“…I can tell you right now there is no one who knows me, or who has ever known me, who knows anything about me, really…I’m two different people, basically.”
“How long have you been two different people?”
“A long time.”
Oh man. Okay. This is true crime for the SEASONED true crime reader/listener/watcher. If you’re new to the genre, do NOT start here. This book is brutal and Israel Keyes’ cruelty and sociopathy know no bounds. American Predator is short (especially compared to other true crime books i’ve read) but Callahan was able to fit so much into this narrative. We meet a relatively wide range of people involved with capturing Keyes and attempting to uncover the other murders he (likely) committed.
“Sometimes who you were came down to the small things.”
Something that makes American Predator more impactful than other true crime books i’ve read is how recent Keyes committed his crimes. It’s easy to feel distanced from a serial killer who operated in the 70s and 80s, but a lot harder to ignore someone who was murdering people in the 2010s. His back story is disturbing and I found myself wondering (as always) if serial killers are born or created.
Despite the horrors in this book, I highly recommend it to any true crime fan looking for a story they likely know absolutely nothing about.
Read with Aimee 