text in a seamless way (in-text citation is important). The "my summers" aspect was a total of 3-4 summers, maybe (?), which doesn't lessen the impact of being in such close proximity to a serial killer, but is misleading as the primary focus in this memoir was in Rodman's relationship with her mother in the "Liza" chapters. Although I recognize that the language used was "of the time" and reflected how folks spoke, it was still jarring to hear the slurs and comments used without preamble or course-correction (really, the "f-word" and other words/descriptors used so flagrantly towards women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and BIPOC was as frustrating as the journey for Costa's arrest).

Overall, it was an interesting read in terms of someone in such close proximity to heinous crimes and unmitigated evil reflecting upon their experiences. The conclusion I came to was how a wrong turn or additional summer exposed to Costa in Cape Cod could have affected Rodman's life by veering onto a more gruesome path. <i> The Babysitter </i> has a pretty solid narrative paralleled with research and interviews pieced together that did not lead a reader into utter confusion or information overload once accustomed to the pacing.

So here’s the thing, I love true crime television shows and podcasts, but hardly read true crime books. This story was told in two points of view Tony and Liza. I preferred Costa’s point of view better. Costa was such a mystery to me. I googled him and he didn’t seem off, but clearly something was wrong. There wasn’t any abuse suffered by the hands of his parents. So trying to figure what caused him to kill was fascinating. There was one incident that happen when he was a teenager and Costa was nonchalant about that event. Maybe that caused him to kill? Who know? Back then they didn’t have the resources and mental health services that they have today to really diagnose him properly and I feel like they missed something.

Liza’s point of view felt too family drama for me and I was hoping for more of her and Tony. They did have a few outings, but I thought would be more significant than how it was being billed and promoted!


Mentions of child abuse, killing of small animals, xenophobia, homophobia.

The Babysitter: My Summers with a Serial Killer by Liza Rodman & Jennifer Jordan is both true crime and memoir, but it reads like a thriller, and I had to keep reminding myself that it wasn't fiction and was all a true story. I loved the writing and the way the book flowed, as well as the alternating chapters between Liza and Tony. Through this technique, we learn about Tony's life and crimes as well as Liza's early life and the contact she had with him. Reading her sections was a little emotional for me as she doesn't just talk about Tony, she also touches on what it was like growing up with the mother she had. I didn't have the greatest upbringing either and I could relate to her in some ways.

I ended up listening to the audiobook and even though I was bummed Liza didn't read her sections, I did love the two narrators Andi Arndt & Aida Reluzco. They did a great job voicing the book, and it was a very quick listen as well. I didn't know anything about Tony Costa and true crime fans should like this one. I thought it was researched very well and I felt like I learned a lot about him as a person and his crimes thanks to all of Liza's research. I am fascinated with serial killers and like to watch the ID channel, and The Babysitter definitely made me want to know even more about Costa. I don't actually read too much true crime though, so I am happy I picked this one up. I feel like this is a great choice for those people who are newer to the true crime genre and like to have some memoir mixed in.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Fun Friday Facts! As a lover of true crime, I find one of the most fascinating aspects of serial killer stories the really mundane, “normal life”, who were they when they weren’t committing horrific crimes lens. I find that to be the actual, most terrifying piece of a serial killers biography - the idea that it could very truly, be the otherwise normal looking person that you interact with daily.

Which is why I LOVED The Babysitter - which totally dives into the childhood of @lizarodman when she spent her summers being cared for by a serial killer. An otherwise, very mundane local handyman, that people interacted with daily.

The story is perfectly woven between Liza’s memories of her life growing up, spending time with Tony Costa, and the researched story of who Tony really was, and the many crimes he went on to commit.

Like I said. Fascinating.

If you love true crime, and want a unique take on a story, then this is the book for you. I devoured it in one morning, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. Pair’s BRILLIANTLY with @19crimes because, well..... 😘

Many thanks to @atriabooks for sharing this one with me!

Every true crime fanatic will love this book. I kept thinking it was fiction at first and had to remind myself that this actually happened.

The Babysitter: My Summers with a Serial Killer (swipe) is a nonfiction memoir/true crime story about a girl who’s summer “babysitter” (he really was never a babysitter - more just a grown man who took a particular interest in this young girl... which, should have been a major red flag) turned out to be a serial killer. It alternates between Liza’s story of growing up and figuring out her own identity in a somewhat dysfunctional family and the story of Tony Costa - the beach town handyman who murdered four (or more) young women in Massachusetts... At times, the back-and-forth worked well for me, and at times I wanted this book to be one or the other... Overall, interesting and well-done, but maybe a little slower than I would have preferred.
3.5 Stars

This is a well-written book that held my interest from beginning to end. I couldn't put it down as the events of Liza's childhood and experiences with a serial killer unfolded in great detail on the pages of this book. The personalities of the people central to Liza's childhood developed gradually and fully so I felt like I was there watching the events as they unfolded.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book to read and review. The impressions expressed here are my own honest opinions written voluntarily.

Really enjoyed this one! Just enough darkness, creepy vibes, to keep me on the edge of my seat. Fast read, well written!

I really liked the way the story is told in The Babysitter!
The chapters alternate between Liza's childhood memories and Tony Costa's life and crimes. The parts where they intersect gave me chills because little Liza genuinely looks forward to her time with Tony and has no idea what evil he's capable of. The authors were super thoughtful with their sourcing and notes and made you almost almost feel bad for Tony --how they humanized him.

I'd definitely recommend this to all True Crime fans. It's a very well put together memoir and true crime story. It's always nice when a highly anticipated read meets your expectations.

Overall, I was expecting a little more drama in the story. The story wasn't as shocking as I would have liked it to be. It was even a little boring in parts and didn't hold my attention.

If you're someone who loves true crime stories, this book is for you. A memoir written in a narrative style, the novel details the early like of the author, Liza, and he personal interactions with Tony Costa, an infamous serial killer from the 1960s. Switching back and forth between details of Liza's life and Tony's story, the novel is a difficult read filled with child abuse, neglect, homicide, and more. It is almost unbelievable how much interaction Liza and her sister had with Tony and yet remained unscathed. The descriptions of the victims is not for the faint of heart so be forewarned that the novel is graphic in parts. I would say that the only thing that was a bit of a detractor for me was keeping up with all the names of the different people within the story from boyfriends to victims to Tony's "groupies" to the investigators and lawyers; there were a lot of people to keep track of and I found myself having to go back into the previous chapters to refresh my memory. Obviously the names are necessary to the story but it just made the reading a bit choppy.

This book is haunting and very well narrated. I like the structure of the book and it kept me engaged as a reader and scared as a person. I enjoy the genre of true-crime and this book did a fantastic job with its haunting narrative.

This book deserves all the hype and appreciation. Told in a unique format of memoir and a true crime nonfiction procedural, The Babysitter pleases and chills the readers.

Liza grew up in Cape Town along with her sister Louisa. All she remembers from her childhood are her mother hating her, distant relationship with her father and Tony Costa, who worked as a handyman in a motel which Liza’s mom worked as a manager. But Tony has another life, another name — he is the Cape Town Vampire / Cape Town Cannibal who preys on women and kills them brutally.

The story alters between Liza’s life and Tony’s life and gives readers a good idea of how/what Tony becomes; right from his early marriage to drug problems. But, it also encompasses the 1960s lifestyle, the up and about hippie culture, and how Liza viewed Tony, the only good person she knew as a child. The parts on how Tony becomes who he is IS chilling. The author has done a good job combining two stories in one 👏

The last 120 pages vividly reads the police procedurals involved to catch and convict Tony. The psychological profiling is another excellent addition because Tony doesn’t fit in any of the “regular” profile. That is the most chilling part for me because it was as though Tony had two personalities. I guess I should stop now or else I’d spoil this book for the person reading my review. All I can say is — TRUE CRIME / NON FICTION FANS, READ THIS NOW!!

Thank you Atria books & Netgalley for the arc. This is my voluntary and honest review.

Part memoir and part true crime story, The Babysitter tells Liza's childhood story of interacting with serial killer, Tony Costa, who at times acted as her impromptu babysitter. I loved how this book was written, going back and forth from tales of Liza's childhood to tales of Tony's life. It's so interesting to see the multiple sides of Tony throughout the story. Any fan of true crime will enjoy this!

As a true crime enthusiast, I was very intrigued by the summary of The Babysitter by Lisa Rodman and Jennifer Jordan. I am always fascinated to see the behind-the-scenes look at what makes someone commit such horrendous atrocities towards others and the signs that may have predicted this behavior.

Tony Costa was a prolific serial killer who also lived a fairly"typical" life that was observed by the people around him. In this part memoir and part true crime novel, Liza Rodman examines how this man and family friend from her childhood went on to a notorious serial killer.

While I found many parts of this book fascinating, I also was left wishing that we learned more about Rodman's personal investigation of Tony Costa as she put the pieces of this puzzle together. The true-crime story felt like more of an afterthought throughout the first two-thirds of this novel.

While I always appreciate a memoir, there were a lot of parts of Rodman's life that were shared that didn't totally connect with the storyline and I found myself scanning over those sections. All in all, this was very interesting in parts, I just wished for more of Rodman's journey of peeling back the layers of how a man from her childhood ended up being such a truly horrible human being.

As always, I appreciate having the opportunity to read and review this book and share my genuine thoughts with the publisher. Thank you to Atria Books for my gifted copy in exchange for my genuine review.

[3.25 stars]

This memoir / true crime about a girl whose childhood "babysitter" turned out to be the infamous Cape Cod serial killer, Tony Costa, was much more memoir (and less true crime) than I wanted it to be. And, the story of Liza's childhood was just average. I did like the last 30-40% (and the Epilogue) because it focused more on Tony Costa's crimes and the investigatory element. And, if you're looking for a true crime reading list, the Bibliography & Additional Reading section of this book is a fantastic resource!

TWENTY Must-Read Books of 2021 that You Need On Your Bookshelf
In 2020, I read a crazy amount of books. I doubt I will ever top the amount I read!

I’m trying to read as much as I can and just plowed through some of the best novels I have ever read. I didn’t think another year could possibly compare, but there is an absolute plethora of books that are SO GOOD coming out now and in the next few months.

I cannot stop reading! As soon as I finish one I pick up another.

Here are TWENTY books that you will want to read as soon as they are published.

These are books that will entertain, make you think, make you laugh, some will have you biting your nails in suspense. Take a look now and let me know what you will be reading!

7. The Babysitter by Liza Rodman and Jennifer Jordan, perfect for fans of non-fiction, specifically true crime!


A chilling true story—part memoir, part crime investigation—reminiscent of Ann Rule’s classic The Stranger Beside Me, about a little girl longing for love and how she found friendship with her charismatic babysitter—who was also a vicious serial killer.

Growing up on Cape Cod in the 1960s, Liza Rodman was a lonely little girl. During the summers, while her mother worked days in a local motel and danced most nights in the Provincetown bars, her babysitter—the kind, handsome handyman at the motel where her mother worked—took her and her sister on adventures in his truck. He bought them popsicles and together, they visited his “secret garden” in the Truro woods. To Liza, he was one of the few kind and understanding adults in her life. Everyone thought he was just a “great guy.”

But there was one thing she didn’t know; their babysitter was a serial killer.

Some of his victims were buried—in pieces—right there, in his garden in the woods. Though Tony Costa’s gruesome case made screaming headlines in 1969 and beyond, Liza never made the connection between her friendly babysitter and the infamous killer of numerous women, including four in Massachusetts, until decades later.

Haunted by nightmares and horrified by what she learned, Liza became obsessed with the case. Now, she and co-writer Jennifer Jordan reveal the chilling and unforgettable true story of a charming but brutal psychopath through the eyes of a young girl who once called him her friend.

Read this now.

A version of this review previously appeared in Shelf Awareness and is republished here with permission.

It was 2005 when Liza Rodman finally recognized the previously unidentifiable man from her long-recurring nightmares: Tony Costa, a local who often watched Liza and her sister during their summers in Provincetown, Mass. Liza's mother, a young divorcée, spent "most of her free time closing down the various bars and dance clubs with her own revolving door of suitors." She was cruel to Liza, who found solace hanging out with Tony, handyman at their motel and "one of the few kind and gentle adults in [her] life during those turbulent years." Rodman was 10 in 1969, when Tony disappeared. She never knew why, but was about to find out.

When asked what she remembered about Tony, Rodman's mother calmly replied, "I remember he turned out to be a serial killer." A shocked Rodman attempted to confirm they were speaking about the same man and her mother clarified: "Oh, for Christ's sake... don't be so dramatic. He wasn't your babysitter.... He was the handyman." Particularly telling of Rodman's sorrowful childhood: "Yeah, so what.... He didn't kill you, did he?"

A half century after Costa brutally killed several young women (when 1960s free love and ubiquitous runaways made "disappearing" someone seemingly easy), Rodman teams up with author friend Jennifer Jordan for The Babysitter. A haunting account--part memoir, part investigative journalism--of Rodman's childhood and its chilling connection with the Cape Cod Killer, The Babysitter is the astounding story of a vulnerable young girl and the consolation she found with a man who preyed on women.

I read both true crime and mystery/thriller, and the premise of this book appealed to me. I did NOT realize it was a memoir, but it was still a great book, and one I would recommend. The premise is that a young girl and her sister have a babysitter--who happens to be a serial killer. It's told in a dual timeline, one focusing on the girl and her rough, abusive life--the other focusing on Tony Costa, said killer. I had mixed feelings on how it was arranged--it didn't have the best flow. But overall, it was a good read, and one I'd recommend.


Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley