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American Predator

The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Century

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American Predator

By: Maureen Callahan
Narrated by: Amy Landon
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About this listen

Instant New York Times Best Seller
An 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”

"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 Dead)

Ted 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 14 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.

©2019 Maureen Callahan (P)2019 Penguin Audio
Murder Scary Exciting Serial Killers True Crime
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Critic reviews

“A deep dive into the twisted life of Israel Keyes, ‘a new kind of monster’.... Serial killers often commit their crimes close to home, inside a comfort zone, but as the author documents throughout this compelling narrative, little about Keyes fit the conventional serial-killer mold...[Callahan] offers fascinating context about law enforcement investigative techniques and revelations about how a murderer can strike again and again without being detected for more than a decade.” (Kirkus Reviews)

American Predator is the scariest book I’ve ever read. No exaggeration - the book you hold is bone-chilling. Maureen Callahan explores the black heart of a new kind of American monster - a serial killer that confounded our most elite criminal profilers - and the race-against-time investigation to follow. This is the work of a journalist in her prime, telling you the story the FBI doesn’t want you to hear and delivering an unforgettable tale of evil that will haunt you. Mark my words: This modern true crime classic will stand with the likes of Jeff Guinn’s Manson, Ann Rule’s The Stranger Beside Me, and Michelle McNamara’s I’ll Be Gone in the Dark.” (Susannah Cahalan, New York Times best-selling author of Brain on Fire)

“Investigative journalist Callahan provides a chilling true-crime narrative in this detailed study of Israel Keyes, whom she describes as ‘a new kind of monster, likely responsible for the greatest string of unsolved disappearances and murders in modern American history.’... Through Callahan’s access to many of the key players in law enforcement, she has produced the definitive account of a terrifying psychopath.” (Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about American Predator

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rollercoaster with a psychopath

I am nearly finished this book. what a sicko Isreal Keyes is, this is brilliantly written and read. I couldn't put it down. God help his poor victims. He put so much fear into them. A truly evil excuse for a human.

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Recommended to fans of the genre

Would recommend to fans of true crime. I was already familiar with the keys story through podcast, yet found this book entertaining and informative. Only thing I found a bit annoying was the way the female narrator, who spends half the book reading males voices, lowered her voice to impersonate a male. Her imitation of a male voice is a little annoying and I wonder if a male might have been better suited.

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bloody brilliant!

amazing storytelling, shame the guy who it's about is a disturbed fella, but the narrator was amazing! loved her doing the dark voice lol :) keep your stuff up

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Excellent but Scary

Can't believe how this killer is not more well known. Obviously a cover up by the powers that be. Absolutely tragic the number of errors that were made by the local police and the FBI, a girls life could have been saved, truly heartbreaking-I couldn't bear to read it. Great credit to Maureen Callaghan for writing this book but extremely scary.

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An absolute must for any true crime fan!

I devoured this book. I already knew about Israel Keyes but this book gives many more insights into the mind, motives and motes operandi of this genuinely terrifying psychopath. Masterfully written, meticulously researched and told with great pace, reverence and respect and empathy for the victims and their families. Cannot recommend this book enough!

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a good listen!

I enjoyed it. not the most in depth book on a serial killer, but when so much is a mystery still I think it would be hard to include more

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Informative and well read

Liked learning about a little known serial killer. It kept my attention throughout. Would recommend.

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Sounds like Alexa is narrating

Enjoyed the story, but feel the narration is very monotone and almost sounds like an Alexa!

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Good stuff.

This is perfect for late night listening., but you have to be of stern stuff not to have bad dreams. That’s a warning!

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decent story but narration is terrible

It's like listening to a robot read. No emotion and makes the story seem less interesting.

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