The Babysitter: My Summers with a Serial Killer

The Babysitter: My Summers with a Serial Killer by Liza Rodman and Jennifer Jordan is a true-crime novel detailing the life of Liza Rodman and her interactions with a serial killer, Tony Costa, in Provincetown, Rhode Island, in the 1960s.

The book’s chapters alternately focus on either Liza or Tony. Liza’s chapters delve into her horribly unhappy childhood, raised by an abusive but hard-working single mother who depended on a cadre of people who were sometimes strangers to take care of her kids while she worked (or went out on the town). Tony’s chapters focus on his heavy drug use, his messy and abusive relationships, and his descent into madness and murder. The supporting cast of characters is made up of folks from a small town who enable and protect their own.

While the writing is sometimes rough and unpolished, the story itself is captivating and heartbreaking, making The Babysitter a quick read – but certainly not an uplifting one. Readers with a history of physical, sexual, or psychological abuse should know that these themes are woven throughout this book, so proceed with caution.