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  • American Predator

  • The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Century
  • Written by: Maureen Callahan
  • Narrated by: Amy Landon
  • Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (199 ratings)

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American Predator

Written by: Maureen Callahan
Narrated by: Amy Landon
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Publisher's Summary

Instant New York Times Best Seller
An Amazon “Best Book of 2019”

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

What the critics say

“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

Average Customer Ratings
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    5 out of 5 stars

good book bad audio

he probably killed so many more

i wish the book had been read by someone less monotone, who didn't do any upward inflection on almost every sentence

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent book, narration is good, not great.

This is a book that will give you unheard details. I have read a lot about Israel Keyes, but this gave me new info. Definitely worth the listen

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Very Interesting!

Despite other reviews I didn't find the narration distracting. I still enjoyed the story and am glad I gave it a shot!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

wow

I was enthralled. Great book, never boring. Kept me needing to know more. Suggested read.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

best audiobook yet.

an incredible amount of transcripts and detailed information. obsessed with this book and I started it with no knowledge of this case.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Not a mystery story

The back and forth dialogue was great and well preformed. I'd warn Spoilers here but it's hard to spoil this book because you know the result by the end of the first 3 chapters. It kind of spoils itself. My issue with the book is it has 0 suspense because the guy who did it is captured in the first or 2nd chapter. The whole book I was expecting some catch or problem in the interrogation resulting in the killer getting away briefly or some sort of prosecutorial misconduct to cause issues in the case but nothing ever happens. He just gets caught and then follows an intense well written full recap of all of the interrogation and extra crimes committed by the perp. The perp gives up all of the info willingly though the police and FBI basically do nothing but listen to this guy the whole time. The book could have gone like this. chapter 1-3 how he was caught. Chapter 4, he confessed to almost everything he did, the end.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Author stretched truth to fit theory

Should have males do the male parts. Having a female impersonating a male makes it farsical to listen to.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Shocking Story

I had never heard much about this killer and this book really provides a comprehensive overview of everything. Super interesting listen. Does a good job of sharing the details without overdoing it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Informative

Very informative. A chilling & unusual modern case. This book contains many interrogation transcripts unavailable on You Tube

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

What a psychopath!!

A great listen, not as long as most, good narrator and a very compelling story! if you like true crime, this is a goodie!

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