All Things True Crime Book Club

If you're fascinated by the darker side of reality—whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast, a die-hard fan of Investigation Discovery, or someone who recently found their way into the genre through podcasts—All Things True Crime is the book club you've been waiting for! 

Join us on the second Thursday of each month as we dive into chilling tales of notorious crimes, unsolved mysteries, and shocking investigations that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Our title for discussion is: The Babysitter: My Summers with a Serial Killer by Liza Rodman

Summary: A chilling true story--part memoir, part crime investigation--reminiscent of Ann Rule's classic The Stranger Beside Me, about a little girl longing for love and how she found friendship with her charismatic babysitter--who was also a vicious serial killer. Growing up on Cape Cod in the 1960s, Liza Rodman was a lonely little girl. During the summers, while her mother worked days in a local motel and danced most nights in the Provincetown bars, her babysitter--the kind, handsome handyman at the motel whereher mother worked--took her and her sister on adventures in his truck. He bought them popsicles and together, they visited his "secret garden" in the Truro woods. To Liza, he was one of the few kind and understanding adults in her life. Everyone thoughthe was just a "great guy." But there was one thing she didn't know; their babysitter was a serial killer. Some of his victims were buried--in pieces--right there, in his garden in the woods. Though Tony Costa's gruesome case made screaming headlines in 1969 and beyond, Liza never made the connection between her friendly babysitter and the infamous killer of numerous women, including four in Massachusetts, until decades later. Haunted by nightmares and horrified by what she learned, Liza became obsessed with the case. Now, she and cowriter Jennifer Jordan reveal the chilling and unforgettable true story of a charming but brutal psychopath through the eyes of a young girl who once called him her friend.