American Predator

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

By: Maureen Callahan

Narrated by: Amy Landon

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

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)

Book is great; Narration was not

The story and writing is extremely well done.

Amy Landon’s complete lack of emotion and poor attempt at “inflection” was, to say the least, disappointing and distracting.

God help us!

Well written and preformed but the doctor visits in Mexico in an effort to “bio hack to become more undetectable” was absolutely ridiculous. I’ve listened to the podcasts of the Keyes interview and the local police, US Attorney and FBI are just as disturbing as the crimes. “Bungled” is an appropriate description. My best advice (unsolicited) to people would be to carry a concealed handgun at all times for self protection and never cooperate with your abductor should you find yourself in such an unfortunate situation because the first couple of minutes is your best opportunity for survival. After you’ve been taken to another location, your chance of survival decreases exponentially!!!

need a male voicr

The narrator was fine but would have preferred a male voice for the male dialogue.

Love it

A lot of research was done for this book. Which makes it good. Amy Landon man voice just makes it a bit creepy

You’ll want to secure your house after listening to this story!

Great listen. It’s an incredible story and really makes you think about the people out in the world!

lexlovesthecubs

Excellent research. Well put together. Easy to listen to, but terrifying. Narrator voice is pleasant, as well.

The Devil in my backyard!!!

I live in Anchorage and vividly remember this crime, and the unfolding horror as our city learned of what had been living among us. This man built my neighbor’s arctic entry. He looked like an ordinary man. Such a monster in our midst chills me. But how badly our law enforcement handled such a monster angers me! This story is meticulously written and clearly told And sheds light on details that even those of us who lived next door to this monster weren’t even aware of. This book terrified me because now I know monsters are real and living among us.

Way more than a podcast can offer

I’ve listened to every podcast I could about Israel Keyes, and the amount of detail given in this book blew me away.

Great listen

Excellent book and well done narration. Obviously very disturbing subject but author did extremely well at telling the story of one of the worst humans ever

Great true crime!

About one of the most fascinating serial killers ever. I just wish we knew more about him and his heinous crimes. So much goes left unaccounted for. But this is a great story and the narrator does a great job