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jesstele's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.25
brittanylee0302's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
I listened to the audiobook & really enjoyed the narrator Amy Landon!
This book was really well written and organized in a neat timeline that made it easy to follow. This story is very informative & well worth the read.
This book was really well written and organized in a neat timeline that made it easy to follow. This story is very informative & well worth the read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Suicide, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Rape
Minor: Alcoholism, Racism, and Pregnancy
daphelba's review against another edition
dark
informative
fast-paced
3.75
I gave this a 4 star on Good reads, but I think it's more in the 3.5 to 3.75 range. It was interesting and a fast read, I think some of my interest was lowered given that I'd already heard many of the details of the Israel Keyes case via podcast episodes over the last several years. I mostly chose it because it was on sale on Audible and I find True Crime to be a great genre to listen to while taking care of other tasks. I appreciated some new material here, such as words directly from Keyes, parts of his interviews that I I had never heard about before. I also don't have a special interest in this case, but I feel like for someone who does, it would be more highly rated.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Torture, Gun violence, Violence, and Sexual violence
This is a book about the crimes committed by a serial killer and includes detailed confessions from the murderer himself. As such, there are descriptions of many unsavory acts.trin's review against another edition
3.0
Fast-paced and exciting storytelling, though on a deeply depressing and distressing subject. I found myself frustrated that, while expert at unfurling the facts of the case, Callahan does not attempt to explore the killer's psychology very much at all, outside cliche and reductive stuff like he was a "psychopath" and a "monster." Why not explore the fact that the "most meticulous serial killer of the 21st century" was caught because of some incredibly sloppy behavior -- that he was often very sloppy, but in this case, especially, maybe deliberately, so. His subsequent willingness to confess to the most recent murder, and his eagerness to be executed, suggest psychology much more complicated than "he was born a monster."
I guess I'm tired of narratives that both glorify (meticulous! genius!) and other killers. Time for a true crime break!
I guess I'm tired of narratives that both glorify (meticulous! genius!) and other killers. Time for a true crime break!