Before the infamous Manson killings, a killer terrorized Provincetown, murdering and butchering young women. This book goes deep into serial killer Tony Costa and intersperses the literary battle between Normal Mailer and Kurt Vonnegut, local authors who were both writing about the murders. I enjoyed the back and forth between topics, it made the book move faster.

While the hunt for Costa and the resulting trial are detailed, most of the book is about Costa himself. While the author is respectful of the victims and their families, I found the depictions of the brutal murders from Costa's perspective gratuitous. This book is written much like an Erik Larson book, in which it is a "fiction" non-fiction book. I took the dramatized parts with a grain of salt.

The author narrates this book and he did a great job.

3 stars!

I used to definitely be more interested in true crime, but I think as time has been going on I'm definitely taking a step back from it. The murders in this book were extremely gruesome and vividly detailed. I also didn't enjoy how the author added in components he thought may have happened. I would rather a wholly accurate retelling of the crimes versus some creative liberties taken to add a narrative structure. I also was not a fan of the added chapters on Charles Manson, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Norman Mailer, and Chappaquiddick because it just seemed random.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

This definitely wasn’t like any true crime I’ve read, or listened to before. The writing style was odd because the author tried to write it as if it were fiction so it’s like you’re there while it’s happening and where I’ve enjoyed that style of writing before here it just didn’t work. This was extremely long and rambling and definitely could have been way shorter than it was. The thing I disliked the most about this was how the killer was portrayed it was supposed to be a Jekyll and Hyde type thing, but it came off like the killer was a victim of his “Hyde” personality which really rubbed me the wrong way. It also completely misses the point of that trope. The audiobook, and how it’s read kind of becomes a moot point when I just didn’t enjoy the book itself.

Ostensibly a book about serial killer Tony Costa, this book is also about authors Vonnegut and Mailer and their literary feud.

I enjoyed this book, which I thought was well written, but I found some of it quite disconcerting as it seemed quite skewed towards Costa and it was quite a lot. It wasn't until towards the end of the book that I figured the author had written more of a Capote-style true crime novel, taking liberties with conversations that may or may not have happened, and used some of Costa's own thoughts and feelings as facts.

I think if I had known when I started the book that there were some liberties taken with the information, and that there was going to be quite a heavy focus on Vonnegut/Mailer (which didn't always fit in with the Costa narrative), I think I would've had a much better experience. Unfortunately, the blurb for this book didn't quite match what I was expecting it to be so I did find it quite difficult to get into.

Still, a solid book, and an interesting read for anyone who is into true crime, true crime novels, or a fan of In True Blood.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the audio book. I really enjoyed the narration. The author did a good job and I enjoyed the mystery. The book kept me on the edge of my seat the entire read. I would read from this author again.

i love love loved this book. i've been very into intricate detailed sprawling true crime books recently and this ticked all my boxes, esp as it was a crime i hadn't heard about before. i read some of this on my kindle and read the last third by listening to the audiobook which made it even more impactful. the attention to detail was incredible and the shocking horrible crimes were treated with respect

I had no idea who Tony Costa was before reading this book. The author did a great job telling the story and the narrator was terrific.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This seemed like the perfect book for me. True Crime is one of my favorites.. Helltown by Casey Sherman is a very good book. I liked the way the author built up the story of the serial killer Tony Kosta and his killing spree on Cape Cod. It’s 1969, hippies, free love and drugs are all around. Tony is a local and he has quite the following.. the young ladies call him Sire. The Cape seems to have something for everyone, even the likes of Tony. He is clearly disturbed and the crimes he committed were atrocious. His mind is broken and all the drugs he does not help. While Kosta is committing murder, there are two authors, trying to finish their original books and try to write about Tony. They both seem to think, they will get the scoop. There are so many different characters in this book and the author did a great job explaining them all. His description of the Cape is spot on. It’s like I was their during that time. I want to thank Netgalley & RB Media & Casey Sherman for my copy, for an honest review. It was a pleasure listening too and reviewing it. The author did a great job narrating this one. This was a four star read for me. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

I found this one to be interesting and think the narrator did a great job. While I am a huge fan of true crime I'm not sure if this one was for me. There was something a little off about it. I think it was just a me thing and I do believe more people will enjoy this one. I hope to revisit it again and see if my thoughts change.

Thank you so much for the gifted copy.

Thank you to NetGalley for this audio ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was really excited to get this, I'm a massive true crime lover and I thought that this was going to be something that would feed that love but unfortunately it wasn't. This book was no where near what I thought it was going to be. It came across as a very fictional story and I just did not enjoy this style at all.

What a fantastic journey through a historical point in time from a part of the country that I personally live near. I had not known of the serial killer and was intrigued by this audiobook from get-go. I loved the way the author was thorough and methodical in the storytelling. At times, I found myself cringing and then wanting more to learn about what happened next.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author, Casey Sherman, for the advanced copy of the audiobook to review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This was a fantastic read. I really enjoyed reading and learning the horrors of this serial killer. I knew nothing about him before reading this book. I listened to the audiobook which was narrated by the author. He did a very good job and I loved the pitch and tone of his voice. This is a very unique true crime story. The author actually wrote a section of this book like a fiction book making this book all the more exciting and really brought the horrors of his crimes alot more real. It was rather gruesome and very shocking but it held so much power. I thought this book flowed so well. The audiobook is very long at 15 hours but held my attention throughout. I really do recommend that you read or listen to this book. I actually feel that true crime fans might not fully appreciate the fictional section as it can't be compared to other true crime books which might happen. The fictional part is based on what was happening and said. I think this book would be a perfect fit for crime readers who are thinking of moving into reading true crime non fiction books. I loved his writing style. For me it really brought out the extra dimension and made it feel all the more scary as there was a great sense of atmosphere and tension. This book will definitely say with me for so time. 

So much praise goes out to the author and publishers for bringing us his unique and horrific killer to life in a very thrilling way. I will definitely be looking out for more books by this talented author. 

The above review has already been placed on goodreads, waterstones, Google books, Barnes&noble, kobo, amazon UK where found and my blog https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/helltown-by-casey-sherman-rb-media-4-stars

"Before Charles Manson, there was Tony Costa―the serial killer of Cape Cod."

Hell Town as a book is well written but way too long.

The chapters that I was completely invested in were (no surprises) those pertaining to Tony Costa and his rampage of brutal murders and mutilation of his unsuspecting female victims.  The details of how he went about picking his victims and then killing them were gruesome to say the least but was necessary to show a clear picture of how deranged he was... with his good looks and outwardly benign/charming personality, he was a wolf in sheep's clothing.

However the author decides to interweave a separate narrative of two mainstream authors of the time, Kurt Vonnegut and Norman Mailer with the Costa narrative and further interspersing it with the Edward Kennedy, Charles Manson and the moon landing episodes. All these narratives do have a connection to the Costa story but instead of just hinting at them enough to be relevant to the main plot, the author decides to go in great detail about each of them. I felt it not only elongated the book but broke the continuity of the Costa narrative.

Plus, the author also adds in a large amount of fictional dialogue between all the characters and he gives his reason for this at the end of the book.

I listened to the audiobook Arc which was narrated by the author himself and I had no issues with his narration. I also googled Tony Costa and looking at his and his victims' photographs while listening to the audiobook brought home the tragedy of the whole macabre episode.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐💫

Helltown
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: True Crime
Format: Kindle eBook and Audiobook
Date Published: 7/12/22
Author: Casey Sherman
Publisher: Sourcebooks & RB Media
Narrator: Casey Sherman
GR: 3.47

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Sourcebooks & RB Media and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Tony Costa is the leader of their counter-culture movement. Tony Costa is the most dangerous man on Cape Cod, and no one who crosses his path is safe. When young women begin to disappear, as the bodies are discovered, the police close in on him as the key suspect. Local writers Kurt Vonnegut and Norman Mailer both set their sights on Tony Costa and the drug-soaked hippie culture that he embodies as their next promising subject, launching independent investigations that stoke the competitive fires between two of the greatest American writers. While a notorious serial killer, he was only convicted of 2 murders due to forensic evidence.

My Thoughts: The way the author portrayed this novel was unique. Dialogue was created as if the characters actually said these things, which we do not know for sure, it did add artistic flare and was not received well by all readers. The two author narratives seemed tangent and unnecessary, I skipped over these parts. The author did do extensive research to write this book, so that felt authentic, realistic, and appreciated. The ways murders are investigated today is much different than they were investigated in the 60’s and 70’s, which is why there maybe less serial killers today, than in previous years. This was a work of fictional and non-fictional attributes, which makes for an impressive true crime novel. The telling of these murders was gruesome and did not leave much to the imagination. I love true crime books and was left a little disappointed by this one. I think the two authors mixed with fictional aspects just turned the novel in a different direction.

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!

2.5 stars- I don't think authors should narrate their own books most of the time, but this author did okay. However, the book was at least 5 hrs too long with all the Norman Mailer and Kurt Vonget stuff. Also, the gruesome narrator of the crimes was graphically described WAY too many times, it was just over and over again. I did appreciate the amount of research the author put into the book, but I probably wouldn't recommend this book. It's simply just too long!

This one is a bit confusing to me. I used to read a lot of true crime but haven’t read much of it lately, this one sounded interesting and it is. That said, I feel like the book was more focused on the famous writers who just happened to live in the area. This story wasn’t focused on the victims of the crimes, it wasn’t focused on the perpetrator of the crimes. It just feels odd for a true crime story.

If you’re interested in Kurt Vonnegut or Norman Mailer, you’ll probably like this more than the average true crime fan would.

This audiobook was so stunning because it was read by the author. I really enjoyed Casey Sherman's voice and I loved that I could hear his passion from his book.

I was so impressed by the research he did in writing this true crime book. It definitely shows.

I understand they were setting up a story here but there was WAY too much kirt Vonnegut and not enough actual story