American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Century
Maureen Callahan
Ted Bundy. John Wayne Gacy. Jeffrey Dahmer. more
285 pages, Hardcover
First published Viking
4.09
Rating
37574
Ratings
4094
Reviews
Maureen Callahan
13 books 141 followers
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Read. This. Book. Seriously, you must read this book. Below is literally my face upon completing American Predator:You want to feel this way whilst reading a Tue Crime story, don't you. more
American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Century by Maureen Callahan is a Viking publication. When I first noticed this book, the crime didn’t ring any bells for me. As the blurb stated most of us had never heard of Israel Keyes. As far I knew, this was a true crime story I had heard nothing about. But, after reading several positive reviews from my Goodreads peers, my curiosity was piqued, so I added it to the pile. more
”Payne and Bell recognized Keyes’ threat as the mind control of an experienced criminal. Payne had learned it at Quantico and heard variations in countless confessions. ‘You’ll regret it. ’ ‘I’ll hurt you. ’Neither is: ‘I’ll kill you,’ and that gives a victim hope. more
Wow, what a book to start the year off with. This was horrifying. . more
Billed as the most terrifying serial killer you’ve never heard of, I first heard of Israel Keyes on the podcast Crime Junkie. The why, where, and how he was caught, and the hours of interrogation by investigators, make up the bulk of this fascinating book. Despite multiple blunders by the police, Keyes was arrested for the kidnapping of a teenage girl as the result of a fortuitous traffic stop. Unfortunately, she had been murdered and they soon discovered they had a serial murderer on their hands whose victims numbered in the double digits. Details emerged that made him an aberration among serial killers. more
2. 5 "a superficial and amateurish telling but nonetheless very readable" stars . Third Most Disappointing Read of 2022 Award Israel Keyes was both a serial killer and burgeoning terrorist who dabbled in torture, necrophilia and arson. He took his own life in Alaska prison in December 2012. Many questions remain unanswered as to the extent and frequency of his crimes and even less so in understanding his psychopathology. more
“If he had been about five seconds slower getting out of his car and going into his apartment, he would have been The One that night. ”When we talk about the most prolific and horrifying serial killers, such as Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, Jeffrey Dahmer etc, we should be adding another name to the list - Israel Keyes. Prior to the hype around this book, and seeing that Last Podcast on the Left had covered him across a few episodes, I really had never heard of this guy before, which baffles me. Keyes was a true monster, evil incarnate. Some of the details of his crimes left me feeling sick to my stomach and incredibly uneasy before bedtime. more
American Predator is the story of Alaskan serial killer Israel Keyes, his crimes and how he was captured. I was chatting with a friend when the subject of what I was currently reading came up. I mentioned this book and I began thinking about why I’m always drawn to true crime – specifically serial killers/mass murderers. I certainly don’t admire them nor do I particularly care why they do what they do. Then I realized that I like to see how they inevitably slip up; what is the tiny mistake they make that lands them in prison. more
This read like fiction. Which is good in terms of reading experience but really terrifying considering the subject matter. . more
American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Century is an outstanding, jaw dropping true-crime book that Maureen Callahan meticulously researched and presents in a narrative nonfiction approach that is hard to put down. Callahan starts with the beginning of the end of Israel Keyes' serial killing spree. The story starts with the disappearance of eighteen year old Samantha Koenig from a small outdoor coffee kiosk in Anchorage, Alaska. It was fascinating to watch the investigation unfold with so little evidence and different theories being discussed. Over 60% of the book is focused on the Samantha Koenig investigation. more
This book could really give you nightmares thinking about this man randomly traveling the US, with his buried ‘kill kits’ all over ready for him when the mood struck. Maureen Callahan does a great job introducing us to a frightening killer whose true scope will never be known. There was apparently some attempts to cover up his story by the government for a while when they caught up to him. This was during a period that they were trying to negotiate for information from him. He did give up bodies, but due to time passing, they were not recoverable. more
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. more
The name Israel Keyes is not well known as the other serial killers. It doesn't make any sense why that is when he is clearly the most dangerous thus far. He thrived for 14 years randomly killing, robbing (including banks), cyber stalking, raping, committing arson, and even blowing up property. He did all this in the modern world of extreme surveillance and digital trails. He was intelligent, personable, and highly athletic. more
Israel Keyes is one incredibly scary guy. I remember watching a true crime documentary about the serial killer a couple of years ago, and was equally enthralled and horrified that such a man existed and the luck it took to catch him. This is a man who buried kill kits all over America, crossed multiple state lines to evade detection and was so meticulous in his execution that the FBI still don't know how many people he killed. Without his 'help' those victims that were identified likely never would have been found. Yet he's still not widely known to the outside world. more
This was interesting enough to buoy me through a mini reading slump, but not something I’m going to give a second’s further thought after flipping the last page. Stylistically, the first and second halves of this book read almost like two different pieces of writing. It wasn’t overt, and the material was still the same—still about Israel Keyes: his near-blundered capture, followed by his unspooling confessions—but the writing in the first part felt to me like barely more than a spruced-up Wikipedia article. Not bad, but not great, either. By the time we move into Keyes’ history and previous crimes, the prose loosens, lengthens, gathers steam and rhythm. more
Israel Keyes was a serial killer par excellence. He was usually the smartest person in the room . any room, all kinds of people . including the police, attorneys, and the FBI agents . and he was well aware of this fact. more
One of the best true crime books I have ever read. My full review will be up on my booktube channel at http://YouTube. com/peterlikesbooks. more
After the crimes themselves, the most sickening aspect of the story of a lot of serial killers is the teasing dance of the seven veils that then unfolds as the cops try to get a full confession. The killer finds that the cops themselves become a second type of victim presented for his sadistic pleasure. He dangles tiny scraps of information in front of their eager faces, maybe he snatches them away at the last moment, maybe he throws them a couple of victims they didn’t know about, maybe a dump site. There they sit, the cops, and they know he’s got them squirming. They have to be so kind to him and offer him exciting enticements – writing material, a radio, they’ll fly his brother up to see him, that kind of thing. more
امتیاز واقعی: ۳/۵:ایزرائیل کیزقاتل سریالی - متجاوز - دزد بانک - آدمربا - نکروفیل - آتشافروز و این لیست ادامه دارداگر تمام ترسها رو میشد جمع کرد و بهش صورت آدمی رو داد، این مرد قطعاً گزینهی خوبی بود. از کیز و زندگیش اونقدر که باید نمیدونیم چون وقتی که دستگیر میشه فقط میخواسته بمیره و وقتی افبیآی اعدامش رو سریعتر عملی نمیکنه، خودش دست به کار میشه و جون خودش رو میگیره. اما اطلاعات خیلی کمی که از جرمهاش و طرز فکرش داریم به اندازه کافی ترسناک و غیرقابل باوره[این قسمت اذیتکننده هست، اکر حساسید نخونید] از شدت جنایتش فقط همین که دختری رو میدزده، بهش تجاوز میکنه، میکشتش، جنازهاش رو جای سردی رها میکنه، دوازده روز بعد برمیگرده، به جنازهاش تجاوز میکنه، آرایشش میکنه، لباس تنش میکنه، پلکهاش رو میدوزه تا چشمهاش باز بمونه، با روزنامهی روز ازش عکس میگیره، درخواست سی هزار دلار پول برای برگردوندن دختر میکنه که براش واریز میشه، جنازه رو تیکه تیکه میکنه، کف یک دریاچهی یخزده میاندازهاین هیولاییه که اینجا باهاش طرفیم :کیز چند ویژگی خاص داره که مجرمانی که تا به حال در موردشون خوندم متفاوتش میکنهیک. معاصر بودنتقریباً اکثر قاتل سریالیهای بزرگ قبل از سال ۲۰۰۰ هستند و نبود اینترنت، دوربین امنیتی، دیانای و ضعف پلیس کمک بزرگی براشون بود که به راحتی نقشههاشون رو عملی کنن. فعالیت کیز اما از سال ۲۰۰۱ تا ۲۰۱۲ هست. more
Investigative reporter, Maureen Callahan, exceptionally brings to light one of America's (and possibly other countries') most terrifying, but practically unheard-of serial killer, Israel Keyes. I really appreciated how Callahan:(1) retrieved extensive information about Keyes, even though she found it quite difficult, at times, to get full disclosure;(2) detailed, step-by-step, how Keyes committed some of his crimes (the abduction, torture and murder of middle-aged couple, Bill and Lorraine Courier, really hit home for me);(3) related Keyes's history by securing vital information from his psychiatric evaluation; and,(4) illustrated how specific procedures (e. g. questioning of suspects, a diving crew's strict course of action, etc. ) are followed, and even then, how frustrating an investigation can be when proper conduct is not followed. more
This book has consistently received 4/5 star ratings and I was interested to learn about Israel Keyes, a serial killer that most people have never heard of, including me. Let me give credit to the author for her in-depth research and interviews with people who were peripherally involved with Keyes. But the book just doesn't deliver and again I am in the minority. Keyes confessed to one murder and suggested that maybe he committed two others but he held the police/FBI hostage as he refused to further elucidate if there were other victims. He made demands in order to reveal his victims and then would drop hints but no concrete evidence or names. more
Last book of 2019 and man, it was a good one. This book is so heartbreaking and intense that I had to take multiple breaks from it. "Most of us have never heard of Israel Keyes. But he is one of the most ambitious, meticulous serial killers of modern time. The FBI considered his behavior unprecedented. more
CW: descriptions of animal killing, rape, murder, suicide details, descriptions of bloody scenes and dead bodiesWell that was quite traumatic in parts but that's to be expected in a book about a serial killer. This is one of the first true crime books I have read so I didn't really know what to expect. Not knowing anything about this killer worked in my favour as it was all new information to me. I have to say I thought it was utterly disturbing how wrong detectives and police got things throughout this investigation. An interesting look into the mind of a serial killer but I wasn't blown away by this book. more
I don't read much true crime, but I saw this new release and decided to give it a shot. I had never heard of this serial killer before, which is frightening considering how many people he killed and the geographical range of where he did it. The book was written well and most importantly, it was written in a non-exploitative way. I'd recommend it if you're interested in true crime, but I gotta say during and after reading this I was really nervous to go out alone :/. more
احتمالا اسم اسرائیل کیز به گوش خیلی ها نخورده باشه اما کیز ممکنه بدترین قاتل سریالی تاریخ آمریکا بوده باشه. بالاتر از امثال باندی و رامیرز. یه قاتل سریالی بدون هیچ نشانهای که حتی پلیس از وجودش خبر هم نداشته و اکثر قربانی هاش تو لیست افراد گمشده قرار دارن. اما برعکس بقیه قاتل های سریالی معروف، از کیز مصاحبه های جنجالی خاصی وجود ندارد و دلیل اصلیش اینه که برعکس بقیه قاتل ها، کیز به شکل عجیبی از مدیا و خبرنگارها دوری میکرده و هرگز نمیخواسته داستانش تبدیل به یه بمب خبری بشه و حتی درخواست کرده بود که حتماً اعدام بشه تا به قول خودش قضیه سریعتر جمع بشه. متاسفانه بعد از مرگ ناگهانیش سوال های زیادی درباره شدت و کثرت جنایاتش بی پاسخ موندننویسنده کتاب میخواد کلی اطلاعات رو به زور داخل کتاب جا بده ولی متاسفانه کتاب نه عمق درست و حسابی داره نه تحلیل بدرد بخوری ارائه میده فقط روزنامه وار یکسری اطلاعات رو بیان میکنه. more
Chilling true crimeWell written and researched account of one man's depravity. The amount of suffering and death by his hands may never be revealed. more
When choosing a book to read, Jan and I share curiosity into the psyche of people, especially those who seem to defy what it means to be human, to be empathetic, to be a functioning member of society. For those who go against everything we think is normal human behavior, the psychopath, we look to find the motivations. Like the author, Maureen Callahan, we want to know they why, the how could this have happened, and most importantly can we ever know people we think we do. We chose American Predator as a book to share. "Open your trembling flower, or your petals I'll crush," I, for one, had never heard of Israel Keyes and yet reading this true crime book, I came away wondering why. more
A very creepy read. Further thoughts to come. more
RATING: 3 STARS**SPOILER ALERTS in the review if you have not heard the case**I first heard about this case on 48 Hours or Dateline Mystery and it blew me away. Just when you think you have seen it all with serial killers, then there comes the arrest of Israel Keyes. No law enforcement agency was aware of this serial killer. Meaning that they had not connected Keyes' victims to one predator. There was no looking for him. more
4. 0 StarsThis was a gripping piece of true crime that focused around a sociopathic serial killer. I was immediately pulled into the beginning of the novel which focused around the kidnapping of a young woman. I found the narrative in the later half to be less gripping because the information recounted felt more disjointed. Overall, I would recommend this one to anyone looking for a dark piece of true crime with a compelling narrative. more