Nonfiction: American Predator by Maureen Callahan

The full title of today's selection by Maureen Callahan is American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Century. It can sometimes be difficult to find true crime that is not discussing someone that we have already heard plenty about. What Callahan has done is painstakingly researched one of the most careful - and frightening - serial killers in America that most of us have never heard of.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a nonfiction/true crime book that explores the life and crimes of Israel Keyes, a man who confessed to looking up to men such as Ted Kraczynski, Ted Bundy, H.H. Holmes, and Timothy McVeigh. Only when 18 year-old Samantha Koenig went missing in early 2012 did Keyes finally show up on US law enforcement's radar. Samantha went missing from her job in Anchorage, Alaska, and with only a surveillance tape to go on, it was hard for local police and detectives to find out where she had disappeared to. But after writing and sending a ransom note, and also after making a few key mistakes on his escape through the lower 48 states, law enforcement had their guy. Of course, what they would discover was that the disappearance of Samantha Koenig was only one in a long string of horrible crimes. Keyes would end up having some of the usual serial killer traits - possibly abuse by a parent, escalating cruelty to animals, didn't make many close friends - but what made him different was just how good he was at what he did. So good in fact, that he has managed to keep the FBI guessing.

My Verdict: Like most true crime books, this one is more than a little unnerving. Anyone could have been a victim of Keyes, as he seemingly chose at random. It is clear that Callahan wanted to portray just how meticulous Keyes was when was committing his crimes. His intense ability to focus and stay on his toes also served him well when dealing with the authorities. It is clear that Callahan did her research, and I applaud her for focusing on someone many do not know about. However, there was something about the structure of the book that was off-putting, often making me feel as if something were out of balance. Granted, that could be attributed to Keyes as the subject, as he was good at making those around him feel the same way. It could be a natural result of hearing his story, often in his own words. He was good at maintaining control, and perhaps was even successful through the pages of someone else's book.

Favorite Moment: Whenever the incompetence of law enforcement when dealing with someone like Keyes was openly acknowledged, which was often, because they messed up a great deal.

Recommended Reading: I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara is another wonderful true crime book that thoroughly follows a serial killer not many know about.