At some point earlier this year, a list was put out of the best and most noteworthy true crime books that were to be published in 2021. On that list was The Babysitter: My Summer with a Serial Killer by Liza Rodman and Jennifer Jordan. In the book, Rodman explores her early life living with her mother and younger sister, focusing mostly on her summers in Cape Cod, where she met Tony Costa. And Jordan chronicles Costa's life, including the gruesome murders he committed in the late 1960s.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a nonfiction book that tells the story of two different people, whose lives intersect from 1966-1969. When Liza Rodman first meets Tony Costa, she is only seven years old and does not see any reason to be afraid of him. In fact, because he is one of the few adults she feels like she can trust, and because he is kind and welcoming, she looks forward to the days when he comes by in his truck, and takes her and her sister on adventures that most often included the local dump, and sometimes brought them to the nearby woods. In alternating chapters, the book switches from Liza's story to Tony's, which tells of a troubled young man who often acknowledged that there was something wrong deep inside of him, but also saw himself as more intelligent than most. Add his charm and good looks, and it seemed it was easy for many to trust him without hesitation. Against a backdrop of Provincetown, Massachusetts in the late 1960s, the book paints a picture of a beachside town full of easy access to drugs, during a time when young women went missing all of the time, causing the police to not worry too much when one more was reported. With Rodman feeling unloved by her mother, who often left and her sister in the care of anyone who would watch them, she was one of the many who was charmed by the man who would later be attributed with the deaths of several young women.
My Verdict: This book is both a true crime book, as well as a memoir. Both parts have their merits, with the true crime part giving a detailed and well-researched account of the life of Tony Costa, and Rodman's story chronicling what it was like living with her abusive, resentful, and neglectful mother, always on the move, and never feeling more at home in any place than she did in Provincetown. While the true crime part works really well, the memoir is not quite as successful, and having the two put together made for an interesting, though somewhat awkward story. The problem may be that without the true crime piece about Tony, there is not enough from Rodman's story for an entire book. But she did know Tony, and she and her sister were often put in his care. It was not until she reached adulthood that Rodman realized who Tony was and what he had done, and just how much danger she was potentially in. I do still recommend the book to true crime lovers, but be aware that the format may be a little tricky.
Favorite Moment: There is an incident that causes Rodman to finally want to leave Provincetown, and it is both ridiculous and terrifying.
Recommended Reading: Michelle McNamara's book, I'll Be Gone in the Dark, is an excellent and well-researched account of the Golden State Killer, a serial killer that terrorized California for 13 years.
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