Killer Triggers

I just thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have watched Homicide Hunters and loved it, so it was a no-brainer to request this book.
Obviously, murder and homicides are heavy topics. Kenda is able to tell his stories with tasteful humor and bluntness. To be honest, he does at times seem a little full of himself, but I expected that since that is how the show is too.
Each case he explains, has a trigger (money, revenge etc) that he says at the beginning of the chapter. I could picture each case in my head as an episode of Homicide Hunters and it was made better by the fact that Joe Kenda himself narrated it.
Kenda's writing style was great, I found myself laughing out loud several times a chapter because he called the suspects "frick and frack" or how one of the canines didn't like anyone except him.
If you enjoy all those true crime shows out there and want to step into true crime books, or are looking for another one to add to your collection, I definitely recommend this one.

Anyone familiar with true crime shows knows Kenda. He’s a laid back, laconic guy whose “aw shucks”attitude hids a mind like a steel trap. If someone I love is ever murdered, I’d want Kenda on the case. His book examines the many reasons seemingly normal people commit murder, be it love, lust, money or jealousy, all murders have their roots in these causes. A solid true crime book that reassures us that there are still good guys like Kenda out there, trying to balance the scales of justice

My, my, my..
Our favorite homicide detective has written another great book. To cap it off he narrates this audible version himself. Normally self narrated usually offerings fall short of the mark. This is one of the very few that is the exception. The familiar voice from his television show is a natural fit.

The book itself is entertaining and captivating.
I was given an advanced copy for review purposes. I thank the author, publisher, and NetGalley.

This is a Non-Fiction True Crime book. I have watch every season of Joe Kenda TV show, and I loved it so much. I also was very sad to hear the last season would be the last season. I had to pick up this book. I listen to the audiobook, and the narrator was Joe Kenda which is makes the book come to life. I have to say you should listen to the audiobook of this book. I love how real Joe Kenda is, and I feel really bad for that boy that took his daughter out. If you love True crime books you should check this book out, and you should really think about the audiobook of this book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Blackstone Publishing) or author (Joe Kenda) via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that. This book is schedule to be release on March 9-2021.

“The message has to be sent that if you commit a crime there has to be punishment.” ~Benigno Aquino III

Joe Kenda’s Killer Triggers was great as an audiobook. He narrates it himself and did a great job. I’ve watched him on ID over the years and enjoyed his show. This was a more in-depth view of some of his experiences in a more personal telling. He starts each chapter with what he believes was the trigger to the crime. I especially liked the last chapter because JK shares how the TV show affected him and what he’s doing now.
I highly recommend this if you love true crime podcasts.
Thank you Blackstone Publishing via Netgalley for this audiobook. I’ve voluntarily given my honest review.


I am a big fan of true crime, and a big fan of Homicide Hunter. When I found out that Joe Kenda had written a book, I was incredibly excited. When NetGalley gave me the opportunity to get an advanced copy, I was elated. I devoured this novel in a few days, and I can confidently say that it is the best true crime novel I have read. Kenda’s voice is extremely strong throughout the novel. I felt as if I was sitting down and having a conversation with him. What really made this book for me was Kenda’s attitude towards the victims. He cares deeply about each of his victim’s regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, class, etc. This was clear in his accounts of the cases he describes throughout this novel. I would definitely read more from Kenda, and look at Homicide Hunter with a new lens.

Absolutely loved this.
Let's face it anything with Joe kenda is going to be a hit.
I love his wit, his bluntness.
Listened to this while walking my dogs in a morning, chuckling to myself.

I love Joe Kenda, a retired homicide detective in Colorado Springs, Colorado that solved 387 cases, and I have seen every episode of his show so I knew I had to read the book. At first, I thought it was just going to be about cases that I had already heard of but this book went into the "what happened next" which I just loved. I am definitely going to pick up his other books and I highly recommend this one. Thanks so much to #Netgalley for the early review copy. I have to get a physical copy for my forever crime shelf.

** I received an ARC in exchange for an honezt review.”
I love Lt Kenda’s straightforward eay of discussing police work and his career. He doesnt overdramitize or exagerate. He doesnt try to make everything PC. Listening to him tell me the stories, majes it even better.
This book does repeat one case he discussed in his prior book. This didn’t impact my enjoyment of the book.
If you are a fan of a procedural and true crime, thus book might be for you.

I first came to know about Joe Kenda through his true-crime documentary series, Homicide Hunter, that aired on the Investigation Discovery network. Joe Kenda is a retired Colorado Springs homicide detective who with his team had one of the highest percentage of solved crimes in the country. 92 percent. Not too shabby, Kenda!

I have watched every episode of Homicide Hunter faithfully, so I was beyond disappointed when the show came to an end. I still watch old episodes of Homicide Hunter. Let’s just say I am pretty obsessed with Joe Kenda, so when I had the chance to read his new book, Killer Triggers, I was beyond ecstatic!

In Killer Triggers Kenda takes you through the process of solving various cases, how to make the evidence stick in the court system, and how it effects the families of the victims as well as the families of those committing the crimes. He gives insight on how this line of work has effected his life and the lives of his family, and the huge impact this demanding career has taken on his fellow colleagues.

Kenda is a master storyteller. Killer Triggers has grit and wit. Kenda’s no nonsense honesty draws you in wanting to hear about the next case as only Kenda can tell it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC of Killer Triggers in exchange for my honest review.

I tend to watch true crime shows on TV, so I was familiar with Joe Kenda. I was excited to be offered an audio arc from Blackstone Publishing and Netgalley.

This book is real life stories that Kenda has experienced during his time with the Colorado Springs Police Department. The descriptions of the stories is descriptive, but not over the top. He shares his thought process during the investigations along with colorful commentary. I really enjoyed the humanizing stories and the application of the triggers for crimes. I really enjoyed this audiobook and it was even better that it was narrated by Joe Kenda. 4 stars!

If you know Joe Kenda from his show, Homicide Hunter, and his first book, I Will Find You, then you know what to expect with Killer Triggers. If you don’t know Joe Kenda, where have you been? Please, go binge the show and read his first book right now!

Killer Triggers covers an assortment of cases Kenda worked. He shares memories of the investigations and outcome, interspersed with some personal anecdotes.

I listened to Killer Triggers on audio, which was a fun experience because he narrates the book himself. He has a matter-of-fact, almost dry way of speaking as he recounts cases he worked, then suddenly he tosses in a humorous aside that always feels unexpected and so totally incongruous given his serious tone. I really enjoyed the glimpse into this lighter side of his personality.

A great read or listen for established fans or anyone interested in the career of a homicide detective.

Absolutely fantastic listen. Kenda is such a great narrator and story-teller. Definitely the perfect people for people who enjoy true crime or memoirs.

Lt. Joe Kenda is a retired homicide detective/commander of the major crimes unit for the Colorado Springs Police Department. His true-crime documentary series on ID channel ran for 9 seasons. I watched the show and loved the way he told stories. I knew I needed to read his books! He narrates his audiobooks so I was very excited to read the book in this way. In Killer Triggers, Kenda talks about many different cases and examines the reason they led to murder. I recommend this book (especially the audiobook version) to anyone who is interested in true crime or is a fan of the show. The way the stories are told and all the extra details make for a fascinating read.

Thank you Netgalley and Blackstone Audiobooks for this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Available: March 9 2021

Well my, my, my.

As a fan of Joe Kenda's television show on Investigation Discovery, I leapt at the chance to listen to him read his memoirs. I was not disappointed.

In Killer Triggers, retired Lieutenant Joe Kenda recalls several of his most memorable cases while working as a homicide detective in Colorado Springs. He starts each story with the “trigger” for the murder and retells the entire experience of solving the crime -- from the time he gets the call until after the killer is locked safely behind bars.

But not every story is like an episode of Homicide Hunter. In this format, Kenda is able to go into much more detail about the investigation, techniques used, his feelings about the case, and even a few amusing asides. There’s a long passage extolling the skills of police dogs and an amusing side story about the time one of them got loose. He later goes in depth about the emotional toll being a homicide detective took on his health and family life, making this a well-balanced true crime memoir.

These stories are true crime, but there is time to talk about the effect of the murders on the surviving family members. This author has no trouble reminding the reader that these are real people who have endured real horrors and he treads the line between sensationalism and compassion.

However, I did find that since Kenda explores his opinions and feelings during each case, his generational bias is showing. He flirts with outdated morals and societal norms which rub this 21st-century reader the wrong way.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m sure it’s a great title on paper, but as a fan of Homicide Hunter, the narration made it that much better. I don’t normally mention profanity in my reviews, but other fans may be startled to hear their favorite detective drop an f-bomb.

I highly recommend the audiobook version of Killer Triggers to any fan of the true crime genre, especially those who recognize the author from his television show. Joe Kenda’s style is direct, deadpan, opinionated, and dripping with gravitas.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I love true crime and love Joe Kenda. I love hearing his stories about crimes he’s solved over decades of being a Detective in Colorado. I enjoyed the background concepts he shared, like when he talked about how he would play aloof in the interview room and ask the perpetrator odd questions just to get them at ease. Overall, I recommend this to anyone who loves Homicide Hunter or enjoy listening to multiple true crimes (basically this isn’t a book about just one crime).

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.

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.

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.