I admit it. I’m a sucker for true crime stories, and serial killers are part of that. I’d never heard of Tony Costa, but after reading a bit about Helltown, subtitle the untold story of a serial killer of Cape Cod, I was ready to read. Fortunately, Sourcebooks and NetGalley were willing to provide a copy of Casey Sherman’s new book in return for my review, so I was all set! 

It takes place in the late 60s, in Provincetown, Massachusetts. “Hippies” are everywhere, teenagers with long hair are roaming the streets, strumming their guitars. People preach the message of  peace and love, but Tony Costa doesn’t seem to get the message. Known to many as Sire, he is the leader of the local counter-culture movement, a guy who appears to “speak eloquently” and hand out hallucinogens by the handful.  In reality, he is filled with rage and soon young females start to disappear. 

Local writers Norman Mailer and Kurt Vonnegut are competing to become the great literary icon of the day, and both of them see Costa as the way to make that happen. Helltown is a fascinating true crime story that captures the late 1960s, and shows the reality of Provincetown during Costa’s killing spree. Fascinating, addictive – and I wonder how readers from a generation that didn’t live through that time will see it. In any case, I am a boomer and I loved it. Five stars.