Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience

It was interesting to read Lt. Kenda’s perspectives on different cases after having watched the Lt. Kenda: Homicide Hunter television series. I would recommend this book to any fans of the show and those that like to read true crime.

Thank you to Joe, Blackstone Publishing, and Netgalley for an advance copy of Killer Triggers!

In this book, Joe takes us through a variety of cases where he breaks down the most common triggers or motives for the murders - fear, rage, revenge, money, lust, and madness. The trigger often plays a key role in leading detectives to the killer, however even when detectives solve a case without knowing the trigger it often haunts them long after the case has been solved.

I am honestly embarrassed that it took me so long to read this because I remember squealing when I saw the email that I was approved for it. I love Joe Kenda. My husband who does not do true crime knows who Joe Kenda is because he’s on so frequently in our house.

If you have ever watched a Joe Kenda show, you know exactly what to expect in his books. He is direct and succinct while still being entertaining and humorous. Joe walks us through several of the cases that he was involved in examining why each crime was committed.

The big difference in this book versus Joe’s shows is that we get more of a glimpse into Joe’s personal life and I really appreciated that he shared some of that with us.

Joe Kenda is one of my favorite true crime figures because he is such a genius!! I LOVED this book!!! You really get the opportunity to the "triggers" that lead to the worst crimes. If you are a fan of Joe Kenda's shows, and a lover of true crime, you will love this book.

“So many crimes, so little time.”

Killer Triggers is about Joe Kenda’s personal experience as a detective of homicide in Colorado Springs Colorado. Over the span of 23 years, he had an impressive success rate of 92% of closing his cases. Somehow what starts as a hunch, proves to be correct in the long run. He walks us through his memories of cases during his career. He reviews the triggers of what caused the murders whether it be money, fear, rage, lust, or jealousy. Sometimes, there are not always explanations and people can display just plain evil behavior. Each case is disturbing and heartbreaking but Kenda is able to dissect the situation to get to the bottom of it.

“There is no loyalty among murders and thieves.”

He walks us through how he solved each case and also how to provide evidence in the courtrooms to seek justice for the victims' families. His explanations are easy to follow and you can tell that he really knows what he is doing. Joe Kenda cares deeply for each case as if he knew the victims personally and works through them with such perseverance and determination. While speaking of the cases, he is able to throw in some dark humor which can offset the heavy topics at times. He also talks a little bit on how his type of job can affect his personal life. As you could imagine, it can become his whole life at times as it is a tough field to be in but he was always up to the challenge.

Kenda is a strong story teller and provides insight that you don’t always get to read about. I recommend this read for anyone who loves true crime books, shows, or even podcasts. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

3.5/5 stars. I enjoyed the stories in this book but some of the author's comments about the suspects were.. not great. Many true crime fans will enjoy this book, especially the audiobook since the author reads it himself.

I was a big fan of the Homicide Hunter show (and the handsome actor who plays young Joe Kenda), so I was really looking forward to reading this. But I was a rather disappointed--it could have used more developmental editing to weave the stories together with the triggers concept. The stories all meander a bit (he has nearly 400 cases to his credit, so he has a LOT of stories) and some asides and explanations are just patched in with a subtitle like "Which Reminds Me..." That's... not good editing.

Kenda's language was a little saltier than I expected, and he has a fair amount of contempt for "lowlifes," be they perpetrators or victims. Not to defend criminals, but not everybody is born with the same advantages. But for true crime fans, it has a lot more humor than most books in the genre.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for this e-book in exchange for an honest review.

Killer Triggers is a non fiction, true crime story compilation by retired Colorado Police detective Joe Kenda. He is also featured on Investigation Discovery's "Homicide Hunters".

Joe does an extraordinary job of detailing the crimes referenced in this book. Each chapter references a different crime. I really appreciate his determination to catch the criminals and bring justice for the families of the victims. This book was extremely informative and helps give a good insight into police procedure, which is something I am not overly familiar with.

Although I have not watched "Homicide Hunters", I am a true crime lover and really enjoyed this book. Whether you love the show/Joe Kenda, or just love true crime in general, this book is for you!



The last chapter of the book was especially interesting, discussing his life after the show and how it helped him to release trauma he had dealt with as a homicide detective.

As a massive fan of Joe's show Homicide Hunters, this was a must read for me when I saw it available on Netgalley!

Killer Triggers acts as an almost sequel to Joe's previous book and gives us some updates into the retiring of Homicide Hunters and insight into how the program helped him deal with the mental effects of his long career and the things he has seen.

He shares some interesting cases that were solved. Each case has a "trigger" listed, basically the motive that triggered the crime. One of the main aspects of this book is that Homicide detectives while being heroes are also human. As such they carry a burden mentally and we often don't think about that.

A really intriguing read and a fantastic edition from Joe Kenda.

Love watching Joe Kenda on TV and also.love reading his books. He has a way of weaving these true crime stories in a way that is unlike other true crime books. The stories are really interesting and I appreciate the way he tells them.

*I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review. All opinions are mine.*

As a huge true crime junkie, I definitely knew who Joe Kenda was, although I had never watched Homicide Hunter. (That is going to change soon). I didn't really know what to expect going into "Killer Triggers" though. I could not put it down. I thoroughly enjoyed his voice and his way of telling stories. Kenda had a deep love for the job that he did, despite all the horrible things he must have seen, and it shows in the way he talks about his cases and the victims he helped get justice for. For anyone who likes true crime, this is a definite have to read, and that's probably why there's a waiting list a mile long at our library for it.

As a true crime junkie, I watched the Homicide Hunter TV series and fell hard for Joe Kenda's no nonsense style of story telling. I jumped on the chance to read Killer Triggers to get my Kenda fix. What a wonderful surprise to find his writing style is just the same as his storytelling. Kenda is a man who doesn't take crap and can sift through the facts and fallacies. He deliveries each case as a modern and more personable "Joe Friday". In a manner that entertains and I feel grateful there are people who can do the job of homicide detective.

The last chapter on mental health and the stressors our police forces face was a great wrap up. Please talk to someone about the things you witness and face daily. Kenda describes how the TV show helped relieve him of the burden he had been carrying and how his wife felt she had her Joe back.

Thank you for your police service, Det. Lt. Joe Kenda, your fans love you very much. I look forward to your upcoming projects.

Kenda is in a class unto himself when it comes to the world of true crime. He caps off 9 years leading a series about his major cases as a detective in Colorado Springs with this book. He highlights multiple cases and the triggers related to those cases. Kenda's self-deprecating, but over confident, tone translates perfectly from television to this series of case summaries. His dark sense of humor makes it entertaining to read about these cases while maintaining the respect and dignity the victims deserve. That is a hard balance beam to walk, but I think Kenda masters it.

This is Joe Kenda's second book, and I enjoyed it as much as the first one. I have to admit that as I read it, I read it in his voice! I find that he has an enjoyable way of telling a story and of the cases that he was involved in while he was a detective. I thought the book was well written and it was enjoyable to read. Of course, I had a hard time putting it down! I hope he continues to write more books. It was a great read. And I love the fact that his focus was always the victims and their loved ones. I do admire him greatly

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.

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.

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 enjoyed this book so much! It was equally as good as his first book, I Will Find You. You can truly feel the emotion behind Kenda’s stories as he tells them, and his wit and dry sense of humor are amazing. The only thing missing are his voice and cadence, which I loved from the audiobook of the first book. I’ll definitely be purchasing the audio of this one!

Lt. Joe Kenda, a twenty-three-year veteran of the Colorado Springs Police Department, spent twenty-one years chasing killers as a homicide detective and commander of the major crimes unit. Kenda and his team solved 356 of his 387 homicide cases, getting a 92 percent solve rate—one of the highest in the country.

Rage, fear, money, envy, fear, sex, and sometimes just plain evil --- these are the most common triggers for homicide.

Lt. Kenda takes the reader on some of his cases that involved some ...if not all, of the most common triggers. Per Lt Kenda, even though the why of a murder case may not be critical in an investigation, it can sometimes lead to the killer.

For the true crime aficionado, this is a terrific book. Facts are presented along with Kenda's thoughts at the time. Sometimes I could hear the sadness in his literary voice, sometimes the anger at not finding justice for a victim. I could also hear the humor ..

My favorite chapter was the one in which police dogs were featured ... how much training they have, exactly when they're used ... and the distinct personalities of some of them... and also of the handlers.

This is very well written with intriguing stories by a man who knows.

Many thanks to the author / Blackstone Publishing / Netgalley for the digital copy of this most interesting book. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own. I watched a few episodes of Homicide Hunter to get a feel for Joe Kenda and hear his voice again. It will remain a favorite documentary crime show for me. That said, this book is also an account of his cases, some cold ones and a cause for frustration for this intrepid detective. His character and dedication to the job shows on every page. A fine work for true crime readers and one not easily forgotten.

I am a big fan of Homicide Hunter so when I saw this drop onto my Netgalley shelf I was super excited - sadly though this was not the book I thought it was going to be (more about Joe himself) and all of the cases discussed I had already watched on the show so it felt more like reading the episode scripts which made it hard to stay engaged.