I don’t know what I expected, but it sure wasn’t this. I nearly DNF’d, but as I was reading an advance egalley, I felt responsible to give a review of this entirely spurious account of the Helltown murders. I’m grateful for the lesson to thoroughly check out the author before agreeing to review. Two stars for describing Cape Cod in the late 60s and 70s. I visit often, and I recognized many of the landmarks that were described, particularly in Provincetown, and am grateful they still stand today. This book lost me for two big reasons. The first is the failed attempt to fictionalize what is described as a ‘true crime narrative.’ I expected embellishments, some exaggeration, and a rich description of time and place. Instead we get outright fabrications and lies. How could he have any idea that two of Costa’s victims, upon meeting him for the first time, “ … thought of their new friend as handsome, smart, a little weird, but also great fun.” along with writing such as this that I would not expect from a ninth-grader: “Gallons of coffee and cartons of cigarettes helped the throngs gathered outside the courthouse get themselves in the right mindset to greet the fateful day.” and “The cat jumped when it noticed its owner’s hands begin to quake.” Good grief.

Having visited P’town and Truro, I was enjoying the descriptions of the towns and streets, until I consulted a map. Fact-checking did not extend to verification of street names and directions, so there’s little hope for the rest of the ‘true’ elements of the ‘true crime narrative.’ The second disappointment was the tedious and sensational turn to the Mailer and Vonnegut connections. I get that they were in competition with one another to exploit the murders for personal gain, but their gigantic egos prevented me from taking any interest in their struggles. At a whopping 500+ pages, and at least two instances where ‘passed’ was used instead of ‘past’, this book was in dire need of an editor. I received this egalley from NetGalley and Sourcebooks.

Read this at your own peril. The author does a phenomenal job of giving you the gory details if that’s what you’re into but please remember that these were real women. This serial killer did serve but only for 2 of the murders. I appreciate the author giving us information on an otherwise “unknowable” serial killer. There were other stories woven in that didn’t seem to have reason to be there so it a bit disjointed there but otherwise informative.

I am a true crime junkie and somehow I had never heard of the serial killer Tony Costa, although I am not sure he meets the qualifications of a serial killer since he was only convicted of two murders which occurred at the same time with no cooling off period. The book compares Costs to Manson several times, but Costa was nowhere near Manson’s level, but that could partially be de to the fact he was quickly caught. Costa deals and does drugs- a lot of drugs. He is described a having a cult following, however it is mostly three young women who dabble in witchcraft and call him Sire. He is well known in the hippie counterculture. He has an obsession with death and taxidermy. This book gives very graphically detailed descriptions of his horrifyingly macabre murders and assault of women. The book is based on an actual murder, but reads like fiction since it includes his thoughts and conversations. The book needed some massive editing to omit repetitive and less relevant information. Parts of the book seemed to drag and the repetition made me question if I was rereading sections by accident. It also could have done without the sides stories of authors Vonnegut, Mailer, and Lawson. I found those chapters to be dry and could have been omitted. Overall, this book fell short because the repetition and side stories made it too dry and drawn out. Overall, I give it 2.5 stars since it was interesting to read about a killer that I did not know existed, but could have been shorter.

While this was interesting, I didn’t anticipate it being somewhat fictionalized. It wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, but was still a compelling read.

This read more like a not great thriller half the time, and the other half like a historical, almost boring, account of the times. I wanted to be a fan, as I love stories that dive deep into the psyche's of horrible people in history, but this did not live up to others in the genre.

2.5 rounded to 3

As a true crime lover, I was drawn to this novel, but it wasn't my cup of tea. There were too many artistic liberties taken to create the story and dialogue.

It was ok - very long and had some fictional aspects seemingly mixed in? So wasn't exactly what i was expecting. Also, i read The Babysitter a few years ago about Tony Costa so it is weird this one is called the Untold Story as it has, in fact, been told lol

I knew this would be a true crime book, but I didn't realize the author would write it through the eyes of the serial killer. So, it's a true crime but fictionalized all at the same time. I hadn't heard of this serial killer before so it was interesting, but it might have been a tad too gory for me, I like details, but I don't think I want that many details. I think if you like all the details of a crime scene then this might be the book for you.

True crime is my catnip. Documentaries, books, all of it. I have seldom encountered a bad true crime accounting or at least one that failed to capture my interest. This book was no different. A fascinating story of the 1960's culture and a charismatic leader's murderous actions. Was it the best true crime I've ever read? Not necessarily. Was it a quick and fascinating read? Absolutely.

I'm a big fan of true crime books. I' also love Ptown so was really excited to read this. I had not heard about this serial killer so couldn't wait to delve in. While I liked the writing, the author couldn't seem to choose whether he wanted to write a true crime book or a fiction mystery/thriller. I would have liked this much more if he had chosen just one style.

That said, I did for the most part enjoy this book and will definitely pick up any future books from this author.

DNF at 17% - was drawn to this book having a love for Provincetown, as the setting for a true crime story though was immediately thrown off by the diverging into the early careers of Norman Mailer and Kurt Vonnegut, perhaps two of my least favorite authors. The actual story itself seems to be through the lens of the serial killer himself, also unexpected and not a perspective I can participate in. Cannot move forward with this book I'm afraid - too dark and not really as advertised.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I had a very hard time getting into this at first. While it is a true crime, it was written more in the style of a fictional thriller. As a result a lot of graphic details of the murders from the killer's perspective were included. This may not be for everyone. Ultimately, I did feel that the story picked up and it ended up telling the story in a very interesting and compelling way.

Although I knew this was true crime, I don’t think I expected it to be so gruesome and vivid.

I appreciated all the research that went in to this book but the book dragged and felt incredibly long. The story was okay but I think it would have benefited from being shorter and more concise.

*I received both an audiobook and e-book copy* I loved listening to this audiobook! The narrator had the perfect tone, and everything was said clear and concisely. I'm a big fan of serial killer stories and learning more about them, their life, and all details leading up to their incarceration and ultimate demise.

I had no idea who Tony Costa was before this and have definitely looked into him a lot more since I have finished this book. I did have to stop a few times while listening, for how detailed some of the killings were described. But it made me feel as if I was really there in that moment as a detective getting all the information. So for that reason, and that reason alone, I had to bump my rating down from a 5 star to a 4 star. I can not wait to pick up a finished copy of this to put onto my serial killer shelf in my library!

Thank you netgalley for letting me review this book.

Check content warnings

I really liked reading about a serial killer I did not know anything about. This book was hard to read at certain times, but I did enjoy all the details of the crimes.

#netgalley #Helltown

I am a true crime fan but really struggled through this one. I am not a fan of the written dialogue. If I’m reading true crime I want facts not speculative dialogue. If you want a true crime nonfiction that reads like fiction, then you would probably like this one.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read for review.

This book was so hard to get through. Like it took me months. Partly because of the format of the book partly because of the story. I really would love to give it another shot, maybe audiobook next time.

“This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius” emits from handheld radios on the beaches of Cape Cod while young people full of hope (and high on LSD) make each other crowns of hydrangeas. Kurt Vonnegut and Norman Mailer, rival authors both in the midst of writing seminal pieces of their career, become obsessed with local serial killer Tony Costa. Costa, a known drug dealer and police informant, is a hometown cult figure, always followed by his groupies, many of whom the town believe are witches. Costa would go on to commit gruesome atrocities against many young women in the vacation town of Provincetown, MA located at the northern tip of Cape Cod. Before there was Charles Manson and the Tate-LaBianca murders, Costa driven by his alter ego Cory Devereaux, would hunt young women and use his knowledge in taxidermy and anatomy to perform cruel acts upon their lifeless bodies. This was a book I couldn’t put down! I was surprised I hadn’t heard of this case before, but Manson came right as these events went to trial. Costa was even jealous and would speak about Manson during his time in jail. It’s interesting to hear the impact this case had upon the work of Mailer and Vonnegut as well. As you can imagine, extreme trigger warning for violence and SA. The one aspect that kept me from giving the full 5 stars is that I felt like it was a bit too long with the chapters about the 2 rival authors. I understand that it was building interest and insight into why they wanted to write about the case, but some of that I found to be a little dry.

Wow! The 60’s were just a time of drugs, love, and serial killers. In Casey Sherman’s book, Hell Town, they recount the story of Tony Costa, the Cape Cod serial killer. Tony Costa is a charming young man which causes women of all ages to flock to him. In fact, he quickly became the image of their counter-culture movement. But Tony is hiding a deadly secret.

It isn’t long before women start disappearing around Cape Cod. It is the 60’s and all. While he was overlooked in the beginning, even Tony Costa’s charisma can’t protect him from the consequences of his own actions. It isn’t just the police though that are after Costa. Two of America’s greatest writers are also looking to finger him for his crimes, Kurt Vonnegut and Norman Mailer.

If you are looking for all the gory details, then pick up this book. If that is not your thing, I suggest you proceed with caution. Read the trigger warnings and some background on the original crimes so that you are prepared when you pick this book up. I am a huge true crime fan. I read a lot of different genre’s but my go to is either horror or true crime. What threw me off with this book, is the writing style. If you read a lot of true crime and nonfiction books, there is a writing style that you expect to see. This book is written in a different way. Sherman’s storytelling quickly transports you to Cape Cod in 1969. He does it with a fiction-esque style. It was a different type of writing for a true crime novel. Sherman did his best with recreating different dialogues throughout the story with key players.

I would recommend this book to someone who doesn’t traditionally read true crime/nonfiction.
Thank you Netgalley, Sourcebooks, and Casey Sherman for providing me this ARC in exchange for my honest unbiased review!

(Thank you very much to Sourcebooks and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.)

Prior to this book, I had actually never heard the horrific story of American serial killer Tony Costa. His obsession with cutting women up like taxidermy projects, these details are not for the faint of heart. A truly sadistic man.

The author does a phenomenal job not just telling you about Tony and how he became aware of the victims and the details of the murders, he also digs deep into the lives and stories of the victims, the journalists covering the stories, families, friends, etc. so you really feel you are getting to truly know the story. You aren't missing a thing.

A truly fascinating dive into the sadistic mind of a despicable man and his unfortunate victims who had so much more life left to live.