American Predator

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

By: Maureen Callahan

Narrated by: Amy Landon

Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

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)

How did he slip by?

How is it possible that he is not talked about more among true crime enthusiasts? Being raised with constant changing religious views, the isolation of living on the outskirts of small Utah towns, Israel Keyes had not only an interesting upbringing but you can see the many signs that lead him to become the monster that he was. This book I have recommended to many people. If you are interested in true crime this is a must read.

Scary, dark horrific monster tale, with some flaws

I'd never heard of the subject of this book (whose name I'd rather not further glorify). But clearly, he is one of the scariest and most evil people who's ever walked the earth. He doesn't fit the mold of what we've been told of most psychopaths or serial killers (a doting father who was concerned about the effects of his crimes on his daughter?). Truly chilling, and estimates of his victims are probably significantly understated (he said he was active for 14 years, almost nonstop, but a "mere" 11 victims? Seems unlikely). Honestly the kind of book that makes you want to buy an alarm system for your home. It also teaches you that compliance with violent criminals is a VERY questionable tactic. NEVER get in a car. Better to be shot running away than dragged off to God knows what! Fight, run, and yell! (and hopefully shoot or stab if you are armed).

Some flaws in the book. The narrator is insufferable with her cartoonish male voice. Considering that most of the figures in the book are male, and so much of the book is from actual transcripts, a male reader would have been more appropriate. But this female reader affected the same dumb male voice that almost seemed satirical and anti-male. It was a distraction. We are PAYING for this reading, so freaking do it well!

Also, it was just kind of weird how the book was sourced. I know it was unavoidable, but unlike some other true crime, this was mostly leaked and on background source material, with a definite point of view and axes to grind. I realize that since the investigating agencies were all pretty much non responsive, and you had detectives that couldn't be quoted in the first person (except for interview transcripts) for legal or career reasons, the author was limited in her approach. The transcripts were an interesting perspective; if only they read with a real male voices instead of the same dumb female male impersonator voice!

A nitpick, I could tell the author was a big city, probably liberal girl who'd never been around a gun or a firearms enthusiast or hunter in her life. She made it sound like the fact that the subject of the book was a gun enthusiast and hunter or someone who raised and killed his own livestock somehow selected him for being a serial killer, when 99.99% of gun owners and hunters and farmers are decent law abiding people. I'd imagine the average southern or rural reader will be rolling their eyes at some of the breathless implications Callahan makes about guns and hunting (I'm not a hunter, grew up in a big city, but even I laughed at this). Also her comments about Black Talon cartridges was a real howler. They're just hollow points, not "cop killer" or "mass shooter" bullets.

I live in Anchorage....

Great work by author. I only got this book because I lived it and became emotionally invested in Samantha's disappearance as did thousands of people all across Alaska.
More information than was ever shared in local news. Almost more than i could bear to know. These coffee kiosks are easy targets for robbery or worse. A Soft target for the sick actions by "the monster" in this book. I won't say his name. Its difficult to imagine that this monster could be so normal, love his daughter, blend in and be a part of our community.
True crime fans will appreciate this book. It was not anything I would normally listen to if not for the fact it involved my community and a girl who could have been anyone's daughter.
This monster might still be in action if he had not made the mistake of taking this beautiful girl from the Anchorage community. She became everyone's daughter and the community was out in force like nothing I've seen before. .
She was not forgotten, the huge outpouring of community awareness and surrort brought national attention to Samantha's disappearance.
Started by her Dad's actions, and (family friends) spread through all of Alaska, successfully putting the monster in the national spotlight. Even though we didn't know who he was yet. This spread of information was rapid and grassroots.
This was one time he was not able to slink off and hide his deeds.
This author brought to light the failings of our local police investigators, the ego driven prosecutor, (Feldis) who stopped the efforts of the trained FBI interrogators from getting more information from "the monster" in custody.
The Anchorage correctional center's failings in their responsibility for the "monster" in their care were numerous. That he was able tho kill himself is inexcusable and suspicious.
The efforts made by Samantha's Dad and the community i believe to be the single most important factor in finding the monster.
Samantha's father, friends and community did more, (in less time and resources) than the trained professionals did.
Did more to put the community in action to help look for Samantha in the first hours after she went missing. Anchorage and all AK, took this to heart and Samantha became everyone's daughter.

The author accurately portrayed the scrutiny and suspicions local law enforcement focused on Samantha's dad, boyfriend and close friends. That didn't deter her Dad and others from mounting a quick massive campaign to locate "Anchorage's daughter" despite the hell they were going though. They had boots on the ground efforts in searching the next day .
I understand in these cases it's usually a person known to victim. It was so sad that the victim's family were also victimized.
In my heart, this story will always be about the loss of Samantha, not the sick animal who took this daughter of Anchorage.
I also want acknowledge and offer condolences to all of the other communities, victims and families "the monster" destroyed all over the country.

Good content and story but hard to listen to

This was a good book. It had good information about a little known case, and the content was exciting and kept you wanting to know more. The narrator unfortunately, puts on a deep husky man’s voice every time she quotes a man speaking, and it’s really hard to listen to. It feels like a very immature way to deal with narrating the part of somebody who’s the opposite gender.

interesting book

even though I share the Sir name, thank God we share no ancestors that I am aware of. How many Lives this person destroyed, no one will ever know, one can only pray that his victims are at piece...

Fascinating story; Sub-par narration

Good narrative of a fascinating story. The narration left a lot to be desired. The narrator sounded robotic at times.

So interesting!

Amazing how this story has been kept under wraps, thank you Maureen Callahan for exposing this! The writing was great, however, it took me awhile to get through because Amy Langdon’s voice just doesn’t agree with me (sorry Amy if you read this! No offense!) I wish the author would have narrated.

EXCELLENT BOOK

Amazing book. What a messed up fascinating killer. I highly recommend this audiobook. The narrator isn’t even that bad. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to listen to the book. My heart goes out to his victims.

Good read. Kept me interested the while time.

Very interesting book. Held my interest. Narrator was not bad. Would have liked better if she had not tried to sound like a man.

Great story, robot narrator.

Great story but wish it would have been a different narrator. The woman sounds like a robot reading a script. No inflection!