Helltown: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer on Cape Cod

Written by Casey Sherman

Narrated by Casey Sherman

Before Charles Manson, there was Tony Costa—the serial killer of Cape Cod1969:

The hippie scene is vibrant in Provincetown, Massachusetts … and Tony Costa is at the center of it all. 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. But beneath his benign persona lies uncontrollable rage that threatens to break loose at any moment. 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. But as the bodies are discovered, the police close in on him as the key suspect. Meanwhile, up-and-coming local writers Kurt
Vonnegut and Norman Mailer are locked in a desperate race to secure their legacies as great literary icons—and they both set their sights on Tony Costa and the hippie culture he embodies as their next promising subject, launching
independent investigations that stoke the competitive fires between two of the greatest American writers.

Immersive, unflinching, and shocking, Helltown is a landmark true crime narrative that transports us back to the turbulent late 1960s, reveals the secrets of a notorious serial killer, and unspools the threads connecting Costa, Vonnegut, and
Mailer in the seaside city that played host to horrors unlike any ever seen before.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 2, 2022
• ISBN: 9781705030707

Casey Sherman

Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge are one of the premier nonfiction writing teams telling stories out of Boston. Together, they co-wrote the definitive story of the Boston Marathon bombings in Boston Strong: A City’s Triumph Over Tragedy, which was adapted for the Mark Wahlberg film Patriots Day. They also wrote Ice Bucket Challenge: Pete Frates and the Fight against ALS, which is in development as a feature film, and the New York Times bestselling 12: The Inside Story of Tom Brady’s Fight for Redemption.  They live in Boston.

Reviews for Helltown

[Layla Igoe · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Brilliant.
This is one of those true crime books that transports the listener to the time and place of these hideous crimes with skill.
One may personally abhor filler and irrelevant information (this book is long. but fully engaging throughout ), However, I love how this was written . Delving inside the mind of this oxygen thief, (I had never heard of Tony Costa) .whilst gently weaving well known and admired writers into the narrative really works
. I have the Rolling Stones in my head . As ear worms go, I can think of far worse. Nor has my imagination departed Cape Cod as of yet.
Give it a go.
Thumbs up for me.