Lieutenant Joe Kenda, formerly of the Colorado Springs Police Department and more recently of Investigation Discovery’s Homicide Hunter and American Detective, speaks his truth without holding back. Fans of his appearances in true crime shows or readers (listeners) of his first book know this to be true. It’s this deadpan delivery that drives his humor. And that humor is on full display in his latest book, Killer Triggers.
Kenda takes us through some more of his most memorable cases, noting early on what the trigger was for the crime: revenge, rage, greed, evil. Then he takes us through the crime to its eventual end, whether justice was done or not (although with Kenda involved, you have to know justice was served far more often than not). The crimes are all murders, but a variety of cases with killers and victims from all walks of life. Kenda doesn’t pull punches, so some of these crimes are difficult to hear about, but Kenda’s determination to find those who are guilty and put them in prison does make it easier.
There is a serial killer who hunts and rapes women before killing them, the man whose dementia caused him to lose touch with reality, the soldier who was in the wrong place at the wrong time, the family whose death originally looked like a cult killing but turned out to be something more benign, and the choirboy who turned out to have a darker side hiding in his heart.
But along with the stories of the crimes are other stories from Kenda’s career as a homicide investigator. There are the tales of his favorite police dogs, and of his time as a Watch Commander for a particularly challenging district, where he had to arrest local business owners who had met up to find a way to stop the violence at their respective businesses. He talks about what it means to be on a Grand Jury, and one of the cases he talks about is the first case in Colorado Springs that was solved by DNA evidence. He even talks about his time since retirement, first as a bus driver for special needs kids and then as a television show host for Investigation Discovery, which has served as therapy for him to recover from his job-related PTSD.
Killer Triggers is a powerful book of honest stories of service. Some of Kenda’s stories are howlingly funny. Others may break your heart. But they are all truthful, insightful looks at the worst and best of the human spirit. And the best thing about the audio book is that Lt. Kenda reads it himself. What could be better than hearing Kenda’s words in Kenda’s voice? It makes the experience that much more real, knowing that he lived all these stories in order to make the world safer for his family, and for all the rest of us too.
Fans of true crime, viewers of Homicide Hunter and other ID shows, police officers and family of officers, and anyone who wants to know more about crime and criminals will find something to love about Killer Triggers. Get it in audio if you can, but definitely read this book and learn more about human nature. Oh, and be sure to check all your doors and windows to be certain they are locked.
An early copy of the audio book for Killer Triggers was provided by Blackstone Publishing through NetGalley, with many thanks.
