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Review HellTown by Casey Sherman
Post to NetGalley
Publisher SourceBooks


First let me say, I am a fan of true crime. I really like them. I don't know why. Maybe I feel li is it is a sort of honor to the victums so they will be remembered for the good and innocent (mostly) people they were. Jist like us and there but by the grace of God we we haven’t shared such a fate. I also find the criminal mind fascinating study to learn how we might prevent the same happening to others. I guess I am a bit of a Pollyana in that regard.

Next I would like to say. This is not a mystery novel. This is a true crime story and the story is all too real. You need to havea space in your mind that can read about the horrific murders, then shelve it away. Remember the victums and their families but take the horror to the back of your mind. I know it is not easy but I have learned to do that It is more like an impersonal rather than personal approach to this type of book.

I think this book is brilliant. I had always pictured Cape Cod as an almost ideal place (thanks Patti Page) and honestly I never heard of Tony Costa and his crimes. The book only covers four murders but they are quite violent and you wonder what could have made him do it in the first place. Personally I think Codta hates women. He obviously didn’t care about his mother or his wife. The drugs he took also played a part in his anger and caused a split in his personality and odd to me he had a living person as his alter ego.
You would think that would be enough to tell of this story but there’s more. This was the late 1960s and nearly every community had their share of Jesus Freak cults and hippie community. The author mentions that Costa went to California and may have spent some time with Charles Manson and his ”family” To me it would make sense because Costa’s group was so similar but with different motives. Manson’s was to start a race war. Costa wanted revenge against women.
At the time of the Costa murder author Kurt Vonnegut Jr and Norman Mailer lived on Cape Cod. Both had sagging careers and decided to gain attention by writing magazine articles or books about the Costa murders. Then there is the local district attorney who wanted to make a name for himself in the political arena and exaggerated the murders that hampered the investigation. Oh yes, there was also Senator Ted Kenedy and Chappaquiddick. Lits of events happening in late 1969. We also get to read about the trial and guess what ladies? There was only one woman on the jury.

There are a lot of things going on here that is why it is one reason It’s true crime and history. I hope people will be able to get past the idea of gruesome murders and read it.
Thank you to author Casey Stein, SourceBooks publishers and NetGalley for giving me a free copy of Hell Town and my observations and final review are my own
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FRIEND REVIEWS

"Helltown" by Casey Sherman is, the story Cape Cod's serial killer Tony Costa.

I would give "Helltown" by Casey Sherman because, 1; while this is, a true crime novel it seemed more fictional than true crime 2; while I liked the idea of learning more about this serial killer not everything seemed accurate.

Ok, so first there is a disclaimer that this is a true crime sprinkled with fiction; so I can’t fault it too much for that. I will say, it did read a more like fiction than true crime. Before picking this up I wasn’t familiar with Tony Costa or the heinous crimes he committed. The author does provide pretty gruesome detailing of the murders and the condition of the bodies when found - it is true crime so this is expected - but my heart breaks for the families. I did skip or skim a lot when it came to the storylines involving Vonnegut and Mailer. For me, these weren’t needed. Overall, I enjoyed the writing style and the flow of the information. The downside to the presentation of the information (mixing fiction with nonfiction) is you sometimes forget these murders happened and the women were real people.

I was not familiar with Tony Costa and his serial murders and this books does a great job of bringing that story to life.

I didn’t care for the Vonnegut and Mailer storylines, they didn’t add to the story at all. Also the the Author’s Note indicates the that this is a work of fact told with elements of fiction storytelling. I’ve come across a lot of books like this recently, some publishers/authors are describing them as Nonfiction Novels and that’s ok. It works for a lot of people, I just wish it would be stated early on in the book or the synopsis so that it’s known before you actually start reading.

Ok I love Cape Cod, love a murder plot, but this book sadly just fell a little short for me. I went in thinking it was going to be a true crime book but it ended up being a lot more fictionalized than I had hoped. I didn't want fake scenes and guesswork, I wanted the hard hitting facts. While there is no doubt this author is talented and the writing is strong, I just feel a little misled. Also, it was 500 pages which in my opinion, is way too long. I think some people will enjoy this book if they go in with the right expectations though so I wouldn't write it off altogether.

Three stars for this true crime novel about Tony Costa, a serial killer on Cape Cod, Massachusetts in the 1960s. Overall it was an interesting story, but I felt as though there were a lot of creative liberties taken with conversations and “thoughts” of people involved in the story. (It is noted in the author’s note at the end that this is a work of fact with elements of fictional story telling, which I think is helpful to know going into the story). There was a lot of information about the “hippie culture” of the time, drug use, and the 1960s overall, including a somewhat odd attempted connection to Charles Manson. I also learned information about Kurt Vonnegut and Norman Mailer too.
This is an interesting book that definitely makes you think about how far along crime scene investigations have come.
Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book delivered on what it set out to do - tell the untold story. It was gripping, but hard to read. Naturally, that was expected but still worth mentioning. Very graphic and descriptive. Read with this in mind.

I finally had to give up and put this aside at the 50% mark as DNF. I didn't finish for two reasons. First, the violence is so graphically described that I couldn't stomach it -- and I read thrillers/mysteries every single day. I have never set a book aside for graphic violence before, so that should tell you something. Secondly, this novel is "based on a true story," but the author chose to make up dialogue on every single page. It didn't read as true conversational dialogue at all, and it distracted from the true story.

This could have been a good novel, but it really really wasn't.

Graphic, too much so for me, but might be right for those who enjoy violent horror. Was rather looking forward to this as I vacation on the Cape.

I really wanted to love this. The true crime element was what drew me in so my hopes were really high! I enjoyed the back and forth POVs. The time eras, 60s and 70s, were captured and told in a way that made you imagine every detail. The crimes were brutal and very detailed, so this isn’t for the light hearted ones.
But here’s where things get rough for me:
I felt like the chapters were too explained or long. Too over analyzed that I found myself skipping around just to try and finish the book. Was the author just trying to add detail to add it? Too much random detail with no connections. We get it, the author researched his true crime. But I think maybe the writing style wasn’t a right fit for me so overall it was frustrating.

Oooooh boy where to begin. Maybe I'll begin with what this ISN'T: It is NOT the story of Tony Costa, serial killer of Cape Cod. I mean, it *is*... but it's so much more. Told through the lens of the investigation into Tony Costa, Helltown is an examination of 1960's culture in Cape Cod (and by extension, the US). Prepare to learn about Kurt Vonnegut and his relationship to the case, Norman Mailer and his relationship to the case, how Vonnegut and Mailer relate to each other... and discover how the Tony Costa case, brutal as it was, was completely overshadowed by Charles Manson.

I had actually never heard of Tony Costa before reading this book. It starts by detailing the murder and grotesque dismemberment of several young women. The descriptions are extremely graphic (and I'm not a stranger to true crime). Most of this seemed to be at the beginning, and I'd say it was included more to provide an understanding of the severity and brutality of these crimes than for shock value.

At the outset I was extremely confused by the inclusion of Vonnegut and Mailer- likely my fault for not reading the synopsis closely enough. (OOH!! TRUE CRIME?! COUNT ME IN!) It did also seem a bit disjointed though and I had trouble getting into this book at first.

I really truly 100% completely appreciated the author's note at the end of the book and kind of wish I had read it first. He explains, "Helltown is a work of fact told with elements of fiction storytelling." Ohhhhhhhh. I did find myself wondering in certain parts how he could have known certain things that he was writing. It made much more sense after I read that single sentence. He adds, "If it worked, that's great. If it didn't, so it goes..." I'm not sure it completely worked for me personally but I do respect the tactic. And I did really enjoy and find interest in parts of this book.

My recommendation? Pick it up if you're a true crime junkie and/or have an interest in 1960's Cape Cod. But know what you're getting into, and flip to the back and read the author's note first!

Helltown strikes an interesting balance between nonfiction and a fictionalized account of actual events, presenting a unique perspective of Cape Cod in the late 1960's; two authors competing for fame and acheivement as the serial killer Tony Costa terrorized the area. Rich with detail and heavily researched, there's a strong focus on the lives of his victims and those living along side them, larger cultural themes explored and a full accounting of Costa's crimes. Trigger warning: this book contains very specific descriptions of violent and bloody murders.

While the inclusion of storylines regarding Kurt Vonnegut and Norman Mailer are well researched and footnoted, I felt the effect overall was disjointed. I failed to find the connections the author seemed to be reaching for when including these writers stories, heavy with narrative supposition. There's quite a few recreated conversations, specific feelings the characters espouse along with their state of mind that I didn't enjoy, which is not to say other readers may not appreciate this approach. To me it detracts, over fictionalizing real people during real historical events, but I can see how it brings a lot of color, vibrancy and feeling compared to strict nonfiction.

Not for me, but I appreciate NetGalley and Sourcebooks allowing me the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This story is definitely creepy!! Tony Costa makes the Manson Murders seem like rainbows and butterflies.

This book is graphic! There are details of how the bodies were gutted, dismembered, and skinned. The killer carried around a book about taxidermy, and it’s something he studied in great detail. There are scenes that describe the killers acts of necrophilia. This is a horrid series of murders!!

The creepiest part of this book is that you’re in the killers head for some of the time. I thought this was the fictional part of the story, but I discovered the author read Costa’s unpublished memoir to obtain these thoughts and details for this book.

Disturbingly enough, those were the parts of this true crime story that I was “enjoying.” However, there is a HUGE focus on two rival reporters throughout the book. At 47% I decided to DNF as this seems to have become the focus of the story and it is putting me in a slump. I tried skimming to parts that pulled me back in, but I’ve hit a point where it’s just not flowing in a way that intrigues me. The story itself is intriguing, but the writing isn’t keeping me entranced.

I think any true crime fans should definitely try this one. Maybe it’s just my mindset that isn’t able to focus on the writing style where others could enjoy the details I do not.

I was really excited when I saw this book on NetGalley, as I had already heard about it, and I'm a sucker for true crime. While I did enjoy the book, I wasn't as blown away as I expected. While Sherman's writing was very engaging, I felt it was too...fictionalized. It felt more like a mystery thriller than a true crime book, which made me question the validity of Sherman's work, which I hate doing, especially since it is evident that Sherman did a lot of research. The author also went off on some tangents that I felt were unnecessary to the book, and I wonder if Sherman would have been better off writing a novelization of the events rather than trying for a true crime book.

This was not what I expected but in a good way. Then again, the whole thing is something in and of itself. A gripping read that I’m trying to wrap my head around. You need to grab this one because I can’t find the words to review this one.

This book was very intriguing from the start. The characters were around the same age I was at the time this story took place. I was so into the Manson Family murders while they were in the news, never knowing about what was going on in Cape Cod. The author seemed to get many details I was surprised to read. The footnotes were very helpful. True crime buffs will be into this one.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks, and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest feedback!

I was so excited to read "Helltown: The Untold Story of Serial Murder on Cape Cod" by Casey Sherman because I am a total crime buff, and I was shocked that I had never heard of Tony Costa before! Helltown tells the story of an unhinged and mentally ill serial killer (before that term was even a thing in the crime world!) in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

The content is obviously very heavy and gruesome detailing Costa's victims and perversions, but the book was well-written and you could tell that a ton of research was put into getting the story right.

The only thing that threw me off (and took my 4-star rating down to 3) were the chapters about Vonnegut and Mailer. I understand why the author included them to set the tone of what was going on at that time in history, but I'm not sure if they were completely necessary. The chapters dedicated to the two writers threw off the fast pace of the main story and were really difficult to get through. I would still recommend this book to any true-crime lover because Casey Sherman did deliver a thought-provoking story about substance abuse, early childhood trauma, violence against women, and mental illness.

All in all, the story of Tony Costa is one that I will not be forgetting anytime soon, and I enjoyed reading this book and learning something new. Thank you again to NetGalley, Sourcebooks, and the author for sharing this one with me!

I read this books in spurts, over a long period of time (uncommon for me) because the writing was just not very accessible. It took me so long to read I had to buy the book after I lost access to the eARC (Thank you as always NetGalley and you Sourcebooks for the eARC). The writing, which I must say first and foremost is the tool that conveys your ideas and opinions. If it is lacking, it is hard to even think about what the story is trying to tell you. This is that case in which I know for a fact that their are facts and information intertwined with opinion and assumption to make a think piece of a true crime story. Did I enjoy it? No.

But I feel as if there is an audiences, some hardcore true crime lovers that can wade through this and not a reader who likes to read but isn’t particularly into true crime; in that instance you will be sorely disappointed.

This book was not exactly what I expected, so I did not finish the book. I think some true crime lovers would enjoy this book, but it’s definitely not for everyone. The writing style and the various story lines/points of view ended up being not my cup of tea. It also seemed to blur the lines between fiction and non-fiction, which didn’t sit right with me either. Thank you to Net Galley for giving me an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Thank you Sourcebooks for the gifted digital copy.

I love true crime, but I just couldn't get into this one. The writing style was hard to follow in my opinion. There is a combination of facts with some assumptions that I did not love. Overall, I just would not recommend this book.