American Predator
Books | True Crime / Murder / Serial Killers
4
(5.6K)
Maureen Callahan
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERAn Amazon “Best Book of 2019”A Washington Post “10 Books To Read in July” A Los Angeles Times “Seven Highly Anticipated Books for Summer Reading” A USA Today “20 of the Season’s Hottest New Books” A New York Post “25 Best Beach Reads of 2019 You Need to Pre-Order Now” A Bustle “The Best New True Crime Books You Can Read Right Now” “Maureen Callahan’s deft reporting and stylish writing have created one of the all-time-great serial-killer books: sensitive, chilling, and completely impossible to put down.” —Ada Calhoun, author of St. Marks Is DeadTed Bundy. John Wayne Gacy. Jeffrey Dahmer. The names of notorious serial killers are usually well-known; they echo in the news and in public consciousness. But most people have never heard of Israel Keyes, one of the most ambitious and terrifying serial killers in modern history. The FBI considered his behavior unprecedented. Described by a prosecutor as "a force of pure evil," Keyes was a predator who struck all over the United States. He buried "kill kits"--cash, weapons, and body-disposal tools--in remote locations across the country. Over the course of fourteen years, Keyes would fly to a city, rent a car, and drive thousands of miles in order to use his kits. He would break into a stranger's house, abduct his victims in broad daylight, and kill and dispose of them in mere hours. And then he would return home to Alaska, resuming life as a quiet, reliable construction worker devoted to his only daughter.When journalist Maureen Callahan first heard about Israel Keyes in 2012, she was captivated by how a killer of this magnitude could go undetected by law enforcement for over a decade. And so began a project that consumed her for the next several years--uncovering the true story behind how the FBI ultimately caught Israel Keyes, and trying to understand what it means for a killer like Keyes to exist. A killer who left a path of monstrous, randomly committed crimes in his wake--many of which remain unsolved to this day.American Predator is the ambitious culmination of years of interviews with key figures in law enforcement and in Keyes's life, and research uncovered from classified FBI files. Callahan takes us on a journey into the chilling, nightmarish mind of a relentless killer, and to the limitations of traditional law enforcement.
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More Details:
Author
Maureen Callahan
Pages
304
Publisher
Penguin
Published Date
2019-07-02
ISBN
0698191064 9780698191068
Ratings
Google: 3.5
Community ReviewsSee all
"The true story of Israel Keyes, perhaps the worst serial killer of this century. Tough book to recommend unless you really like true crime or behavioral analysis, as in maybe you want a career in law enforcement. The nature of the story is the most graphic I’ve ever read. The book itself, and the author, do an amazing job of telling this story. But perhaps the bigger “story” here is how badly the state of Alaska and the FBI botched this investigation and how much remains unknown. For law enforcement, it’s the cover up of all cover ups. Tragic story."
Sheldon Rapoza
"Being I have only read one other true crime, this will probably be an inept review. Last year I read The Zodiac Killer and did not enjoy it. Possibly because he was never caught so it was a lot of speculation. Honestly I'm just so surprised I've never heard of Isreal Keyes and after reading I believe it was to hide the idiocy of those involved. <br/><br/>Israel Keyes was very much disturbed..... obviously and killed at random. I'm still confused of how he was even caught because Keyes was so meticulous and knew exactly how to make those in charge look incompetent. Now I'm speaking without much experience but the common thread in these true crime serial killer cases is that the states seem to be trying to one up each other by withholding information. Also you have men with a God complex that has no business being in charge in the first place.<br/><br/>"Never let anyone take you to a second location" was the matra that played on repeat while I read. Overall American Predator was very interesting and above all unsettling. The fact that Iv never heard of it might be the most troubling fact of all."
Ashley
"This book was excellently written. It is a pretty enveloping read! The only thing it lacks, for me, is more data/information about the accused. I’m sure given the circumstances, what was written is likely all relevant info given. Well worth a read for true crime junkies. "
Alysha Helm
"American Predator is by far one of the best true crime books I've read. It has a fascinating format - it starts with Israel Keyes' final victim and works backward. It sounds like this could get sloppy, but Maureen Callahan weaves it together so well. I sometimes have trouble reading true crime because of how dry it can be, but this book was addicting as hell (and not dry at all). The author tells a story, and doesn't just shout facts at you. I loved it, and I highly recommend picking up this book if you need a new true crime book."
Emily
"Absolutely incredible "
Sarah Christine
"Very interesting story that keeps you on edge, but so much of this book is boring and I wish victims other than Samantha Koenig had their stories told"
M M
Maren McLean
"Finished it in one day! "
K c
Kevin cinel
"This book was written so well that I couldn’t put it down. It was very detailed on the entire case."
Medina
"My first "true crime" novel. It was a great experience. I hope to find a book that makes me as uneasy as Israel Keyes did."
Nicholas Moore
"This was a very easy read so to speak. Nothing about this story was easy to swallow, but it kept me going. I think I finished it in two days, and would have been sooner if I hadn't had other obligations to the day. It has spoiled me, because I have yet to find something comparable to the suspense and jaw dropping information. My all time favorite thus far!"
Nicole Hostetler
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