Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

A deep dive into the twisted life of Israel Keyes, "a new kind of monster likely responsible for the greatest string of unsolved disappearances and murders in modern American history."New York Post critic at large Callahan cannot state with certainty how many murders Keyes committed, but the count seems to be at least 11 and is likely many more. He committed his final murder in Anchorage, Alaska, where he resided at the time with his daughter and an off-and-on girlfriend. 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, including the fact that his crimes were scattered all over the country. She shares the sleuthing of law enforcement agents from the FBI, the Anchorage Police Department, and other state-level forces. Throughout the book, the law personnel obsessed by Keyes' methods and grisly results come across as dedicated and largely talented, with the exception of the federal prosecutor, who had ultimate jurisdiction. Callahan portrays him as vain and tone-deaf, and his unwanted presence in the interrogation room undid much of the progress made in the case. The author builds the narrative around the kidnapping and murder of 18-year-old Samantha Koenig, who worked at an isolated coffee booth in Anchorage. Police had no clues for days, but the case eventually led to Keyes' arrest due to outstanding detective work and uncharacteristic sloppiness by Keyes. In the latter chapters, Callahan explores Keyes' unusual childhood, military service, and skills as a top-notch carpenter.Although the details of the book are by definition lurid, the author admirably avoids a descent into journalistic sensationalism. Instead, she 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. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Publishers Weekly
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Investigative journalist Callahan (Champagne Supernovas: Kate Moss, Marc Jacobs, Alexander McQueen, and the '90s Renegades Who Remade Fashion) 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." In 2012, a multi-jurisdictional search for Keyes, believed responsible for abducting 18-year-old Samantha Koenig from the Anchorage, Alaska, coffee kiosk where she worked, led to him being stopped for speeding in Texas. In his wallet, the police found Samantha's driver's license. Keyes confessed to killing Samantha, but was less forthcoming about other murders he said he'd committed, and the exact number of his victims was unresolved at the time of his suicide in custody, though he is believed to have killed at least 11 people over 14 years. The text is replete with disturbing revelations such as Keyes having carefully studied books by the FBI's top experts on profiling and serial killers. Through Callahan's access to many of the key players in law enforcement, she has produced the definitive account of a terrifying psychopath. Agent: Nicole Tourtelot, DeFiore and Company. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

The subtitle of Callahan's (Champagne Supernovas, 2014) true-crime drama is a bit misleading, as the hunt for Israel Keyes is over by page 60. But what follows is a fascinating attempt to profile a serial killer that defies categorization. When an Anchorage teenager goes missing in 2012, local police muddle the case from the beginning. It's only due to Keyes' mistakes that he's caught, in Texas. Shortly after the interrogation begins, it's clear that this isn't the first time Keyes has committed murder. Rather, he'd become so skilled that he started taking more risks including committing the crime in his hometown, where he was known as a capable carpenter and loving father. Previously, Keyes had generally carried out his plans in the lower 48, burying kill kits that he would return to, disposing of remains in a different state, and taking advantage of ill-equipped, small-town police departments. Keyes is terrifying, and his crimes horrific, but Callahan's focus on the FBI's attempts to learn about his other crimes makes for a truly edge-of-your-seat page-turner even without the hunt. A must for fans of Mindhunter (1995) both the book and its recent Netflix adaptation and the long-running police drama Criminal Minds.--Kathy Sexton Copyright 2019 Booklist

Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

New York Post journalist Callahan offers a riveting, propulsive account of a highly intelligent serial killer who skillfully evaded capture for years. Israel Keyes, a former soldier and itinerant contractor who planned an unspecified, horrific terrorist act, was arrested in 2012 in Texas after authorities connected him to an Alaska murder victim's debit card. This book begins with Keyes's grisly abduction and murder of an Anchorage teen and retraces his troubled and isolated upbringing. Callahan interviewed most of the case investigators and forced open court records to reveal Keyes's countrywide killing sprees, providing an outstanding account of a serial murderer's methods and the frantic, conflicted investigation into his crimes. Especially frightening is how Keyes easily avoided detection and then toyed with his captors and played prosecutors and federal agents against each other. Callahan recounts the story with a deft touch, blending multiple sources, including his court psychological profile, into a seamless narrative. VERDICT Gripping and superbly researched, this is destined to be a true crime classic, alongside titles such as Vincent Bugliosi's Helter Skelter. Hand to readers who enjoyed Michelle McNamara's I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer.—Harry Charles, St. Louis