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Sign up todayKiller Triggers
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Learn moreThe most common triggers for homicide are fear, rage, revenge, money, lust, and, more rarely, sheer madness. This isnโt an exact science, of course. Any given murder can have multiple triggers. Sex and revenge seem to be common partners in crime. Rage, money, and revenge make for a dangerous trifecta of triggers, as well.
This book offers my memories of homicide cases that I investigated or oversaw. In each case, I examine the trigger that led to death. I chose this theme for the book because even though the why of a murder case may not be critical in an investigation, it can sometimes lead us to the killer.
And even if we solve a case without knowing the trigger, the why still intrigues us, disrupting our dreams and lingering in our minds, perhaps because each of us fears the demons that lie within our own psycheโthe triggers waiting to be pulled.
Lt. Joe Kenda spent twenty-one years chasing killers as a homicide detective and commander of the major crimes unit in Colorado Springs. After retiring from law enforcement, he starred in Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda, an American true-crime documentary series that ran for nine seasons on the Investigation Discovery network and was aired in sixty-nine countries and territories worldwide. Homicide Hunter airs on Investigation Discovery, the #1 true-crime channel, which is available in more than 80 million homes.
Lt. Joe Kenda spent twenty-one years chasing killers as a homicide detective and commander of the major crimes unit in Colorado Springs. After retiring from law enforcement, he starred in Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda, an American true-crime documentary series that ran for nine seasons on the Investigation Discovery network and was aired in sixty-nine countries and territories worldwide. Homicide Hunter airs on Investigation Discovery, the #1 true-crime channel, which is available in more than 80 million homes.
Reviews
โThe book makes you feel like youโre hanging out with a retired detective and heโs recounting his war stories for youโฆ[Kenda] finds a way to make the stories feel real (which they are) and they both fascinate you and bother you in their way that they get under your skinโฆThe book itself is a good read. It reads quickly and gives you just enough to want to keep going. It really draws you into the storyโฆIf you are a fan of true crime, this is a definite read for you!โ
โFor those viewers who watched the nine seasons of Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe KendaโฆNow, with the release of Killer Triggers: Murder Comes Down To Sex, Drugs, Or Money, his fans will find that his literary voice is that much more deeply layered and uncensored in a way we never got to experience on his cable seriesโฆA gritty and very real look at true homicide investigation without all the glossing over you get from network TV series that do not come close to the real thingโฆThis book was solid reading and unlike any true-crime retelling I have ever readโฆA very revealing readโwho would have thought life in Colorado Springs could be so hazardous!โ
โThe book feels like what it would be like if Joe Kenda was talking to you about the murders heโs investigated if there wasnโt a camera or network censorsโฆThere are also plenty of one-liners and Kenda catchphrases and, at appropriate times, some humor.โ
โA bona fide true-crime star.โ
โLegendaryโฆFor twenty years Lt. Joe Kenda served as a detective with the Colorado Springs Police Department. During that time he solved 356 of the 387 murder cases he investigated. This is a staggering accomplishment, one almost unheard of in modern American law enforcement.โ
โOne of the most successful crime fighters in historyโฆheโs also one of the most quotable tough guys to ever put on a badge.โ
โSitting down to read Joe Kendaโs Killer Triggers is like settling in to listen to a masterful storyteller sharing his own story.โ
โMy wife and I have seen every episode of Homicide Hunter multiple times and I love that while reading this book, you can almost actually hear Joe Kenda narrating it. Having had the privilege of meeting him on more than one occasion I can say without reservation that we are enormous fans of Joe both professionally and personally. Besides being an exceptional detective and one of the greatest and most authentic true-crime storytellers of all time, Joe has tread in the darkest and most horrific regions of humanity and instead of plunging into nihilism, he has managed to emerge with the utmost empathy and compassion for the sanctity of human life.โ
โIn this exceptional memoir, Kenda chronicles the highlights of his twenty-one years as a Colorado Springs, Colo., homicide detective. Kenda investigated or oversaw 387 cases, and here uses them to offer insights into why killers killโฆHis Colorado cowboy cop humor and compassionate voice help make the dark stories he tells easier to bear. This is must reading for true-crime fans."
โIn this true-crime novel retired Colorado Springs Homicide Detective, Lt. Joe Kenda, recounts some memorable casesโฆComplete with his witty Kendaisms, and vivid descriptions of police procedures itโs a fantastic read for any true-crime fanโฆHis matter-of-fact style of writing pulls you in immediatelyโฆI would highly recommend this book to any true-crime fan and fans of Lt. Joe Kenda.โ
โThe book offers an insiderโs look at criminal cases, from the 911 call to the sentencing of the convictedโฆKenda does share some useful perspectives; he discusses a criminally neglectful slumlord, argues for the importance of investigative print journalism, and highlights the role therapy and talking can play in healing those who regularly see the worst of humanity. True-crime stories with all the gory details.โ
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