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A review by adogmomsbookishlife
Helltown: The Untold Story of Serial Murder on Cape Cod by Casey Sherman
Did not finish book. Stopped at 47%.
Thank you 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 I thought this was the fictional part of the story, but I discovered the author read Costa’s unpublished memoir to obtain these thoughts and details for this book.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.
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 I thought this was the fictional part of the story, but I discovered the author read Costa’s unpublished memoir to obtain these thoughts and details for this book.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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder