Maureen Callahan | AMERICAN PREDATOR

Plot (via Goodreads):

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. Described by a prosecutor as "a force of pure evil," he 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 and over the course of fourteen years, 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, 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.

Review:

So, obviously if you're here, you know that I love crime fiction. I also love true crime and find myself devouring documentaries and TV shows/movies based on true cases; I listen to My Favorite Murder. I love true crime - and then it dawned on me when Viking reached out to me; why do I never cover true crime novels on my blog? I was baffled. Luckily, Viking sent me this free copy of American Predator by Maureen Callahan - the harrowing and chilling story of Israel Keyes. One thing about this case that really chills me and the reason I knew about it prior to this story was because Keyes had a cabin about 15 miles from my house and the town was buzzing when FBI came to search the land...and it was even scarier when they actually found something. I knew a little bit about this case back then, but I didn't know the full story and was definitely not prepared for such a fascinating and jaw-dropping story.

The story of Israel Keyes is not only terrifying, but incredibly interesting. The way his mind works, the things he said during the investigation, and how long he got away with the crimes committed was fascinating and eerie at the same time. The format in which this story was told was perfect for me - reminiscent of the way a story is told in a documentary-style. I loved how Callahan started with how he was caught and then went back in time, featured some  (but not too much) of Keyes' past and some other eerie moments that were perfect toward the ending. I can't say more, other than if you know about this case and are a true crime junkie, this is the perfect read for you. If you don't know about this one and have even the slightest interest in true crime, this is the perfect read for you.

Special thanks to Viking for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 4/5