I was very pleased to see that Joe Kenda came out with a new audio book that he narrated himself. And he is as good as you think he be. You get the impression that he is telling you old war stories that law enforcement tell among themselves.
Some of the stories lead into other stories told as asides which circle around back to the main stories. Which again lead to the impression (which I like and enjoy) of someone leaning back after a long career and telling you of his high points or you-won't-believe-what-happened-next moments.
I have read his previous book and again Mr. Kenda makes the point in this that he sees people at the worst and lowest point of their lives and how much it has affected his mental health and outlook which reflects the true outlook of law enforcement. People don't operate in a vacuum. Cops in fiction and TV don't seem to have memories that impact their mental health.
He truly comes off in this book in my high regard of his abilities and as a guardianship of the law.

I have always enjoyed Joe Kenda on his television series, and I couldn't miss the opportunity to listen to his audiobook! Fascinating stories told by the master himself made for an excellent book. I highly recommend!

In this compilation of true crime stories, Joe Kenda relates tales from his long career in law enforcement. Kenda was a homicide detective and commander of the major crimes unit in Colorado Springs, Colorado. For each case, he starts with the trigger that he believes led to the murder then describes the case and how he and his team went about solving it.
Common triggers are money, sexual rage, mental disease, rage and revenge. Some of the cases include a serial killer, a teenager who killed his mother while pretending to be a religious choirboy, and a grocery store murder. He relates the tale of a man killed while drinking by one of his buddies for almost no benefit yet that case took years to solve. He relates one of his first cases, a grocery store murder that shocked and saddened him. He talks of a housing complex full of gangs, drug dealers, prostitutes and their pimps where murder and robbery was a daily fact of life. Throughout, his focus is catching the criminal and creating a case that would stand up in court.

I listened to this book and the narrator was Joe Kenda. His dry wit and matter of fact narration was perfect for this book. As he relates each crime, the listener can feel how personally Kenda took each case and how determined he and his detectives were to solve the case. I can't imagine how anyone else could have done as good a job as Kenda himself does narrating the case.

Joe Kenda is known to most as the star of the TV series, Homicide Hunter, Lt. Joe Kenda on the Investigation Channel. His team had a 92% solve rate which is almost unheard of in law enforcement. After that show ended, his new show is airing on Discovery+ and is called American Detective. Those readers interested in true crime will enjoy this book and how each crime is described along with how it was solved. This book is recommended for readers of true crime.

I loved Joe kenda’s show so I was overly excited to receive this audiobook. It was everything. I listen to it everywhere I went. I love he narrated his own book. I definitely recommended it to fellow book and crime junkies alike! Thank you !

If you fell in love with Joe Kenda while watching Homicide Hunter on TV you’re bound to like his newest audiobook. This is Joe all over again, only this time he allows his story and vocabulary to be a bit more colorful in a few places.

Since I think I watched every episode of Homicide Hunter I couldn’t wait to get this audiobook. The minute it started playing I relaxed. Kenda was back. I’m pretty sure if he hadn’t read his book, it would have been lacking a very important element.

Much like on TV he narrates with his dry wit and humor. And as I mentioned above, it’s not always squeaky clean language. Yet it didn’t occur often enough to bother me.

Each story/case is quite unique and requires somewhat different skills in solving it, especially since at that time modern techniques weren't available.

And as I mentioned earlier Kenda does a wonderful job of being well . . . Kenda. He speaks distinctly and doesn’t rush his sentences.

My Concerns
The listener needs to be aware ahead of time that this is true crime, which can be concerning to some.

Final Thoughts
If you love true crime (okay that doesn’t sound right), and I hope you know what I mean by that, and you’re a fan of Joe Kenda, by all means pick up this audiobook.

My thanks to NetGalley for the ability to listen to this audiobook and review it with no stipulations regarding my rating.

Kenda is a natural storyteller with unique experience solving homicides. Readers need not have watched his television series to fully appreciate Kenda's career and those who have will hear something new. A great read for true crime fans.

Let me start off by saying the moment I first saw Joe Kenda on tv I fell in love with his snarky, no shit taking attitude. So when I saw that he had another book coming out I had to have it.

In Killer Triggers Joe Kenda shares his perspective on what causes someone to kill through different cases he has faced throughout his career. I went into this book hoping to learn a bit more about what makes a killer kill and I was not disappointed. I also loved how Joe’s snarky attitude played out on the pages just like in the tv show. This man means business and had an amazing career as a detective. It was so insightful to see his thoughts during his cases and after.

The only thing I was a bit disappointed in was that most of these cases I remember from the tv show. I was hoping to learn about some cases we haven’t heard of before. But if you aren’t and avid watcher of Homicide Hunter this won’t be an issue for you.

The audiobook was incredible because the narrator is Joe Kenda himself. Being able to hear the story read from the author is always something special. Hearing Joe’s cases from him made the book even more interesting.

Overall I really enjoyed Killer Triggers. I will read and watch anything Joe Kenda does in the future. If you are looking for a true crime novel that has a narrator that will make you laugh as well as give you insight into a killers thoughts then this book is for you.
4/5 Stars

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me a copy of Killer Triggers in exchange for my honest review.

I love Homicide Hunter and Joe Kenda, I am so glad that he was his own narrator for his book. I could not stop listening to it, it was a perfect book to listen as I diamond painted. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves true crime and definitely love Joe Kenda. Thank you Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for letting me listen and review this book.

I received an ARC of the audiobook and was so excited because I love Joe Kenda’s show on ID. But I just couldn’t get into the audiobook. I usually appreciate hearing the author narrate their own book, but Joe’s voice felt too monotone for the stories he was telling.

I think this is a book full of interesting tales and I would probably enjoy the written version a lot more!

So I finally listened to my first ever audiobook- thanks to @netgalley. I love true crime but I’m not so much a fan of cops anymore. But I did love watching Homicide Hunter. So if you loved that show- you will love this book. He tells stories of is time as a homicide detective in Colorado SPRINGS, CO. Joe displays his same dry humour and says my, my, my a few time’s so I did laugh. If you like true crime- you’ll like it.

I found Killer Triggers to be extremely fascinating and informative. I'm a huge fan of true crime, so it was interesting to learn some of the motivations of the killers. It did get a bit repetitive and dry at times, but that is often the case with books like these. Overall, I liked it!

Anyone who is familiar with True Crime shows and podcasts has probably heard of Joe Kenda. Joe Kenda is a retired Detective Lieutenant from the Colorado Springs Police Department. He spent many of his 23 years in the police force as a homicide detective.

I first discovered Joe Kenda while listening to the detective podcast and then began to watch his Television show Homicide Hunter. This book is the perfect library addition to anyone, who like me, enjoys his stuff. I especially enjoyed that the audio book was narrated by Kenda himself.

In Killer Triggers, Joe Kenda explores the different triggers that people have for committing murder and links them to cases he has worked. The highlight of this book for me was definitely when I realised one of these cases written about in the book, he has previously talked about in the Detective podcast. It was great for a huge fan like me to see the two link together and find out more about the case.

Joe Kenda writes with a very personal style and his sense of humour shines through in the writing, which is further enhanced when listening to his narration. I cannot recommend this book enough for anyone who is a true crime junkie like myself!

Thank you to netgalley and Blackstone publishing for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

From my blog: Always With a Book:

True crime is a genre that I am started to really get into and when I saw this audiobook was available to request, I jumped on it. I fully admit to not knowing who Joe Kenda is, but I found this book to be quite fascinating and now I will definitely be checking out his show, Homicide Detective.

The first thing I have to mention is that I loved that Joe Kenda himself narrated this. His voice is so easy to listen to and clearly he knew how to deliver his own material, easily drawing you in. I loved that he had this laid back way of detailing the case, but also providing just a little humor to keep it from becoming too heavy. I think that's probably his personality, but it just felt natural. He talked about the cases and he let his feelings show - he doesn't hold back and that was refreshing to see. He was very clear on his feelings about the media in regards to how they handled cases and he wasn't afraid to let us know how he felt about the criminals.

I really enjoyed this book, despite the topic. It was an honest look at how the cases were solved and how all this affected Joe personally. I will definitely be checking out his other book and his show. If you are a true crime fan, do you have any books to recommend?

Audio thoughts: I think the fact that Joe Kenda narrated this book himself made this audio stand out. He knows his own material and knew just how to deliver it - he really is a gifted storyteller. I hope he narrates all his books because he really knows just how to make it enjoyable despite the material.

This was my first experience with Joe Kenda. I'm only really aware of him because my true-crime sister, Andy, has mentioned his show several times trying to get me to track it down to watch. I never did. I can be very lazy…

I saw Killer Triggers on offer with NetGalley and thought this would be a great way to get some exposure to the former homicide detective and his cases. And all I had to do was click a button so it was very easy - and right in front of my face.

Joe Kenda was exactly what I would expect a hard-nosed homicide detective to be. I'm so glad that I got to listen to the audiobook narrated by him because I don't think the words and stories would have had the same effect if I had read them with my eyes. He is quite the character! And I love his language. Now I've even got his show bookmarked. As usual, I'm so late to the party that the show is out of production. Oh well.

As for the cases, each one was interesting and the author's interjection of various facts and side stories made them even more enjoyable to listen to. I always feel weird mentioning that reading a book or watching a show about murder is enjoyable but it is. I feel terrible for the victims and their loved ones but the process of finding the killers and their psychology is truly fascinating.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to get to know Joe.

This book is like a continuation of the Homicide Hunter, love it! Lt. Joe Kenda has served twenty years as a detective with Colorado Springs Police Department, solving close to 400 cases. The cases are gruesome and devastating to families to hear, Lt. Kenda does not sugar coat words and he gives each case his undivided attention. As with this both he speaks about the triggers that killers have. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for a gifted copy. This is my honest review.

Following along with the audiobook is a must, Kenda’s voice and retellings add another level to the foolishness of the crimes and his joy when solving them.

I will forever say that there is nothing like having a Joe Kenda story told to you by Kenda himself. I’ve read them in physical book form, and they’re wonderful, but there’s just that “something” missing without the voice and cadence. I loved this book as much as I Will Find You. If you’re a fan of true crime/police procedurals, I really think you’ll enjoy this. Kenda’s wit and dry humor just make this book! I hope he continues to write more!

Reading Between the Wines book review #27/115 for 2021:
Rating: 4 🍷 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book 🎧: Killer Triggers
Author: Joe Kenda
Genre: Biographies & Memoirs | Nonfiction (Adult) | True Crime
RELEASES TODAY March 9, 2021!!! Get your copy!

Sipping Synopsis: Joe Kenda, which most of us know from his show Homicide Hunter on the Investigation Discovery Channel, recalls past murder cases. He lets us inside the killer and police officer’s heads as they navigate through the case. Kenda explores the triggers that potentially led the killers to murder.

Final sipping thoughts: I can’t even begin to explain how excited I was when I saw that Joe Kenda had a book coming out. I was like not THE Joe Kenda…AND it was an audiobook read by him?!! Count me in. I felt like I was watching his show on the ID channel just without the visual. I loved his take on the stories of the solved cases he conducted. Kenda’s no holds barred, gritty and witty, serious and passionate recalls of his past cases were very intriguing and so well done. Any true crime buffs will enjoy this book and do you one better to get the audio version to hear Joe’s voice!!

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley and @BlackstonePublishing for an advanced copy of @KillerTriggers

#KillerTriggers #BlackstonePublishing #JoeKenda #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #Biographies #Memoirs #NonfictionAdult #TrueCrime

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.

I honestly have never watched an episode of Investigation Discovery’s Homicide Hunter. However, after finishing this audio book, I now am going to go back and check out this show. As someone that is a true crime fan and who lives in Colorado; I do remember hearing about some of the cases featured in this book.

The cases were intriguing. Yet, it was Lt. Kenda that really brought them to life and made this audio book. In fact, if I see more books by Lt. Kenda, I will only listen to them on audio if he is the narrator. His no holds bar attitude is so refreshing. I recommend this audio book to true crime fans. It is safe to say that this is a five star book for me.