This book was based on something local to me. While I thought the coverage was good, it was just ok. Not something I think I would really reread or recommend

Shelving this one as a DNF :(

I so wanted to get into the story and I really tried but the whole thing just didn't make any sense to me. I thought it was a true crime read but it seemed to be more of a rambling story about two authors who didn't much like each other, Mailer and Vonnegut. I'm not sure if I missed something, and maybe it would have been revealed if I'd finished the book, but I had no clue what on earth they had to do with the storyline of a serial killer and why such lengthy chapters were devoted to them.

The other thing that confused me was rather than being a True Crime read, the chapters that were devoted to the actual killer read more like a fictional story rather than a non-fiction read.

The writing itself is really good, it's just the storyline wasn't for me at all - sorry :(

I had high hopes for this book after reading The Babysitter: My Summer with a Serial Killer by Liza Rodman. However, this book was fairly dry and hard to stick with, and I ended up not finishing it at 20%. I probably could have stuck with it if there was 1) a better tie-in between Norman Mailer, Kurt Vonnegut and Tony Costa; and 2) if the descriptions of the murders weren't so... descriptive. I found a lot of the details around the killing to be way too graphic for my taste, and just couldn't stomach reading any more (especially knowing that I had 80% more of this to read before finishing).

If asked, I'd highly recommend the alternative story by Rodman vs. this one.

This is a perfect mix of historical fiction and true crime. The language is great and descriptive and the character of Tony Costa is very well-written. The author gets into his head and shows things from his point of view. I love the way this book combined narrative and true events, keeping me engaged even it was factual. There are intriguing subplots relating to the victims families, Norman Mailer, and Kurt Vonnegut. I appreciate the alternating timelines with other characters, but they sometimes seem to have no relevance.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC!

Hell Town is based on serial killer Tony Costa, who murdered women in and near Cape Cod. The author takes us through different perspectives from the killer, his believers, three writers, and detectives.

The writing is great. Sherman is descriptive and gives information in an organized way. I’ll be honest, this book creeped me out. That’s a sign of good writing.

However, I didn’t need all of the extra information from Charles Manson to Ted Kennedy and to the witchcraft, which just felt out of place. I also could have gone without Vonnegut and Mailer’s points of view. They both seemed like horrible people, and I didn’t need more negativity in a book already based on horrible crimes.

The author has so much promise, and I look forward to looking into his books more in the future.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley for my honest review.

This is a true crime novel about an infamous serial killer, Tony Costa. In all honesty, I had no idea who he was before hearing about this book. Apparently he brutally murdered multiple women across Cape Cod in the 1960s. While I did learn a little bit more about these crimes, some things in the book were much more fictional than realistic. There was dialoged placed where we could not possibly know if that was something truly said. I feel like it was definitely a blend of both- a fictional story maybe based on some true events. That said, I can appreciate the fact that the author had the idea to blend a fictional world with a factual event. It is a different kind of spin, if you will. I am a forensic psychology major so I always enjoy a good true crime novel. Anywhere I can learn something new or see a new perspective is where I want to be. I think I was most excited about it because I expected it to be true true crime, but alas, that is not what it was entirely.

Thank you NetGalley & Sourcebooks for providing me with an E-Arc in exchange for my honest review.

I felt like the book dragged in parts that were not necessary. Definitely an interesting story that I was not familiar with. If you are interested in serial killers POV, this one reads pretty easily.

Unfortunately this one just wasn't for me. I was not able to finish it. Maybe one day I will go back and give it another try.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the gifted copy.

I'm a serial killer junkie and I didn't know this story!! Apparently in the late 1960s, there was a serial killer on/in Cape Cod, Mass. You can tell Casey Sherman did extensive research for this book and it was truly satisfying!

Hell Town wasn’t exactly what I expected. The book is interesting and does relay details about the crime but it mostly focuses on two different authors trying to make their 15 minutes of fame off the details. I like my true crime to be more focused on the actual crime so in that aspect it was a bit disappointing. I do find the fact that seemed to be a focus telling. It’s sad when a tragedy happens and it becomes about other people rather than the victims. Still a decent read but could have been better by sticking to the facts of the crime and how it was solved.

I didn't really know anything about these Cape Cod murders, before reading this novel. It was very educational, and gave good insight to the murders. God rest the souls of the victims, and prayers to the families.

I thought the book was interesting, that it gave a view of what life was like for some people in that time period in Long Island. I was interested in the crime. I thought there was a little too much going on by including how the crime affected two rival authors. When I read a true crime I want to read about the crime, not about authors lives. Which I now have a lower option about both authors. It made me feel like there wasn't enough material to make a full length book. I'm sure people who are interested in the authors would find this book informative about a piece of Vonnogut and Miller's lives, and how the crime effected them .

I completely devoured this true-crime story about the Cape Cod Vampire, Tony Costa. I'm surprised I've never heard him because I grew up in Massachusetts and two towns away from where he was in prison. Aside from the horrifying by engrossing trip into Costa's head, I really, really enjoyed all of the connections to Norman Mailer and Kurt Vonnegut who where both living on the Cape at the time of the murders. Great book!

Helltown: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer on Cape Cod - Casey Sherman
"Before Charles Mason, there was Tony Costa" Yikes! Helltown is the true crime story of Tony Costa, a serial killer on Cape Cod in the late 60's. Young women begin to disappear, but charismatic Tony is not a suspect at first. That doesn't last long and soon the police start their manhunt to capture him. I thought I would have really enjoyed this one, being a true-crime junkie. But it just didn't grab me like I had hoped. There was a lot of speculation on how people thought and felt and the whole bickering between Vonnegut and Mailer, I felt, was unnecessary.

Perfect for any true time fan and just such and interested story of a life surrounded by Crime. Thank you Sourcebooks for the ARC for my honest review.

Unfortunately when I read/finished this book, life got in the way and I never posted a review. I have forgotten much of what I would have said, but I can tell you this book is fascinating. I've always enjoyed shows like Profiler, Criminal Minds, etc so this was right up my alley as far as subject matter. Lots of insight into the mind and motives of psychopath. Pretty fascinating

Tony Costa is the center of this true crime novel. To a certain group of smitten young women, he is known as Sire―the leader of their counter-culture movement, the charming man who speaks eloquently and hands out hallucinogenic drugs like candy. 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, Costa's natural charisma and good looks initially protect him from suspicion.

This book was very interesting. It was far too long though. The side stories about the writers were honestly not needed. This is a non fiction true crime novel but there are a lot of conversations in here. It makes me wonder if they were made up or if the author did a lot of interviews with people. The story of Tony was very interesting. It's crazy that I have never heard of him. I do recommend this. It just needed to be scaled down.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Sourcebooks for the gifted e-book!

It was a bit of a slog for me. There was a wealth on info and it was fascinating to see how everyone was connected during this period in history, however, I kept putting it aside for other books more in my genre of preference. I think there will be tons of readers that love true crime that will love this read. Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read the ARC!

I was fortunate to read this book as an ARC via Netgalley. I really found it interesting. First of all, I learned much about the personal and professional lives of literary giants Vonnegut and Mailer. The author was able to intertwine their lives with the sad and disturbing case of the Cape Cod serial killer, Tony Costa. Frankly, I am surprised that more isn't known about him, but this disturbing case was overshadowed by much of the madness happening in the late 1960's. If you find true crime interesting, then you will enjoy this book.

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 & Casey Sherman for my copy, for an honest review. It was a pleasure reading and reviewing it. This was a four star read for me. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.