This was a folksy, honest look at what happens when a member of your family turns out to be an infamous serial killer. The author discusses his long, close history with his brother-in-law, Joseph DeAngelo, the alleged Golden State Killer. This book is unique because it's written in a easy, friendly manner from somebody who knew this monster as someone simply named "Joe."

The author discusses meeting Joe, Joe marrying into the family, and Joe's normal daily routine while the area was rocked by his horrific events. The author discusses red flags that he only realized in hindsight, and the family pictures at the end are chilling in their normality.

The book respectfully glosses over the nitty gritty details of the cases. This will give you valuable insight about how the killer hid in plain sight for years and how the family dealt with the ensuing aftermath. The author is likable and I enjoyed this book. It's a perfect book for someone to wants to learn more about the killer they've seen all over the news, but perhaps doesn't have the stomach to do a case-by-case deep dive. It's a quick, easy read that anybody interested in the case would enjoy.

This is a quick summer read for people already familiar with the Golden State Killer case. It starts off with a few chapters that give a high-level overview of the cases, from the Visalia Ransacker's early days through the last Original Night Stalker murders. It's enough information to refresh your memory in case it's been awhile since you read I'll Be Gone In The Dark, but not so much that it feels like a full retread of what other books and podcasts have already covered.

The middle chapters, when Huddle talks about his relationship with DeAngelo and the relationships between their two families, are by far the most interesting. Huddle gives us glimpses into the many little red flags that, in retrospect, add up to something more than someone who is "just a little eccentric" or "just a little off." But I wish there had been more here -- more stories, more detail, more reflection about what they should've seen in those red flags. Ultimately, Killers Keep Secrets scratches the surface of who DeAngelo was with his family, but it never really digs in.

Killers Keep Secrets: The Golden State Killer’s Other Life, is absolutely gripping while being horrific and terrifying because of the crimes committed. It makes you question just how well do you really know the people you are close to and let into your life?

Thank you to NetGalley and IBPA for the arc of Killer keeps secrets by James Huddle.

This book is about the Golden State Killer, It’s written by his ex-wife’s brother, who spent a lot of time with him. It comes from his point of view, and is interesting in that respect. Unfortunately, once it goes over the family stuff and his personal memories of De-Angelo, He goes over the murder cases of serial killers and and listing other serial killers.

Quite interesting as it is a true crime book, it was quite short which is a shame, so i finished it quickly but overall a great read

4 Stars

James Huddle writes about the Golden State Killer from a unique perspective: he is the brother-in-law of this infamous criminal. Imagine, after knowing someone for over 40 years, that they are suddenly unmasked as being a cold-blooded rapist and murderer. Huddle discusses Joseph D'Angelo, who is married to his sister Sharon, and gives insight to the popular notion that madmen can live among us.

This book is about the now-becoming-familiar Golden State Killer, but from another angle. It’s written by his ex-wife’s brother, who spent a lot of time with him over the years, decades and considered him family. It comes from his point of view, and is interesting in that respect. Unfortunately, once it goes over the family stuff and his personal memories of DeAngelo, etc. it runs out of gas and falls back on filler to make even a book on the shortish side. He goes over the murder cases, then really stretches things by talking about serial killers in the US, at one point listing non-white male serial killers. And a female one. I’m still glad to have read it, but it’s a bit thinner than I’d have liked on material. Advanced electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author James Huddle, and the publisher.

When I received this book from NetGalley, I was very excited but also nervous. Another book about the Golden State Killer which meant that the only way to impress me would be to learn somethings I didn't already know. And let me tell you, this book did just this. James Huddle's brother-in-law was Joseph James DeAngelo. The authors daughters only knew Joe as their uncle. It was so interesting to see what he was doing with his time after the murders stopped and also a very personal account of someone who knew him probably the best (besides his wife). I would highly recommend to anyone wanting to learn more about GSK/EAR.

Initially the title grabbed my attention and to find it was true crime, i could wait to read it. I am by no means a fast reader, but to read a book in little over a day as i did with 'Killers Keep Secrets' is saying something. I recall reading something about when the Golden State killer was caught and that he was a former police officer, but didn't really know much about him. Unbelievable that he got away with what he did for so many years, but thankfully he was finally caught. Towards the end of the book, the author wrote a brief account of other well known serial killers. Recommended.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review, which i have voluntarily given.

“American are fascinated with serial killers.” I believe this statement is incorrect a majority of people all around the world are fascinated with serial killers.
The quest to try to understand what makes a serial killer and how they hide in plain sight is one of the most intriguing mysteries.
This book was a big surprise to me because I must admit that when I conducted research on a few killers the Golden State Killer was not one I focused my attention on the most. The fact that he had this normal life with friends and visited people’s houses, hanged out shows how deceptive the perception we have of a killer may be.
I liked the myth clarification part because there were some of them I still thought to be true.